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227,089 | b20ef524b954f39a310735b1e051b37bd00b0918 | Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, has pleaded not guilty to taking part in the 2013 Boston bombings. He could face the death penalty . Attorneys for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Monday denied as 'false' and 'preposterous' an allegation that defense team members posed as FBI employees while investigating the case in Russia. 'Let us be clear: at no time have members of the defense team misrepresented themselves or lied about their work,' the defense attorneys said in a court filing. They also said trying to get information in a country where people are suspicious of appointed defense lawyers, the defense team already has a difficult job persuading potential witnesses it is working to protect Tsarnaev 'rather than facilitating the U.S. government's effort to execute him'. Tsarnaev, 21, has pleaded not guilty to participating with his now-deceased brother Tamerlan in the 2013 bombings that killed three people and injured about 260 others. He could face the death penalty. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen who came to the Boston area with his family more than a decade ago. His parents have returned to Russia. Prosecutors said the allegation came in an official communication from the Russian government, which expelled the three individuals. Prosecutors cited it in a court filing on Friday opposing a defense request to delay Tsarnaev's November 3 trial, saying the preparation work load cited by the defense is largely self-inflicted. Defense attorneys said that by repeating 'reckless allegations' prosecutors are likely making it more difficult for them to prepare on time. They pleaded again for a delay. 'More time is needed to ensure basic fairness to the accused. It is also needed to service society's best interest in the fullest possible accounting of what happened in Boston during the week of April 15, 2013, and why it happened,' the lawyers said. Prosecutors noted in their legal brief that three members of Tsarnaev's legal team were recently expelled from Russia after misrepresenting themselves as tourists to local authorities. 'While conducting interviews in Russia, the members of the defense team reportedly refused to produce documents confirming their legal status and identified themselves as employees of the FBI,' the brief states. 'As a result, the Russian government found that the defense team members had violated the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation and expelled them.' Two explosions went off near the finish line of the 117th Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013 leaving three people dead . | Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's defense team has found it difficult to convince potential witnesses it is working to protect Tsarnaev .
Tsarnaev, 21, has pleaded not guilty to participating with his now-deceased brother Tamerlan in the 2013 bombings that killed three people .
Prosecutors said the allegation came in an official communication from the Russian government, which expelled the three individuals . |
131,130 | 3592918d22872f15d3aee56b113e1f6de5f2d6a8 | By . Riath Al-Samarrai . Follow @@riathalsam . Jo-Wilfried Tsonga might have to wait a little longer for a day off. Having won his first-round match across five sets and two days, he repeated the trick on Thursday to survive an upset against Sam Querrey. The 14th seed resumed his second-round tie at two sets apiece and 9-9 with Querrey serving, but the Frenchman battled through to win 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 14-12. It lasted a total of three hours and 39 minutes and meant he has now played on all four days of the Championships. Jumping for joy: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga celebrates beating Sam Querry at Wimbledon on Thursday . Marathon man: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has now been involved in two five-set games in two matches . Battler: Sam Querry took Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all the way in their second round match . In a match dominated by high quality serving, Tsonga broke serve twice and Querrey once in the space of five sets, with neither player conceding even a single break point in the second or third sets. Tsonga will next face Jimmy Wong of Taiwan in the third round ahead of a possible fourth-round match against Novak Djokovic. | Frenchman wins 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 14-12 in three hours and 39 minutes .
Tsonga was taken to five sets by Jürgen Melzer in first round .
Tsonga will next face Jimmy Wong of Taiwan in the third round . |
264,484 | e28ef032a79809bed1489ca9677c7afac7c971c8 | Luke Shaw’s difficult start as a Manchester United player has continued after a hamstring injury sidelined him for a month. Shaw, 19, was labelled unfit by United manager Louis van Gaal during a pre-season tour of America and was asked to train alone. VIDEO Scroll down for Louis van Gaal: Luke Shaw is nowhere near fit enough . Frustration: Luke Shaw signed for Manchester United from Southampton for £30million this summer . Now the £28million defender has broken down in training and will miss the start of the Barclays Premier League season. A statement on Manchester United's official website read: 'Luke Shaw has suffered a hamstring injury and will miss the opening game of the season against Swansea City on Saturday. 'The England international, a summer signing from Southampton, is likely to be sidelined for around four weeks. 'Shaw sat out the friendly victory against Valencia at Old Trafford due to the problem and faces a wait before making his competitive debut for the club.' Shaw is expected to miss Saturday’s Premier League opener at home to Swansea as well as fixtures against Sunderland, Burnley and QPR. You can Like our dedicated Manchester United Facebook page here . Eager to go: Shaw (second left) walks to his seat at Old Trafford for the friendly over Valencia . His place in Van Gaal’s team on Saturday will go to Ashley Young who has impressed the Dutch coach at left wing back during pre-season. Meanwhile, according to reports in Norway, United have released Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard. Sunnmorsposten, a newspaper based in Alesund where Lindegaard played before joining United in 2010, reported that the player had been let go by the Old Trafford club and that his agent, Michael Stensgaard, would be making a statement. ‘Spread your wings and fly #mufc #fly #manchesterunited,’ tweeted the 30-year-old Lindegaard, seemingly confirming his imminent exit from the club. United have announced that exciting Belgian Adnan Januzaj will wear the No 11 shirt this season following Ryan Giggs’ retirement. Shaw will wear the No 3 jersey. VIDEO Van Gaal looking to strengthen squad . | £28million signing suffers setback before season begins .
Shaw suffered a hamstring injury in training on Tuesday .
Louis van Gaal previously voiced concerns about the 19-year-old's fitness .
Manchester United face Swansea in their opening fixture on Saturday . |
194,401 | 87a634eb2d19927e9c7bbec4826eebb37248626b | By . Larisa Brown . With a new season just weeks away, the country’s brief respite from Premier League football is almost over. But despite the wall-to-wall media coverage and the millions of pounds paid to its stars, England’s top football league comes a distant second to the theatre when it comes to paying customers. A study has found that more people attend plays and musicals at London’s theatres each year than Premier League games across the country. Shows including A Midsummer Night’s Dream (above starring Sheridan Smith), the Lion King and the Mousetrap pulled in an astonishing 22million spectators in just one year . Shows including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Lion King and the Mousetrap pulled in an astonishing 22million spectators in just one year. By comparison, just under 14million football fans attended the 380 Premier League matches last season. The study, commissioned by the National Theatre and the Society of London Theatre, asked every licensed theatre in London to provide attendance and box office figures. During 2011/12, 21million people attended theatres in London, bringing in an estimated £609million. This increased by 5.2 per cent to 22million (£619million) in 2012/13. But football figures showed just 13,944,100 fans attended all Premier League matches last season. The domestic football season only runs from August to May, whereas long-running shows at the theatre can be shown twice a day and up to seven days a week. Ben Foster (left) and Gillian Anderson appear in A Streetcar Named Desire at The Young Vic . The 2012/13 analysis showed there were 241 professional theatres in London, with more than 110,000 seats between them. Alistair Smith, the editor of trade paper The Stage, who undertook the study, told the Daily Mail: ‘It is an interesting comparison, which shows that more people like going to see live theatre than going to watch the football. London theatre also takes more at the box office than London’s cinemas.’ Nick Starr, the National’s executive director, said: ‘While there has been for some time an awareness that London is a world city for theatre, we’ve hitherto lacked the data to see just how big it is. ‘These are valuable insights not only for the capital, but also nationally and internationally — and valuable, too, I hope, for policy-makers.’ Venues surveyed ranged from the 30-seat Lord Stanley pub in Camden to the 3,600-seat Hammersmith Apollo. The report identified 59 commercial theatres, 47 fringe venues and 135 not-for-profit theatres such as the Globe and the National. London theatreland is more popular than Premier League games even those featuring top teams like Arsenal and Manchester United . Two London boroughs – Ealing and Bexley – had no permanent professional theatre. Westminster accounted for a third of London’s theatre capacity. The commercial West End accounted for just over half of capacity and the majority of box office. Arts Council-backed theatres accounted for a third of all tickets sold. At £21.24, average prices for Arts-Council-backed theatres were cheaper than the West End, where the average figure was £36.05. Fringe tickets – bought by 586,000 people – were around £10. In 2012 a total of 43million people went to the cinema. Given the average cinema ticket is £6.37, far more money is spent at the theatre. London’s theatres employ more than 3,000 performers at any one time, another 6,500 full-time non-performing staff and thousands of others. | Shows including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Lion King and The Mousetrap attracted 22million spectators in one year .
Just under 14million football fans attended the 380 Premier League matches last season .
Figures not surprising: football season runs from August to May, whereas theatre shows can be shown twice a day and up to seven days a week . |
5,922 | 10c868880a5536c1f13615a1d4845fe31ec82609 | I got married to my beautiful girlfriend Vivian in Monaco last week and it was a wonderful experience. I wasn't sure if I would feel anxious about the occasion, but it was such a pleasure. There was only a small group of friends and family, it was quite intimate – and we all went to a beach restaurant after the ceremony and we continued the celebrations there. It was an awesome day, very emotional and it just felt right. Only 48 hours later, Germany then faced Argentina in the World Cup final. I watched the game with my family at my parents' house in Monaco. VIDEO Scroll down to see Rosberg signs Mercedes extension . Sealed with a kiss: Nico Rosberg married his partner Vivian Sibold at a ceremony in Monaco last week . It was such an intense match, and it . really could have gone either way. In the end, the Germans did it when . Mario Gotze scored with just seven minutes of extra-time remaining. It . was so, so awesome. I went crazy in the apartment when we scored and it . was a great experience, one that I will always remember. It was well deserved because Germany were the best team at the . tournament. I came home to Germany on Tuesday so I followed their . celebrations with the bus going through Berlin; there were some great . pictures and great energy. The whole team were fantastic throughout the tournament. Some players . were better in some matches and some in other games, so everyone . contributed. We've done it: Nico celebrates Germany's World Cup triumph over Argentina. Germany won 1-0 in extra-time . On Wednesday, it was announced that I've agreed a new contract with Mercedes, and I am very proud to have . signed a new deal with, for me, the most special team in Formula One. I . am a German driver at a German team, and I am so proud to continue the . history of the Silver Arrows. It is great that we are dominating the . sport, we are the best team, and I am grateful for the trust that Toto . Wolff, Paddy Lowe and everyone else have shown in me. The discussions . about my new deal started a long time ago because most of us had great . interest in continuing what has been a successful relationship. The . process was an on-going one, but it was always relaxed and the time had . come to solidify and announce the deal. This is the place where I want . to be. I feel very much at home here, and they have shown a lot of faith . and respect in me and it is a great collaboration, so I am looking . forward to many more successful years with the team. I am also enjoying . the moment, because is special knowing that if I do a good job at each . race I can be on pole and if I do a good job on Sunday I will win the . grand prix. It doesn't get better than that. On track: It was announced on Wednesday that he 29-year-old had agreed a 'multi-year' deal with Mercedes . VIDEO Rosberg signs Mercedes extension . This week is my second . home race – the German Grand Prix – and it would round off an incredible . week if I could win on Sunday. So, that is the mission and I am looking . forward to completing it. I am also looking forward to receiving the . support from the home fans which will be great. This race is special . because I know so many people are supporting us, and I am in the . fortunate position where I have two home races – in Monaco and . Hockenheim. In response to Lewis' comments about my nationality, I . don't really read the press, but I got a jist of what he said. I am very . much laid back about it, and I understand it was a joke from Lewis . rather than something serious. I am easy going and I don't have any . problems with such opinions and that is all I really have to say on the . matter. The atmosphere last time out at the British Grand Prix was . amazing. The fans were obviously there to support Lewis, but everybody . gave me the respect as well and even I could enjoy what was a brilliant . occasion, despite my own personal result. Unfortunately my gearbox . broke during the race and Lewis went on to win. Naturally, there was . then a lot of interest in whether I would have won the race had I not . suffered my first DNF of the season. It is impossible to say but let us . give the benefit to the guy who was leading. I was doing well at the . time, so I was pretty confident I could have made it happen and stayed . out in front. The early part of the race was red flagged for one hour . following Kimi Raikkonen's huge shunt. I just tried to chill out; I also . went to see Vivian and my friends and discuss the re-start with my . team. On Kimi's crash, it was certainly a big one, but it is difficult . to comment on it. There was a bump off the track which he hit and it is . difficult to foresee those sort of things so I can't really judge . whether he could have avoided it or not. I saw that his wheel narrowly . missed Max Chilton's helmet and I am sure we will have to discuss the . idea of closed-cockpit racing with the GPDA at some point in the near future. Wreck: Kimi Raikkonen was fortunate to avoid any major injury following his first-lap crash at the British GP . Retirement: Rosberg suffered his first DNF of the year at Silverstone. He leads the championship by four points . Nico Rosberg's fee for his column will . be donated to the Grand Prix Mechanics' Charitable Trust, which is . dedicated to providing help to former and current Formula One mechanics . and their families, putting F1 mechanics throughout the world in touch . with each other and raising funds to help in times of need. You can . follow Rosberg on Twitter @nico_rosberg and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS @MercedesAMGF1. | I married my partner Vivian at an intimate ceremony in Monaco last week .
Watching Germany beat Argentina in the final was incredible... I went crazy .
I am proud to have signed a new deal with Mercedes - F1's best team .
Winning the German Grand Prix would round off an incredible week for me . |
159,597 | 5a4b57e795c7ec3e13d43eea13706a9813808c8d | Brisbane locals are embracing the G20 world meet up with characteristic Queensland humour, as enterprising local businesses celebrate the visit with special events and limited edition culinary specials. Popular Brisbane bar, Alfred & Constanc, held an Obamarama Tiki Party in honour of President Barack Obama – dedicating 'The Big O' pineapple cocktail to his Hawaiian roots and the Obamarama burger to him for his love of burgers. 'We are having the Obamarama party to welcome President Obama to Brisbane and show him how we, as Queenslanders relax and celebrate,' said Emily Wornes, duty manager. Scroll down for video . London-born chef Martin Latter will be dishing up over 100,000 meals for some of the world's most influential leaders during the G20 summit, held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre . 'We thought he'd be a little bit stressed after the conference [G20] so we wanted to create an atmosphere where he could let his hair down. 'We know that he is from Hawaii so we thought why not make him feel at home? Give him a lei, a Piña Colada, an Obamarama Burger and help him chill out.' Damien Draper, Head Chef at Brisbane's Pony Dining has also created a burger especially for the US President. 'We pretty much wanted to throw everything that was quintessential American burger into a hamburger,' Mr Draper said. 'It's got the patty, it's got the American mustard, it's got the cheddar cheese, pickles, onion rings and a smoked BBQ sauce'. The Obamarama Tiki Party at Alfred & Constance bar in Brisbane . Brisbane's Pony Dining has also created a burger especially for the US President with American mustard, cheddar cheese, pickles, onion rings and a smoked BBQ sauce . 'I'd be very surprised if he [Barack Obama] is walking around town looking for somewhere to eat but if he is, it would be great to have him in here, we'd really love it', he said. Meanwhile in at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Executive Chef Martin Latter – born and trained in UK - is preparing for one of the biggest weeks of his career. He will be dishing up over 100,000 meals for some of the world's most influential leaders during the upcoming G20 Summit. 'We created a very special menu here for the G20 leaders. I have sourced every ingredient from Queensland and we are giving [the delegates] some absolutely stunning seafood,' said the London-born Mr Latter. 'I've created a very special dessert which showcases all the flavours and textures of Queensland as well. 'I've been very fortunate to cook for a lot of royals and previous UK Prime Ministers so it would be an honour to cook for Prime Minister David Cameron. I look forward to showcasing him some of Queensland's finest produce.' An avid Chelsea supporter, Martin also expressed that he would still love to invite the Aston Villa fan for a pint in his Brisbane local, if he did have some downtime during or after the summit. 'David Cameron supports the wrong team in London; we will take him for a pint across the road and watch the Chelsea game on Saturday night.' | Alfred and Constance, a Brisbane bar, held an Obamarama Tiki party .
UK-born chef Martin Latter dished up over 100,000 meals for delegates .
Brisbane's Pony Dining also created burger especially for the President . |
258,239 | da3613d559377cdb6d64121a063283b4d0811d84 | An international jewellery scam dubbed the 'Italian Job' has been broken up by police who stormed a luxury hotel and arrested a gang of alleged fraudsters. Detectives believe that the men, who claim to be from Italy but are actually Eastern European, were hoping to defraud jewellery shops in the North-West of England by using fake money to buy goods. They seized £2million worth of counterfeit euro notes, as well as £50,000 in genuine currency and a haul of watches worth around £100,000. Haul: This fake money was seized by police investigating an alleged jewellery fraud gang on Saturday . Four alleged fraudsters had hired a whole conference room, according to the police who apprehended them at Manchester's Portland Thistle Hotel. They were dressed in expensive Italian suits and claimed to be from Italy themselves, while they drove an Audi 8 and Alfa Romeo with German number plates. Police arrested two of the suspects in the foyer of the hotel in front of guests and shoppers on Saturday afternoon, and the other two were arrested in the conference room. Det Insp Rob Cousen of Greater Manchester Police said: 'We were responding to dynamic intelligence. We had only established an hour earlier they were in the Portland. 'We had previously received intelligence that a Manchester jeweller had been targeted by a gang. Those arrested have given details of who they claim to be but they had a number of ID cards. 'We believe they are probably from Eastern Europe and linked to an international organised crime gang. Arrest: The four men were apprehended at the Portland Thistle Hotel in central Manchester . 'They were very sharply dressed, flash, and wore a lot jewellery. We are trying to establish if the jewellery they had was real or fake. They claimed to be Italian - a proper Italian job. 'They had hired the Denis Law conference suite, which gives an indication of their suspected plans. You don't go to that much trouble for a small fraud. 'We believe we have stopped a number of jewellery businesses from going out of business. They could have been ruined by this kind of fraud, and lost everything, their livelihoods, even their homes.' The police had received a tip-off from Safer Gems, an organisation which monitors allegations of crime in the jewellery, fine arts and antiques trades. It is believed that the men were hoping to bring jewellers to their hotel suite and buy gems using a mixture of real and fake cash. Police claim that the gang entered Britain via the Channel Tunnel before travelling north of Manchester. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Four men arrested at the Portman Thistle Hotel in Manchester on Saturday .
Police seized £2million in fake euros as well as £100,000 worth of watches .
They believe the men were planning to use the cash to buy more jewellery .
Suspects claimed to be Italian but were from Eastern Europe, police said . |
59,518 | a8fd170d0ff3f6178900977ce422ddcded7c6c43 | As I was speaking to a meeting of 200 small businesses in Southampton last week, I was asked a question that is increasingly on my own mind. 'With the economy suddenly looking so rosy,' said one employer, 'how come David Cameron and the Tories are not on for a convincing victory at the next General Election?' Twenty-four hours earlier, the same query was put by a member of the audience during BBC1's Question Time. It's a fascinating subject. Because there is no denying that in recent weeks, the economic news has been good. Lord Digby Jones, former trade minister under Labour, claims Ed Miliband and Ed Balls were wrong on the economy . Unemployment has fallen again and again – it's now at its lowest level for more than six years. In fact, so low are the jobless figures that in some cases, it's almost time to talk about the unemployable rather than simply the unemployed. The number of jobs continues to soar. There are now almost 31 million Britons at work – a record figure. And while the jobs figures are on the up, inflation and interest rates are on the way down. At long last, wages are outstripping the cost of living – a just reward for workers after years of coping with soaring costs and no pay rises. On high streets up and down the country, you can almost touch the sense of confidence returning as consumer spending rises. As a result, people are able to pay more tax to fund the public services we depend on. Of course, much of the recent good news is nothing to do with the Tories – it's due to a welcome fall in oil and petrol prices. In that respect, George Osborne is not so much an economic genius as just plain lucky. But just as Napoleon preferred generals who were lucky, there's no reason why we shouldn't prefer Chancellors with 'bonne chance' – especially if they seem to understand business and its importance to the country. The former Labour minister said Ed Balls (pictured) issued dire, nightmare predictions of rocketing unemployment . Which brings me to Labour and Ed Miliband. I served in the last Labour government as Gordon Brown's Trade and Investment Minister. I was a non-party political appointment – I've never joined a political party – but it pains me to say that on the economy, Miliband and his team have called it wrong time and time again. They issued dire, nightmare predictions of rocketing unemployment. Wrong. They drew a gloomy picture of an economy by this stage of the cycle, becalmed at best, in freefall at worst. Wrong. Miliband did appear to score some successes – for example, his pledge to freeze energy prices was popular with many voters. But with the fall in worldwide oil costs, even that policy is looking threadbare. Yet my biggest reservation about the Labour leader is not what he's committed to, but what he won't say. I'm still waiting to hear Ed Miliband pay tribute to business, salute the massed ranks of small firms up and down the country that are the backbone of the economy. From time to time, Chuka Umunna, Labour's industry spokesman, and Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls do say warm words about business. But that doesn't matter until and unless we hear it from the lips of Miliband himself. I live in hope that Miliband will make a speech praising profit and congratulating people who create wealth. Instead, the Labour leader prefers – as he did at one of his most important conference speeches – to talk instead about the evils of 'predator' capitalism, not the benefits business brings. From time to time, Chuka Umunna, Labour's industry spokesman, does say warm words about business . Without a thriving UK Plc, we can't have a wonderful NHS or any other viable public service for that matter. The fact that that is a Tory Election mantra, unfortunately for Labour, doesn't make it any less true. All this may be why, as I meet businesses across the country, I detect a real worry at the thought of Ed Miliband getting his hands on the economic reins. They feel we're finally going in the right direction and the last thing we need is a change of management – especially one that seems to have no empathy with business. They have another worry – Miliband's avowed admiration for French president Francois Hollande's economic policies. UK businesses don't want Britain turning into France, with a French-style equivalent of a straitjacket for business. As for Europe, it is true that businesses hate the uncertainty of Cameron's proposal for an in/out referendum on our EU membership – a poll that is unlikely to take place before the end of 2017 at the earliest. Far more preferable for company bosses would be a faster resolution of that debate. BUSINESSES don't want an unreformed, sclerotic Europe that fails to encourage wealth creation and innovation. This is no Little England view. The people I talk to are as keen to see a prosperous Athens and Madrid as any Greek or Spaniard because more wealth on the Continent means more money to buy British exports. I'll mention one final worry business owners have shared with me – the prospect of Miliband only getting the keys to No 10 with the help of the SNP. They are horrified at the idea of a Labour Party which has failed to win England being propped up in power by a party that wants to destroy the UK. Which brings me back to that burning question – why, in the face of all these factors, are the Tories not on course for a majority or even a landslide on May 7? Well, one big factor is this: despite all the economic good news, not everyone is benefiting. The Coalition has been forced to take many hard decisions, and some of those decisions have hurt many people's jobs and lifestyles. But here's one straw in the wind. The week before last, the Tories had a terrible week – starting with the ill-timed 'Black and White' donors' ball and ending with a barrage of damaging publicity about tax avoidance. Despite that, they did not slip back in the polls. Their ratings withstood the storm. I make no prediction about the Election outcome – we must wait till May 7 for that. But just over two months out, electoral logic suggests that the 2015 Election could be like the 1992 one – Labour seemingly on course to win until the last moment when voters balked at the thought of Kinnock and stuck with Major and the Tories. Lord Jones, a cross-bench peer, served as Trade and Investment Minister under the last Labour government. | Digby Jones claims Ed Miliband and Ed Balls were wrong on the economy .
Former trade minister under Labour says they made nightmare predictions .
He said they drew gloomy picture of economy by this stage of the cycle .
But pointed out jobs figures are up, inflation and interest rates are down . |
198,313 | 8cb4c96507ced0d1fa1cf1a13fd0ea4052c3e84c | By . Associated Press . A 12-year-old girl accused of stabbing a friend in a quest to please a creepy fictional character called 'Slender Man' will have a mental evaluation, while an attorney for the second girl also charged in the crime said today that he could raise the issue of competency later. The girls, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, both 12, appeared in court for a minutes-long hearing that would typically attract little attention but in this case drew dozens of journalists and others to Waukesha, a usually quiet community west of Milwaukee. The girls' families sat silently as a court commissioner agreed to appoint a doctor for Geyser and scheduled their next court dates for July 2. Geyser's father broke down in tears in the courtroom. Anissa Weier, aged 12, (pictured left) is charged along with alleged 12-year-old accomplice Morgan Geyser (right) of stabbing their friend 19 times in a Milwaukee wood as a sacrifice to impress the mythical online creature Slender Man . Home: The 12-year-old girl stabbed 19 times and left for dead as an offering to the mythic Slender Man is back home with her family recuperating . Geyser will undergo a mental competency test at the request of her attorney, a Waukesha County Circuit Court commissioner said. The attorney, Anthony Cotton, said the results of the evaluation, which must be completed within 15 days, will be sealed. Geyser’s father left . in tears and said nothing. Weier’s father said: 'No comment,' according to Fox. According to court documents, the girls plotted for months to kill their friend to curry favor with Slender Man, a character in horror stories they read online. They told investigators they believed Slender Man had a mansion in a Wisconsin forest and they planned to go live with him after the slaying. The Slender Man is a prevalent myth that has been a viral sensation since it emerged online in 2009 . One of the girls hosted the other two at a May 30 slumber party to celebrate her birthday. The next morning, the two girls attacked the victim in a wooded Waukesha park. One told investigators that she told the victim to lie down and be quiet after the stabbing so that she would lose blood slower. Weier's family said that the young girl struggled to tell the difference between myth and reality . The girl said she hoped to convince the victim to be quiet so the victim would not draw attention to them and would die. Once the attackers left, the 12-year-old victim crawled from the woods to a road where a passing bicyclist found her. Doctors later told police the girl had narrowly escaped death because the knife missed a major artery near her heart by just one millimeter. The child was released from a hospital last week and is recovering at home. Police have not identified her, and her parents asked friends to keep her name secret. Anthony Cotton, the defense attorney for one of the girls, asked the Court Commissioner Laura Lau to have a doctor evaluate her to see if she was competent to stand trial. Lau agreed and ordered the doctor's report kept secret. 'We have an obligation to raise competency when we have reason to doubt it,' Cotton said afterward, adding that he couldn't go into detail. He said previously that he believed his client showed signs of mental illness. The other girl's attorney said he is not raising competency as an issue right now but could later. Public defender Joseph Smith Jr. said his focus now is getting information from prosecutors to help prepare for a preliminary hearing. Smith said he knew the victim's injuries were severe, and both he and Cotton apologized on behalf of the girls' families. 'I join my client and my client's family in wishing the victim a swift recovery,' Smith said. Cotton said his client's parents expressed remorse every time he spoke with them. 'This is a tragedy for everybody,' he said. The girls have been charged as adults . with first-degree attempted homicide and are being held at a juvenile . detention center on $500,000 cash bond. They face up to 65 years in . prison if convicted. Cotton declined to describe how his client was doing but said anyone incarcerated that young 'is going to have a hard time'. Weier, aged 12, (left) and Geyser (right) allegedly stabbed their 12-year-old friend in the woods and left her to die last month as a gift to mythical figure Slender Man . Weier and Geyser (pictured) would allegedly whisper about the plot to kill their schoolmate when they were on the bus . Wisconsin law requires prosecutors to charge children 10 and older as adults in severe cases. Public defender Samuel Benedict, who works with Smith, said they would try to have their client's case moved to juvenile court. Cotton also has said he would like his client's case transferred. The odds are against them, however. A 2013 review of the court system found that of approximately 240 people under 17 charged as adults in 2012, only seven had their cases moved to juvenile court, Wisconsin Supreme Court spokesman Tom Sheehan said. The court system does not track such cases statewide on an annual basis. Morgan's father, Matt (left), apparently knew of her interest in Slender Man and seemed amused by it, according to pictures he posted on his Instagram account . Bleak future: Geyser (left) and Weier (right) could face up to 65 years in prison if convicted after being charged as adults . | The girls, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, both 12, appeared in court for a minutes-long hearing in Waukesha, Milwaukee today .
Court commissioner agreed to appoint a doctor for Geyser and scheduled .
their next court dates for July 2 .
Issue of Weier's competency will be raised at a later point, attorney said .
The girls 'plotted for months to kill .
their friend to curry favor with Slender Man, a character in horror .
stories they read online'
The girls have been charged as adults .
with first-degree attempted homicide and are being held at a juvenile .
detention center on $500,000 cash bond .
They face up to 65 years in .
prison if convicted . |
65,961 | bb34b9b6bdcfc357e117adbd17f8e10cd8c691bd | var twitterVia = 'MailOnline'; . DM.later('bundle', function(){ . DM.has('shareLinkTop', 'shareLinks', { . 'id': '2370213', . 'title': 'Gaddafi\'s Neverland: Fairground rides, a zoo and a shrine to his dead daughter... inside the tyrant\'s bizarre lair', . 'url': 'http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2370213/Gaddafis-Neverland-Fairground-rides-zoo-shrine-dead-daughter-Inside-tyrants-bizarre-lair.html', . 'eTwitterStatus': ' http://dailym.ai/12ZNQGe via @' + twitterVia, . 'articleChannelFollowButton': 'MailOnline', . 'isChannel': false, . 'hideEmail': true, . 'placement': 'top', . 'anchor': 'tl'}); . }); . View comments . DM.later('bundle', function(){ . DMS.Article.init('top'); . }); . The sprawling pleasure palace which slain Libyan tyrant Muammar Gaddafi once called home is to be transformed into a family theme park, the country's tourism minister announced today. Colonel Gaddafi lived a life of opulence and surreal fantasy within the walls of Bab al-Aziziya while his subjects cowered under his bloodthirsty rule. But the vast site, in Tripoli, was overrun and plundered during the uprising that saw the dictator overthrown and later beaten to death by an angry mob. And soon an arena of family fun and frolics will rise from the ruins of this once lavish compound that for decades represented fear and oppression to millions of Libyans across the country. Astonishing: This teapot and teacups fairground ride was just one of sites that greeted insurgents inside Gaddafi's compound. They also found a zoo . Sofa so good: A rebel fighter poses for a photo as he sits on a two-seater couch . 'The work to clear away the rubble . from the ruins of Bab al-Aziziya, which was a black spot in Tripoli and a . source of concern for residents, has begun,' the minister told AFP. 'This space will be transformed into a . green area and an amusement park as a place of entertainment for Libyan . families,' she added. After the rebel fighters had overrun . the tyrant’s massive sprawling compound in 2011, it became the turn of . normally law-abiding Libyans to ransack and loot his properties. And . they could scarcely believe what they saw. One group of young men chose to tour . the Bab al-Aziziya compound in the dictator’s preferred mode of . transport – the very same electric golf buggy he rode in to rest his . 72-year-old legs. Luxury: Rebel fighters and civilians stroll around the huge swimming pool . Trophy from his visit: This man carries a cup out of the Gaddafi compound while another man stands among a collection of decommissioned munitions inside the residence . Even as they made their way through the shattered buildings, they could see for themselves sufficient remnants of the bizarre Michael Jackson-style Neverland park, complete with fairground and zoo, that Gaddafi constructed in the heart of the capital city. First there were the creature comforts. In one of his palaces, expensive murals and art work hung from the walls and rooms were filled with replica 14th century furniture. Vast bathrooms with bidets and sunken baths adjoined most sleeping quarters. At the centre of the compound is the ‘House of Resistance’, Gaddafi’s former residence which was partially destroyed by a U.S. bombing raid in 1986. Now it is a mausoleum, its furniture preserved untouched for 25 years within glass casing as a reminder of the attack. If there was any morsel of sympathy to . be gleaned for Gaddafi, it was from the ghostly bedroom of his adopted . daughter Hana, who was only a few months old when she was killed in the . raid. Smashed: These glass cases protected the bed of Gaddafi's adopted daughter Hana, whose bedroom was a shrine following her death during a 1986 U.S. air strike . Trashed: Debris from reproduction furniture litters one of dictator's palaces within the compound . Ransacked: Despite rebels at the gate imploring them not to loot the palaces, many of them ignored their warnings . Debris: The looters at the compound took items including bedding, curtains and sheets, only leaving behind items they either did not want, or couldn't carry . There also appeared to . be a shrine in honour of the little girl – a set of missiles ‘hung’, . perhaps inappropriately, from the ceiling as though just fired from . American jets. The man with the golden gun: This man seized the prized weapon from Gaddafi's compound . Not far from a cluster of buildings used by Gaddafi’s family as sleeping quarters was a cinema where he would join his family to watch the latest western movies. The most outlandish sight in this whole bizarre fantasyland was the fairground in the gardens. It featured an old-fashioned carousel, with children’s seats on chains, and a roundabout decked out with a cartoon-style teapot and spinning cups for youngsters to play in. Some rebels could not resist posing for pictures in the giant teacup rides and laughing with incredulity that the dictator had taken flight from his own compound. But one could only stare in disbelief at this theme park within a warzone. He snorted: ‘Libyan children have no childhood, their lives are destroyed by Gaddafi. But his children, his family, have everything.’ As if all this wasn’t enough, Gaddafi had also used some of the estimated £300billion he has plundered from the country to build a zoo, stocked with animals supplied by fellow African dictators. Amid chaotic scenes, as snipers loyal to . Gaddafi took pot shots at the looters from high buildings around the . compound, people grabbed at anything they could get – sheets, bedding, . curtains and whatever else was once owned by Gaddafi. Vast: Almost every room in the palace had an adjoining bathroom with bidets and baths . Expensive: The walls of Gaddafi's palaces were covered in artwork and murals such as this . Rebels at the gate implored them not to pillage or destroy the palace, saying it should be kept for the Libyan people. But they could not resist stripping the compound of everything they could carry, including Gaddafi’s home cinema system, his table football games and a stereo. A boy of ten struggled under the weight of his raided booty – a replica gun, a satellite television receiver and other spoils he carried in a suitcase he had taken. A soldier yelled at him to stop, but others shouted him down, saying: ‘Let him take what he wants, it belongs to him.’ Others proudly held aloft the dictator’s ‘blingy’ artefacts, including jewellery and a gold-plated gun. They also tore down a massive Bedouin tent, where the tyrant liked to sleep during the hot summer months (and before Nato started raining bombs on his compound). It had been erected in world capitals during trade visits after supposedly renouncing violence in 2003. While one tent was torn down, another – even bigger in scale – was set on fire and razed to the ground. Snap happy: Rebel fighters and civilians browse through Aisha Gaddafi's photo albums . Not alone: Rebels also went through the belongs of Gaddafi's daughter Aisha yesterday, as well as posing for photos inside her home . Looting: A pair of rebels go through the book cases of Aisha Gaddafi at her home in Tripoli . Say cheese! A rebel poses for a photo on an ornate chair inside Aisha Gaddafi's home . Relaxed: The rebel fighters have made themselves at home . Picture perfect: Rebel fighters take a closer look at Aisha Gaddafi's photographs . Some spat on the ground as they . entered the previously-forbidden zone, but others simply wanted to . rejoice at their symbolic victory over a man who had brutally controlled . their lives for so long. University student Nidal, 20, said: ‘I never thought I would see inside this place. I will tell my grandchildren of this day.’ Holding up one of Gaddafi’s personal photo albums, a group of women flicked through the pages of Gaddafi alongside world leaders. ‘I can’t believe we are here!’ cried Falima, 23, whose father disappeared almost a decade ago after being caught speaking out against the regime. ‘He had everything he needed – and you people, from the west, helped him stay in power until you saw sense.’ Taking a look round: This group of Tripoli residents could hardly believe their eyes when they entered Gaddafi's compound yesterday . Try these for size: These two rebels examine clothes they want which belong to members of the dictator's family . The rebels look through photo albums belonging to family while they also took other items . But, even in defeat, Gaddafi is not finished killing. As liberated Libyans cavorted around the complex, loyalist gunmen opened fire and mortar shells rained down inside Gaddafi’s lair. Such is the vast scale of the compound . – 2.4 square miles in its entirety – that while looters were joyfully . running amok in some areas, in another part rebels were engaged all day . in a fierce gunfight with Gaddafi loyalists guarding the tunnels. As people ran for their lives, the barrage was a clear sign that the end of the war may be near, but the battles go on. Rebel fighters believe the attack was part of a deliberate strategy to prevent them from entering the 2,000-mile tunnel network Gaddafi constructed underneath his complex. Amid fears of booby traps, and with . loyal members of Gaddafi’s bodyguard unit firing from the entrances, the . rebels were last night still engaged in fierce gun battles as they . tried to follow the fleeing dictator. So where has he gone? Some . believe the tunnels lead all the way to Sirte, Gaddafi’s birthplace . stronghold 200 miles to the east, and the location of a stockpile of 200 . Scud missiles, many of them armed with chemical warheads. As . rebels fought to gain entrance to the tunnels, amid claims that . Gaddafi’s retreating forces were trying to destroy each section they . passed through to prevent any pursuit, their comrades were rushing in . armed vehicles to Sirte, hoping to catch the dictator should he come up . for air there. | Colonel Gaddafi lived a life of opulence and surreal fantasy in the compound .
But the site, in Tripoli, was overrun and plundered when he was overthrown .
It has lain in ruins ever since Gaddafi was killed in 2011 by an angry mob .
Tourism minister says it will be 'a place of entertainment for Libyan .
families' |
57,959 | a4383b55a2b2493cd367e7ded3f807d994d09ca7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:15 EST, 29 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:36 EST, 29 November 2012 . A couple who tortured and crushed a number of small animals with instruments to make fetish porn have been charged with five counts of cruelty and two counts of obscenity, authorities said today. Brent Justice, 51, and 21-year-old Ashley Nicole Richards, from Houston, Texas, appeared in court in August after videos involving puppies, kittens and chickens being tortured or killed using kitchen cutlery, household tools and shoes were found by police. The footage was then sold by the pair to sexual fetishists as 'animal crush' videos. Richards said she made videos at customers' requests. Scroll down for video . Despicable: Brent Justice, 51 (left) and 21-year-old Ashley Nicole Richards have been charged with felony cruelty for hurting the animals using kitchen cutlery, household tools and shoes and filming the torture in Texas . Crush films are a fetish which show an animal being stepped on for the viewer's sexual gratification. The federal law defines 'animal crush . videos' as any photograph, motion-picture film, video or digital . recording that depicts living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or . amphibians intentionally crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled . or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury, and is obscene. As many as 27 videos were seized by police, after a tip-off from animal activists PETA, which featured torture using high heels, a meat cleaver, knives, screwdrivers and pliers. In one of the videotapes, Richards can be seen torturing a pit bull puppy, according to the Houston Chronicle. She allegedly bound the puppy's mouth with tape and cut its back leg with a meat cleaver. She then cut the back of the dog's neck and used a different knife to cut the underside of its neck, prosecutors said, before severing off its head. The federal law defines 'animal crush . videos' as any photograph, motion-picture film, video or digital . recording that depicts living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or . amphibians intentionally crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled . or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury, and is obscene. Prosecutor Belinda Smith told the court in August: 'She wore stiletto heels, and she would stomp on the cat, and ultimately she stomped directly on its eye.' At one point during the hearing, the . Harris County judge had to stop reading court documents because the . details were too gruesome. The pair could face possible fines of $250,000 on each . conviction and at least three years of supervised release to follow any . prison terms. The production or trade of crush erotica is condemned animal cruelty charities and is illegal in the U.S. If it becomes a federal case, Justice and Richards could face up to seven years in jail. Police were alerted to the cruelty after a concerned member of the public contacted PETA. Houston Humane Society spokeswoman Monica Schmidt told the Chronicle she has never heard of a case like this in her four years in animal rights. 'In the back of my mind, I've heard that something like this existed, but I never dreamed that my city would be where this horrible abuse would be taking place,' she said. 'I think this takes animal cruelty to a whole different level of what we're used to seeing in Houston.' Disgust: The judge in Harris County struggled to read the charges aloud when they appeared in August because they included such horrific torture of animals by suspects Justice and Richards . | Brent Justice, 51, and Ashley Nicole Richards, 21, face two years in jail .
Puppy, kittens and rabbits, among other animals, tortured with high heels, meat cleaver, knives, screwdrivers and pliers . |
106,890 | 15e4340410be7a22c9026c7acbca751b1905fba8 | Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet with the longest known year - 704 days. The planet, Kepler-421b, takes almost two Earth years to circle its star. In comparison, Mars orbits our sun once every 780 days. Most of the 1,800-plus exoplanets discovered to date are much closer to their stars and have much shorter orbital periods, astronomers claim. It takes Kepler-421b (illustration pictured) circles almost two Earth years to circle its star - or 704 days. Kepler-421b orbits an orange type K star that is cooler and dimmer than our sun . 'Finding Kepler-421b was a stroke of luck,' said lead author David Kipping of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Massachusetts. 'The farther a planet is from its star, the less likely it is to transit the star from Earth's point of view. It has to line up just right.' Kepler-421b orbits an orange, type K star that is cooler and dimmer than our sun. It circles the star at a distance of about 110 million miles. As a result, this Uranus-sized planet is chilled to a temperature of -93°C (-135° F). As the name implies, Kepler-421b was discovered using data from Nasa Kepler spacecraft (illustration pictured). The spacecraft stared at the same patch of sky for four years, watching for stars that dim as planets cross in front of them . As the name implies, Kepler-421b was discovered using data from the Nasa Kepler spacecraft. The spacecraft stared at the same patch of sky for four years, watching for stars that dim as planets cross in front of them. It takes Kepler-421b circles almost two Earth years to circle its star - or 704 days. Kepler-421b orbits an orange type K star that is cooler and dimmer than our sun. It circles the star at a distance of about 110 million miles. The host star, Kepler-421, is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Lyra. As a result, this Uranus-sized planet is chilled to a temperature of -93°C (-135° F). It the first example of a potentially non-migrating gas giant in a transiting system that astronomers have found. Despite its patience, Kepler only detected two transits of Kepler-421b due to that world's extremely long orbital period. The planet's orbit places it beyond the 'snow line' - the dividing line between rocky and gas planets. Outside of the snow line, water condenses into ice grains that stick together to build gas giant planets. 'The snow line is a crucial distance in planet formation theory. 'We think all gas giants must have formed beyond this distance,' explained Professor Kipping. Since gas giant planets can be found extremely close to their stars, in orbits lasting days or even hours, theorists believe that many exoplanets migrate inward early in their history. Kepler-421b shows that such migration isn't necessary. It could have formed right where it can now be seen. 'This is the first example of a potentially non-migrating gas giant in a transiting system that we've found,' continued Professor Kipping. The host star, Kepler-421, is located about 1,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Lyra. The Kepler probe was launched in 2009. To find the latest planet, spacecraft stared at the same patch of sky for four years, watching for stars that dim as planets cross in front of them . | Kepler-421b was discovered using data from the Nasa Kepler spacecraft .
It takes almost two Earth years to circle its star 1,000 light years away .
This is the first example of a potentially 'non-migrating gas giant in a transiting system that we've found,' said lead author David Kipping .
Scientists initially thought gas giants migrate inward in their early history . |
46,888 | 841b07a78d526889bc790e2103e08ecab9baedc8 | Cat cafes may have been all the rage in 2014, but 2015 is set to be the year of canine with America's first dog cafe hoping to open in Los Angeles this year. At The Dog Cafe, customers will be able to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while cuddling a group of adorable pooches that will be roaming free on the premises and available for adoption. Founder and animal rescuer Sarah Wolfgang has already raised more than $6,000 on Indiegogo to fund her plans and hopes to reach her goal of $200,000 by February 5. Cuddly coffee: America's first 'dog cafe,' which will allow customers to enjoy a cup of coffee while playing with some adorable pups, is looking to open in Los Angeles . Fresh start: The Dog Cafe will serve as an adoption center for rescue dogs, offering rehabilitation and training to prepare them for their future homes . The money will be used to construct two side-by-side locations that will serve as the cafe and the dog zone, as well as provide furniture and supplies. In ordinance with the LA Health Department, customers will first purchase their coffee or tea at the cafe before heading over to the 'dog zone' where the lovable pooches will be hanging out and ready to play. As Miss Wolfgang says in a video posted to her company's website, the business will be a 'coffee shop where you'll be completely surrounded by dogs - small, big, quiet, crazy, young, old, all sorts of dogs.' Animal lover: Founder Sarah Wolfgang (pictured) wants to revolutionize animal adoption by allowing the cafe's customers to interact and bond with dogs that are in need of a good home . Furry friends: The animal rescuer says the cafe will be a 'coffee shop where you'll be completely surrounded by dogs - small, big, quiet, crazy, young, old, all sorts of dogs' She also explains that the company will act as an adoption center for rescue dogs, offering 'rehabilitation, training and an open environment to prepare them for their forever homes.' The animal lover is looking to revolutionize animal adoption by allowing customers to interact and bond with the dogs that are in need of a good home in a way that was not available before. Even if you aren't in the market for a new pet, Miss Wolfgang says The Dog Cafe is still for you. 'We will be like that ones friends house you always go to just to play with there dogs - but don't worry you can leave all the poo cleaning to us.' Big plans: Miss Wolfgang is trying to raise $200,000 to construct two side-by-side locations and provide furniture and supplies . Miss Wolfgang, who spent time finding homes for dogs in Korea, says she was inspired to create the pooch-friendly coffee shop after she volunteered at numerous LA animals shelters and realized they had a higher intake than adoptions. Just purchasing a cup a cup of coffee will help her cause. Miss Wolfgang has partnered with Grounds and Hounds Coffee Co., which donates 20per cent of its proceeds in Southern California to local rescue partners. | The Dog Cafe will allow customers to enjoy a cup of coffee while surrounded by man's best friend .
All the dogs are in need of a loving home and will be available for adoption . |
231,092 | b737832e396d7ae95b18d467966fb8446a809034 | BELLEVUE, Nebraska (CNN) -- If LeRoy Carhart's abortion clinic had a terror alert scale, it would be at Code Red this weekend. Anti-abortion protesters plan demonstrations this weekend outside Dr. LeRoy Carhart's clinic in Bellevue, Nebraska. "I feel safer on an airplane than I do in my clinic," Carhart said, sitting at his desk in his windowless office in Bellevue, Nebraska. "You try to think about every way an attack could happen. You try to do all you can to prevent it, but obviously Dr. [George] Tiller thought he was safe in church." It's been nearly three months since Tiller, one of the world's most well-known doctors performing abortions, was shot in the head at point-blank range on May 31 as services began at Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas. Anti-abortion groups, led by Operation Rescue, plan to launch protests outside Carhart's clinic this weekend in Bellevue, just south of Omaha. They will be the first major anti-abortion protests since the Tiller killing. The demonstrations are set to culminate Saturday with so-called Truth Trucks -- delivery trucks with giant rolling billboards of dismembered fetuses on the sides -- parking outside Carhart's clinic and canvassing area neighborhoods. Protesters carrying anti-abortion signs also are expected. Operation Rescue President Troy Newman has vowed a peaceful demonstration and said that any hints of possible violence are ginned up by what he calls left-wing groups and the liberal media. His group scaled down plans to protest at Carhart's facility Friday when it learned women's rights groups, including the National Organization for Women, would be there. Operation Rescue will hold a rally at a church instead Friday. "Operation Rescue has said Dr. Carhart is the next target ...," said Katherine Spillar, executive vice president with the Feminist Majority Foundation. "We fear that these kinds of activities can eventually erupt in violence, and I urge the community to make sure violence doesn't happen." Abortion rights supporters were predominant in the 50 to 75 people gathered outside the clinic Friday morning. "Welcome, welcome, this clinic stays open," some shouted when cars pulled into the clinic's driveway. Newman said earlier, "I'm not interested in putting our folks in any situation where the other side might flare up. I'm very confident about our side. They're very peaceful moms and dads and families that will be showing up with signs." He said he abhorred the killing of Tiller. "Shooting someone in the head in a church," he said, "is not a pro-life act. Sorry, it doesn't qualify." Scott Roeder, a 51-year-old anti-abortion activist, is charged in Tiller's killing. He has pleaded not guilty. Newman said he wants Carhart shut down -- through legal means. He said he was confident his organization would have shut down Tiller this summer through a legal battle. "I vehemently disagreed with what Mr. Tiller did, as well as all abortionists for what they do. But they're still human beings, and they deserve due process," Newman said. Tiller was one of about a dozen U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions. In the wake of his death, his family decided to close his clinic permanently. Carhart was a close friend and understudy of Tiller's. He performed abortions at Tiller's clinic for a week every month, including late-term procedures. Carhart has vowed to open an office in Kansas and said he'll keep doing abortions as long as he's healthy. He said he's performed more than 60,000 abortions in the past two decades. About 400 of those were after 24 weeks, he said. Staring across the room at a poster of Tiller, he said, "I don't want his death to be in vain. He spent his whole life trying to ensure better health care for women." Carhart was performing an abortion in his clinic when Tiller was killed that Sunday morning. He learned of the news by phone from Tiller's head nurse. "That's when she told me that George had been shot in church and that he was dead." Carhart is unlike many abortion doctors. He's doesn't parse his words about his profession. The outside of his office has the name of his clinic in bold letters: Abortion & Contraception Clinic of Nebraska. He said he takes pride in the term abortionist. "I do abortions, and that is what I do," he said. On Friday, Carhart teared up when talking about the abortion rights supporters outside his clinic. "It's unbelievable," he said of the support. Mark Gietzen, the driver of a truck for Operation Rescue, beamed with pride ahead of the protests. He stood outside his truck in Wichita adorned with a poster showing the dismembered hand of a fetus on a quarter. Across the top of the van, it reads, "Abortion is an ObamaNation.com." He said he knew Tiller "quite well" from the vantage point of a peaceful common enemy over the years and said the killing was a setback for "pro-lifers." He's only had one encounter with Carhart -- when the doctor drove his car by protesters and "quacked like a duck." Carhart acknowledges he might've done that. Gietzen's message to Carhart: "Please respect the life of the babies. Stop the killing, stop committing such a horrible act for money." Newman, the head of Operation Rescue, said he'll keep praying Carhart "turns back to the healing arts and not taking babies' lives." Carhart remains unmoved. "When they're ready to accept our position, then we'll sit down. We say choice is right. If you don't want to have an abortion, don't have one." Here in America's heartland, a battle is being waged and both sides are entrenched. There is no middle ground. | NEW: Abortion rights supporters dominant outside clinic on Friday .
First major abortion protests set since killing of Dr. George Tiller in May .
Dr. LeRoy Carhart of Nebraska was understudy of Tiller's .
Carhart says he takes pride in the term abortionist . |
54,775 | 9b28a3e034e6ef3e112c60b4f738f70966139b00 | By . Ian Drury . PUBLISHED: . 13:07 EST, 2 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:43 EST, 4 September 2012 . The harrowing moment a brilliant young British Army officer lies dying after being shot by a Taliban fighter will be screened on television tomorrow night. Lieutenant Mark Evison’s mother gave permission for the deeply upsetting images, recorded on the helmet camera of one of his soldiers, to be shown as part of BBC Three’s Our War series. Killed in action: Lieutenant Mark Evison, 26, from the 1st Battalion, The Welsh Guards . The 26-year-old, who served with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was fatally wounded during a patrol when more than 50 armed Taliban fighters surrounded his men in a 360-degree ambush. The terrifying drama and chaos of the battle is seen in graphic detail. The film shows the exhausted 7 Platoon soldiers carrying Lt Evison back to their base – a mud-walled fort - as insurgents’ bullets whistle around them. Realising time was slipping away, Gunner Steven Gadsby, then 24, lifted ‘the boss’ onto his shoulders and dashed across an exposed bridge to the safety of the base. He was later awarded a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for bravery. As Lt Evison lays bleeding on the battlefield, he can be heard telling his men: ‘I’m going down… I’m going down.’ Desperately fighting to keep him alive, the guardsmen reply: ‘No you’re not, sir… Stay with us, sir… Stay f****** with us.’ Their anger and increasing frustration can be heard as they struggle to get a signal on their poorly- functioning Bowman radios. The communications breakdown meant a helicopter to evacuate the severely injured officer was delayed by more than an hour. Traumatised troops describe how a better radio with a stronger signal could not be used because they did not have vital spare parts to repair the equipment in the fort, Haji Alem, in a Taliban stronghold. Scroll down for video . The BBC documentary paints a clear picture of how soldiers live on the front line . Controversial footage that includes Lt Evison's dying moments is due to be shown in BBC 3's 'Our War' Lt Evison's mother allowed the BBC to use footage from a fellow soldier's helmet camera . Hauntingly, Lt Evison foretold of the potentially-lethal consequences of kit shortages in a diary entry 18 days before his death. ‘I have a lack of radios, water, food and medical equipment,’ he wrote. ‘Injuries will be sustained which I will not be able to treat, and deaths could occur which could have been stopped. We are walking on a tightrope.’ A bullet had severed an artery in Lt Evison’s right shoulder on May 9, 2009. He was flown to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham but he was brain dead. His life support system was turned off on May 12. His commanding officer said Lt Evison was ‘one of the finest young officers of his generation’. His mother, Margaret Evison, 66, from Dulwich, south London, said today why she allowed the extraordinary footage to be shown. Mother Margaret Evison hopes the footage will raise awareness of equipment issues within the army . Margaret Evison, (in green), watches as her son's coffin is carried out of the Guards Chapel, London, following his funeral service . She was given it in April 2010 by the military authorities as they prepared for her son’s inquest. Mrs Evison, a clinical psychologist, said: ‘Programmes like Our War are important even if I find them very upsetting. They show the grittiness, the hands-on aspects of the war, exactly what is going on. There is still very hard fighting in Afghanistan.’ ‘I hope the public will get a sense of how humane the soldiers are. Of how decent they are. ‘I hope people will see what the soldiers are up against – out there, fighting. ‘I want any claims the Army might have for proper equipment to be supported. The more awareness the better. Every tiny bit helps.’ Describing the first time she saw the images, she said: ‘The footage somehow seemed more horrible than anything I had imagined. That patrol base just seemed more brutish… alien. ‘His platoon watched it together. They were relieved because they could see that they had done everything right – that their contribution had been almost textbook stuff.’ Mrs Evison will watch the whole programme, called The Lost Platoon, when it is aired on Monday. Lt Evison was a physically fit young man with a bright future ahead of him . Lt Evison shown puffing on what may have been a victory cigar . She said: ‘I will see it. I will force myself to see it. No, that is not incredible strength. It is just doing one’s job, what Mark would have wanted. ‘He wouldn’t have wanted me to do nothing else with my life. He would have wanted me to get on with it. ‘So I must deal with these things. And psychologists believe that the best way to deal with trauma is to deal with it – not sweep it under the carpet. ‘I stay in touch with other mother’s who have lost sons. We are all the same when it happens, all just as mad. ‘Your head knows what has happened, but your heart says he is still there, that he has just gone abroad on holiday; that when the doorbell rings, it’s him.’ Mrs Evison, who has set up the Mark Evison Foundation, offering grants to help young people develop through facing challenging activities, has become close to the soldiers of 7 Platoon. Lt Evison's diary reveals the shocking equipment issues facing the British Army . She said: ‘I have become very fond of them. When they got back from Afghanistan, they rang me up, one by one, to talk about it. ‘There has always been an understanding: Mark’s death rests heavy on them, and it rests heavy on me. ‘There has always been that shared something, the sharing of pain. ‘I have no doubt that the soldiers loved Mark, just as Mark loved the soldiers. That is a huge comfort.’ She is also unhappy with the kit shortages suffered by British troops. Mrs Evison said: ‘At the time of Mark’s death, there was bureaucratic waste, while the soldiers in the field didn’t seem to have the basic kit they needed.’ Asked whether her son’s death was ‘worth it’, Mrs Evison said: ‘I don’t know yet. That will only become clearer over the years, when we can see the fuller picture. ‘It would be lovely for me and all mother who have lost sons to see the benefit. But in war, it can’t always work out that way.’ * Our War is on BBC Three tonight (Monday) at 9pm . Watch the trailer here . | Film shows disturbing footage of soldier being hauled to safety after being shot by Taliban .
No equipment to fix broken radios meant soldiers had to less capable devices that delayed helicopter by more than an hour .
Soldier wrote in diary days before he was killed that equipment shortages would lead to deaths .
Mother hopes footage will reveal equipment issues that soldiers are facing . |
53,176 | 96dab7fdb8fc05374fcb6d4b15e95b1fcd2f827e | By . Brian Barwick . Football pundits are now a permanent part of the TV scene, dispensing their thoughts and theories in stadiums, studios and, at this World Cup, rather inventively on Copacabana Beach. For many recently retired footballers it has become a lucrative second career, while for others it’s a useful buffer between finishing playing the game and going back to it. So, it is fitting during a World Cup in Brazil to look back on the men who helped start the ‘experts’ ball rolling - in the year we saw Pele, Carlos Alberto, Gerson, Jairzinho and Co triumph in such glorious fashion. VIDEO Scroll down to see Alan Mullery's spat with Malcolm Allison . Good old days: ITV's 1970 World Cup punditry team which included Jimmy Hill (third from left) It is 1970 and the front cover of the Radio Times World Cup edition sports a photograph of revered England captain Bobby Moore standing proud, TV Times chooses a glamorous blonde model in an England shirt. Vive la difference! Their differences didn’t end there. BBC had Joe Mercer and Don Revie in Mexico, while ITV put together their famous World Cup panel in London: Manchester United and Scotland’s Paddy Crerand, Wolves and Northern Ireland’s Derek Dougan (The Doog), and the gloriously extrovert Malcolm Allison. They would regularly wind each other up and Allison became the star turn. He had an answer for everything - or almost everything and Arsenal left back Bob McNab, left out of Sir Alf Ramsey’s World Cup squad, was armed with a bell to ring when he wanted to get a word in edgeways. Cover story: England captain Bobby Moore for Radio Times (left) and a model for TV Times . Outspoken, irreverent, argumentative, occasionally bang out of order and good telly, the ITV panel created a real stir. And while the BBC still won all the big head-to-head battles, the viewers often turned to ITV on the final whistle to hear what the four musketeers — in kipper ties, flares and wide lapels — made of it all. They were a smash hit and with Brian Moore and Jimmy Hill firing the questions, things always got lively. Controversy was never far away. England midfielder Alan Mullery, fresh home from having been knocked out of the World Cup, went to the live studio and gave his chief critic Allison both barrels. He fished an England cap out of a plastic bag, thrust it in Allison’s direction and said: ‘I’ve got 30 of these and this one’s spare’. For once, the uncapped Big Mal was speechless. These days, World Cup punditry has become a little more ordered (plastic bags are at a premium!) with greater immediate analysis of the action, more camera angles and technical gizmos to help illustrate a point more clearly. Glory: Brazil with Pele, Carlos Alberto, Gerson, Jairzinho and Co triumphed in 1970 . The current choice of individuals on both channels reflects the wider world of football and there are still plenty of characters. But wouldn’t it have been fun to hear the most famous World Cup panel’s take on England’s super-early exit, Robben’s diving, the magnificence of Messi — and a certain Luis Suarez and his wandering teeth? Bob, time to get the bell out mate! Confident: Brian Clough as ITV pundit . Having watched football on TV for more than 50 years and worked at the top of the business for BBC and ITV Sport, I have listened to some great pundits — and gave some of them their break in broadcasting. Here are five who made the viewers sit up and take notice. Jimmy Hill . An absolute one-off. He starred on The Big Match and when he did Match of the Day, he presented the programme and did the analysis! Awash with ideas, he has always had the integrity of the game at heart. I once told him he had finished top of a popularity survey among football presenters. ‘Great,’ he said. I then told him he had also finished top of an ‘unpopularity’ poll. ‘Great as well,’ he said. ‘The place not to finish in that type of thing is in the b****y middle!’ Brian Clough . Irreverent, awkward, and self-opinionated, Clough was not short of self-confidence. It all made for compelling TV, even if it tripped him up — for example when he famously called the Poland goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski a ‘clown’ a few days before he had the game of his life against England. As a young viewer I hung on his every word. Class act: BBC pundit Alan Hansen . Martin O’Neill . Quirky, curious, independent, occasionally left-field and with a great career as a player and manager to back up his views. He’s now the manager of the Republic of Ireland but I gave him an early break in TV when George Best failed to show up for the BBC’s coverage of the 1986 World Cup. O’Neill is currently providing interesting thoughts on the World Cup for ITV from Copacabana Beach. Gary Neville . Fresh out of the dressing room, bright, opinionated and articulate. He was interesting and forthright as a player and took all that enterprising thinking into a new career on Sky Sports. Alan Hansen . Took the class he showed as a player at Liverpool into his long career at the BBC. Hansen was nervous when he started but soon found his feet and has spent two decades dissecting goals and making perceptive comments. He retires after this World Cup and will be missed. | BBC had legendary managers Joe Mercer and Don Revie in Mexico .
Extrovert Allison was the star turn of ITV's World Cup panel .
England midfielder Mullery went to live studio to confront Allison . |
168,328 | 65b639e5561a601cca24d13aff8759f32e14f376 | West Ham eased to a 3-0 home win over Hull City on Sunday afternoon courtesy of second-half goals from Andy Carroll, Morgan Amalfitano and Stewart Downing. ADAM SHERGOLD provides an assessment of each player involved at Upton Park. WEST HAM UNITED . Adrian - The Spanish goalkeeper had been West Ham's penalty-taking hero in the FA Cup last week but this was a far more mundane afternoon. Didn't have too many saves to make, even during the first-half which was dominated by Hull. Showed some weaknesses - a loose clearance on 13 minutes was seized upon by David Meyler and he spilt a cross shortly before the break. 6 . Adrian collides with Hull's David Meyler during the first-half at Upton Park . Carl Jenkinson - was able to stride confidently forward more and more as the match wore on as Hull retreated into their shell. Jenkinson completed his defensive and offensive duties well and never looked hurried, with the exception of a late cross that spooned into the stand. 6.5 . James Collins - solid performance at the heart of the defence until he hobbled off with an injury early in the second-half. He bailed out the overwhelmed Tomkins when Sone Aluko was bearing down on goal after 23 minutes, coming across to clear for a corner. Collins was also more than willing to play a long ball in the direction of target man Andy Carroll. 6 . West Ham defender James Collins clears the ball ahead of Hull's James Chester, injured in the process . James Tomkins - looked as though he was in for a torrid afternoon when Hull striker Sone Aluko tricked his way past him three times in the opening 25 minutes. The worst one saw Collins have to rush across and clear. But once Tomkins found his composure, and Hull's challenge faded, he was fine. Might have scored when he headed over Noble's swerving corner on 12 minutes. 5.5 . James Tomkins struggled to get to grips with Hull forward Sone Aluko during the early stages of the game . Aaron Cresswell - like Jenkinson, was given plenty of scope to push further forward as Hull's challenge dropped off after half-time. He wasn't shy in supporting the wingers, delivering crosses or even shooting for goal, as shown by a sixth-minute strike that bounced narrowly wide of the mark. 6.5 . Alex Song - As usual, his work rate was exemplary from the outset, always gravitating into space to attract a pass. Did play some loose balls as Hull's midfield seized control in the first-half but helped swing the balance back the other way after half-time. This was shown by the short burst and magnificent through pass that allowed Stewart Downing to race clear and score the third goal. 7.5 . Alex Song wins an aerial duel ahead of Hull's Jake Livermore during the opening period . Mark Noble - struggled to get a stranglehold on the midfield battle initially and his frustrations were shown by a 20th-minute yellow card for a late follow-through tackle on Tom Huddlestone after he'd given the ball away. Helped enforce and sustain West Ham's superiority after the break until replaced by Morgan Amalfitano on 65 minutes. 6 . Kevin Nolan (c) - again, helped haul West Ham's midfield on top as the match wore on and Hull's attacking instinct was blunted. A tough chance came to him early in the second-half after Stewart Downing crossed and he couldn't keep his shot down. Struck the crossbar from an almost impossible angle five minutes from time as West Ham looked for added gloss on the scoreline. 7 . Kevin Nolan just reaches the ball ahead of Hull's Tom Huddlestone during the Premier League clash . Stewart Downing - West Ham's stand-out performer on the day, Downing grew into the game and was a constant threat out wide with his dribbles and crossing. His performance was capped with a serene left-foot finish for the third goal after Alex Song's exemplary through ball set him into the clear on 71 minutes. 7.5 . Andy Carroll - A nuisance to the Hull back-line throughout, initially with his hold-ups and knock-downs to Enner Valencia which were important in the first-half as Hull were the better side. Once he had poached his goal on 48 minutes, getting in front of Curtis Davies to anticipate Allan McGregor spilling the ball from Valencia's shot, the game changed in West Ham's favour. 7 . Andy Carroll celebrates with Enner Valencia after putting West Ham ahead early in the second-half . Andy Carroll uses his strength to manoeuvre the ball away from Tom Huddlestone . Enner Valencia - lively and energetic as has become expected. The first-half saw him dropping a little too deep as West Ham struggled to create anything in attack but his powerful shot three minutes after the break led to McGregor spilling and Andy Carroll opening the scoring. He also supplied an excellent assist to Morgan Amalfitano for the match-settling second goal on 69 minutes. 7 . SUBSTITUTES . Winston Reid (for James Collins 49) - assured at the back as Hull's attacking instincts dulled in the second-half. 6 . Morgan Amalfitano (for Mark Noble 65) - a lovely composed finish for West Ham's second goal after having the presence of mind to find space in the right channel. 6.5 . Joey O'Brien (for James Tomkins 75) - helped ensure there would be no drama late on. 6 . Substitutes not used: Jarvis, Jaaskelainen, Poyet, Cole . HULL CITY . Allan McGregor - had rarely been troubled in the first-half as West Ham struggled to impose themselves but was ready and alert towards the end to dive low and bravely deny Valencia just in front of the goal. But he made a real hash of stopping Valencia's shot early in the second-half, spilling it out for Carroll to profit. 5 . Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor should have done better to hold Valencia's shot before Carroll pounced . James Chester - withdrew from the match prematurely with what looked to be an arm or shoulder injury after James Collins landed awkwardly on him following a corner. Prior to going off in stoppage time, Chester had enjoyed plenty of space down the right-flank and was often able to get into a crossing position. 6 . James Chester was forced to go off in first-half stoppage time after landing heavily on his arm . Alex Bruce - Wasn't overly taxed in the first-half as those further forward made all the running in the game. Rescued his side with a clearance following a teasing free-kick delivery on 39 minutes and then took a hefty whack to the face that led to his withdrawal at the break. 5 . Curtis Davies (c) - responsible for the game's pivotal moment when he was too slow to react to Andy Carroll's dart across him to give West Ham the lead. Until that point had dealt well with the rare attacks West Ham had produced. After that point shared the nervousness that infected the Hull back line. 6 . Curtis Davies jumps with Andy Carroll in one of the many aerial duels during the match . Michael Dawson - handled most things that came his way in the air, even against Andy Carroll, and looked resolute in the first-half. He gave a sheepish smile after a massive let-off in the second period when his careless sideways pass across the edge of the box was seized upon by Valencia. He broke defensive rule No 1 there. 6 . David Meyler - intelligent in his passing and movement, Meyler was a key component as Hull dominated the first 45. One moment of note was when he combined well with Quinn to launch an attack on 37 minutes. Like his team-mates, was knocked back by West Ham's first goal and was never quite able to find his rhythm again. 6 . Tom Huddlestone - in good form during the first period in terms of tackles to instigate attacks, reading of the play and also a couple of chances that were wide of the mark. Failed to replicate this after half-time as Hull lost their 'bite' in midfield. 6 . Tom Huddlestone closes down West Ham's Stewart Downing during the Premier League encounter . Jake Livermore - was responsible for many of the slick and accurate passes through the midfield that made Hull look so impressive before the break. But as they were unable to gain a goal, their impressive play counted for nothing and Livermore was, like many of the others, a passenger in the second-half as West Ham turned it on. 6.5 . Ahmed Elmohamady - his long strides were a feature of the opening 45 and West Ham afforded him too much respect coming forward. He had fired the opening salvo on five minutes, firing a fierce right-foot shot wide. Was booked for the faintest of clips on Downing. Like the others, lacked impact after the break. 6 . Stephen Quinn - looked threatening down the left flank before half-time and combined well with Livermore and Meyler. He evaded the offside trap on 31 minutes but his cut-back from a very good position was poor. Grew more ineffective and frustrated in the second-half and was booked for an over-zealous tackle on Amalfitano on 74 minutes. 6 . Sone Aluko - made a blistering start to the match and had James Tomkins in knots twice inside the opening two minutes alone. He also showed incredible pace to set up a chance for Elmohamady on five minutes. His best chance arrived on 23 minutes but he seemed to falter in front of goal, took too many touches and was snuffed out by Collins. Made little difference in second-half. 6.5 . Sone Aluko controls the ball wide on the right wing during an impressive first-half performance . SUBSTITUTES . Maynor Figueroa (for James Chester 45+3) - was kept busy but unable to stem the Hammers tide. 5.5 . Harry Maguire (for Alex Bruce ht) - thrown on ostensibly as a defender but quickly pushed into a more forward-minded position. 6 . Yannick Sagbo (for Curtis Davies 70) - arrived with too little and too late to affect the outcome. 5 . Substitutes not used: McShane, Harper, Ince, Ramirez . | West Ham defeated Hull City 3-0 in Premier League at Upton Park .
Andy Carroll, Morgan Amalfitano and Stewart Downing scored the goals .
Alex Song and Enner Valencia also impressed for the Hammers .
Hull were impressive in the first-half but faded from the game .
Sone Aluko was a threat early on but couldn't convert chances . |
45,073 | 7f15ea517c1550a75bdba660f2b5270d03b7a53d | (CNN) -- Mexico's poor form in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup has cost coach Jose Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre his job. The 47-year-old's assistant Luis Fernando Tena will take charge for Tuesday's crunch clash with the United States in Ohio, following Friday's 2-1 home defeat by Honduras. The reverse, just Mexico's second in 77 qualifying matches at Estadio Azteca, left the Olympic champion in fourth place in the CONCACAF group and struggling to earn an automatic place at the showpiece tournament in Brazil next year. Only the top three teams have direct qualification -- the fourth finisher must play Oceania winner New Zealand in a playoff. De la Torre said after the Honduras match that he would not resign, but the Mexican football federation announced Saturday that his two-year tenure was over in a brief statement on its website. He led Mexico to victory in the 2011 Gold Cup, but the team lost in this year's semifinals and also struggled at the Confederations Cup in Brazil -- a rehearsal tournament for the main event next July. Mexico has qualified for every World Cup since 1994, reaching the round of 16 on each of those occasions. The Americans, meanwhile, dropped to second place after losing 3-1 against Costa Rica, despite Clint Dempsey scoring on his 100th international appearance. The home side earned revenge for March's snow-affected 1-0 defeat in Denver, as goals from Johnny Acosta, Celso Borges and Joel Campbell put Costa Rica one-point clear at the top with three games to play. Panama could have moved above Mexico, but only drew 0-0 with 10-man Jamaica -- with Rodolph Austin sent off in the second half. In South American qualifying, Colombia joined Argentina on 26 points at the top after Friday's 1-0 win over fourth-placed Ecuador. James Rodriguez scored the only goal in the first half, while Ecuador earlier had Gabriel Achilier sent off and then missed a second-half penalty by Walter Ayovi. It guaranteed Colombia at least a playoff place, and hope of a first World Cup appearance since 1998. The top four teams go through automatically. Chile moved up to third with a 3-0 win over Venezuela, while Luis Suarez scored both goals as Uruguay climbed to fifth with a 2-1 win away to Peru. In Africa, Ethiopia ended South Africa's hopes by beating Central African Republic 2-1 in Congo on Saturday. South Africa, the 2010 World Cup host, failed to make the final round of qualifying despite finishing its Group A campaign in second after a 4-1 win over Botswana. Burkina Faso went through as Group E winner after a 1-0 win over Gabon meant second-placed Congo missed out, having drawn 2-2 away to Niger. Nigeria won Group F after beating second-placed Malawi 2-0 at Calabar, while on Friday Ghana also qualified -- joining Algeria, Egypt and Ivory Coast in the five two-leg playoffs to be held in October and November. | Mexico coach Jose Manuel de la Torre sacked ahead of United States trip .
The Mexicans struggling to qualify for 2014 World Cup after Honduras defeat .
Americans seeking to rebound from Friday's 3-1 loss to Costa Rica in San Jose .
Colombia moves closer to first World Cup appearance since 1998 . |
257,086 | d8bfcc7d6a7b9b793dd8e215fda4da0c999b00ae | Seeing some of the world's most majestic creatures in their natural African habitat is always a momentous occasion. But, as these beautiful pictures show, watching them in their element during the twilight hours is all the more spectacular. Photographer Andrew Schoeman, 40, captured these stunning images of mammals and birds prowling the wilds of South Africa but appearing as silhouettes against the contrasting background of the setting and rising sun. His vivid images show everything from an imposing alpha male lion and hefty elephants to tiny bee-eating birds and Cape Turtle doves. The Lion King: Photographer Andrew Schoeman captured this striking image of an alpha male lion prowling across the wild fields of South Africa . Land of the rising sun: A yellow billed stork at sunrise can be seen flying across the African plains as the sky lightens up behind . Mr Schoeman, who works as a freelance photographic guide on safari, took the shots at sunrise and sunset. They include a herd of elephants fresh from swimming across a river or enjoying a dust bath and a giraffe appearing to dwarf the bright sun. Mr Schoeman, from Nelspruit, said: 'I love the colour in the images. A lot of photographers only want sunlight but I feel there are many opportunities after the sun has set or the light has gone. Born to be wild: Silhouettes of elephants as they march across the African terrain near the Chobe river in Botswana . On the prowl: Photographer Andrew Schoeman captured these two Cheetahs as the sun begins to set in the horizon . 'For me a silhouette tells a story and there is something special about capturing the moment in time just before the sun has gone but there are still great colours in the sky. 'I need to be very accurate with my exposures otherwise I can lose the colour in the sky and I enjoy the challenge of getting the exposure right and still having a sharply focused image and a nice composition. 'The light fades very fast at sunset and it gets bright very quickly at sunrise so the window of opportunity is very small - but I love the challenge.' Love birds: Two doves can be seen perched on a branch as the sun rises in the background . Dwarfing the sun: A giraffe appears to tower over the sun as it sets, pictured left, and a Fish Eagle looks content watch the evening descend, pictured right . Mr Schoeman photographed the giraffe and African Fish Eagle from a boat in the Chobe river, Botswana. And the elephants were taken soon after they had stopped at the water's edge to drink. Mr Schoeman said: 'A few of the elephants had a bit of a dust bath on their way back to the woodland, creating this beautiful moment. 'It was dry and dusty and I love the way the colour, the dust and the silhouettes of the 'ellies' combine. This family scene is one of my best images.' A cheetah is pictured sniffing the ground as clouds slowly disperse on a cool morning, allowing rays of sunlight to break through. Lone ranger: This elephant appears to have broken away from its herd in this image taken by photographer Andrew Schoeman . Early riser: This silhouette shows a Cheetah waking up as the clouds start to disperse to reveal rays of sunshine on a cool morning . The Carmine Bee eaters were spotted at a nesting colony home to thousands of birds, flying around and squawking. Mr Schoeman saw the lion on a chilly, cloudy morning. He said: 'We were on a drive and saw this lion with the amazing sun and clouds behind him. 'We got into position a few minutes before he got up and I was able to capture this image of him. I think the sun and cloud in the sky look brilliant, with him lifting his paw in the air. 'I love the fact that it is a powerful animal with a beautiful sunrise, the colours in the sky are great.' Birds of a feather: Photographer Andrew Schoeman captured these tiny Carmine bee eaters flying off into the sunset . Breaking dawn: A Cheetah watches the sun rise over wild terrain of Botswana in this picture by Andrew Schoeman . | Photographer Andrew Schoeman, 40, captured this stunning collection of images across South Africa .
His vivid images show everything from an .
alpha male lion, elephants, tiny bee-eating birds .
and Cape Turtle doves . |
110,347 | 1a435fce86286970caac1b818d6b3455f77c60ab | By . Lizzie Edmonds . Two boy racers who killed a grandmother by smashing in to a taxi she was travelling in with such force she was thrown through the window were jailed today. Mary Byrne, 51, had arrived at her home in Bradford, West Yorkshire, when the taxi she was in was hit by a speeding BMW - which was racing with a Ford Focus. The impact was so great, the grandmother-of-seven was thrown through the window of the vehicle - suffering from fatal injuries. Joseph Robinson, 23, right, was racing with Thomas Healey, 21, left, when his BMW smashed into a taxi which was taking grandmother Mary Bryne, 51, to her home in Bradford, West Yorkshire . The BMW 330i was driven by Joseph Robinson, 23, who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after initially denying the charge. He was jailed for five years and three months at Bradford Crown Court today. Thomas Healey, 21, who was driving the Ford Focus ST, was found guilty of the same charge after a two week trial. He received a six-year sentence. Both men were handed five-year driving bans, also. Sentencing, Judge John Potter said: 'This was a spur of the moment decision by two . young and, it appears, intelligent men driving high powered vehicles to . indulge themselves in a high speed chase, deciding to race each other . other perhaps in a view to test each other’s macho-inspired bravado.' He told the court their lack of care for other people 'amounts to almost indescribable selfishness'. Judge Potter said both vehicles were driving between 60 and 70mph on roads with a speed limit of 30mph. The grandmother, pictured, was thrown through the window of the cab after the BMW smashed into it . When Robinson hit the taxi he was travelling at around 63mph, the court heard. Mrs Byrne's daughter said today the family were 'glad' the pair had been sentenced - but that it 'wasn't going to bring mum back' When . Robinson, of Bradford, hit Mrs Byrne’s taxi he was driving at around . 63mph, he was travelling so fast when he came over the brow of the hill . on her road he was unable to stop in time. Judge Potter added: 'It . was your decision to behave in this way and the subsequent driving that . followed to have fatal consequences, taking the life of Mrs Byrne and . creating that chasm in the lives of her bereaved family that that exists . this day and for evermore.' Robinson was also charged with obtaining insurance by making false statements. Judge . Potter told him: 'In this context you indulged in racing the car with a . complete stranger’s vehicle for 15 minutes over two miles with fatal . consequences. 'This selfish and wholly inconsiderate attitude to others is reflected in the manner in which you drove the BMW.' Mrs Byrne, a mother-of-four, was returning from . celebrating a friend’s birthday to the home she had shared with her . partner of 27 years Alan Jones when tragedy . struck. In a cruel twist of fate the accident happened just a few steps from the gates of a primary school where a poster by her granddaughter Grace pleaded for drivers to be considerate. The court heard how Healey briefly stopped at the scene following the smash on April 20 last year before turning around and driving off. He later attended a police station and was arrested. The scene in Bradford, West Yorkshire, pictured right, where Mrs Byrne was killed . Scores of tributes line the pavement outside the Bradford home of Mrs Bryne. Her daughter said today she was 'missed every single day' Healey, of Bradford, was driving a car registered to his dad. Speaking after sentencing Mrs Byrne’s daughter, Sarah Harrison, 32, said: 'She is just missed every single day, it doesn’t get any easier.' Leading up to the crash Robinson, who . was on bail for a previous driving offence and was driving with faked . insurance documents, had been seen driving in an aggressive manner. He . had been weaving in and out of cars and one concerned motorist had even . taken a picture of his vehicle and given it to the police. Her eldest daughter, Sam Rees, 34, said: 'We are glad that they have been sentenced but we echo what the judge said, it’s not going to change it. 'Whatever they got sentenced is never going to bring mum back but their families will know what its like to lose a loved one for a couple of years.' Following the tragedy, councillors and local MP Gerry Sutcliffe added their support to calls for traffic calming measures where Mrs Byrne was killed. Since then Bradford Council has spent £10,000 installing speed humps, traffic islands and solar-powered road signs in the area. | Mary Bryne killed when a BMW smashed into a taxi she was travelling in .
Vehicle hit with such force, grandmother was thrown through the window .
BMW driven by Joseph Robinson, 23, who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and jailed for five years and three months .
Boy racer was racing a Ford Focus - driven by Thomas Healey, 21 .
Found guilty of same charge and given six-year sentence in court today .
Judge told pair their actions 'amount to almost indescribable selfishness' |
149,550 | 4d5b80158ff8674dfd35d6652cf5f1935e051002 | Hells Angels boss Peter 'Skitzo' Hewat has appeared in court after being allegedly caught with Viagra pills. Victorian bikie Hewat was out on bail when he was arrested by anti-bikie police in Melbourne suburb Craigieburn on Wednesday. The outlaw motorcycle gang's East County sergeant-at-arms appeared in an out-of-sessions court charged with 44 counts of driving while suspended, breach of bail, possessing a dangerous article, resisting arrest and possessing a schedule-four poison. Hells Angels boss Peter 'Skitzo' Hewat has appeared in court charged with possession of Viagra . Hewat was stopped by police when he was being driven through Melbourne suburb Craigieburn on Wednesday . Police said when they stopped Hewat they found a baseball bat under the driver's seat of Hewat's car, as well as four tablets of Sildenafil, known as Viagra. Hewat was in the passenger seat when it was intercepted by detectives from the anti-bikie Echo taskforce following an investigation into his towing business and a number of raids on his home and that of his son, reports the Herald Sun. Earlier this year the 59-year-old, of Mountain View Lane, Mickelham, had his driver's licence suspended and was ordered not to leave his home from 9pm and 6am. Bikie boss Hewat appeared in court charged with 49 counts and remanded in custody . Police say a baseball bat was found under the driver's seat of Hewat's car, he was sitting in the passenger seat . The Hells Angels boss is seen in handcuffs after being arrested by the anti-bikie Echo taskforce in Melbourne . Detective Acting Sergeant Chris O’Brien told the out-of-sessions court hearing CCTV footage seized from the home of Mr Hewat's son, Beau Hewat, shows the Hells Angels member driving to and from the home a total of 44 times between August 2 and September 6, reports The Age. Police claim on four occasions he was captured on video arriving at the premises outside curfew hours. A last charge of handling stolen goods relates to missing wheels from an allegedly stolen Mitsubishi Triton recovered at Beau Hewat's address. Mr Hewat told the bail justice he should be freed because he was a hard-working businessman and needed to care for his sick wife, reports the Herald Sun. He said: 'She's been in and out of hospital when I'm not there because she can't self-medicate properly,' reports The Age. Acting Sgt O'Brien said it was his understanding Mr Hewat's wife had been living at their son's house. Mr Hewat said his wife was often at their son's home because he had a problem with amphetamines. 'We're just trying to get him off them and keep people away from there.' Hewat's home and business were also searched on Wednesday as part of an ongoing Echo Task Force investigation. The court heard because Mr Hewat was already on bail, he should be remanded in custody until Thursday morning, where he was due reappear before court. | Hells Angels boss Peter 'Skitzo' Hewat arrested for alleged possession of erectile dysfunction pills .
Police say a baseball bat was found under the driver's seat of Hewat's car as well as four blister tablets of Sildenafil .
Sildenafil is a schedule four poison is commonly known as Viagra or Revatio .
He was arrested by detectives from the anti-bikie Echo taskforce in Melbourne suburb Craigieburn .
Hewat appeared in court last night charged with 49 counts and remanded in custody in Melbourne . |
77,307 | db2da6b9ceb4771d06afc303594073934a5e1a0e | Former Chelsea defender Dan Petrescu has claimed he was offered the job at Nottingham Forest and turned it down. Dougie Freedman replaced Stuart Pearce this week, but former Rapid Bucharest coach Petrescu told DigiSport in Romania that he was approached by the Championship club. 'Everyone knows that I had offers from Nottingham. I had a clear offer, but the terms of the contract were not what I wanted. And the people there did not want to negotiate much.' Former Chelsea defender Dan Petrescu claims he turned down the Nottingham Forest manager job . Petrescu pictured during his time as manager of Unirea Urzicena in 2009 in a Champions League tie at Ibrox . Freedman knows he needs to restore the confidence of his players if he is to revive Nottingham Forest's ailing season. 'Confidence is low,' said the 40-year-old. 'I'm not up on my stats about it but I know there haven't been many wins in the last few months, so that's understandable. 'Confidence is low because of results, there's no doubt about that, and that needs to change quickly. Dougie Freedman was appointed as the successor to Stuart Pearce at the City Ground . 'But there's many things you can do to change it. You can turn that around by managing players. Results do it too. 'Many things can bring confidence back to a team. The message you put across or the way you put it across can help. It might be a change in personnel or systems. 'I'll find the way to do. It's important because confidence can breed results and then you can get momentum and confidence continues to grow and before you know it you're climbing up the table.' | Dan Petrescu said he was offered Nottingham Forest job .
Former Chelsea defender said he rejected the Championship side .
Dougie Freedman was appointed as Stuart Pearce's successor . |
267,346 | e63ec537cb8adfd098182ec3ae468e199beb4fbb | Hong Kong, China (CNN) -- Kristie Lu Stout zips all around the globe on assignment for CNN, but she doesn't have to go far to enjoy first-class cuisine, gaze at a world-famous skyline or walk the streets of a beautiful metropolis. Lu Stout makes her home in Hong Kong, China, a city as stunning by day as it is by night -- and memorable for its harbor, shiny skyscrapers and "unique blends of Eastern and Western traditions," in the words of the Hong Kong Tourism Board. About 7 million people live in Hong Kong and about four times as many visited the city last year. If you're going for the first time or returning for another visit, Lu Stout offered the following tips about her favorite Hong Kong spots. Where can you get the best view of the city? On a clear day, the Peak Morning Trail. Just walk 15 minutes around the bend from the Peak Terminal. Which restaurant would you take your loved one to for an anniversary or other special occasion? Chesa at the Peninsula for its classic Swiss fondue and dark chocolate mousse with Gruyere cream. (It's a bit more romantic than the dive that serves my other favorite comfort food -- squid ball noodle soup.) Where is the best place to people watch? Ride the subway. Just take a seat on any MTR train (which is always clean and efficient), plug in your earbuds, and watch Hong Kong commute away. What is your favorite neighborhood? Wanchai. Yes, it's Suzie Wong's old 'hood. But step away from the red light district and toward the Ship Street area where to find a fabulous mix of old heritage buildings and new structures. How do tourists stick out and what's the best way to blend in? Want to blend in? Lose the slow gait and stop staring at the skyscrapers. Walk quickly and look straight ahead. What's the biggest misconception about Hong Kong? That Hong Kong is just a city of concrete and steel ... when it has vast areas of natural beauty in its many country parks. Where do you go to relax? The Foreign Correspondents Club for its high ceilings and colonial ambience, comfort food, and extensive selection of magazines and newspapers from all over the world. It's members only, so have a friend get you in. What essential thing should visitors see/experience if they only have a few hours? Have a walk around the interlinked Hong Kong Land buildings in Central to have an idea of just how convenient Hong Kong is. This is a place literally engineered for high productivity and maximum efficiency. (And you can pick up a few gifts while you're at it -- a vintage print at Picture This in Prince's Building and a Chinese tunic at Blanc de Chine in the Landmark.) What's the biggest tourist trap? Electronics stores in Tsim Sha Tsui. Is there a "tourist trap" that's actually worth seeing? Take the Star Ferry. Be sure to board the ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central at night, that way you can enjoy the dramatic Hong Kong skyline in its full neon glory. It's only a 10-minute journey, but it's one the world's greatest rides. Where's your favorite place to spend a night out on the town? A dinner of organic Hong Kong village cuisine at Yin Yang, followed by drinks at The Pawn. It's a former pawn shop that dates back to the 1900s that now houses an excellent bar and restaurant. Are there local specialty dishes or drinks that visitors must try? Typhoon Shelter Crab at Hee Kee, Michelin-starred dim sum at the Four Seasons, egg tarts at Tai Cheong Bakery, and Hong Kong milk tea gelato at XTC. What is a good local souvenir? For the ladies, get your cheong sam made. A slender, form-fitting gown with a high collar -- a silk cheong sam is classic Hong Kong haute couture. Shanghai Tang offers on-site tailoring. | Hong Kong has vast areas of natural beauty in its many country parks .
Riding the subway is the best way to people-watch .
Board the ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central at night for a great view . |
244,999 | c9162d326326c704e41088bc782f7efaa13293ae | (CNN) -- The first emotion I remember is rage. It was a violent, fire-in-your-veins, so angry-you-could-kill-someone kind of rage. I wanted out. I wanted the pain to be over. I wanted to die. I was mad at myself for not having the courage to just do it quickly, angry at the hospital staff for thwarting my masked attempt. I was convinced that I was "meant to" endure this, that my long, drawn-out starving to death would prove my willpower to God. In the days prior to my stroke, I'd had vivid hallucinations -- of Jesus on a wooden cross outside my bedroom window and a satanic figure sneaking up under my bedroom covers to suffocate me at night. I thought I was meant to be a martyr. I thought God wanted me to die. As the fury subsided, delirium set in. I became confused, defiant and completely irrational. I told the doctors that they couldn't possibly keep me overnight, because my family didn't have insurance or money to pay. When a cardiologist responded that she wasn't sure if I'd live another week, I told her she was full of s---. I hid the food they were trying to make me eat in my underwear, in flowerpots, even in my cheeks like a chipmunk -- certain no one would notice. I didn't want to get better. I was convinced nothing was wrong. I remember having nurses turn me over in the middle of the night to tend to the bed sores on my behind, places where the skin was so thin that my tailbone was starting to protrude through the flesh. I remember waking up to discover I'd wet the bed nearly every morning for the first three months I was hospitalized. I was ashamed, disgusted. I'd lost control of the muscles in my bladder; I was like an infant all over again. I remember shooting a nurse the bird when she told me I couldn't walk, only to crumble to the floor when I angrily pushed the wheelchair away to give it a try. A boy and his seizure dog . Unbeknownst to me at the time, my arrival at the hospital had launched an investigation by Child Protective Services back at my home in Austin. The caseworkers deemed my mother an "unfit parent" and my sister and I were placed under custodianship of the state. My care was left to the doctors and nurses at Children's, while my sister was sent to live with our godparents. My mother, herself an alcoholic and anorexic, had literally drunk herself into oblivion (she was later diagnosed with Wernicke's Syndrome, a form of alcohol-induced dementia). I spent the next 16 months of my life in that hospital. I completed my junior and senior years of high school through a distance education program, talked my way through hundreds of hours of individual and group therapy and slowly, painfully worked to bring my body and mind back to life. When Medicaid finally pulled the plug on funding for my treatment, I was unrecognizable from the day I'd walked in. I'd gained nearly 40 pounds, and the feisty, fiercely independent spirit I'd been known for as a child was on her way back in (close to) full force. Although I was still significantly underweight and terrified to leave the security of the hospital, my medical team managed to convince the caseworkers to grant me emancipation. At 17, I re-entered the "real world" as a legally recognized adult. My doctor at Children's helped me make arrangements to move into a garage apartment with a close family friend near the hospital. I got a job at a local Starbucks, started applying for college, and, by the grace of who-knows-what, was offered almost free weekly therapy by a psychologist who'd treated me at Children's. Three months later, I took my first yoga class. I was lucky. I was blessed. I was given enough resources to put the fragments of my broken life back together. 6 years later, burned Iraqi boy stands tall . My hope is that my story might serve as a beacon of hope for people grappling with their own inner demons in silence and isolation. Whether it's an eating disorder, abandonment, depression or addiction, please know: . There is a way out. You don't have to suffer alone. There are people out there who want to love you, who would be honored to bear witness to your pain. Healing doesn't happen in a vacuum. We are human and we have an inherent need to see and be seen, to touch and be touched. No one heals heartbreak alone. For the broader community, I hope this story will diminish some of the stigma and misperceptions about eating disorders. Many of us have been taught that people with eating disorders simply want to be skinny, feel like they have to look like supermodels to be worth anything, or just have an unhealthy "need for control." Those are all symptoms of an eating disorder, not the cause. I realized that I feel like a child who was once desperately thirsty, who was given enough water to survive and shake her thirst, and now feels compelled to go out and give water to anyone who's parched. "Look! Water! I know, isn't it good?! Drink up!!" When I see people drink the water, I can't even describe the feeling -- it's as if I'm experiencing the first sip all over again. It brings me incredible joy, even healing. It's an act of alchemy. It allows me to make light of some of the darkest days of my life. I once had a therapist who, when asked how I could ever repay her for all she'd given me, told me: "Your life will be all the thanks I need." This is how I thank her. This is how I thank all those who helped me find my way out of the darkness. Share the water. 'On Looking;' The world you're not seeing . Portions of this article were originally published in the book 21st Century Yoga: Culture Politics and Practice and on Intent Blog, where Roff is managing editor. | Chelsea Roff nearly died from severe anorexia and its complications .
She spent 16 months in Children's Medical Center Dallas .
She says she was lucky to get enough resources to put her life back together .
Now, Roff wants her story to be a "beacon of hope" for others who might be suffering . |
123,867 | 2c22e33f08822fc577b66c4611cf18c870a3497e | London (CNN) -- Legendary track star and chairman of the London Organizing Committee Sebastian Coe congratulated his fellow Britons for a "glorious" Olympic Games on Sunday night. "When our time came, Britain, we did it right," Coe told the 80,000 gathered at Olympic Stadium for the closing ceremony. Coe said these "two glorious weeks" would "inspire a generation." International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge declared the London Games officially over. He echoed Coe's sentiments. "These were happy and glorious Games," he said. "The legacy of the Games of the 30th Olympiad will become clear in many ways. Concrete improvements in infrastructure will benefit the host nation for years to come. The human legacy will reach every region of the world. Many young people will be inspired to take up a sport or to pursue their dreams." As the Games came to a close, the United States led the medal count with 104 overall, 46 of them gold. China finished second, with 87 medals, with Russia third with 82. Great Britain finished with 65, its best total since 1908. Singers from all eras performed. There was rock great Ray Davies, pop heroes George Michael and Annie Lennox, and new boy-band One Direction. Even comedian Russell Brand joined in, singing The Beatles "I Am The Walrus." The crowd gave the Spice Girls a rousing ovation after they performed two of their hits. Other performers payed tribute to some of the artists who didn't attend or had passed away. Singers Jessie J and Taio Cruz teamed with rapper Tinie Tempah to sing "You Should Be Dancing" by the Bee Gees (born on Isle of Man). Ed Sheeran led a quartet with Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, Richard Jones of the Feeling and Mike Rutherford of Genesis in covering "Wish You Were Here." Later Monty Python actor Eric Idle led the crowd in singing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." To close the music medley Jessie J also joined Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, belting out "We Will Rock You." The Who closed out the ceremony with a medley of the band's hits, ending with "My Generation." In a new twist, the 10,000-plus athletes entered the stadium through the stands, some high-fiving members of the audience as they descended the steps to the field. There was also one final medal ceremony as Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda was awarded his marathon gold and listened along with the spectators to his national anthem. The White House released a statement that said President Obama called British Prime Minister David Cameron congratulating London on an "extremely successful" games. One of the U.S. golds came as expected on the basketball court, but in a tougher contest than expected. Led by Kevin Durant's 30 points, the United States fought off a stiff challenge from Spain to win the gold medal 107-100. The Americans defended their title from four years ago in Beijing, also against Spain. "This game was fun. It was a challenge, but we stepped up to it," Kobe Bryant told NBC, an official broadcaster of the Games. LeBron James had 19 points and Bryant scored 17 for the Americans, who led by only one point after the third quarter. "We all respect each other," Durant said. "We all know it's our common goal." Russia narrowly edged out Argentina for the bronze. London itself took center stage on the last day of the Olympics on Sunday, with the men's marathon course running past the city's major landmarks from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace. Kiprotich won a thrilling race in 2:08:01, dueling for miles with early leader Wilson Kipsang of Kenya and his compatriot Abel Kirui. The Kenyans worked together to try to box the Ugandan in, but as the race neared its end, he blew past them to finish with a commanding lead, giving Uganda its first medal of any color in these Games. Read more: Nigeria's 12- year wait for Olympic gold . Kirui took silver and Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich took the bronze, with Eritrea-born American Meb Keflezighi coming fourth, about three minutes behind the winner. The hosts snatched yet another boxing gold medal later Sunday, with super heavyweight Anthony Joshua winning gold for Britain. Italy, whose Roberto Cammarelle won silver, launched an appeal after the fight ended 18-18. Joshua was awarded victory on countback -- using the scores of all five judges, not just the middle three scores. "It was a tough first round. The judges will always do their job and I do my job," the champion said. "I have had close decisions in other tournaments but I just take it on the chin." The Italian said the decision was curious. "I did everything I could. I don't understand the score," he said. "Where did they get all the points they gave him at the end?" Read more: Five things to watch at Olympics on Sunday . Team USA picked up another gold medal earlier, when Jacob Stephen Varner won the 96-kilogram freestyle wrestling contest. "I came here to win a gold medal and that's what I've done," he said. "I played more defense then I wanted to, but it's awesome for the United States." Uzbekistan's Artur Taymazov became first man to win three consecutive freestyle wrestling golds, defeating Davit Modzmanashvili of Georgia. "I wanted to get the third gold," said Taymazov, who also won a silver at the Sydney Games in 2000. "There was also a time pressure, because I am 33. But it was my time." At the 2000 Olympics, Greco-Roman wrestler Alexander Karelin won three straight golds and then a silver. "I'm glad I have equaled his medal total," Taymazov said, "but he has won more world championships than I have won so I must do more over the next two seasons." In men's water polo, Ratko Rudic guided Croatia to an 8-6 victory over Italy in the gold medal match, a record fourth win for the a coach. Rudic has led three nations -- Yugoslavia, Italy and his native Croatia -- to gold as well as winning a silver medal in 1980 as a player with Yugoslavia. Laura Asadauskaite of Lithuania won the final gold medal of the London Games with an Olympic record score in the modern pentathlon. | NEW: London Games declared over .
Team USA wins second consecutive basketball gold .
Marathoner Stephen Kiprotich wins Uganda's first medal in a thrilling race .
Super heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua wins gold for Britain . |
107,521 | 16ad4c501fcc3ca368c9f08ae2f6d4a8e3b01477 | Thousands of Jordanian troops have been deployed to the country's border with Iraq to stop Islamic State militants from infilatrating the country, it has been reported. The country has already carried out airstrikes on ISIS targets in revenge for the murder of Jordanian pilot Moaz al Kasasbeh, who was burned alive in a cage as masked militants in camouflage uniforms looked on. After a video was released showing the death of the airman, Jordan's King Abdullah vowed to wage a harsh war against the terror group and in a statement, he pledged to hit the militants 'hard in the very centre of their strongholds'. A Jordanian soldier pictured on patrol in Amman earlier today. It has been reported that the country is to move thousands of its troops to its border with Iraq . Now two Jordanian government officials have told NBC News that thousands of troops have been moved to the Iraqi border in a bid to ramp up the campaign against ISIS. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, also added that soldiers were being sent there as a 'show of force.' Earlier this week, the Jordanian air force unleashed three consecutive days of attacks on ISIS targets with the strikes - dubbed Operation Martyr Moaz in the pilot's memory - targeting the terror group's weapon depots, training centres, warehouses and military barracks. The focus of Jordan's airstrikes are reported to be Raqqa, the ISIS stronghold in Syria. The intensified air assaults come almost one week after the extremists released the chilling footage of the airman's death, which sparked protests throughout Jordan. Jordan has carried out 56 aerial bombings on Islamic State targets in revenge for the murder of Jordanian pilot Moaz al Kasasbeh. Pictured: Aerial strike from video released last week by officials . A squadron of United Arab Emirates F-16 fighters has arrived in one of Jordan's air bases to support it in strikes against the Islamic State group . Entitled 'Healing the Believers' Chests', the 22-minute film showed the captured airman wearing an orange jumpsuit and being seemingly doused in fuel, as a trail of petrol leading up to the iron bars of the cage is set alight. Officials believe Kasasbeh had been killed almost one month earlier, despite ISIS attempting to carry out a prisoner exchange in return for the stricken pilot. After the footage was released, Jordanian officials promised to retaliate harshly and quickly executed two Iraqi militants connected with ISIS. This included Sajida al-Rishawi, the female would-be suicide bomber whose freedom ISIS had originally demanded in exchange for releasing Kasasbeh. King Abdullah II later said Jordan's response would 'be harsh because this terrorist organisation is not only fighting us, but also fighting Islam and its pure values.' King Abdullah is briefed by the Supreme Commander of Staff General Mashal Mohammad Al Zabin on airstrikes carried out by the country . Brutal: ISIS released footage purportedly showing the 26-year-old pilot being burned to death in a cage . In a statement, he pledged to hit the militants 'hard in the very centre of their strongholds'. ISIS seized control of large areas of Iraq and Syria last year, prompting hundreds of raids by coalition war planes. The United States and several Arab allies, including Jordan, have been striking ISIS in Syria since September 23. Warplanes from the U.S. and other countries have been waging an air campaign against the extremists in Iraq for even longer. The campaign aims to push back the jihadi organisation after it took large parts of Iraq and Syria and declared a 'caliphate.' | Sources say Jordanian troops have been deployed to border with Iraq .
Reported they have been moved to stop ISIS infiltrating the country .
Comes as Jordan carried out airstrikes on ISIS targets earlier in the week .
They were in revenge for murder of Jordanian pilot Moaz al Kasasbeh .
Jordan's King Abdullah has vowed to hit ISIS hard in their strongholds . |
123,907 | 2c2dc8cbfb116ea9863ac93ad94615bac899b04e | Some of the world's greatest players will be in Brazil and match-winners will be plentiful. Jamie Redknapp picks his 10 to watch at the World Cup. HE must be hurting with people saying he’s not the best player in the world anymore. I’ve never seen him walk around the pitch as much as this season at Barcelona — he needs to up his tempo. If he does, he can do what Maradona did and win the tournament for his country. Rumour has it he’s been saving himself for this — let’s hope it’s true. Up the tempo: Rumour has it Lionel Messi has been saving himself for the World Cup - he must deliver . I was unsure about the Brazil star for a while, but he had a fantastic Confederations Cup last summer, devastatingly good. There is more pressure on him than any other player at the World Cup: he’s the pin-up, the home talent, the hope of a nation. It’s not a vintage Brazil side but he is the one man who can produce a moment of genius. Pin-up: There is a lot of pressure on Neymar and he will hope to repeat his Confederations Cup displays . The player of the year’s confidence will be sky high after winning the Champions League. If he catches fire, Portugal have half a chance of doing very well. The Real Madrid forward can score any way — left foot, right foot, headers and free kicks — and is backed up by an organised Portugal side that is used to the heat. Sky-high confidence: And if Cristiano Ronaldo catches fire, Portugal could do very well . Yes, he dives but Robben has so much ability and skill. Louis van Gaal wants to play him centrally instead of on the wing and he could thrive there. Good players need to be in the game, not peripheral figures on the wing. Playing in the middle will allow him to produce more magic. Central figure: Holland might play Arjen Robben through the middle so he can influence games . If he’s fit, he will terrorise England and anybody he plays against. He’s an absolute phenomenon who is capable of doing things no-one else can. It will be a real shame if he’s not quite right as the World Cup needs him on fire. But I’ve had knee operations and know it can take a while to feel 100 per cent. Phenomenon: The World Cup needs a fit-and-firing Luis Suarez, who is capable of doing outrageous things . I love watching him. He makes Spain tick with his ability to outpass or outdribble his opponent from midfield. Manipulates the ball so well, seeing a different game to everybody else. Is a step ahead of everyone. If Diego Costa is fit and Iniesta can feed him, Spain will be so dangerous again. The manipulator: Andres Iniesta makes Spain tick and will be the main supply line to Diego Costa . I was never a fan of his at Manchester City because he was poison in the dressing room. In some ways, I’m not sure why I’m picking him on this list. But the AC Milan striker is still box office and you never know what he is going to do. His pace and power will cause trouble for England’s defenders and Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill will be hoping he is not in the starting XI. Was Italy’s star when they reached the Euro 2012 final and will either destroy his own team or the opposition. Watch this space. Pace and power: Mario Balotell is capable of destroying opponents... and his own side . He is either going to set the tournament alight or get dropped. This is the biggest tournament of his England career. Rooney has never scored at a World Cup and that’s not good enough for a man of his ability. He can produce the magic England will need to get out of such a tough group. No middle ground: Wayne Rooney will either set the World Cup alight or be dropped by England . Croatia have got lots of good technical players, but Rakitic is the best of the bunch. A skilful playmaker, he dribbles well and was hugely impressive in the Europa League final for Sevilla. He will surprise people in Brazil and could earn himself a big move after the World Cup. Best of the bunch: Playmaker Ivan Rakitic is Croatia's star and may surprise some people in Brazil . Hazard started the season looking like a world beater and ended it fading away and falling out with Jose Mourinho. The Chelsea playmaker needs to bounce back and inspire this very exciting Belgium team. He has the ability to go from standing still to sprinting in the blink of an eye, which makes him horrible to play against. One criticism would be that he needs to add more goals to his game — he only managed one from open play in his last 16 games of the season. Now is a good time to start. Bounce back: Eden Hazard was brilliant at the start of last season but faded away towards the end . Lionel Messi (Argentina)......................7/1 . Neymar (Brazil)......................................12/1 . Sergio Aguero (Argentina)................14/1 . Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)................14/1 . Fred (Brazil)..........................................20/1 . Luis Suarez (Uruguay)...........................22/1 . Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina)............22/1 . Diego Costa (Spain)...............................25/1 . Jo (Brazil).............................................28/1 . Thomas Muller (Germany)...................28/1 . Robin van Persie (Holland)................33/1 . Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)....................33/1 . AND WHAT ABOUT THE ENGLAND BOYS? Wayne Rooney.....................................40/1 . Daniel Sturridge...................................66/1 . Steven Gerrard..................................200/1 . | Wayne Rooney and Mario Balotelli will either be brilliant or a disaster .
Luis Suarez could be phenomenal if he is 100% fit .
Arjen Robben, Eden Hazard and Andres Iniesta complete the list . |
108,206 | 178576b8ba3e3a8c22bf441647cf8b1ae617bc6a | In the weeks following liberation from the Nazis, Paris was hit by wave of crime and violence that saw the city compared to Prohibition New York or Chicago. And the cause was the same: American Gangsters. While the Allies fought against Hitler’s forces in Europe, law enforcers fought against the criminals who threatened that victory. Men who had abandoned the 'greater good' in favour of self-interest, black-market profits and the lure of the cafes and brothels of Paris: deserters. Parisians welcomed their Allied liberators in 1944 but soon the city's streets were flooded with a new kind of violence . The existence of these gangs is one of many revelations in a compelling new book, 'The Deserters: A Hidden History of World War II.' Glass's study of the very different stories and men grouped together under the label, Deserters . Highly organised, armed to the teeth and merciless, these deserters used their US uniforms as another tool of their trade along with the vast arrays of stolen weapons, forged passes and hijacked vehicles they had at their disposal. Between June 1944 and April 1945 the US army’s Criminal Investigation Branch (CBI) handled a total of 7,912 cases. Forty per cent involved misappropriation of US supplies. Greater yet was the proportion of crimes of violence – rape, murder, manslaughter and assault which accounted for 44 per cent of the force’s workload. The remaining 12 per cent were crimes such as robbery, housebreaking and riot. Former Chief Middle East correspondent for ABC News, the book's author Charles Glass had long harboured an interest in the subject. But it was only truly ignited by a chance meeting with Steve Weiss - decorated combat veteran of the US 36th Infantry Division and former deserter. Glass was giving a talk to publicise his previous book, 'Americans in Paris: Life and Death under Nazi Occupation' when the American started asking questions. It was clear, Glass recounts, that the questioner's knowledge of the French Resistance was more intimate than his own. Private First Class Steve Weiss pictured in Paris on Armistice Day, November, 11, 1945. His complex story of courage and desertion inspired author Charles Glass . Tested beyond endurance: This official US Army photograph taken in Pozzuoli near Naples in August 1944, captured Private First Class Steve Weiss boarding a British landing craft. He is climbing the gangplank on the right-hand side of the photograph. The Deserters, A Hidden History of World War II by Charles Glass . Hero or Coward? Steve Weiss receives the Croix de Guerre in July 1946 yet 2 years earlier the US army jailed him as a deserter . They met for coffee and Weiss asked Glass what he was working on. Glass recalls: 'I told him it was a book on American and British deserters in the Second World War and asked if he knew anything about it. 'He answered, "I was a deserter."' This once idealistic boy from Brooklyn who enlisted at 17, had fought on the beachhead at Anzio and through the perilous Ardennes forest, he was one of the very few regular American soldiers to fight with the Resistance in 1944. And he had deserted. His story was, Glass realised, both secret and emblematic of a group of men, wreathed together under a banner of shame that branded them cowards. Yet the truth was far more complex. Many were afraid. They had reached a point beyond which they could not endure and chosen disgrace over the grave. Some recounted waking, as if from a dream, to find their bodies had led them away from the battelfield. Others, like Weiss, fought until their faith in their immediate commanders disappeared. Was it a form of madness or a dawning lucidity that led them to desert? Glass does not claim to be able to answer that question to which Weiss himself had devoted his latter years to addressing to no avail. Others still deserted to make money, stealing and selling the military supplies that their comrades at the front needed to survive. Opportunists and crooks, certainly, but not cowards - the life they chose was every bit as violent and bloody as battle. 50,000 American and 100,000 British soldiers deserted during World War II. Yet according to Glass the astounding fact is not that so many men deserted, but that so few did. Only one was executed for it, Eddie Slovik. He was, until that point, by his own assessment the unluckiest man alive. The Unluckiest Man: Eddie Slovik, left, was the only American executed for desertion as his trial fell at a time when General Dwight Eisenhower, right, decided he could not risk appearing lenient on the crime . He never fought a battle. He never went on the run as most deserters did. He simply made it clear that he preferred prison to battle. Of the 49 Americans sentenced to death for desertion during the Second World War he was the only one whose appeal for commutation was rejected. His greatest sin, as Glass tells it, was his timing. His appeal came in January 1945 just as the German counter-offensive, the Battle of the Bulge, was at its peak. Allied forces were near breaking point. It was not, Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight Eisenhower decided, time to risk seeming to condone desertion. Slovik was shot for his crime on the morning of 31 January 1945. He was dispatched in the remote French village of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and the truth concealed even from his wife, Antoinette. She was informed that her husband had died in the European Theatre of Operations. His identity was ultimately revealed in 1954 and twenty years later Martin Sheen played him in the television film, The Execution of Private Slovik. In it Sheen recites the words Slovik spoke before the firing squad shot him. ‘They’re not shooting me for deserting the United States Army,’ he said. Last Stand: Martin Sheen played Eddie Slovik in theTV film, The Execution of Eddie Slovik . Slovik's execution in France was kept a secret from his wife and his identity only emerged in 1954 . Eddie Slovik and his wife Antoinette on their wedding day in Detroit. He was executed on 31 January 1948 . ‘They just need to make an example out . of somebody and I’m it because I’m an ex-con. 'I used to steal things . when I was a kid, and that’s what they are shooting me for. 'They’re shooting me for the bread and chewing gum I stole when I was 12 years old.’ Private Alfred T Whitehead's was a very different story. He was a farm boy from Tennessee who . rushed to join up to escape a life of brutalising poverty and violence . at the hands of his stepfather. He ended up a gangster tearing through . Paris. Whitehead fought at Normandy and claims to have stormed the beaches on the D-Day landings. He considered himself a battle-hardened . professional soldier and bit by bit the small reserve of mercy that had . survived his childhood evaporated in the heat of war. He had been in continuous combat with . them from D-Day to 30th December 1944. He had earned the Silver Star, . two Bronze Stars, Combat Infantry Badge and Distinguished Unit Citation. When he was invalided out to Paris with appendicitis and assumed that he would rejoin his unit, the 2nd Division, on his recovery. Instead he was sent to the 94th Reinforcement Battalion, a replacement depot in Fontainebleau. When a young lieutenant presented Whitehead with a First World War vintage rifle for guard duty, he told the officer to take the ‘peashooter’ and ‘shove it up his ass.’ Loyalties Lost: Before deserting Alfred T Whitehead was decorated for bravery he has identified himself as the third soldier on the right, visible in profile, at the front of this D-Day landing craft approaching Normandy 6 June 1944 . Steve Weiss, left, pictured with author Charles Glass in Paris where he was court martialled for desertion. He was 19 and thought his life was over. He demanded the weapons he was used to – a .45 pistol, a Thompson sub-machine gun and a trench knife. His actual desertion was unspectacular. Whitehead was looking for a drink. The American Service Club refused him entrance because he didn’t have a pass and so he wandered on ‘in search of a bed in a brothel.’ He found one. By morning he was officially AWOL. The next day a waitress in a café took pity on him and added fried eggs and potatoes to his order of soup and bread. When Military Police came in and started asking questions she gave Whitehead the key to her room in a cheap hotel and told him to wait for her there. From decorated soldier he moved seamlessly into life as a criminal in the Paris underworld. A chance meeting led to him taking his place as a member of one of the many gangs of ex-soldiers terrorizing Paris. Led by an ex-paratrooper sergeant, raids were planned like military operations. Whitehead himself admitted, ‘we stole trucks, sold whatever they carried, and used the trucks to rob warehouses of the goods in them.’ They used combat tactics, hijacked goods destined for front-line troops. Their crimes even spread into Belgium. They attacked civilians and military targets indiscriminately. His gangland activities gave Whitehead ‘a bigger thrill than battle.’ Quoting from the former soldier’s memoir Glass recounts his boasts: ‘We robbed every café in Paris, in all sectors except our own, while the gendarmes went crazy.’ They robbed crates of cognac and champagne, hijacked jeeps and raided private houses whose bed sheets and radios were ‘easy to fence.’ They stole petrol, cigarettes, liquor and weapons.Within six months Whitehead reckoned his share of the plunder at $100,000. Little wonder that when Victory in Europe was announced on 7 May 1945, Whitehead admitted, ‘That day and night everyone in Paris and the rest of Europe was celebrating, but I just stayed in my apartment thinking about it all.’ Because Private Whitehead’s desertion did not end his war – it was a part of it. As it was a part of many soldiers’ wars that has long gone unrecorded. Ultimately Whitehead was captured and court martialled. He was dishonourably discharged and spent time in the Delta Disciplinary Training Barracks in the south of France and in federal penitentiaries in New Jersey. Many years later he had that ‘dishonourable discharge,’ turned into a General one on rather disingenuous legal grounds. In peacetime appearances mattered more to Whitehead than they ever had in war. Back then, he admitted: ‘I never knew what tomorrow would hold, so I took every day as it came. War does strange things to people, especially their morality.’ Those ‘strange things’ rather than the false extremes of courage and cowardice are the truths set out in this account of the War and its deserters. The Deserters: A Hidden History of world War II by Charles Glass is published by The Penguin Press, 13 June, Price $27.95. Available on Amazon by clicking here. | Allied Deserters in league with the Paris underworld brought an unprecedented crime-wave to post liberation Paris .
50,000 US troops deserted, 49 were sentenced to death but only one went before the firing squad .
New book reveals how the Army concealed the truth even from the executed man's wife .
Prohibition style violence from U.S. deserters threatened to derail the fight against Hitler in Europe . |
47,739 | 86b7c70a905b7f6d429efe74a7724892d4b2c174 | (CNN) -- Fernando Verdasco ended Novak Djokovic's hopes of winning the Rome Masters after an epic three-hour victory took the Spaniard into the last four. Verdasco eventually beat the world number two from Serbia 7-6 3-6 6-4 in three hours 18 minutes to seal a semifinal berth and record his 12th win in 13 matches. He will now face either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or David Ferrer in the semifinals - his third in as many weeks. Verdasco lost in the final to Rafael Nadal in Monte-Carlo two weeks ago before winning the Barcelona Open last week. Verdasco twice went up a break in a hard-fought opener but both times Djokovic pegged him back, once when he was serving for the set. The tie-break went 7-4 in the world number nine's favor. Djokovic hit back in the second set, giving Verdasco the runaround and breaking three times on his way to a 6-3 success. But in the decider Verdasco broke Djokovic's serve in the third game and held on through some long and dramatic rallies to claim it 6-4. | Fernando Verdasco beats Novak Djokovic 7-6 3-6 6-4 in Rome Masters quarterfinal .
Three-set epic takes three hours and 18 minutes .
Verdasco will now face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or David Ferrer in the last four . |
204,186 | 9456420d1cb24568598066c45c13f21db0de1494 | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 11:25 EST, 27 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 16:05 EST, 27 February 2014 . A 72-year-old man was killed today after going back into a burning home to retrieve his cell phone. Rex Benson died in the early hours this morning in the blaze at a single story home in Plano, Texas. The elderly father along with his daughter and his roommate, had made it out safely after the home caught fire around 1am - but realizing they had no phone to call 911, both men rushed back inside. Scroll down for video . A house fire in Plano, Texas killed Rex Benson after he rushed back in to retrieve his cell phone . Fire crews arrived minutes later after receiving 911 calls from neighbors and found the home engulfed in flames. Mr Benson's body was found by rescuers inside the building. No other injuries were reported and the identities of the others involved were not yet available. Captain Peggy Harrell told CBS: 'The tragedy here is that the three adults living in the home actually made it out of the home, realized that they had no way to call 911 - no phone with them. 'So two of the residents - two males - actually re-entered the burning home.' The fire captain warned against anyone running back into a burning building as it was impossible to predict the direction of flames or when a structure may collapse. Neighbors said that the man had lived at the home for two decades. Friend Nakita Weseman told CBS: 'He could’ve come to any of the neighbors’ houses to call 911. I know he realized, probably, he didn’t have his cell phone, but that’s definitely replaceable. He wasn’t.' The cause of the fire is being investigated. Plano fire department members were at the blaze within minutes last week . Firefighters were unable to save the man who had rushed back into the burning home to get his phone . The home was gutted by the fire in the early hours of Friday. The cause is being investigated . | Two men and a woman initially escaped burning home in Plano, Texas .
Both men raced back into the home to get phones - only one made it out .
Rex Benson, 72, found by fire crews inside in the early hours today . |
219,000 | a7752da841e1cde080086eda4b4e40135df73e24 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 08:50 EST, 5 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:59 EST, 5 January 2013 . A millionaire's 'perfect' family holiday ended when he contracted a lethal infection from dirty equipment in a French hospital, an inquest heard. Retired company director David Foster, 76, was admitted to Annecy Hospital near Geneva after being overcome by pain while skiing with his family in March last year. He was flown back to England eleven days later, but died when the bug he picked up on the ward ruptured his heart and caused massive internal bleeding. (File picture) Millionaire David Foster, 76, was admitted to Annecy Hospital near Geneva after being overcome by pain while skiing with his family . His son Nicholas told Southwark Coroner's Court it was the first time his father had been away with his grandchildren. Consultant vascular surgeon Matthew Waltham, who treated Mr Foster at St Thomas' Hospital, central London, said the infection happened when an unclean drip was inserted in his arm in France. He said: 'It certainly looked then like the infection was caused by the cannula and it still looks like that now. 'I believe the cannula was put in during his stay at the hospital in France. The specimen was labelled in French.' Mr Foster was initially taken to hospital when he complained of pain which felt like 'a hot rod passing through his back'. After more than a week of treatment in France his family arranged for him to be flown back to England. He was admitted to St Thomas' on March 24, and was found to be suffering from an aortic dissection, a serious condition involving a small tear in the heart. Annecy Hospital near Geneva, where Mr Foster was administered the jab . Scans also revealed he was may have . been suffering from a tumour, of which he had no knowledge of before . falling ill. Mr Foster underwent an operation on March 30, which failed . to relieve his pain, and he died on April 4. Mr Waltham said: 'I understand he got up in the morning, and had some breakfast and seemed to be much better. 'He . was being washed by the nurses when he had a sudden cardiac arrest. Support was called for, but attempts to resuscitate him were . unsuccessful.' The former home of David Foster who died after contracting an infection from a French hospital whilst on holiday . A post-mortem conducted by Dr Catherine Horsefield found death was due to a haemorrhage caused by rupture of the aortic wall, with evidence of sepsis caused by osteomyelitis infection. The presence of the tumour was not a cause of death. Mr Foster, of Fulham, west London, had been on holiday with his son Nicholas, his wife Shelia and two grandchildren aged two and five. Nicholas told the court: 'We were on holiday with my wife, our two young children and my mother. It had been a pefect holiday. 'We had been in France for five days when he first complained of being pain. He'd had back pain before, but this was different, he described it as a hot rod going through his shoulder blades. 'We took him to hospital where they made a decision to treat him conservatively. During an eight day period he remained in a lot of pain, he was on morphine to cover it.' Recording a narrative verdict Deputy Coroner Lorna Tagliavini said: 'After a successful operation to graft a thoracic stent the deceased died of natural causes caused by an infection and contributed to by a previously undetected metastatic cancer.' | David Foster, 76, was admitted to Annecy Hospital .
He was flown back to England eleven days later .
Mr Foster died from massive internal bleeding .
Was first time he'd been away with his grandchildren . |
213,645 | a0b16eb7a03863aa70ef491406f650cfc0fe5141 | By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 19:11 EST, 31 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:07 EST, 31 December 2013 . A tragic groom could now face charges for the car crash that killed his wife as they left their own reception - just hours after they were married. Kali Dobson, 25, and Ryan Quinton, 27, both of Jasper, Georgia, careered off the road on Sunday evening when the groom lost control of the Pontiac Firebird he was driving when he swerved to avoid a stray dog. Dobson was thrown from the vehicle which rolled and then crushed her and now police in Cherokee COunty have said that Quinton could be hit with criminal charges if it is discovered he was driving under the influence of alcohol. 'Charges are pending the completion of the Georgia State Patrol's Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team investigation.' Franka Young of the Georgia Department of Public Safety told ABC News in an emailed statement. Scroll down for video . Heartbreaking: Kali Dobson is pictured on her wedding day in Georgia - just hours before she was killed . Charges: Ryan Quinton may face criminal charges for the death of his new wife, Kali Dobson - after the car he was driving them both away from their wedding in crashed - fatally killing Dobson . Tragedy: Kali Dobson, pictured dancing with her new husband Ryan Quinton, passed away just hours later. The couple was driving from the ceremony when he lost control and she was killed in the crash . Devastated: Ryan suffered minor injuries in the crash and is undergoing treatment in hospital . 'Blood was drawn to determine if alcohol was a contributing factor,' the statement said. Kali . Dobson, 25, was next to her new husband, 27-year-old Ryan Quinton, as . he drove the Pontiac Firebird from their reception at Wheeler House in . Ball Ground, Georgia on Sunday night. At . around 8.30pm, Quinton lost control of the vehicle, which careened down . an embankment and ejected Dobson, who was not wearing a seatbelt. The vehicle came to a stop on top of the bride, according to Franka Young, the . spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Public Safety. She died at the scene of the accident. Quinton later told authorities that he lost control of the vehicle after swerving to avoid a dog in the road, the Marietta Daily Journal reported. After the crash, he ran to the road where, with his clothes torn and covered in blood, he flagged down help. Chris Thomas told Channel 2 that he was driving along Ball Ground Highway when he spotted Quinton wearing a shredded tuxedo and stumbling along the road. Excitement: The couple is pictured sharing a kiss during the rehearsal the night before their wedding . Celebration: The couple, left, party at their wedding reception on Sunday. Right, Kali in her wedding dress . Tragic: Kali Dobson, right, died in a car crash just hours after she married Ryan Quinton, left, in Georgia . 'His shirt was all torn up and he was . bleeding,' he said. 'He had blood all over his face and blood coming out . of his hands and stuff and just looked bad. And it scared me to death.' He comforted the sobbing man as they waited for emergency responders. He held the Quinton's hands and they prayed together. 'There was nothing that could be done,' Thomas said after returning to the crash site. 'The car was on top of her. You couldn't even see her.' Quinton was taken to hospital, where he continues to recover from his injuries. It is not known if he was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Authorities . took a blood sample and are investigating whether alcohol was a factor . in the crash. The newlyweds had celebrated with family and friends at . their reception before getting into the car. Scene: The couple were driving along this highway on Sunday night when Quinton lost control and careened down this embankment. His wife was ejected and the car landed on top of her . Heartbroken: Family and friends comfort each other at the scene of the crash where Dobson died . Any charges in the tragedy with depend on the results of the blood test, the Georgia State Patrol said. 'Blood was drawn to determine if alcohol was a contributing factor,' Young said. 'The crash is still under investigation. Charges are pending.' After the tragedy, distraught friends and family visited the spot where Dobson had lost her life. 'Some bridesmaids showed up and then things got really, really sad and hopeless for a minute,' witness Chris Thomas told Fox5. 'It was horrible all the way around. And tragic. 'Me and my wife were discussing it, and I said, "I bet it was the most beautiful day of her life". 'What . should have been the greatest, most beautiful day of their lives is the . end of one and what could very well be something hard for this young . man to get over. I pray that he will.' Together: Ryan, pictured in his engagement photos, sobbed as he waited for help to arrive . Adorable: The young couple, from Jasper, Georgia, are pictured in their engagement photos . Happier times: A Facebook image shows Dobson's engagement ring. The couple were married Sunday . Friends and relatives expressed their heartbreak on Facebook pages and shared photos of the couples grinning and dancing at the reception just hours before the tragedy. The wedding photographers, Still Pearl Photography, also shared stunning images of the beautiful bride before her vows and dancing happily with her new husband afterwards. Patsy Jordan, a Cherokee School Board member, who once worked with Dobson’s mother, told the Marietta Daily Journal that the community is stunned by the tragedy. 'It’s traumatic,' Jordan said. 'Just to think she just got married and started on her beautiful journey of life and it just ended so suddenly. It was just hard to wrap my brain around something like that.' Jordan said she Dobson, who had sisters and was close to her new sister-in-law, had a beautiful singing voice. Harrowing: Chris Thomas was driving along the road when he saw Quinton stumbling along looking for help . Venue: The couple had married and held their reception that day at nearby Wheeler House, pictured . 'Kali was just an absolutely beautiful, beautiful girl,' she said. Nearby Wheeler House, which held the couple's wedding and their reception, passed on their thoughts to the heartbroken families. 'Our . thoughts and prayers are with the Dobson and Quinton families,' the . company wrote on its Facebook page. 'May Kali and the love this . beautiful couple shared never be forgotten.' See below for video . | Kali Dobson was killed in the crash on Ball Ground Highway, Georgia on Sunday night just hours after marrying 27-year-old Ryan Quinton .
Quinton lost control of their car, sending it off the highway and down an embankment; Dobson was ejected from the car, which landed on her .
Police have now said that a criminal investigation could be launched pending the results of an alcohol test . |
276,934 | f2c7ef52e1c069bfdbcdff22e23cdcbafcc1e6ab | West Ham chairman David Sullivan has admitted he regrets signing Andy Carroll for a club-record £15million. And the Hammers supremo has added to simmering tensions between the board and Sam Allardyce after contradicting his manager’s comments about Ravel Morrison. Carroll is set to miss the next four months after suffering torn ankle ligaments and has flown to Baltimore for surgery. It is a huge blow to Allardyce, who was desperate for his striker to stay injury-free next season. VIDEO Scroll down to watch crocked West Ham striker Andy Carroll in latest kit launch . Out: Andy Carroll is out for four months with torn ligaments in his left ankle . Mistake? David Sullivan regrets putting all of his 'eggs in one basket' with the signing of Carroll . Allardyce played a lead role in ensuring West Ham turned Carroll’s loan move from Liverpool during the 2012-13 season into a permanent deal but the striker made just 16 appearances for the Hammers last season after a series of fitness problems. Sullivan admits that in hindsight, spending big money on Carroll, 25, was not a wise move. ‘It was desperate last year, we probably made a mistake by putting all our eggs in one basket (by signing Carroll),’ he told talkSPORT. ‘Had we known what we know now we wouldn’t have signed the player. But it’s easy to be wise after the event. ‘We were assured by our physio — who has since left the club —that the player would be available for the start of the season. ‘He wasn’t available until January or February. A mistake was made and we were given the wrong information. ‘We based our decision and our purchase of the player on what the medical department told us. We’ve changed everything in that department as a result of that. On his day he is a devastating and fantastic player, we’ve just got to get him back to his best. SEPTEMBER 2012Misses a month after straining a hamstring against Fulham . DECEMBER 2012Twists his knee against Man Utd and is out for two months . MAY 2013Falls awkwardly and damages his heel against Reading and is out for seven months . ‘But at the same time we can’t start the season with the strikeforce we’ve got. I don’t think it’s good enough, there’s not enough height in it and if we get another injury, in terms of quantity, it’s insufficient, so we have to sign at least one more player.’ The club are now pressing ahead with plans to sign a new striker, with Monaco’s Lacina Traore among the names being considered. ‘We have to bring in another striker and we’re working on it now to buy one, or loan one, or both,’ Sullivan added. ‘You can never have enough strikers and really with Andy gone we haven’t got enough.’ Meanwhile, the Hammers board and Allardyce appear to be at odds over Ravel Morrison’s future. He is back at West Ham following his loan move to QPR last season. Allardyce, who was close to losing his job this summer, has said he is not part of his plans for next season, but Sullivan has contradicted his manager, saying: ‘Sam has said Ravel is not part of his plans but we do — as a board — see him as part of our plans. ‘I think he said in a press conference, if I read it correctly, he’s not part of his plans for this season. ‘I think he said that in New Zealand but we don’t agree with that. We would like to sit down and give him a longer contract.’ ‘We do like him, we do see him as part of the long-term future of the club but we have to agree it with the manager because there’s no point signing a player he’s not going to play.’ Hunt: Sullivan also revealed that West Ham will now be on the search for a striker . Thin up top: West Ham have signed Enner Valencia (above) and Mauro Zarate . | David Sullivan admits club 'made a mistake' by relying on Andy Carroll .
Carroll will be out for four months with an ankle injury .
Sullivan says West Ham shouldn't have put 'all our eggs in one basket'
Hammers will bring in another striker, according to Sullivan . |
280,902 | f7e3e6677bdef69674a361cec8026b8735a909bd | Ed Miliband today accused TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson of ‘belittling’ people with mental health problems. The Labour leader used a speech in central London to criticise the Top Gear host, who he claimed was responsible for promoting a culture of ‘intolerance’. Mr Mililband said stars were wrong to make light of mental illness, as he unveiled plans to tackle what he called ‘the biggest unaddressed health challenge of our age’. Scroll down for video . Ed Miliband criticised celebrities who 'belittle' people with mental health problems . In a speech at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Labour leader set out what he called a One Nation approach to mental health . He praised the example of people like cricketer Marcus Trescothick and television presenter Stephen Fry for speaking out about their battles with depression. But he said ‘far too often’ there was ‘scepticism and abuse’ that reinforced the taboo about mental health meaning many people who struggle with it do not feel able to discuss it or seek help. ‘It's not just casual name calling in the streets or the school playground. There are still people who abuse the privilege of their celebrity to insult, demean and belittle others,’ he said in a speech at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He added: ‘Jeremy Clarkson, who may have at least have acknowledged the tragedy of people who end their own lives, goes on to call them "Johnny Suicides" whose bodies should be left on train tracks rather than delay journeys. ‘It is attitudes like these that reinforce the stigma that blights millions of people's lives, and holds our country back. 'The fight against racism, against . sexism and against homophobia, made the acceptable unacceptable. So we . should join the fight against this intolerance. It is wrong, it costs . Britain dear, and it has to change.’ Mr Miliband criticised celebrities like Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson who made fun of people with a mental illness . Jeremy Clarkson caused controversy last December after criticising people who kill themselves on train lines. The . notorious presenter said that anyone who committed suicide in this way . was 'very selfish' for traumatising train drivers and inconveniencing . commuters. The outburst came just days after a joke about executing public . sector workers for going on strike cause outcry. In a newspaper column he . wrote that killing oneself by jumping in front of a train 'is a very . selfish way to go because the disruption it causes is immense.' He went on to label those who killed themselves 'Johnny Suicide'. Clarkson claimed that train drivers involved in these cases are . 'traumatised for life', and complained that passengers would 'have to . sit around for hours'. And . he added that trains should not wait until all the remains of the body . had been removed from tracks, saying - grotesquely - that drivers should . instead 'get the train moving as soon as possible and let foxy woxy and . the birds nibble away at the smaller, gooey parts that are far away and . hard to find.' However, in . his article for The Sun Mr Clarkson stressed that he had 'the deepest . sympathy for anyone whose life is so mangled and messed up that they . believe death's icy embrace will be better. He accepted that politicians had also largely failed to take a lead on the issue. ‘For far too long leading politicians from all parties, including my own, have maintained an almost complete silence about mental health,’ he said. Mental illness creates additional costs for the NHS of £10 billion in the provision of extra physical care, while the wider economy loses £26 billion a year to sickness absence, replacing staff and reduced productivity caused, he said. 'Now there will be some people who say that mental health is the kind of subject we can talk about in the good times, but not when the economy is such a priority. 'In my view, that is the opposite of the truth. Because mental health is an economic challenge holding back prosperity. 'Because however hard the economic challenges, we cannot forget about people's quality of life. And, finally, if we want a politics that talks directly to the challenges that British people face in their everyday lives, we cannot allow the silence to continue.' Mr Miliband announced the creation of a taskforce headed by the chair of Barts NHS Trust, Stephen O'Brien, to draw up a strategic plan for mental health in society. VIDEO: Miliband hits out at Clarkson over mental health jibes . | Labour leader uses speech to the Royal College of Psychiatrists to set out what he called a One Nation approach to mental illness .
He criticised celebrities who ridicule sufferers of mental illness . |
120,313 | 2781e4f0a3d650ba5c221ef6f396e5bbaaec3b40 | New York (CNN) -- In a move intended to better track criminal suspects, New York City's finest are now photographing the eyes of those they haul in. Adding eye scans to a list of police identification methods that include mug shots and fingerprinting, New York rolled out a fleet of new iris scanners in an initiative announced earlier this week, city officials said. The new measures are part of an effort to improve security and safeguard identities, said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. "It's a big, complex system," Kelly said. "We want to make sure it's the right person when they get in front of the judge, so this is a common sense way to do that." Police turned to scanners after two recent incidents in which prisoners escaped using false identities. Upon arrest, suspects now will be required to look directly into binocular-like devices that photograph the iris -- the circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye -- and store the image in a police database. When the suspect appears in court, police will match the scan to see whether the image corresponds with records in the system, Kelly said. But the tiny cameras are drawing opposition from civil liberties groups who call the new police measures excessive. "The police department is hitting a fly with a sledgehammer," said Steven Banks, attorney in chief of the city's Legal Aid Society. "There's been an extensive legislative debate in New York state in which the legislature only permits the police department to collect DNA evidence in certain kinds of cases. So it's incumbent upon the police department not to find a whole new technology and then forge ahead without any legislative authority." Proponents of the devices say the new initiative falls within existing identification measures. "We are authorized to take pictures," Kelly said. "This is just a picture of your iris. ... We're matching that iris to see if you're the same individual. Our lawyers say we don't need any mandate to do it." Twenty-one machines will be set up throughout the city, Kelly said, which includes scanners employed in Manhattan earlier this week. Police put the price tag at $500,000, paid for through a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant, which raises the question whether the device could be potentially used an anti-terrorism tool. "That's not our intention here, but it has potential," Kelly said. "Just like all technology has potential for growth, for innovation, for development," he added. "But right now, this is simply a process to help us better identify someone and prevent us from making mistakes." | New York City rolled out a fleet of new iris scanners in a police initiative announced this week .
Police turned to scanners after recent escapes of inmates who used false identities .
Civil liberty groups say NYPD is "hitting a fly with a sledgehammer"
City officials say department is "authorized to take pictures," including photos of irises . |
219,475 | a817330de85aac46a990eaa11c2461f163058d08 | By . Claire Bates . UPDATED: . 16:55 EST, 7 February 2012 . Spread: Only a quarter of C. diff cases in hospital could be accounted for by personal contact with infected patients . Hospitals may be adopting the wrong strategy for combating a notorious bug on the wards, a study suggests. Research showed that contact between patients only accounted for a minority of infections by the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. diff). The new findings from a team based at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford contradict previous thinking. Until now it has been assumed that C. diff spreads through personal contact with infected patients showing symptoms. Scientists collected stool samples from almost 15,000 hospital patients and found evidence of C. diff in 4.4 per cent. Further tests identified 69 strains of the bacterium, but only 23 per cent of these could be linked to known symptomatic patients. The authors, led by Professor Tim Peto, wrote in the online journal Public Library of Science Medicine: 'In this endemic setting with well-implemented infection control measures, up to three quarters of new (C. diff) infections are not easily explained by conventional assumptions of ward-based transmission from symptomatic patients and so may not be targeted by current interventions. 'A better understanding of other routes of transmission and reservoirs is needed to determine what other types of control interventions are required to reduce the spread of C. difficile.' Even the cases linked to ward contact represented a 'major hospital-acquired infection problem' said the scientists. But the roughly 75 per cent of unexplained transmissions 'raised concern about other acquisition routes' not captured by the study. Superbug: An electron micrograph shows Clostridium difficile (long cell in blue) surrounded by purified Clostridium difficile . Other ways C. diff might be able to spread included transmission by non-symptomatic carriers, including patients' relatives and staff, or through food or animals. C. diff rarely causes any problems in healthy people, but may trigger diarrhoea and fever in hospital patients taking antibiotics. Older people are most likely to be affected. Patients usually recover with treatment but in rare cases infection can be fatal. In 2007-08, a total of 55,498 C. diff cases were reported in England.Between 2008-09 there were 36,095 reported cases, a decrease of 35 per cent. | Scientists can't explain how 75 per cent of C.diff sufferers catch the bug . |
170,744 | 68ff66cbfd8a4efb7538be8d250be358aae95e0d | By . Katy Winter . A former chocolate addict has lost more than nine stone in weight after she took up martial arts and kicked excess sugar out of her diet. At her heaviest mother-of-one Kirsty Lynch, 41, weighed 21st 9lb and had to wear size 24 clothes after years of overeating. With her confidence at rock bottom in 2011, Ms Lynch, who is mother to 17-year-old Aaron, joined a kickboxing class in 2011, and soon saw the weight fall away. Former chocolate addict Kirsty lost more than nine stone in three years dropping from nearly 22st (right) to 9st (left) Kirsty admits that when she first began kickboxing she struggled with the physical demands - sometimes ending classes being sick . After two . months of training she had lost more than a stone and a half. As the months wore on, . she began training more and her efforts were rewarded recently when she checked the scales to see that she weighed 12st 8lb - a total weight loss of 9st 1lb. As . her confidence increased Kirsty also began taking part in competitions. In . December 2012 she became the English ladies champion in the 60kg-plus . novice category, an achievement she topped with victory in the Lordswood . tri-series competition in the same category in October 2013. Today she is a two-time champion kickboxer and hopes to soon qualify as an instructor. She said: 'I spent most of the first session gasping for breath or outside being sick. I was in such poor physical condition that it was a complete shock to the system. 'When I woke the next day, I could feel pain in muscles I never knew I had. But somewhere along the way, I had been completely hooked. I knew I would go back.' Kirsty gained weight while pregnant due to her cravings for chocolate and junk food, and then found herself in an unhappy cycle of dieting and comforting eating . Ms Lynch saw her weight creep up after giving birth to Aaron, her only child, seventeen years ago. She said: 'I’d been quite sporty at school and had really enjoyed playing hockey. Before falling pregnant I’d worn size 12 clothing. 'I got some very strong cravings. I couldn’t stop eating Cadbury or Galaxy chocolate, along with every type of biscuit imaginable, and helpings of strawberries and cream. I reasoned I was eating for two so I paid it no mind. Kirsty said: 'I used to live as if I was in Groundhog Day - every single day was the same, and I had nothing to look forward to. Now, my days are so exciting. I feel as if I’ve been given a new life.' 'I put on an awful lot of weight above what I was expecting with the pregnancy.' Following the birth, the cravings did not subside. She said: 'On the outside, I was a happy, cheerful person. But inside I was miserable. The more miserable I felt, the more I found comfort in food. 'I made a deadly mistake that food was my friend, rather than recognising it as the fuel for my unhappiness. To date Kirsty has lost over nine stone through her martial arts training and making changes to her diet . Kirsty with the trophies she has won kickboxing. She is already purple belt level and is working towards her black belt, which will enable her to become an instructor . 'I tried every fad diet under the sun - the cabbage diet, Weight Watchers, Atkins - but chocolate remained my downfall.' In late 2009, Ms Lynch was left in agony when she tore her ligaments in both knees while jogging with friends. Finally, in May 2011 a friend suggested she join her at a kickboxing class running near her home in Stone, Staffordshire. She said: 'I was nervous at first, but I loved the way everyone was so friendly in the class. It was not like the gym, where people often keep themselves to themselves. Breakfast: Bowl of Coco Pops and toast . Lunch: Chicken tikka sandwich . Dinner: Steak and Ale pie and chips . Snacks: Several chunky chocolate bars . Breakfast: Porridge and fruit . Lunch: Wholemeal pasta and tomato sauce . Dinner: Grilled chicken and vegetables . Snacks: Granola bars or fruit . 'Instead, there was a sense that everyone was in it together. It was a very eclectic bunch, motivated by a desire to ‘go hard or go home’. It was much more my kind of thing.' She also radically changed her diet as the physical exercise put her more in tune with her body’s nutritional requirements. While she was overweight, she typically ate a bowl of Coco Pops with toast for breakfast, followed by a chicken tikka sandwich for lunch and steak and ale pie with chips for dinner. She would snack on chunky chocolate bars throughout the day. Kristy, who now trains three times a week, has won numerous trophies and said martial arts has changed her life . Today, she typically eats porridge with fruit for breakfast, followed by wholemeal pasta with tomato and basil sauce for lunch, followed by chargrilled chicken with fresh vegetables for evening meal. She snacks at set intervals during the day, usually on granola bars or pieces of fruit. Kirsty has also encouraged her son to start kickboxing, is at purple belt level and is working towards her black belt, which will entitle her to become an instructor. She said: 'I used to live as if I was in Groundhog Day - every single day was the same, and I had nothing to look forward to. Now, my days are so exciting. I feel as if I’ve been given a new life. 'I have martial arts, and the people who helped me to discover it, to thank for that.' | Kirsty Lynch experienced huge cravings for chocolate when pregnant .
Has continued to overeat sweet treats since birth of 17-yr-old son .
After injuring her knees she decided to try out local martial arts club .
Soon became hooked and found the exercise changed her food cravings .
Dropped from 21st 9lb and size 24 to 12st 8lb and dress size 12 .
Now trains three times a week and wants to qualify as an instructor . |
235,181 | bc71a446a5e045082e3f7ab6ca39d3943e0c1e82 | By . Ashley Collman . The 47-year-old Georgia pastor turned financial adviser who faked his own death after embezzling millions from his clients has spoken out to detail his 18 months on the run. Aubrey Lee Price went missing in June 2012 after sending suicide notes to his friends and family and boarding a ferry from Key West to Fort Meyers, Florida. Though his body was never found, the married father-of-four was officially pronounced dead six months later, believed to have jumped off the ferry and died in the ocean. But Price stayed on the boat and started a new life before he was arrested on December 31, 2013, after cops pulled him over in Brunswick, Georgia because the tint on his car was too dark. In an interview with Esquire, Price has revealed that he initially planned to commit suicide when he boarded the ferry, and that he had no plan for his new life after deciding to stay on the boat. Before and after: Aubrey Lee Price faked his own death in June 2012 after embezzling millions from his clients. In an interview with Esquire, Price details his 18 months on the run. Pictured on the left before his disappearance, and in a mugshot after his December 2013 arrest . 'I don’t know why I didn’t kill myself,' Price said. 'Once it got dark on that boat and no one was there, I threw everything over except the backpack with my driver’s license and wedding ring. 'I threw all my credit cards away. I had, like, eighteen dollars left to my name after paying for postage at the Key West post office and paying the taxicab driver.' After landing back in Florida, he traveled to South America where he worked for a former business associate in Venezuela. While Price says he only interacted with his friend's legal business before, when he returned to South America he started helping the man with his illegal cocaine smuggling business. In the interview, Price describes the moment his friend revealed his drug business by showing him his warehouse 'stuffed full of coke'. He ended up working in the drug smuggling business for a while, before eventually moving back to the U.S. Abandoned: Price left behind four children and wife Rebekah (pictured) when he faked his suicide. He is currently serving a 30 year prison sentence . Price talked about missing his children but used emotional language to describe being separated from his dog. 'I longed to be with my dog again, a golden retriever named Holly Jolly. I probably won’t see my dog ever again. And she was my best friend,' he said. Back in the U.S., Price downloaded software to make fake IDs and says he had about six false identities including both foreign and local aliases. During that time, he says he went by several names including Diesel, Gator, Javier, and Jason. He spent some of his time missing cage-fighting in New York, which is also how he developed a love for marijuana which he says he took to relieve body pain. Over 200 marijuana plants were later discovered at the home he was renting in Georgia. He managed to stay off the street by rooming with prostitutes in motels, but maintains he was chaste the whole time. Green: Price says he started using marijuana after becoming a cage-fighter. Over 200 plants were discovered in the home he rented in Georgia, after his arrest . Price says one of the most disappointing aspects of faking his death, was learning his FBI reward was just $20,000. 'I was disappointed in the reward for me—it was only $20,000! I was on the FBI’s top ten list! Come on, put some money out there! I wanted to be number one,' he said. But Price says it was tough keeping the charade up, and he didn't like his life on the run. He was driving his car the day he got cut, and happened to have a bit of an emotional crisis behind the wheel. 'I was beating my steering wheel, angry at God. I felt like I wasn’t making any progress towards restitution. 'I’m riding up I-95. And I remember saying, Lord, where are you? I said that, like, ten times. And then I looked up and there were blue lights behind me. I said, Thanks, Lord. That’s where you are. 'So I pulled over eighteen months after I disappeared. And that was it.' Following his arrest, Price plead guilty to fraud charges and is now serving a 30 year prison sentence. He has also been ordered to pay $51million in restitution to the clients he defrauded. | Aubrey Lee Price, 47, faked his death in June 2012 after embezzling millions from his clients .
In a new interview from behind bars, Price tells of his 18 months on the run .
Says he first went to Venezuela where he worked for a cocaine drug smuggler .
Returned to the U.S. where he developed love for cage-fighting and marijuana .
Was eventually arrested after cops pulled him over in Georgia for driving a car with too-dark tinted windows .
Was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and ordered to pay $51million in restitution to victims . |
2,316 | 06c5b972e09424f5ad27a3c31d7c35c495db1df2 | Washington (CNN) -- President Obama highlighted stronger federal efforts Monday to help lower a high school dropout rate that, according to the president, is undermining America's future economic potential. Obama noted that the administration has committed $3.5 billion in new federal support for underperforming schools. Among other things, the Education Department is attempting to encourage states to identify and take new measures to reverse trends in schools with graduation rates below 60 percent. The Education Department's new "school turnaround grants" are designed to help 5,000 low-performing schools in the next five years. Obama's proposed fiscal year 2011 budget includes an extra $900 million for the program. "Our kids get only one chance at an education, and we've got to get it right," Obama said. "If a school continues to fail its students, then there's got to be ... accountability. ... The stakes are too high -- for our children, for our economy, for our country." The president argued underperforming teachers will need to be replaced in struggling school districts. But more accountability and higher standards, he said, need to be matched by greater federal funding and more parental involvement. Obama made his remarks during an appearance at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with the nonprofit group America's Promise, which sponsors programs for at-risk children. The group is headed by Alma Powell, the wife of former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Colin Powell. Roughly 1.2 million students drop out of school every year, according to the White House. About half of the dropouts are Latino or African-American, Obama said. As a consequence, the administration claims, the country loses almost $320 billion in potential earnings every year. | High school dropout rate threatens U.S. economic future, Obama says .
Administration has committed $3.5 billion to help struggling schools, he says .
Obama says underperforming teachers need to be replaced .
He calls for more federal funding and parental involvement . |
224,625 | aed3a10e2c50c31cc1b6e08bc75a5188a87f0034 | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 14:44 EST, 10 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:45 EST, 10 December 2012 . Admitted child porn: Christopher Exley is a serving police officer who works for the Met's Special Operations, which protects the Royal Family . A serving policeman who works in the Met’s Special Operations division, which protects the Royal Family, has admitted downloading child porn. Christopher Exley, 33, faces jail after an illegal stash of pictures was found on his computer when his home in Clapton, east London was raided in February this year. Exley admitted having 53 indecent images, including 11 at level four which involves penetrative sexual activity containing a child or children, or both children and adults, after looking at websites at Southwark Crown Court. He denied arranging or facilitating a meeting to engage in sexual activity with a child, and this allegation was dropped by the prosecution. Exley has been suspended from his duties since his arrest and now faces the sack after his guilty pleas. He was due to stand trial today but the prosecution accepted his guilty pleas to four charges of making indecent images of children. No evidence was offered against him in respect of a charge of arranging sex with a boy, which he denied. He was freed on bail on the condition he stays away from children until a sentencing hearing at the same court on January 14. The Special Operations Division, in which Exley served, is an elite section of the Metropolitan Police service, which includes the Royal Protection squad and counter terrorism units. The case comes as the former business partner of Louise Mensch has been arrested on suspicion of viewing or possessing indecent images of children. Luke Bozier, Labour's former e-campaigns manager, was questioned by police last Friday. It follows allegations made online last week that he posted explicit photographs on Craigslist under a pseudonym. Illegal stash: Exley admitted having 53 indecent images including 11 at level four which involves penetrative sexual activity containing a child or children, or both children and adults, at Southwark Crown Court (pictured) New sentencing rules for courts that mean paedophiles who trade in child pornography will be spared jail were revealed last week. The Sentencing Council suggested community punishments for those convicted of trading or possessing child pornography in its guidelines on dealing with all types of sex crimes. People caught selling or distributing internet child pornography may receive ‘high level community orders’, and the council also proposed community orders for people possessing images of non-penetrative sex between adults and children. The current benchmark jail sentence for those with a small number of images is three months. Only those with pictures of children posing alone or small quantities of images of children engaged in sex acts, but not with adults, are not jailed. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Christopher Exley admitted having 53 indecent images .
He is a serving policeman who works in the Met's Special Operations which protects the Royal Family .
An illegal stash of pictures was found on his computer when his house was raided in February . |
34,953 | 6351e66d90505c85abd4e7b3eda8677aeaeeede4 | Jeremy Clarkson avoided the sack during the infamous n-word row because he was 'absolutely remorseful' about any suggestion or hint the word had been used, the BBC director-general says. The Top Gear presenter caused outrage in May when unaired footage showed the 54-year-old reciting the rhyme 'eeny, meeny, miny, mo' before muttering what sounded like 'catch a n***** by his toe'. In subsequent days Clarkson took to Twitter to deny he used the offensive term, before releasing a video statement saying he was ‘mortified and horrified’ that it sounded like he had used racist language. Scroll down for video . BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall (pictured) is believed to have personally stepped in to prevent Clarkson from being sacked in the wake of the n-word incident in June . In a wide-ranging interview, Lord Tony Hall, the BBC director-general, has now revealed he had long discussions about the incident but Clarkson was not sacked after he apologised. He told The Times: 'We took it very seriously and we wanted to make sure the team knew what we thought about it. 'Nothing was broadcast, they were absolutely remorseful about any hint that they were saying or doing anything that was racist. He then added: 'There are millions of people who feel that that Top Gear... reflects them and their interests and we've got to respect that.' Clarkson uttered what sounded like the n-word during filming of the third episode of Top Gear series 19 as the star reviewed the £25,000 Toyota GT86 and the Subaru BRZ - which cost around the same amount. Telling viewers that they may find it difficult to differentiate between the two vehicles he demonstrated how to do it using the child's counting rhyme. The video clip caused outrage and there were widespread demands he should be sacked for what was his latest indiscretion in a series of scandals. A clip from the unaired footage which shows Clarkson reciting the counting rhyme during filming . Outspoken Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has been involved in a string of controversies. Most recently, he and the Top Gear team were chased out of Argentina after angry locals reacted with fury to Clarkson's number plate containing an apparent reference to the Falklands War. The H982 FKL plate was seen locally as a veiled reference to the 1982 conflict. However, the Top Gear denied their use of it was a deliberate reference to the war, and claimed it had simply been a coincidence. In July, Ofcom ruled Clarkson deliberately used racist language by referring to an Asian man as a 'slope' during a Burma special. The Indian High Commission in London formally complained to the BBC in 2012 about a special in which Clarkson travelled round India in a Jaguar with a toilet fixed to the boot. Clarkson was also reported to have referred to the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown as a 'one-eyed Scottish idiot' in 2009. And the year before, the BBC received more than 500 complaints after he joked about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes. Clarkson also made a mock Nazi salute while talking about a Mini design that might be 'quintessentially German' and received flak after describing those who jump in front of trains as 'Johnny Suicides'. Even deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman said 'anybody who used the word 'in whatever context' should have no place at the BBC. The BBC put the presenter on a final warning over the controversy and Clarkson wrote in his newspaper column that he believed he would be sacked by the broadcaster if he made another offensive remark. In his remorseful video statement, he said he was 'mortified' and 'horrified' the unused footage appeared to show him mumbling the word. He said: 'I was mortified by this, horrified, it is a word I loath. And I did everything in my power to make sure that that version did not appear in the programme that was transmitted. 'Please be assured I did everything in my power to not use that word. 'And as I'm sitting here begging your forgiveness for that fact that obviously my efforts weren't quite good enough.' | Top Gear presenter believed to have kept job following boss' intervention .
BBC director general Tony Hall claims the star was 'absolutely remorseful'
Jeremy Clarkson used what sounded like the word n***** during filming .
He was recounting the 'eeny, meeny, miny, mo' counting rhyme off camera . |
252,122 | d24dfc003c9c31fb987a02f1e4f6b87c7757e4e2 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 11:10 EST, 21 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:07 EST, 21 August 2013 . In a resort once wildly popular with British tourists, sun beds lie empty, restaurant tables are disturbed only by the wind and pristine beaches are eerily silent. This time last year the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt was heaving with holidaymakers keen to enjoy the tail end of the summer, but fears over the escalating violence in the country are driving sun-seekers away. The turmoil that has wracked Cairo has not affected the Red Sea destinations – such as Sharm El Sheikh, Taba and Dahab - and Egyptian military personnel have . been stationed at the key holiday resort of Sharm El Sheikh as the the bodies mount in Cairo. Take your pick: Holidaymakers are shunning Red Sea resorts like Sharm El Sheikh because of the violence in Egypt . Empty: A once-bustling restaurant is empty of customers as the military and supporters of ousted President Morsi clash . But the security presence at Sharm El . Sheikh’s airport – the main point of arrival for visitors heading to the . region – has done little to reassure skittish tourists. The escalating crisis in Egypt - where authorities today continued their crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies by arresting two more high-profile Islamist figures - has led to the deaths of more than 850 people - including 70 policemen and soldiers. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) reports that soldiers have also been positioned at the entrance to the resort portion of Sharm El Sheikh, and at the exit to the resort area of Dahab. Routine security checks are also being performed on entry into the airport, and police are carrying out vehicle checks in and around Sharm El Sheikh. The more southerly Red Sea resort of Hurghada witnessed clashes linked to the political storm on 14 August – although in an area away from tourist resorts. One man was killed. Quiet: The FCO is still not ruling out travel to Sharm El Sheikh, but soldiers have been placed at the airport . Looming fears: These sun loungers should all be filled, but many lie empty . The FCO stresses that the situation in the Red Sea holiday spots remains stable. 'There . have been no violent protests in the South Sinai resorts during recent . disturbances in Egypt,' a statement says. 'The resorts remain calm.' The . FCO is also maintaining its stance that British holidaymakers are safe . to travel to the Red Sea areas, even though other nations have altered . their advice to citizens. Germany has joined a growing band of concerned countries in warning against travel to the Red Sea resorts – joining the USA, Sweden and Finland in urging caution. The FCO’s stance leaves British holidaymakers and travel agents in limbo. Muslim Brotherhood leaders warned of further protests as security forces clamped down . Worried tourists who decide to cancel their trip cannot claim a refund from their operator because the government has not ruled against 'all but essential travel' to the Red Sea. Equally, tour operators are concerned, because bookings have dropped significantly since the current crisis in the country – sparked by the removal of president Mohammed Morsi and his replacement by an interim military government on 3 July – began. 'Let’s face it, nobody wants to book a holiday and then have it cancelled at the last minute due to possible danger, because it then means that you’ve got a problem trying to find something to substitute, and, of course it’s likely to be rather more expensive,' Steve Pattenden – the owner of Double S Travel in Luton – has told Travel Trade Gazette. 'It is better for us as a travel agency to recommend somewhere other than Egypt until things start quietening down a bit.' Unstable: Egypt has been wracked by demonstrations and violence since Mohammed Morsi was deposed . Adventure travel specialist Explore has gone further, cancelling all tours to Egypt for the rest of 2013. The company has little choice – many of its itineraries focus on the history and culture of the country, and with the FCO currently advising against all but essential travel to most of Egypt, Explore has been left in a difficult position. 'The vast majority of clients were happy we have made the decision in good time for them to rearrange,” operations director John Telfer told Travelmole. 'Clients want some certainty – which is one of the reasons that we need to make the decision about cancellation about three months in advance. 'Cancelling until the end of December is a clean psychological break – it gets rid of Christmas and the New Year. I’m very happy with the decision we’ve made.' | Pictures show abandoned beaches and restaurants in Red Sea resort .
The violence in Egypt has driven UK tourists away .
The troubles have yet to affect the resort, but many still fear the country . |
143,410 | 45767494da54ed553a73bdb8c184ddb5eb0108d9 | By . Richard Spillett . Former footballer John Hartson - who beat the odds to survive testicular cancer - has been pictured with his 'miracle' third child. The ex-Celtic striker needed emergency surgery in 2009 when cancer spread to his brain and lungs and at one stage he was given '50-50' chances of survival. But having battled through chemotherapy treatment to beat off the deadly disease, he is now celebrating after his wife, Sarah, gave birth to 6lb 2oz baby Paige Faith. Overjoyed: Footballer-turned-pundit John Hartson with wife Sarah and new baby, Paige Faith . Miracle: Hartson admitted he did not expect to be a father again after his battle with cancer . Hartson, who already has two daughters with Sarah, five-year-old Lena and four-year-old Stephanie, feared he would never be a father again after he was diagnosed with cancer five years ago. The 39-year-old told Wales Online: 'I have managed to father two perfect little daughters and I do see it as a little bit of a miracle. I came very close to leaving this place and now I feel blessed.' Shortly after the birth on April 19, he tweeted: 'Paige faith hartson born 19-4-14. 12.23pm weighing 6.2pounds.. We're both absolutely delighted mother and baby girl doing well.' Swansea-born Hartson scored over a 150 goals during his career and was capped 51 times for Wales. But a year after his retirement from the game in 2008, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that doctors said had spread to his brain and lungs. Describing the diagnosis on the website of his charity, The John Hartson Foundation, the former player wrote: 'The way I saw it, I was 31, I was fathering kids, I was training hard every day, I was moving clubs – I was doing everything that was asked of me. Good news: Delighted Hartson's tweet shortly after the birth . Birth: Paige Faith is the couple's third child. They discovered Sarah was pregnant with their second daughter when he was in remission . Football: Hartson during his playing days at Arsenal in 1995 (left) and Celtic in 2006 (right) He added: 'I was also, if I’m honest, pretty ignorant about the symptoms of testicular cancer and the importance of getting treatment early. I had no idea of the danger I was putting myself in. 'It wasn’t until I started suffering the most horrendous headaches that I went to see my GP and mentioned the lumps. 'Within days I found out the lumps were testicular cancer and the headaches were the result of a tumour. 'I had waited so long to get checked that the cancer had spread to my lungs and my brain and I was diagnosed with stage-four cancer.' Campaign: Hartson has since set up his own charity to raise awareness of testicular cancer . Battle: Hartson was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 34, when he already had three children . During his treatment, doctors gave Hartson and his wife the option of freezing his sperm, but they decided not to. They discovered Sarah, now 41, was pregnant with their second daughter Stephanie while he was still in remission in 2009. Hartson - who also has two children from an earlier relationship, teenage daughter Rebecca and 11-year-old son Joni - has since worked to raise awareness of the importance of early checks. Writing for his charity, he added: 'Had I got the lumps checked when I first discovered them, I could have spared myself months of operations and gruelling treatments, not to mention the worry I could have saved my family in the process. 'So I urge you – don’t do as I did, do as I say. Check yourself regularly, know what to look for and get anything out of the ordinary seen to by your GP. It could save your life.' He has since made a full recovery and has been given the all clear by doctors. | John Hartson feared he'd never be a father again after battle with disease .
He was given 50-50 chance of survival after it spread to brain and lungs .
But following emergency surgery and chemotherapy he pulled through .
39-year-old has now told of joy at having his third child with wife, Sarah .
Couple say they are delighted and see baby Paige Faith as a 'bit of a miracle' |
280,259 | f70dca7e37afb8ce81b13426051b05e3ba3526dc | By . Dan Bloom . and Will Stewart In Moscow . Pro-Russian rebels claim to have shot down a Ukrainian spy drone just a few miles from the site of the MH17 disaster. The footage released on Youtube by the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples' Republic - which has not been independently verified - shows a military craft lying in a field near the rebel-dominated city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Fighters posted an image posing next to the device and making the peace sign on the Russian equivalent of Facebook, declaring themselves 'heroes'. Scroll down for video . Peace: This photograph posted on Russian-language social media showed a member of the Donetsk People's Republic standing next to what separatists said was a Ukrainian spy drone dating back to the Soviet era . Heroes: The footage was posted along with a message proclaiming the fighters were heroes . If the footage's description is genuine, the site of the drone crash near the city of Shakhtars’k is just 15 miles from where MH17 was shot down over the village of Hrabove. And the rebels claimed it happened at 1.30pm local time yesterday, just as international experts gathered at the MH17 crash site to search for evidence. In a statement yesterday on vk.com, Russia's equivalent of Facebook, the separatists wrote: 'According to a report from military correspondents to the ministry of information, at approximately 13.30 near Shaktersk fighters of Motorola unit from number 20 check point on the Donetsk-Snezhnoe highway detected and shot down a Ukrainian flying object, supposedly a drone. 'Corsair reconnaissance group found the spot where it fell; right now the object is still at the crash site.' Investigation: International experts were at long last allowed to access the MH17 crash site, even as another aircraft was shot down . Dutch experts collect evidence as they examine the area of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 plane crash in the village of Hrabove (Grabovo), some 80km east of Donetsk . Wreckage: The experts are pictured yesterday at the crash site, where they have begun their recovery work . A team of Dutch experts examines a waterway as they scour the MH17 crash site. Their efforts were brought to a halt due to shelling nearby . Sniffer dogs working on the vast crash site in eastern Ukraine helped uncover the remains of more victims of the MH17 attack today . The claim appeared to be backed up by Ukraine's military, according to the respected AFP news agency. It reported Ukraine's military as saying separatists had hit an army drone with a missile similar to the type of system it alleges was used to strike MH17. The claim prompted scorn on social media, though - as unlike the passenger jet, the drone appeared remarkably intact. And because the unmanned craft are rocket-launched, it could have come to earth following its mission using a parachute, as is normal for the same type of drone. Still open: People were pictured today walking through the crash site area, which has been opened to experts . Parked behind the aircraft, which carried the blue and yellow trident emblem of the Ukrainian military on its tail (far right), was parked a truck spray-painted with the Russian flag. It came as the MH17 probe continued . Communication: The image of the craft in a field near Donetsk was posted on vk.com, the 'Russian Facebook' Comparison: One user of the social networking site posted this photograph of a Soviet-era Tu-143 drone . Close: The rebels said the site was near Shakhtars'k, about 15 miles from the MH17 crash site . Entered service: Late 1970s . Use: Soviet Union, East Germany . Crew: Unmanned . Length: 26ft . Wingspan: 7ft . Weight: 1.2 tonnes . Top speed: 590mph . Range: 124 miles . Service ceiling (high altitude): 16,400ft . Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, killing all 298 people on board. It has still not been established how it was destroyed, though many politicians laid the blame at pro-Russian rebels which hold the area. But the circumstances are mired in confusion and even if rebels were to blame, it is not known if they knew what they were shooting. Pro-Russians on the social networking site identified the downed drone, which bore the blue and yellow trident emblem of the Ukrainian military, as a Soviet-era spy craft. They said it was a Tu-143 drone, a claim repeated by the Russian news outlet Russia Today, which reported on the video earlier today. There are huge differences between the craft pictured and the passenger airliner. It would have been flying much lower than the 33,000ft at which MH17 was flying, and unlike the passenger jet, it appeared unusually - remarkably - intact in the field, leading some to doubt the rebels' claims that they shot it down. A rocket-launched short-range craft, Tu-143s were used by the Soviet Red Army in the 1970s and 1980s, and Russia Today claimed units were kept in use by Ukraine after the Soviet Union collapsed. Footage of the craft posted by rebels showed its ageing machinery lying in the field near Donetsk . A statement by the rebels said: 'According to a report from military correspondents to the ministry of information, at approximately 13.30 near Shaktersk fighters shot down a Ukrainian flying object' The footage was posted yesterday as the largest team of experts yet gathered at the site of the MH17 disaster. Using sniffer dogs, the 101 experts - many of them from Australia and the Netherlands, where many victims hailed from - found new evidence including human remains. Roads had for days been too dangerous to use because of heavy fighting, which frustrated the efforts to move an investigation forward. And today the investigators were forced to seek cover again because of shelling, according to AFP. A woman pushes her bicycle near the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in the village of Hrabove (Grabovo), some 80km east of Donetsk . A man rides his motorbike past a piece of the wreckage, lying beside the road in Hrabove . A man talks on his mobile phone just a short distance from a section of the downed jet, lying by the roadside . People gathered for a religious ceremony near the spot where MH17 was shot down as shelling today forced international experts to abandon part of the crash scene . Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said yesterday: 'The security situation at the site is unstable and unpredictable.' In clashes near the site of the drone crash, Ukraine said separatists killed at least 10 of its paratroopers in an ambush in the early hours of yesterday. A Ukrainian military official said a further 13 troops were wounded and 11 unaccounted for. Today, meanwhile, Russia accused the EU of . double standards, claiming it had lifted a ban on supplying Ukraine . with military equipment 'on the quiet' while imposing sanctions on . Moscow's military. Two women raise their hands to their faces during an emotional religious ceremony at the crash site in eastern Ukraine on Saturday . Tearful: A Ukrainian girl cries as she stands on the road with her luggage after she left her home near the village of Hrabove, 80km east of Donetsk. The insurgent stronghold of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine is on the verge a humanitarian catastrophe, the mayor warned today . With thick black smoke rising in the distance, a villager walks along the road between Donetsk and the crash site of the MH17 in eastern Ukraine on the day that an international team uncovered the bodies of more Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 passengers . Anger: Protesters hold flags of Russia and the self-proclaimed 'People's Republics of Donbass' in eastern Ukraine during a pro-Russian rally today. Russia has accused the EU of helping Ukraine's military 'on the quiet' Mission: UN humanitarian workers in Yalta, Crimea, speak today to refugees from Donetsk and Luhansk . Probe: 101 experts were at the MH17 crash site yesterday, where sniffer dogs found more human remains . Relations between Moscow and Brussels have deteriorated since the EU imposed sanctions on Russia over its involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry has claimed the EU is under the thumb of the U.S. and called on EU leaders not to be 'goaded' by Washington over events in eastern Ukraine. The EU passed its heaviest penalties on Moscow this week, imposing sanctions on Russia's defence, energy and financial sectors. | Footage of aircraft in east Ukraine released by Donetsk Peoples' Republic .
Rebels posted photo making peace sign and declaring themselves heroes .
Site near city of Shakhtars'k 15 miles from where jet fatally crashed .
AFP quoted Ukrainian military alleging a spy drone was shot down with similar 'missile' to system it claims was used against MH17 .
But internet users scorned claim - as the craft appeared remarkably intact .
And footage by rebels in rebel-held territory is not independently verified . |
84,807 | f0964e869863f1b24a0a0dce70b7561c10933dc5 | (CNN) -- Wladimir Klitschko has told CNN Sport that he believes he has put a touch of reality into David Haye's life, after winning their heavyweight unification fight in Hamburg earlier this month. Klitschko, along with elder brother Vitali, spoke to CNN in London as they showed off all five belts and the Ring Magazine belt they now hold jointly between them. Both brothers are still angry with the way Haye bad-mouthed them before the fight, but Wladimir believes that his unanimous points victory might now lead to the Briton altering the way he behaves in the future. Klitschko dominates Haye in heavyweight showdown . "It was definitely nice to beat David. Aside from taking his belt it was good to just show him the way to behave properly -- it was kinda reality rehab for David Haye to become a better person," Wladimir told Don Riddell. "He will now be better in the ring, and outside the ring, because I think he lifted himself off the ground a bit and we have put him back down on the ground. "I'm very happy to achieve my goal as a therapist, as Doctor Klitschko for David Haye, and everything that is happening to him is good experience that he cannot buy in a shop," added Wladimir. "You have to gain it in your life and that's what's happening to David Haye right now, so it's a belt for me but it's also a lesson for him for the future." Wladimir also revealed that the victory over Haye was the highlight of his career so far, made even more special by the atmosphere generated by the 45,000 supporters in the Volksparkstadion. "This fight was really something special for me even though it was a very rainy night. "The stadium was amazing and there were fans present from all over the world, the United States, UK, former Soviet republics and Germany," continued Wladimir. "Being live on TV was also special, but you don't really think about TV because you are focused on the fight, so you feel the atmosphere of the stadium instead. "You feel the fans, how they scream, how they support, it was definitely something special for me and I will never forget this fight." | Wladimir Klitschko tells CNN he has put some 'reality' into David Haye's life .
Klitschko and elder brother Vitali were speaking to CNN Sport in London .
Wladimir also reveals his victory over Haye was the highlight of his career so far . |
133,472 | 389b065122001a1b7f361a98fe83ffe308c90e85 | Painted with cartoon characters and strewn with moss, these are the crumbling remains of a psychiatric hospital which has lain derelict for 15 years. Upturned chairs and tables are strewn across the waterlogged floors of Mid Wales Hospital, which was a secluded home for mental health patients in the Brecon Beacons for almost 100 years. Opened in 1903, it was designed to be self-sufficient with private water, electricity, heating and sewerage systems, along with a farm where patients - many of whom were misunderstood and would never be allowed to leave - grew their own food. Scroll down for video . Deserted: Mid Wales Hospital cared for mental health patients for almost a century, but it is now waterlogged and strewn with moss . History: There are still cartoon characters on the walls of the hospital, which shut 15 years ago thanks to its isolated location . Rubble: Owner Phil Collins tried to demolish the £720,000 hospital site three years ago, but national park chiefs refused to give consent . Unnerving: One of the abandoned rooms at the hospital, which opened in 1903 and was arranged in an unusual symmetrical pattern . But it lost out in NHS restructuring because of its isolated location near the market town of Talgarth, Powys, and the last ward shut in 1999. Despite the passage of time and two new owners, VHS tapes are still left spilling out of a broken cardboard box, while other images show wallpaper peeling away from the slime-covered walls. There were failed plans to turn the 11-acre site into a business park until it was sold on to developer Phil Collins for £720,000 in March 2011. His grand scheme was to build 100 houses and a care home on the site of the hospital - but Mr Collins, of Pontrilas, Herefordshire, was defeated by angry neighbours who said it would compromise the beauty of the national park. Supported by groups including Save Britain's Heritage, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority rejected his bid to demolish the hospital two years ago and it now sits in limbo, full of asbestos. Archaic: Parts of the dirty floor are strewn with abandoned VHS tapes which have spilled out of a water-damaged cardboard box . Controversy: There were plans to turn the 11-acre site into 100 houses and a care home, but they were seen off by furious neighbours . The doctor will see you now: Empty chairs sit unclaimed in the old consulting rooms and offices, surrounded by moss and peeling paint . Crumbling: Parts of the Edwardian building have disintegrated since the closure of the NHS hospital, which once had its own farm . The campaigners have since taken Wales' National Assembly politicians round the site, which is now a stomping ground for urban explorers, in a bid to show how crucial it is to the nation's history. But Mr Collins has said it was 'completely mad' to prevent the hospital being knocked down - especially as it has failed to be listed by Cadw, the Welsh equivalent of English Heritage. He added: 'The petition is being driven by a small group of people working together and who prepare a petition simply because they do not want something to happen. The petition is highly simplistic as it only offers one viewpoint... with no knowledge of the site.' Originally called the Brecon and Radnor Joint Counties Lunatic Asylum, the hospital was built for £126,000 and opened in March 1903. Performing the opening ceremony, Lord Glanusk reportedly said: 'Everything has been done that human ingenuity could devise for the happiness and safety of the inmates, and under the blessing of God, for their speedy restoration to health.' The hospital had residential wards, a large recreation and dining hall, kitchens, workshops and a tailor, bakery and shoe-maker. By 1914, it was one of 102 registered 'lunatic asylums' across Britain, many of them beautifully-designed Victorian buildings. Theatrics: The fully-functional psychiatric hospital once cared for hundreds of patients and has a stage on which they could perform . Eerie: The brickwork is exposed in the corridors, left to rack and ruin as developers tried first to build a business park, then 100 homes . Ramshackle: The hospital was under the control of the NHS for 51 years, bringing with it art, occupational therapy and mixed-sex wards . Messy: The hospital was also home to the Mid and West Wales College of Nursing and Midwifery and an alcohol and drug abuse clinic . The Brecon asylum was even noted for its large windows, which gave patients wide views over the beautiful Welsh countryside. But Britain's attitude to mental health was far from idyllic - with fewer than half of patients being discharged from 'asylums', with many misunderstood by the authorities or given controversial treatments such as electric shock therapy. In 1948 the hospital became part of the newly-formed NHS, bringing with it art, occupational therapy and the integration of the sexes, who had occupied opposite sides of the symmetrical complex. The site also became home to the Mid and West Wales College of Nursing and Midwifery and the Powys Drugs & Alcohol Council for substance misuse. When the derelict building was given a reprieve, Save Britain's Heritage President Marcus Binney said: ‘The nation’s disused mental hospitals have been the focus of one of our longest and most sustained campaigns. 'Many were designed by leading architects, very well-built of very excellent materials and sited on south-facing slopes to enjoy maximum fresh air and sunlight. All over Britain, one developer after another has proved they can be successfully converted.’ Snub: Despite protests by history-lovers, the building failed in its bid to be listed by Cadw, the Welsh equivalent of English Heritage . History: The hospital pictured in the days when it was fully operational. It was built to afford wide views over the Brecon Beacons . | There were failed attempts to turn derelict Mid Wales Hospital in Brecon Beacons into homes and a business park .
It opened in 1903 and was one of more than 100 'lunatic asylums' in Britain - but lost out because of rural location .
Crumbling building littered with moss, debris and VHS tapes has since become a stomping ground for explorers . |
68,390 | c1eb3b7440d9a8c6dcaded51e51df7ed065b67ce | By . Associated Press . and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:54 EST, 17 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:47 EST, 17 January 2014 . A man who is suing a Washington state dementia-care home over the freezing death of his wife has asked the court to expedite testimony. Donald Sheldon turns 90 next month and says he may not live to see the trial. He and Norma Sheldon were married for 69 years. He says in court records many of his friends died shortly after losing spouses. The 88-year-old woman died of hypothermia in an enclosed courtyard at the Canterbury Gardens Alzheimer's Care Center in Longview on Dec. 28. The temperature was 28 degrees. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Norma Sheldon, 89, tragically froze to death at the Canterbury Gardens Alzheimer's Care Center in 28 degree weather . Don Sheldon said he wants to press charges so that he can make sure nothing like what happened to his wife will happen again . The Daily News reports that Sheldon claims the facility showed reckless and 'outrageous conduct' Facility records say that the required midnight bed check was not performed and Norma wasn’t noticed missing until after 1 a.m. In December, Sheldon says that he is filing a lawsuit not for money, but because he wants to bring about change and make sure that a death like this never happens again. Don Sheldon told KPTV how much he loved his wife and says he remembers the first day they met. 'I saw this little blonde girl; her hair was blowing all the way to the belt line, her eyes as beautiful as you've ever seen, and I just fell in love with her right then,' said Don Sheldon. 'I have so many wonderful memories of her because she was a wonderful wife,' he said. 'We never once fought in 68 years.' Sheldon is doing his best to cope with losing his wife of 69 years and says he keeps her image in his head. 'I have so many memories at night. I can just close my eyes and flip my mind to whatever chapter I want, and I can just remember her. I see her as beautiful as she is, and she's never changed in my mind,' said Don Sheldon . The Daily News reports the state found violations at the home that included doors without alarms. Canterbury officials have said they are sorry for the tragedy and are working with the Department of Social and Health Services to address concerns. Longview is about 35 miles from Portland, Ore. The couple has been married for 68 years and 'didn't fight once' The care center was supposed to perform their midnight bed check but they didn't the night that Norma died . | 88-year-old Norma Sheldon died of hypothermia .
in an enclosed courtyard at the Canterbury Gardens Alzheimer's Care .
Center and wasn't noticed missing until after 1 a.m.
Donald Sheldon, 89, is suing the care center and wants his testimony expedited because he doesn't think he'll live to the trial .
Facility records say that the required midnight bed check was not performed and Norma wasn’t noticed missing until after 1 a.m.
Sheldon doesn't want money from the lawsuit, he wants to spark change so what happened to his wife doesn't happen to anyone else . |
243,159 | c6b2437e7dbe2a60ba02e934bff3faa8960b0d70 | By . Kieran Corcoran for MailOnline . Six people were hurt - and one seriously injured - when a miniature train derailed at a safari park yesterday. The rear carriage of the Jungle Express at Longleat, Wiltshire, overturned, trapping one person underneath and injuring five others. Firefighters and paramedics were sent to the family attraction. But by the time they arrived the trapped person was reportedly pulled free by frantic visitors at the park. Struggle: Visitors to the park fought to turn the train upright as one person was trapped underneath . A total of 115 people - including many children - were on the train at the time. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said two crews were dispatched to the scene at 3.45pm today. Three ambulances and an air ambulance were also sent amid fears of a major incident at the popular attraction. A fire service spokeswoman said: 'We were told that their little train had overturned and we sent a crew from Warminster and one from Westbury. 'Six people have been injured - five had minor injures. 'One person who has been underneath the overturned carriage but had been released by the time we got there. 'I think they are being transferred to hospital by ambulance. From our perspective the train had already been made safe. Attractions: Longleat Safari Park is home to elephants, sea lions and gorillas . 'We remained at the scene, just helping the ambulance personnel with just looking after people - just extra bodies to keep people calm.' The steam locomotive has nine carriages and is one of the attractions at the park's Jungle Kingdom. It takes visitors past the sea lions, bird sanctuary and gorilla pens. A spokesman for the park said: 'One carriage went on to its side and the other remained upright, the other carriages stayed on the track. 'Staff immediately instigated the emergency procedure to safely evacuate all passengers from the train and the emergency services were notified. 'There were 155 people on the train at the time. 'At this time there are three people confirmed to have sustained injuries and have been taken to hospital. 'Staff are currently undertaking a thorough investigation into what caused the incident and the railway will remain closed during this time.' | Rear carriage of Jungle Express overturned, causing the injuries .
Visitors to the park managed to right the carriage while ambulances came . |
111,918 | 1c5751f1ab37ec6095c8bacd9ba42203dbb1e7a1 | Now that he has retired from the france national team, Samir Nasri is taking full advantage of the international break by cosying up to his girlfriend on a boat in Ibiza. The Manchester City playmaker announced his retirement from France after a fall out with manager Didier Deschamps saw him controversially omitted from Les Bleus 2014 World Cup squad. So, while his former teammates laboured to a 1-1 draw away to Serbia in their opening Euro 2016 qualifying game, Nasri passed his time by appearing to re-enact Chris Isaak's Wicked Game video with stunning girlfriend Anara Atanes. Love boat: Samir Nasri enjoys a kiss from girlfriend Anara Atanes in Ibiza . Relax: The 27-year-old took time out during the international break after retiring from France . Burning bridges: Atanes publicly blasted Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps for not selecting her boyfriend . Ice ice baby: Things could be worse for nasri than spending more time with model girlfriend Atanes . Atanes probably didn't help her boyfriend's international cause after publicly blasting Deschamps for leaving Nasri out of the squad by tweeting: 'F*** france and f*** Deschamps! What a s*** manager! 'Incase you didn't read my tweet properly.... I'll repeat myself..... f*** FRANCE!!!!! And f*** Deschamps! Snubbed: Nasri was left out of the France's World Cup squad despite winning a double with City last season . Wish you were there? Paul Pogba celebrates his goal in France's 1-1 draw with Serbia in Euro 2016 qualifying . 'Let's just get this straight! I'm not mad I get my bf for two months.... I just think there's a level of respect to be had!' Nasri was disregarded by France despite winning a domestic double with his club and the late withdrawal of Franck Ribery. The 27-year-old should return to the Etihad fully refreshed ahead of the Premier League champions clash with his former club Arsenal on September 13. | Samir Nasri spends international break with Anara Atanes in Ibiza .
He has retired from France after being left out of World Cup 2014 squad .
Atanes publicly blasted coach Didier Deshamps on Twitter .
Manchester City face his former club Arsenal in Premier League, Sept 13 . |
79,130 | e04d1d350391a274cfab27923cff3b9eb8178134 | It is Arsenal versus Manchester United on Saturday evening, a match that has in every season since the Premier League began featured at least one team with genuine title credentials. Not so this time. Where once, Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson knew the result would likely shape the destination of that over-sized silverware, now the clubs are in a modest battle for the final Champions League spot. Neither side is in the top four currently and you have to trawl back to September 1998 for the last occasion that was the case heading into this fixture. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira reliving key battles . Manchester United players (from left to right) Juan Mata, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney celebrate . Managers Arsene Wenger (left) and Louis van Gaal (right) will go head-to-head at the Emirates on Saturday . Arsenal players including Alexis Sanchez (left) look dejected after conceding in their defeat by Swansea . Both entered the final day of that season capable of lifting the trophy following an epic struggle over many months. United beat Tottenham to edge their rivals by a point and went on to claim the Treble. It seems improbable in the extreme that a similar story could unfold this year. Before and after that match at Highbury in September 1998, when Arsenal were eighth and United 10th, the fixture was a premium one in the top-flight calendar. For nine consecutive seasons from 1995-96 to 2003-04, United and Arsenal shared the crown between them, many times finishing one and two in the table. The matches where they faced off directly would often define each of those seasons. Marc Overmars did for Gary Neville in March 1998 to get Wenger a win that would see his side claw back an 11-point gap on route to the double. Manchester United's players spray champagne as they celebrate winning the Premier League title in May 2000 . Marc Overmars (left) scores past Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford to give Arsenal a 1-0 win in 1998 . Wenger's men celebrate being crowned Premier League champions at Highbury back in May 1998 . In April 2003 United clinched a 2-2 draw at Highbury from behind that invigorated their charge and had Ferguson running across the pitch to celebrate. Had Ruud van Nistelrooy converted a last-minute penalty at Old Trafford in September 2003, The Invicibles would never have happened. The reaction from Martin Keown et al following the 0-0 draw painted a picture of its importance. Fast-forward 13 months and to the 2-0 defeat in Manchester that stopped Arsenal's unbeaten run at 49 games and triggered a food fight in the tunnel which left Ferguson with pizza on his lapel and a Battle of the Buffet nickname coined. Roy Keane's fury at Patrick Vieira in the Highbury tunnel in February 2005 was fuelled because he was aware of the overall significance of the game. Gunners defender Martin Keown shouts in the face of Ruud van Nistelrooy during a feisty encounter in 2003 . Patrick Vieira (left) and Roy Keane (right) had to be calmed down in the Highbury tunnel in 2005 . Keane (left) and Vieira also came to blows during United's away win during the 1999-2000 season . Chelsea, under Jose Mourinho, would finally end the dominance of the two clubs that season but back then Arsenal versus United was still the fixture to watch. It was a Clasico for the Premier League, pitching a side from the nation's capital against another from far outside, with all the cultural differences that brings; and two clubs steeped in success. In Keane's latest autobiography, his index requires 20 separate page references for all mentions of Arsenal, such was their impact on his career. 'Which of us was the better team?' he asks at one point. 'You couldn't call it. We were like two heavyweights battering each other.' Saturday's bout might push cruiserweight, if you're being generous; an undercard contest when once it was the main event. United's players are looking to jump above Arsenal in the Premier League table with three points on Saturday . Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, pictured celebrating against Swansea, is set to start against United . | Arsenal are sixth in the Premier League, Manchester United are seventh .
The last time both sides were out of the top four heading in to this fixture was over 16 years ago in September 1998 .
The game is a battle for the Champions League instead of a title decider . |
24,473 | 4568361bd10c1f8ddd5432a7b6404a197032af17 | (CNN) -- Occasionally, at odd hours, you may find that you have a Waffle House all to yourself. This allows for silent contemplation. There is one notation on the ubiquitous restaurants' familiar laminated, double-sided menus that has long intrigued me. This summer I finally decided to look into why that notation is there, and the answer led, in a roundabout way, to an unexpected and beguiling tale of American business, and of fathers and sons. You really do learn something new every day. The omelets on all those Waffle House menus are not described as mere omelets. They are designated as "Toddle House omelets." The Toddle Houses -- they have been out of business for decades -- were a cherished institution in the middle of the 20th century. I must have eaten hundreds of Toddle House meals as a boy and young man. They were open 24 hours a day, and were bare-bones. A counter and 10 stools. No booths. No tables. A place you could depend on. I never quite understood how those original Toddle Houses could make any money with only 10 customers at a time, but they were heartland perfection (if not perfect for one's heart). Cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, hash browns made on the grill right in front of you, breakfast round the clock, and the most mouthwatering chocolate icebox pie and banana cream pie imaginable. I can taste those pies right now, and it's been more than 40 years. The chain was based in Memphis, and, as mid-South historian Vance Lauderdale has written, "Everything was gleaming steel or white tile, and crammed into the tiny space were fryers and ovens and broilers and toasters and -- well, just about everything needed to prepare anything from a cup of coffee to a steak dinner." I thought the Toddle Houses had vanished from everywhere but my dreams -- yet they live on, on every Waffle House menu. And, because there are more than 1,600 Waffle Houses in the United States, there are a whole lot of Waffle House menus. To find out the reason for all of this, I got in touch with Waffle House headquarters, in Norcross, Georgia. I was told that there is no financial connection between Waffle House and the old Toddle House. But one of Waffle House's co-founders, Joe Rogers Sr., got his start as a Toddle House employee, and it was he who insisted on the Toddle House label on the omelets, as a fond and wistful homage to those lost little diners. Now. . . here's where the saga gets cool. I delved into Toddle House history. It turns out that the guy who built the Toddle Houses from nothing into a mid-century middle-American treasure was a fellow named Fred Smith. He had owned a bus company, had sold it, and had devoted his business acumen to the Toddle Houses. He died in the 1940s, leaving a 4-year-old son fatherless. The boy, also named Fred, went to college, joined the Marines, served two tours of duty in Vietnam, then came home and, like his dad had done, decided to start a company. It was based on an idea he had dreamed up while in school. It had nothing to do with the restaurant business. It was a little firm called Federal Express. How's that for a father-and-son success story? Toddle House and FedEx, sharing a common bloodline. It's one thing for a dad to teach his son the ropes in a family business, and hand it to him. And history is full of dads and their sons who have succeeded in the same field. John and John Quincy Adams, and George H.W. and George W. Bush, became presidents of the United States. Archie Manning and his sons Peyton and Eli all became National Football League quarterbacks. Bobby Hull and his son Brett are both hockey hall-of-famers. Kirk Douglas was a Hollywood leading man, and so is his son, Michael. But those sons followed their fathers into the same job. The first Fred Smith, though, was long dead by the time the second Fred Smith determined that he wanted to go into business. There must be something genetic about the creative business urge (or something in the Memphis water); the first Fred wasn't around to teach the second Fred how to do it, yet the Smiths built two completely different kinds of companies that on a national scale successfully fulfilled completely different consumer needs. And I just realized something: . Nine years ago, when a lifelong friend was dying of cancer and we who grew up with him and loved him were gathering to bid him farewell, we tried to think up a gift that would mean something special to him. I found, online, an antique shop in the South that had on hand an old dinner plate from a Toddle House (the slogan of the restaurants, modest yet confident, was: "Good as the Best." The slogan was baked into every plate). We'd had so many Toddle House meals together, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on those stools at the counter. We knew what the gift would represent to him. We were all going to sign the plate for our friend, so he could keep it on a shelf near his bed. But time was short. We didn't have the luxury of waiting. So I asked the antique shop owners if there was a way they could get it to us quickly. There was. They sent it FedEx. It arrived the next day, for us to sign and present to him. After he passed away, his wife did me the kindness of giving me the sturdy old Toddle House plate, complete with all of our signatures on it -- and his. I'm looking at it as I type these words. I realize only now that it was the first Fred Smith's prized product, brought safely to us by his son. What a country. Sometimes you have to just smile and shake your head. (Now, if there was only some way for FedEx to deliver a slice of that long-gone Toddle House banana cream pie. . . .) The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene. | Bob Greene wondered why Waffle House menu sold Toddle House omelets .
Toddle House eateries were a staple of his youth .
Toddle House was the root of a remarkable father-son success story .
The son of Toddle House's founder, grew up to succeed in a different venture . |
208,744 | 9a4b44f292dc349ec0475715726421db17611c60 | By . Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 11:57 EST, 10 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:11 EST, 10 September 2013 . Six different . nationalities are represented on this year’s Man Booker Prize shortlist, . described as ‘most striking for its global range’. The six authors in the running for the £50,000 prize were announced yesterday. Despite . the list’s multi-cultural feel, the bookies’ favourite is British . author Jim Crace for Harvest, which he has said will be his final novel. Swansong: Writer Jim Crace, who has been shortlisted for the £50,000 Man Booker Prize with his novel Harvest, has announced it will be his last 'to avoid the inevitable bitterness' Robert . Macfarlane, chairman of the judges, said the shortlist – of four women . and two men – reflected an ‘increasingly globalised world’. Two . of the nominees raised eyebrows as they have American backgrounds – the . contest, founded in 1969, is open only to writers from the . Commonwealth, Ireland and Zimbabwe. But the judges brushed off . speculation they would open up the competition to the US in the future. One . of the American authors is Ruth Ozeki, 57, a Buddhist priest with a . Canadian passport. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut in the United . States. The other is Jhumpa . Lahiri, 46, shortlisted for her novel The Lowland. Born in London and . of Indian origin, she was raised in Rhode Island and now lives in New . York. The shortlist was announced yesterday at the Man Group . headquarters in central London. Crace, . 67, was shortlisted for the Booker in 1997 for Quarantine. At 5/2, he . is the bookies’ favourite to win. Broadcaster Martha Kearney, one of the . judges, said his book showed the ‘harsh realities of rural life’ and . the ‘destruction of an English village and a long settled way of life’. Mr . Macfarlane said of the final six: ‘It is a shortlist that shows the . English language novel to be a form of world literature. 'This is a . shortlist that crosses continents, that joins countries and spans . centuries; Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Australasia, all are . written about here. 'The six authors are of six different nationalities.’ He . said the longlist of 13 books was ‘unmistakably the most diverse . longlist in Man Booker prize history’ and the shortlist of six ‘is most . striking for its global range’. Double winner: Author Hilary Mantel won last year's Man Booker Prize with her novel Bring Up The Bodies . The . longlist was notable for its obscurity, after mostly unknown authors . made the nominations and a number of big-name authors were overlooked, . including JM Coetzee, Roddy Doyle and Margaret Atwood. The . other three nominees are 58-year-old Irish novelist Colm Toibin, for . his novel The Testament of Mary, 31-year-old NoViolet Bulawayo, from . Zimbabwe, for We Need New Names, and New Zealander Eleanor Catton, for . her novel The Luminaries. At 28, she would be the youngest-ever recipient of the prize. Asked . whether the competition would be opened up to America, Ion Trewin, . literary director of the Booker Prize Foundation, said: ‘It is one of . these subjects that is always being discussed; at the moment we are . concentrating on this year. We have got no plans of announcing any major . change.’ The prize will be awarded on October 15. Last year’s winner was Hilary Mantel, the first woman to win the Booker twice. | Jim Crace announces that his shortlisted novel Harvest will be his last .
67-year-old says he is retiring to avoid the 'inevitable bitterness'
The writer is among six authors in the running for the £50,000 prize . |
20,766 | 3ae9ee818d013095ea5890651723b2ce7d36fef8 | (CNN) -- The commander of the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels stepped down Friday in the wake of a subpar performance at a Virginia air show this week. "I performed a maneuver that had an unacceptably low minimum altitude. This maneuver, combined with other instances of not meeting the airborne standard that makes the Blue Angels the exceptional organization that it is, led to my decision to step down," Cmdr. Dave Koss said in a statement, referring to the Lynchburg, Virginia, Regional Airshow. He will be replaced by Capt. Greg McWherter, who was the flight demonstration team's previous commander. Air shows have been in the spotlight recently because of concerns over safety. A pilot performing stunts in an east Florida air show in March died in a fiery crash when the Russian military plane he was flying in broke formation and fell to the ground. Also in March, engine trouble at an air show in Texas caused a plane to plummet, leaving a white trail behind as it dove toward a wooded area. The two stunt pilots onboard survived. The Blue Angels have canceled performances at the Rockford, Illinois, Airfest June 4-5 and the Evansville, Indiana, Freedom Festival Air Show June 11-12 because of the shakeup in leadership. | Cmdr. Dave Koss says he is "voluntarily leaving the greatest flight demonstration team"
His decision comes on the heels of a lower-than-normal maneuver during a May 22 performance .
The Navy flight team cancels some scheduled appearances . |
27,251 | 4d4d85353febb2bf69fbbc7e48686e0a23444a35 | In these incredible pictures soldiers are seen leaping 10,000ft with their daredevil dogs in tandem parachute jumps. One four-legged recruit joined Special Forces troops on a parachute freefall into one of Europe's biggest military training exercises in Norway. The explosives sniffing dog, a member of Austria's version of the SAS, took part in Operation Cold Response along with British Special Forces and Royal Marines assault teams. Securely strapped to his handler and with a muzzle to stop him damaging his mouth on landing, he plunged 10,000ft from a transporter plane over Narvik. Scroll down for video . One four-legged recruit has already joined Special Forces troops on a parachute jump into one of Europe's biggest military training exercises in Norway . The Spanish Army has introduced the first tandem flight for dogs and handlers in the world . Until now, army dog trainers have had to go through specialist training in order to make the jump with their canine partners. But the Spanish Army has recently introduced the world's first tandem parachute for dog and handler. In new trials at a drop zone in Santorcaz, Spain, both dogs and handlers have been safely delivered to the ground by the professional parachutist. A dog specialised in sniffing out explosives was able to leap out of the plane with its owner and a soldier from the Parachute Regiment in the first jump. And in the second jump another dog called Jimy, specialised in tracking and attacking on command, made the leap. Spanish army spokesman Raul Ramon, 45, said: 'Both dogs were Belgian shepherds. The jump was made from a height of 10,000 feet and the tests proved that both dogs and handler can work properly after the freefall.' In freefall, the sniffer dog calmly takes in the view as they both hurtle towards the ground on their assignment . Until now, army dog trainers have had to go through specialist parachute training in order to jump 10,000ft from planes with their canine partners . The new system introduced by the Spanish military involves an experienced Parachute Regiment officer jumping with the army dog handler and his dog . | Incredible pictures show soldiers leaping 10,000ft from planes with dogs .
One four-legged recruit joined troops on a military exercise in Norway .
Spanish Army has now introduced first tandem flight for dog and handler .
Two Belgian shepherds have successfully made the 10,000ft jump . |
167,675 | 64db9f67bfcb49a1725c32c8a17b79c12b1a73d3 | (CNN) -- Rafael Nadal took another big step towards a ninth French Open title Saturday while one of his chief rivals in his half of the draw Andy Murray hovered on the brink of elimination before play was halted in fading light. Wimbledon champion Murray and Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber were locked at 7-7 in the fifth and final set on Suzanne Lenglen. The British seventh seed will be ruing several lapses of concentration, seeming to have the match in his grasp when a break up in the fourth set and again in the decider. Each time Kohlschreiber, who won the Dusseldorf event last week, hit back and survived some nervous moments in the final game on his own service to keep the match alive. The pair will come back Sunday with the winner to face either home favorite Richard Gasquet or Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round. Gasquet trails . Verdasco led 12th seed Gasquet by two sets and it was 2-2 in the third set when their match was also halted in the gloom. Earlier, top seed Nadal dispatched Leonardo Mayer in straight sets 6-2 7-5 6-2 and has yet to drop a set, while his Spanish compatriot David Ferrer also went through in fine style against Italy's Andreas Seppi. Ferrer is a potential quarterfinal opponent for Nadal but first the four-time defending champion must get past fast-rising Serb Dusan Lajovic. Match of the middle Saturday at Roland Garros may well have been Gael Monfils' five-set defeat of Italian 14th seed Fabio Fognini. Ever popular Monfils prevailed 6-2 in the decider after dropping the fourth to love. Halep hopes . While the established order is, in the main, still on top in the men's draw, Simona Halep, a 22-year-old Romanian, is the highest surviving seed in the women's tournament. The fourth-ranked Halep was impressive again in a 6-4 6-0 win over Spain's Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, but standing in her way for a quarterfinal place is Sloane Stephens of the United States. Stephens, 21, reached her sixth straight grand slam fourth round, the best record on the WTA Tour, with a 6-3 6-4 win over Russian Ekaterina Makarova. Stephens, who many see as a natural successor to Serena Williams, says she is more motivated at the big four events rather than regular tournaments. "I just peak at four tournaments a year. Every other tournament just gets me ready for these," she told the official French Open website. Stephens next . Halep is determined to make amends for a defeat to Stephens the only time they have met. "I played her in Australia a couple of seasons ago and she beat me very fast. Now I think I'm more prepared than I was then. I have confidence I can take revenge." Former French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova will be a representative of the "old guard" in the last 16, with the 28-year-old, a 100-1 outsider at the start of the tournament, emerging as a real threat. She battled to a 6-7 6-1 9-7 victory over Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova, her 10th appearance in the last 16 at Roland Garros in 11 years. Ivanovic beaten . She will next play Lucy Safarova, who continued the string of upsets with a 6-3 6-3 win over 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic. Only one player from the top six of the rankings, Halep, is in the last 16, with seventh seed and 2012 champion Maria Sharapova favored by many to claim a second French Open title. She will play Samantha Stosur of Australia in an eagerly-awaited fourth round clash Sunday. Second seed Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer headline the action on Philippe Chatrier with intriguing match ups against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Ernests Gulbis respectively. | Rafael Nadal beats Leonardo Mayer in straight sets .
Andy Murray locked in five set struggle when play halted .
Gael Monfils wins epic five-setter against Fabio Fognini .
Sloane Stephens to face Simona Halep in last 16 . |
144,413 | 46c25b4655129afa07b9dcfe7c748cb797f9f5e9 | Huntsville schools Superintendent Casey Wardynski said the schools began a monitoring program after receiving a call from the NSA . A secret surveillance program has been running in an Alabama high schools after a phone call from the National Security Agency alerted the district to a 'violent threat'. School officials claim the system began monitoring students' social media accounts in Huntsville City Schools 18 months ago, when the NSA tipped them off that a student was making violent threats on Facebook . The schools began scanning Facebook and other sites for signs of gang activity, watching for photos of guns, photos of gang signs and threats of violence, as part of a program called SAFe, or Students Against Fear. Internal documents explaining the program were obtained by AL.com, showing four different students - three males and one female - posing on Facebook with handguns. None are on school grounds. Some of the students were already in alternative programs for skipping or drinking. Three are listed as expelled and one was referred for counseling. Huntsville schools Superintendent Casey Wardynski told the news site that there was a 'foreign connection', which was why the NSA - a U.S. agency responsible for foreign intelligence - became involved. He said the student in Huntsville had made the threats while chatting online with a group that included an individual in Yemen. Mr Wardynski, a former U.S. Army colonel appointed as superintendent in Huntsville in 2011, said that about a year and a half ago the NSA called Huntsville and reported a high school student had made a threat on Facebook to injure a teacher. Al Lankford, the city's school security officer, told AL.com that he took the NSA phone call and that security officers went to the high school and eventually searched the boy's car. 'We found a very good size knife and the student was expelled,' Mr Wardynski said. But this week the NSA said it has no record of a call to Huntsville and insisted it does not make calls of this type. Vanee Vines, public affairs specialist with the NSA, said: 'The National Security Agency has no record that it passed any information to the Huntsville school district, and the description of what supposedly occurred is inconsistent with NSA's practices.' She said any information about a domestic safety issue would be sent to another federal agency, like the FBI. 'Moreover, NSA does not make recommendations regarding school safety programs,' Ms Vines added. The schools began scanning Facebook and other sites for signs of gang activity, photos of guns, photos of gang signs and threats of violence, as part of a program called SAFe, or Students Against Fear (stock image) Mr Wardynski said the monitoring program has been used to break up a gang called the Wolfpack, which consists of six or seven members related through family and spans across several schools. The students were expelled and placed in alternative school and boot camp programs. 'People are very good about 'If you see something, say something,' he said. The monitoring program is designed to be limited to threats against schools, and students can be expelled from neighborhood schools and placed into alternative programs. When AL.com asked if school officials are also searching online for photos of alcohol, drugs and sex, Mr Wardynski replied: 'None of that.' He insisted the focus is on gangs, threats of violence and threats of suicide. Security officials can contact city police, refer students for discipline or call in mental health services in they feel there is the need. | Huntsville city schools scanning sites for signs of gang activity and violence .
Supt Casey Wardynski said NSA involved because of 'foreign connection'
Student made threat while talking online to group including person in Yemen .
NSA claims no record of call and said it does not make calls of this type . |
3,786 | 0aef0ffd5443bc582aa944bb8714617afbe51973 | The body of a British tycoon who plunged to his death from a fourth-floor window was identified by his brother-in-law, an inquest heard today. Scot Young, 52, was found impaled on railings after plummeting 60ft from his £3million penthouse in Montagu Square in Marylebone, London, on December 8. An inquest into his death today heard how his brother-in-law Guy van Ristell formally identified his body at Westminster Public Mortuary. The hearing, at Westminster Coroner's Court, also heard how his daughter Sasha Young provided background details for registration of the body. Scroll down for video . Scot Young, 52 (pictured), was found impaled on railings after plummeting 60ft from his £3million penthouse in Montagu Square, London, on December 8. His body was identified by his brother-in-law Guy van Ristell . The tycoon was killed after falling 60ft from his multi-million pound apartment onto metal railings (pictured) Prior to his death, Mr Young - one of Britain's wealthiest men - was embroiled in a vicious divorce battle with ex-wife Michelle, 49, who claimed he had hidden his huge wealth from investigators. There has been speculation that Russian gangland groups were involved in his horrific death, after he reportedly ran into financial trouble with them. However, a packed public gallery heard today how detectives have dismissed claims the bankrupt entrepreneur died as part of a plot involving his connections to Russian oligarchs. The inquest into his death was opened this morning and adjourned until next month. Coroner's officer Rosalin Thompson said: 'Identification was made by his brother-in-law Guy van Ristell and details were provided by his daughter Sasha Young for registration. 'On Monday, December 8, this gentleman was found impaled on railings outside [his home in] Montagu Square with multiple injuries. 'He was pronounced dead at the scene. 'Police are not treating this death as suspicious' Mr Young was engaged to 29-year-old American fashion designer and TV presenter Noelle Reno (together left). He had been embroiled in a lengthy, bitter High Court divorce battle with his ex-wife Michelle, 49 (right) Adjourning the inquest, Angela Hodes, Westminster assistant coroner, said: 'I will open the inquest touching the death of Scott Guy Young who died on December 8 and I will adjourn that for a coroners review on January 12, 2015.' In the wake of the Dundee-born entrepreneur's death, figures close to Mr Young speculated that his death was not suicide. Scotland Yard insists Mr Young's death is not suspicious but it has emerged that at least six of his friends have died in strange circumstances in the past 10 years. At the weekend, it was revealed that Mr Young, originally from Dundee, once worked for wealthy Dundee licensee Alex Brown, 60, who was found drowned near his luxury yacht in Malaga in 2006. Police probed claims from Brown's family that he may have been murdered after he was seen arguing with a man on the harbour's edge. Lawyer Stephen Curtis was killed when his new helicopter crashed in 2004. Curtis was an associate of oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who also died in mysterious circumstances last year. Johnny Elichaoff, 55, fell to his death from a shopping centre last month. Meanwhile, Robert Curtis, 47, and Paul Castle, 54, fell to their deaths under Tube trains in 2010 and 2012 respectively. There have been allegations that the property mogul was killed after falling foul of Russian mobsters following disputes over cash. However, Scotland Yard has insisted it is not treating his death as suspicious. Mr Young was engaged to 29-year-old American fashion designer and TV presenter Noelle Reno. He had two daughters from his previous relationship. He was involved in a lengthy and bitter High Court divorce battle with his ex-wife for a share of his claimed fortune. Michelle had demanded £300million from her former husband, who she married in 1995 claiming he was worth 'a few billion'. Mr Young, a 'deal fixer' for the super-rich, lived a playboy lifestyle, travelling in private jets, driving supercars and with an international property portfolio. He was said to have counted some of Britain's richest and most powerful figures among his friends, including Topshop mogul Sir Philip Green and the late Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky. It is claimed Mr Young made his fortune in the 1990s on the back of a telecoms deal and property ventures, amassing a £2billion fortune. However, he was left bankrupt following a Moscow property deal. Last November, his ex-wife was awarded a £20million settlement and £6million in legal costs after seven years of wrangling. Mrs Young - who had demanded £300million - called the vast sum a disgrace and insisted her ex-husband was still worth billions. He had previously been ordered to pay his ex-wife more than £20,000-a-month in maintenance, and had a six-month stint in jail after refusing to co-operate with investigations trying to track down his fortune. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Scot Young found impaled on railings after plummeting 60ft from window .
Body of 52-year-old tycoon was identified by brother-in-law Guy van Ristell .
His daughter Sasha Young also gave details for registration, inquest heard .
Mr Young had been embroiled in bitter divorce battle with wife Michelle, 49 .
Inquest into his death formally opened today and adjourned until January . |
129,714 | 33b0890c8e21c421d7ea6e4e22e6ebfbe4b761fb | A young man who told police he was beaten up in a would-be hate crime appeared in court today admitting that he made the entire incident up. The story of Joseph Baken travelled from Missoula, Montana across the country when a picture of his scratched and bruised face made waves on the internet. Now, Baken has declared in court that he made the false police report after video surfaced of him attempting to do a back flip and failing. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Before and after: Joseph Baken told police that he was beaten up (right) by three people because he was gay but he later admitted that he falsified that statement only after video evidence emerged . Police say that Baken initially claimed three men beat him early Sunday after he went into a Missoula bar, announced it was his birthday and asked if anyone knew where he could find a gay bar. Photos of Baken's badly bruised face were posted on an anti-homophobia Facebook page and other sites, and the case prompted widespread support from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The site alleged that the fictitious assailants used anti-gay curses targetted at Baken's homosexuality. 'Nobody deserves this, especially no just because of your sexuality,' the organizers wrote on the Wipe Out Homophobia page. Shortly after the case began to rise to national attention, police received an anonymous video of Baken attempting to do a backflip off of a street curb and subsequently hitting his face on the sidewalk. As a result, he was charged with filing a false police report, to which he plead guilty on Wednesday. Flip fail: Video emerged of Baken attempting to do a back flip on a Missoula, Montana curb . Police officer Scott Brodie says the decision to file charges was partially due to the fear and anger prompted by his claims. Now the same anti-homophobia sites are criticizing Baken, saying that he was making light of an issue that is extremely serious to many who are true victims of hate crimes. The only shining examples in this case? The Missoula police and officials who Montana activists are praising for their swift and sharp response to the claims. 'The city of Missoula should be proud of the way it responded, and we will continue to work toward including assaults that target Montanans based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in the legal definition of hate crimes in our state,' Jamee Greer of the Montana Human Rights Network told the local Billings Gazette. VIDEO: Watch Joseph backflilp onto his face... courtesy of the Missoula Independent... | Joseph Baken, 22, initially told police he was beaten up because he is gay .
His story was picked up by anti-homophobic websites and gained national attention .
Days later, video emerged that showed the wounds were self-inflicted . |
269,854 | e983737fab09b9ea523259dfeb1707a14380586f | By . Emily Davies . PUBLISHED: . 10:17 EST, 10 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:11 EST, 10 April 2013 . Lluvia Paloma Rodriguez, 29, was found guilty of biting off her sister Ivon's nose and sentenced to five years' probation . A woman found guilty of biting off her sister's nose will not serve a prison sentence, a court heard today. Lluvia Paloma Rodriguez, 29, bit off the nose of her sister, Ivon Rodriguez, in July last year when Ivon intervened in an argument between Rodriguez and her husband. Ivon's nose was completely severed from her face, and needed four operations to reattach and reconstruct it using cartilage and skin. Rodriguez was found guilty of felony aggravated assault of a family member. The maximum sentence for the crime is up to 20 years in jail. But Rodriguez walked free from court with a sentence of five years' probation, 240 hours of community service and she must pay a $500 fine. She must also pay $62,000 in restitution to her sister and write her letter of apology for biting off her nose. The assault occurred when Ivon intervened in an argument between Rodriguez and her husband at their home in northwest Houston. Rodriguez first bit into her sister's arm, before severing her nose, in an act she claims was self defense because she believed Ivon was going to kill her. A case document stated: ‘The defendant assaulted (her sister) by biting her arm with her teeth. Ivon Rodriguez showed signs of surgery to her nose as she appeared in court to testify against her sister . 'The defendant then bit the (victim's) nose off, severing it and detaching her nose from her face, causing pain and serious bodily injury.’ During the prosecution statements Rodriguez was described as a 'mean angry drunk' by attorney Beth Exley, while attorney Adam Brodrick described the assault as a 'vicious animal-like attack'. The victim underwent surgery at Ben Taub Hospital, where doctors successfully reattached her nose over a series of operations, and she is expected to need two further surgeries. Ivon's facial scars were visible in court on Monday when she testified against her sister, who was detained at the Harris County Jail prior to the trial. | Lluvia Rodriguez claimed she bit off sister Ivon's nose as act of self defense .
Sister needed four operations to reconstruct nose using cartilage and skin .
Rodriguez given five years' probation and must pay sister $62,000 restitution . |
32,471 | 5c536e1ef5b75a771795f942a50af85b04c48e40 | (CNN) -- Erik Prince, the chairman and CEO of Blackwater USA, appeared Tuesday before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Erik Prince, CEO and chairman of Blackwater USA, is sworn in Tuesday at a congressional hearing. The committee convened amid an FBI investigation into a September 16 shootout involving Blackwater personnel that resulted in the deaths of Iraqi civilians. Following is a transcript of Prince's opening statement: . Chairman [Henry] Waxman, [D-California], Congressman [Thomas] Davis, [R-Virginia], members of the committee, my name is Eric Prince, and I am the chairman and CEO of the Prince Group and Blackwater USA. Blackwater's a team of dedicated professionals who provide training to America's military and law enforcement communities and risk their lives to protect Americans in harm's way overseas. Under the direction and oversight of the United States government, Blackwater provides an opportunity for military and law enforcement veterans with a record of honorable service to continue their support to the United States. Words alone cannot express the respect I have for these brave men and women who defend -- who volunteer to defend U.S. personnel facilities and diplomatic missions. I am proud to be there to represent them today. After almost five years in active service as a U.S. Navy SEAL, I founded Blackwater in 1997. I wanted to offer the military and law enforcement communities assistance by providing expert instruction and world-class training venues. Ten years later, Blackwater trains approximately 500 members of the United States military and law enforcement agencies every day. After 9/11, when the U.S. began its stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and then Iraq, the United States government called upon Blackwater to fill a need for protective services in hostile areas. Blackwater responded immediately. We are extremely proud of answering that call in supporting our country. Blackwater personnel supporting our overseas missions are all military and law enforcement veterans, many of whom have recent military deployments. No individual ever protected by Blackwater has ever been killed or seriously injured. There is no better evidence of the skill and dedication of these men. At the same time, 30 brave men have made the ultimate sacrifice while working for Blackwater and its affiliates. Numerous others have been wounded and permanently maimed. The entire Blackwater family mourns the loss of these brave lives. Our thoughts and our prayers are with their families. The areas of Iraq in which we operate are particularly dangerous and challenging. Blackwater personnel are subject to regular attacks by terrorists and other nefarious forces within Iraq. We're the targets of the same ruthless enemies that have killed more than 3,800 American military personnel and thousands of innocent Iraqis. Any incident where Americans are attacked serves as a reminder of the hostile environment in which our professionals work to keep American officials and dignitaries safe, including visiting members of Congress. In doing so, more American service members are available to fight the enemy. Blackwater shares the committee's interest in ensuring the accountability and oversight of contract personnel supporting U.S. operations. The company's personnel are already accountable under and subject to numerous statutes, treaties and regulations of the United States. Blackwater looks forward to working with Congress and the executive branch to ensure that any necessary improvements to these laws and policies are implemented. The worldwide personnel protection services contract, which has been provided to this committee, was competitively awarded and details almost every aspect of operation and contract performance, including the hiring, vetting guidelines, background checks, screening, training standards, rules of force and conduct standards. In Iraq, Blackwater reports to the embassy's regional security officer, or RSO. All Blackwater movements and operations are directed by the RSO. In conjunction with internal company procedures and controls, the RSO ensures that Blackwater complies with all relevant contractual terms and conditions, as well as any applicable laws and regulations. We have approximately 1,000 professionals serving today in Iraq as part of our nation's total force. Blackwater does not engage in offensive or military missions but performs only defensive security functions. My understanding of the September 16 incident is that the Department of State and the FBI are conducting a full investigation, but those results are not yet available. We at Blackwater welcome the FBI review announced yesterday, and we will cooperate fully and look forward to receiving their conclusions. I just want to put some other things in perspective. A recent report from the Department of State stated that in 2007 Blackwater conducted 1,873 security details for diplomatic visits to the red zone, areas outside the Green Zone in Iraq, and there have been only 56 incidences in which weapons were discharged, or less than 3 percent of all movements. In 2006, Blackwater conducted over 6,500 diplomatic movements in the Red Zone. Weapons were discharged in less than 1 percent of those missions. To the extent there is any loss of innocent life, ever, let me be clear that I consider that tragic. Every life, whether American or Iraqi, is precious. I stress to the committee and to the American public, however, that I believe we acted appropriately at all times. I am prepared to answer your questions. E-mail to a friend . | Erik Prince, CEO of Blackwater USA, testifies before House panel .
Hearings held amid an FBI probe into a shootout involving Blackwater personnel .
Prince: "I believe we acted appropriately at all times" |
226,303 | b109851008997e0e3b435532cf1eab9973013c40 | London (CNN) -- We may not immediately equate the activities of archaeologists to trash sifting. Or imagine that the glass-encased artifacts in museums might be one-time refuse. But quite often, this is exactly the case. Studying ancient trash from around the world gives archaeologists and historians the chance to understand the habits that defined people's daily lives, said Dr. Richard Meadow, Director of the Peabody Museum's Zooarchaeology Laboratory and Senior Lecturer on Anthropology at Harvard University. It may not be glamorous but, he said, "much of what archaeology knows about the past comes from trash, if trash is defined as the products of human consumption. Trash is a proxy for human behavior." The Peabody Museum is staging a series of talks and events, entitled Trash Talk: The Anthropology of Waste until Spring 2012, on the importance of trash to our understanding of human behavior, both in the past and now. Meadow, who has excavated sites including the ancient Indus city of Harappa in present-day Pakistan, has gleaned much from studying centuries-old trash. Early dumping grounds, or "middens," are often archaeological and anthropological gold-mines, he said, not just for what can be found there but for what they tell us about ancient civilizations, what they consumed and how they organized their urban space to deal with their waste. "The way that ancient cities used to grow and change through time is actually very much related to the evolution of trash," Meadow explained. Ancient people, he said, quite literally lived with their trash, usually dumping it in the streets outside their homes when it wasn't collected and deposited in special pits. Sometimes, he said, whole cities would be filled with trash, to the point where the street levels would rise, submerging homes and forcing people to build on top of it. While this might sound revolting and unhygienic to us now, ancient peoples, said Meadow, became acclimatized to it. And they were at least adept at recycling their trash. "I think almost all civilizations recycled in one way or another," Meadow said, explaining that ancient peoples across the world would recycle organic matter as fuel, while inorganic refuse would be used to build the foundations of a house. Precious metals, he said, would be melted down and re-shaped for a variety of tools. "It's only when you get to the modern period of consumerism that you get this culture of obsolescence," he said. Dr. Jose Remesal Rodriguez is a professor of Ancient History at the University of Barcelona and an expert in the social and economic history of the Roman Empire, with a special interest in the production and trade of food in the ancient world. He is the director of excavations at an ancient dump site in Rome called Monte Testaccio. An artificial hill composed of more than 25 million discarded Roman amphorae -- or vase-shaped containers -- it tells us much about the ancient Roman trade in olive oil, which these amphorae were used to transport. "A dump can be a particularly interesting source (for finding out) about the daily life (and) development of the civilization that created it," said Remesal. From the shards found at Monte Testaccio, he said, archaeologists were able to trace the evolution of food policy in the Roman Empire. "Testaccio is a very special dump, which gives us information about a concrete product -- olive oil -- and the relations between the capital of the Empire and one of its provinces," Remesal explained. This prizing of ancient trash may seem at odds with our attitudes to waste today. But according to Meadow, scientists are already at work studying our trash and what it says about us. He cites as an example American archaeologist William Rathje, director of the "Garbage Project" in Arizona, which has sifted through and studied garbage from 1973 to the present day. "Some amazing statistics have come out of this -- how much food gets thrown out in the trash that was probably OK to eat, and other things hardly used that were thrown away," said Meadow. "It's an incredible array of material," he concluded. Dr Richard Meadow will give a lecture entitled 'The archaeologist's view of trash' at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology on October 6. | Ancient trash is an important resource for archaeologists .
Trash pits or "middens" tell us much about the daily life of our forebears, according to archaeologists .
Peabody Museum is staging a series of lectures about the importance of trash to archaeology .
Scientists are studying our trash right now to find out what it says about our culture . |
10,613 | 1e2a82acbc28733310694cc7e393dccd069dacd9 | Tokyo (CNN) -- Attempts by the operator of Japan's stricken nuclear power plant to deal with alarming leaks of toxic water are like a game of "whack-a-mole," the country's industry minister said this week. The time has come for the government to step in, Toshimitsu Motegi believes. Report: Fukushima's radiation damaged more souls than bodies . A litany of problems has beset the Fukushima Daiichi power plant since it was crippled by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan in 2011. The most troubling at the moment is how to contain the swelling volume of radioactive water flowing from the damaged reactor buildings. Last week another calamity added itself to the catalog of worrying incidents. Read more: Street view shows Fukushima nuclear ghost town . Hundreds of tons of contaminated water leaked from a huge storage tank, one of close to a thousand hulking containers at the plant. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority declared the leak a "serious incident," its gravest warning since the 2011 natural disaster triggered a meltdown in three reactors. Weeks ago, plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), admitted that radioactive groundwater was leaking into the Pacific Ocean from the site, bypassing an underground barrier built to seal in the water. 'Whack-a-mole' Tepco said this week that it is taking measures to tackle the problems at the site, including stepping up inspections of the water tanks and other possible sources of leaks. It has transferred the remaining contaminated water from the leaky tank to another container. The company's president, Natomi Hirose, said Monday that it may bring in experts from outside of Japan to help advise the task force that is dealing with the toxic water crisis. Opinion: What Japanese leaders can learn from Fukushima . But the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which had already expressed dissatisfaction with Tepco's response, appears to have lost patience. "Countermeasures led by Tepco to stop the contaminated water leaks have been like a "whack-a-mole" arcade game," Motegi said Monday after a visit to the plant. "From now on, the government is going to step forward." His comments reinforce the words of Abe, who said earlier this month that the contaminated water crisis at the site "is not an issue where we can let Tepco take complete responsibility." Abe said the problem had to be dealt with at "a national level" and ordered Motegi's ministry to come up with "multiple, speedy and sure solutions to this issue." Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday that the ministry's measures could draw on the government's reserve funds. But experts say that any potential solutions, such as freezing the ground around the plant or releasing radioactive water into the ocean, are likely to present significant technological and political challenges for the government. Chernobyl visit . Against the backdrop of the toxic water crisis at Fukushima, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday visited Chernobyl in the Ukraine, the site of the worst nuclear accident in history. Kishida and his Ukrainian counterpart pledged cooperation between the two countries on dealing with the aftermath of nuclear disasters, the foreign minister said. Read more: Man who battled Japan's nuclear meltdown dies . The scale of the calamity that unfolded at Fukushima, after the tsunami knocked out cooling systems for the three reactors that were operating at the time, is second only to Chernobyl. Meltdowns and hydrogen explosions spewed radioactive particles across many of the surrounding towns, complicating an already historic disaster. Though no deaths have been directly attributed to the accident, tens of thousands of people from towns as far as 25 miles away have been displaced by the disaster. It crippled Tepco financially, and the government had to bail it out. Meanwhile, problems have continued to arise at the plant. Vast volumes of water . In March, the company said that a rat was believed to have caused a temporary power outage at the facility. In July, Tepco disclosed that water in a test well at the reactor showed concentrations of radioactive tritium in one well as high as 500,000 becquerels -- a unit of radioactive intensity -- per liter of water. By comparison, Japan's maximum safe level of radioactivity in drinking water for adults is 300 becquerels per liter. Vast stands of storage tanks have grown up around the plant as the company struggles to deal with the high volume of tainted water. About 400 tons of groundwater flow through the site each day, and Tepco also pumps large amounts water through the buildings to keep the crippled reactors cool. The tank where the leak was discovered last week was one of about 350 tanks built as temporary storage units in the aftermath of the reactor meltdowns. They are among a total of about 1,000 tanks, 93% of which are already full of radioactive water. Tepco, its regulators and the Japanese government now face the challenge of what to do in the short term with the hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic water stored in tanks similar to the one that leaked. In the longer term, they have to figure out how to deal with all the contaminated water being kept at the plant. And they have to find a way to stop the groundwater from flowing through the site and into the ocean. CNN's Junko Ogura reported from Tokyo, and Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong. | Japan's industry minister says "the government is going to step forward"
The crippled nuclear plant has been beset by a range of problems .
The most pressing one is dealing with huge volumes of radioactive water .
The Fukushima plant was the site of the worst nuclear accident since 1986 . |
276,736 | f282e67a31911d745179ebcb1308913d5561f270 | By . Joshua Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 19:30 EST, 21 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:06 EST, 22 May 2013 . A Queens, New York teacher convicted of molesting one of his sixth graders in the bed he shared with his wife was seen openly making out with that wife in court Monday. As Daniel Reilly, 36, awaited sentencing Monday for having sex with his 13-year-old student as recently as a month ago, he was seen unabashedly making out with his wife. The former marine and his attorney wife Annemarie, 28, were seen making out and caressing in the courtroom’s fourth row of seats as a judge was seated just feet away. Strange: Just prior to being sentenced for repeatedly raping a 13-year-old student in his marital bed, Daniel Reilly was seen making out with wife Annemarie in court . That’s according to the New York Post, which said the couple ‘shared long, passionate kisses’ as Annemarie ‘rubbed his knee and held his hand.’ They would also be photographed holding hands inside the courthouse that day. The two need not have been so desperate for each other’s affections. Reilly would subsequently receive only four months in jail for his crimes, which could have won him seven years under New York law. Case closed: Seen here in April, Reilly, 36, has now been convicted of raping his former 6th grade student while attorney wife Annemarie remains committed to their marriage . He also received ten years probation, however, and will be forced to attend 104 sex offender classes. The former English teacher also saw his teaching license revoked and will be placed on a state sex offender list. Though . his formal sentencing won’t take place until July, Reilly will . immediately begin serving his sentence at New York’s Riker’s Island . prison. Off easy: Intermediate School 237 in Flushing, New York,where Daniel Reilly was a sixth-grade English teacher. He received only 4 months in jail for crimes that can carry 7 years . The judge granted . the request of Reilly’s attorney, Eric Franz, that his client be placed . in protective custody while incarcerated. Reilly was also allowed to take with him a prescription drug of an unknown type. Reilly’s . relationship with the teen began about a year ago, it was revealed by . the prosecution, after the teacher reached out to her and said he wanted . to have sex . The teen initially only wanted to be friends. Worst of times? Reilly's wife Annemarie, 28, an attorney, has said that she's 'standing by' her husband and certainly proved it Monday when she 'passionately' made out with him in court . In . late August, Reilly began inviting the girl to his family’s apartment . in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens when his wife and infant . child were out. The girl and . Reilly used code names in their messages to avoid detection. However, . the girl’s sister uncovered the relationship and turned it over . authorities. The . $61,000-a-year teacher, who served as a sergeant in the Marines between . 1996-2000, is said to have no history of disciplinary problems since he . began working as a teacher in 2007. Reilly is said to have been honorably discharged from the Marines in 2000, and was a popular teacher at the Queens school. Annemaire originally put up $30,000 bail for her husband in April. Through Franz, she said she was ‘supporting her husband.’ Close to home: For at least 7 months, Reilly had sex with student, 13, in the Queens apartment he shared with wife Annemarie (pictured) | Reilly, 36, shared 'passionate kisses and caresses' with attorney wife Annemarie, 28, in court Monday .
Daniel Reilly was slapped on the .
wrist with four months in jail after molesting his former 6th grade student .
in the same Queens, New York home where his wife and child live . |
228,567 | b3f3e3495355fc1436b2ebdd2d40aab16d0e482e | The hospital trust accused of a cover-up over cancer treatment has the worst waiting times figures in the country, it has emerged. Police are probing Colchester Hospital University over claims staff concealed how long it took to treat sufferers. Since details of the scandal emerged last month, it has gone from being officially one of the best for cancer waiting times to the worst, and could be fined tens of thousands of pounds. Only 93 per cent of patients were treated within 31 days of being seen by a doctor at the trust's hospital in Colchester . National targets say at least 95 per cent of cancer patients should be treated within 31 days of a doctor deciding the most suitable option. But at Colchester just 93 per cent of patients were treated in this time frame meaning 22 were made to wait longer in the last three months alone. And before the probe was launched the trust claimed 98 per cent had treatment within this time putting it amongst the top 30 in the country. The trust is now expected to be fined by the NHS regional body - North Essex Clinical Commissioning Group - which could be in the region of tens of thousands of pounds. Meanwhile the trust’s £165,000-a-year chief executive Dr Gordon Coutts has again refused to resign insisting he was spearheading a culture of openness. Dr Gordon Coutts, Chief Executive of the hospital, has again refused to resign . Speaking yesterday, he added: ‘I do my very best to live up to those values - to be open, to be available and to be visible around the trust. ‘We have to create a culture where people can speak up. It takes a lot of courage. ‘We need to be better at listening to concerns and encouraging people to raise them.’ If Essex Police find enough evidence of criminal wrongdoing, staff could face jail. The probe was launched after whistleblowers told the Care Quality Commission they were being bullied by senior managers to change waiting times figures. Some patients were being made to wait four months for life-saving treatment and the hospital faced being heavily fined for missing these targets. And former staff at the trust have told how Dr Coutts made their life hell and presided over a culture obsessed with meeting targets. His personal assistant Mandy Tapfield is said to have recently quit after 28 years at the hospital, claiming her ‘life was made hell’. The 56-year-old, who was his executive PA until last month, claims she left because she could no longer tolerate Dr Coutts’s demands. | Colchester Hospital University is being probed by Essex police .
Only 93 per cent of patients were treated within a month of seeing a doctor .
Staff said senior managers 'bullied' them into changing waiting figures .
Trust's Chief Executive Chris Houtts has refused to step down . |
162,300 | 5dd66c88f43e793ed3567707e6c8ea1d08781949 | Damascus, Syria (CNN) -- Concern about the possibility of broader war in the Middle East grew Monday after reported airstrikes on Syrian military installations. The reported strikes killed 42 Syrian soldiers, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday, citing medical sources. It said 100 people remained missing. The Syrian government warned Sunday's apparent strikes -- which followed one last week that Syria also blames on Israel -- "opens the door wide for all the possibilities." Syrian ally Iran warned of a "crushing response" while Russia called reports of Israeli involvement "very worrying." But an Israeli general who commands forces on the Syrian border said "there are no winds of war," according to the Israel Defense Forces website. The heightened tensions come amid questions over possible chemical weapon use in Syria and international debate over how to respond to the country's bloody civil war, in which more than 70,000 people have died in more than two years of fighting. On Monday, a U.N. official spoke of strong suspicions that rebels, not Syrian government forces, have used chemical weapons. Details of reported strikes . Syria claimed Israeli missiles struck at its military facilities on Sunday. According to the state-run SANA news agency, Israeli missiles struck a research center in Jamraya, a facility in Maysaloun and what the news agency described as a "paragliding airport" near Damascus. "The Israeli terrorist aggressions on the Syrian territories have left no room for hesitation, weakness, self-dissociation or silence as Syria would not forgive us all if we hesitated in defending it," SANA reported Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi as saying. The blasts prompted terrified residents nearby to run for cover. "Everything kept exploding over and over again," said Anna Deeb, whose family lives just over a mile away. "We could hear gunshots, we could hear people screaming. ... We didn't know what to do, and there was a problem with us breathing because the smoke was too much." Syria says the attack followed another Israeli airstrike late last week. Israel has not confirmed or denied that its forces were involved in any attacks inside Syria, but a U.S. official told CNN's Barbara Starr on Monday that Israeli forces conducted Sunday's strike, as well as one last week. Sunday's strike targeted a research facility in a mountainous area near Damascus and weapons that were to be transferred to Hezbollah, according to the source. The earlier strike, which U.S. officials had previously said happened Thursday or Friday, targeted Fateh 110 missiles stored at the Damascus airport, the source said. SANA reported that the allegation of weapons transfers was false. And Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad told CNN the attacks amount to a declaration of war by Israel. "The details are not clear on what happened," al-Mekdad told CNN. "Did they fire missiles? ... It is not clear for me, because I don't know how it happened, and of course it is worrying, but Israel will suffer the same." 'Watching everything' While Israel has not acknowledged responsibility for the attacks, the country has long said it would target any transfer of weapons to Hezbollah or other terrorist groups. "We are watching everything when it comes to the movement of these types of weapons. We have the means to do that," a senior Israeli defense official told CNN's Sara Sidner on Sunday. The official is not authorized to speak to the media. Shaul Mofaz, a lawmaker in Israel's Knesset, told Israeli Army Radio on Sunday that Israel isn't meddling with Syria's civil war. But Israel must protect itself from Lebanese militants, he said. "For Israel, it is very important that the front group for Iran, which is in Lebanon, needs to be stopped," Mofaz said. International response . Hezbollah did not immediately comment after Sunday's claims. Iran said it will stand by Syria, "and if there is need for training, we will provide them with necessary training," Brig. Gen. Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan, commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces, told reporters Sunday. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said he had no doubt Syria and its allies will "give a crushing response to the aggressions of the Zionists," the state-run IRNA news agency reported. Russia also weighed in Monday, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman calling the reports of Israeli strikes "very worrying." "Any intensification of military confrontation greatly increases the risks of creating hotbeds of tension aside from Syria, in Lebanon, and also destabilizing the Israeli-Lebanese border, which has so far remained relatively calm," ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Monday. But Israeli Maj. Gen. Yair Golan indicated war is not imminent, according to the IDF's website. "There are no winds of war," said Golan, who is in charge of the Northern Command. Two rockets fired from inside Syria fell into the Golan Heights, the IDF said in a tweet. The military said the rockets were "fired erroneously as a byproduct of internal conflict in Syria." NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters Monday that the alliance had no information on the reported airstrikes, but said the alliance remains concerned about the possibility that the conflict could spread beyond Syria's borders. "It's not a new concern that for quite some time we have expressed concerned of the risk of spillover of this conflict," he said. Chemical weapons reports . The tensions have been worsened by conflicting reports on the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria. On Monday, a U.N. official said evidence points to the use of the deadly nerve agent sarin by Syrian rebel forces. Carla Del Ponte told an Italian-Swiss TV station that the findings come after interviews with doctors and Syrian victims now in neighboring countries. Del Ponte, the commissioner of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Syria, said the notion isn't surprising, given the infiltration of foreign fighters into the Syrian opposition. Later, the commission issued a press release saying it "has not reached conclusive findings as to the use of chemical weapons in Syria by any parties to the conflict." Therefore, "the commission is not in a position to further comment on the allegations at this time," the statement said. The Syrian Coalition released a statement in response to Del Ponte's comments, condemning the use of chemical weapons and stressing that it will continue to conduct its own investigations. "The Syrian Coalition will take all necessary legal measures in case the investigation reveals parties other than Assad's regime have used chemical weapons," it said. A U.S. State Department official told CNN that the United States does not have information suggesting that rebels have "either the capability or the intent to deploy or use such weapons." But, the source said, the "facts are not complete" and efforts to obtain more information are ongoing. Rebel Free Syrian Army spokesman Louay Almokdad said rebels don't have unconventional weapons, nor do they want any. "In any case, we don't have the mechanism to launch these kinds of weapons, which would need missiles that can carry chemical warheads, and we in the FSA do not possess these kind of capabilities," Almokdad said. "More importantly, we do not aspire to have (chemical weapons) because we view our battle with the regime as a battle for the establishment of a free democratic state. ... We want to build a free democratic state that recognizes and abides by all international accords and agreements -- and chemical and biological warfare is something forbidden legally and internationally." Intelligence claims . The claim of rebels using sarin gas comes after months of suspicions that the Syrian regime has used the same nerve agent against rebels. Last week, the United States said its intelligence analysts had concluded "with varying degrees of confidence" that chemical weapons had been used in Syria and that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad was the likely culprit. In April, the head of Israeli military's intelligence research said the Syrian government is using chemical weapons against rebel forces. "In all likelihood they used sarin gas," Brig. Gen. Itai Brun said. The Free Syrian Army's chief of staff has also said the Syrian regime has used sarin in cities such as Homs, Aleppo and Otaiba, outside Damascus. "We took some samples of the soil and of blood. The injured people were observed by doctors, and the samples were tested, and it was very clear that the regime used chemical weapons," Gen. Salim Idriss told CNN's Christiane Amanpour last month. Sarin gas can be hard to detect because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless. But it can cause severe injuries to those exposed to it, including blurred vision, convulsions, paralysis and death. Why Syria matters . The Syrian civil war has pitted rebel fighters against the regime run by al-Assad, whose family has ruled the country for four decades. Syria matters to Iran because it is believed to be the main conduit to the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, the proxy through which Iran can threaten Israel with an arsenal of short-range missiles. In 2009, the top U.S. diplomat in Damascus disclosed that Syria had begun delivery of ballistic missiles to Hezbollah, according to official cables leaked to and published by WikiLeaks. The last thing Iran wants is a Sunni-dominated Syria -- especially as the Syrian rebels' main supporters are Iran's Persian Gulf rivals: Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Hezbollah's feared scenario is Israel on one side and a hostile Sunni-led Syria on the other. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reported from Damascus; Sara Sidner reported from Jerusalem; and Hada Messia reported from Rome. CNN's Schams Elwazer, Tim Lister, Holly Yan, Samira Said, Jill Dougherty, Hamdi Alkhshali and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report. | NEW: Syrian prime minister: Israeli "aggressions ... have left no room for hesitation"
There is no information suggesting rebel use of sarin, a State Department official says .
Israel conducted airstrikes in Syria on Sunday and last week, a U.S. official tells CNN .
Reports of Israeli strikes are "very worrying," the Russian Foreign Ministry says . |
239,324 | c1d91e1cfe01b591453ed7ceceb973ca35f86d8e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:39 EST, 1 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:08 EST, 1 March 2013 . A police officer who investigated a Zumba instructor's alleged prostitution business has testified that she found an 'assortment of condoms', four bottles of baby oil, cameras, a planner and $1,000 cash at the woman's residence. Audra Presby took to the stand for the second day in the trial of Mark Strong, who is accused of promoting prostitution with business partner and Zumba teacher Alexis Wright in Kennebunk, Maine. Presby testified she had also seized several . computer hard drives, a laptop, checkbooks and personal lubricants from Wright's businesses, home and vehicle during a February 2012 search. Explicit: Testimony is underway in case of Mark Strong who is accused of promoting prostitution with Zumba instructor Alexis Wright, pictured. The jury has seen explicit material of her engaging in sexual activities . The discoveries were made during the prostitution investigation, to which Presby was assigned in October 2011 following complaint of suspicious activity at Wright's Pura Vida Zumba . studio. While Presby initially failed to make any discoveries of suspicious activity, she carried out internet searches and came across a blog that caught her attention, the Portland Press Herald reported. 'When I performed the online search, . not only did I find this site, Sensual Body Works by Lydia, I also found... online sex videos of this individual,' Presby said. Another agent called the number listed on the blog and posed as a client to ask whether an hour massage would get him sex. On the tape, which was played in the court, she responds: 'OK.' Stash: Officers searched . her Pure Vida Zumba exercise studio in downtown Kennebunk, Maine, pictured . Business: Police found lubricants, an assortment of condoms and baby oil in Wright's home and studio . Police continued to gather evidence and obtained and executed a search warrant . at Wright's Zumba studio, her business office, . her home in Wells and her vehicle where they found the items, she said. Wright also had a . badge and state identification as an assistant investigator in her possession, which she . had after studying under Strong to be a private investigator, his attorney said. Presby also testified that she linked Strong to the case after seeing a sex . video of him and Wright and matching his face and voice to the video appearances. Strong . allegedly watched sexual encounters between Wright and her clients through a live computer webcam and . spoke with Wright when the men were out of the . room. 'I remember keeping the logs of the hours [spent watching sexually . explicit evidence],' Presby said. 'I know at one point I was well over 80 hours, and by the . end, I was closer to 120 hours.' Not guilty: Mark Strong (right) admits he had an affair with Wright - but they argue he didn't know she was running an alleged . prostitution business . Seductive: Mark Strong, a married father of two, . allegedly sat at his home computer and watched Alexis Wright have sex . with several men via live-streaming video over Skype . Strong and his attorney have argued that . Presby unfairly unfocused the investigation on him as revenge for research he had carried out into her alleged misconduct. Strong has argued he was investigating Presby's 2009 affair with her married then-supervisor . Nicholas Higgins, and allegations by Higgins' former . wife that Presby had inappropriate sexual contact with the couple's five-year-old son, the Bangor Daily News reported. Kennebunk police Lt. Daniel Jones testified earlier in the trial that a Maine State Police . investigation into the accusations determined there was 'no criminal . action' by Presby. But she was reprimanded for the affair. The defense cross-examination of Presby was expected to last throughout the afternoon on Friday. Strong, 57, of Thomaston, is on trial on 13 counts related to promotion of prostitution. Wright will be tried later. Wright, a 30-year-old single mother, is slated to stand trial in May. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges . The insight from Presby comes after . jurors were shown a video of Wright having sex with a 61-year-old man on . a massage table in exchange for $250, while Strong allegedly watched . from his home computer via Skype. The damning evidence, recorded by . Wright herself on a camera hidden in a nest of lingerie, shows her . negotiating a fee and then collecting a pile of cash after she finishes. Prosecutors . argue that Strong was listening in and watching live via Skype during . the entire encounter and later discussed booking other johns for Wright - . pushing her to sleep with three clients in one day instead of two. In between clients, she discusses her . schedule of clients with a man who is watching through the video . camera. Prosecutors say that man is Strong, according to Seacoast Online. 'I'd like to schedule only two one-hour appointments tomorrow instead of 45,' Wright says, talking to the camera. Battle: Attorney Daniel Lilley, who is representing Strong, speaks in court in Alfred, Maine. He has conceded Strong might have watched her having sex but said he was not involved in prostitution . 'Nice to get three in somehow,” the man's voice says. When Wright says that she has 'school' the next day, the man suggests she 'fit three in today.' Wright says that would be 'pushing it.' The man's voice later asks which clients he should try to book for her. The time stamp on the 36-minute video . shown the jurors, which was seized from Wright's home, corresponds with . the time on 45 Skype video screen shots that were downloaded from Strong's computer, an investigator testified. Seacoast Online reports that in other videos, the pair discuss rates and sexual services that Wright offers. Strong, a married father of two, says he funded Wright's exercise . studio with a loan and acted as her business partner. On trial: Strong has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of promoting prostitution and one count of invasion of privacy . He . also admits that he had an affair with her and his lawyers concede that . he may have watched her online as she had sex with other men. However, his . lawyers argue Strong, a local real estate broker and private . investigator, had no idea Wright was allegedly receiving money for the . sex or that she was running a prostitution business. Prosecutors say the video shows that . Strong not only knew Wright was having sex for money, he was helping her . book and schedule johns. Jurors also saw a video of the . alleged Zumba prostitute dropping her towel and posing naked in front of . the windows of her Maine exercise studio. Jurors also saw about two dozen pictures Strong . captured on his home computer while he watched live Skype broadcasts of . Wright allegedly having sex with johns in her Zumba exercise studio. Detectives say they recovered 13,000 . still images from Strong's computer, many of them sexually explicit . pictures that he captured from videos of Wright having sex with alleged . johns. Wright's alleged clients include wealthy and well-known figures in southern Maine. So far, 18 men have pleaded guilty to paying Wright for sex . On Wednesday, Justice Nancy Mills ruled . that the prosecution should show only 100 of the photos to the jury - to . illustrate the Wright invited multiple men into her studio for sex on . multiple occasions. Prosecutors initially wanted to show 577 to the jury. Defense lawyers strenuously objected before the material was introduced and continued to object after jurors saw the video and the pictures. They say Strong is just a 'voyeur.' 'It . may be Mr. Strong observed the sexual acts of Ms. Wright with other . people, but I don't think it shows promotion of prostitution,' Daniel . Lilley told the judge. 'These are all very sexual acts and very sexual positions.' Wright has pleaded not guilty to charges of prostitution and invasion of privacy. Her trial is scheduled for May. | Mark Strong, the business partner for 'Zumba prostitute' Alexis Wright, is on trial facing charges of promoting prostitution .
Prosecutors showed jurors two dozens pictures of Wright allegedly having sex with johns in her studio in downtown Kennebunk, Maine .
The photos were taken from Strong's computer, which he allegedly captured from a live broadcast of her sex acts . |
98,783 | 0b36c0fc2dec3e74e2c4516a6e8d99c737092523 | Crackdown: Education Secretary Michael Gove said he is looking at hate speech laws in an attempt to stamp out the use of the word 'gay' as an insult . Education Secretary Michael Gove yesterday declared war on the ‘utterly outrageous and medieval’ use of the word ‘gay’ as an insult. He will study current laws to ensure they are ‘properly policed’ and could even ‘sharpen’ them in a bid to stamp out offensive homophobic language. Mr Gove told a conference held by pressure group Stonewall that the Coalition was determined to protect gay pupils from being subjected to homophobic bullying at school. He said that it was unacceptable to use the word ‘gay’ as abuse and named and shamed former Radio One Breakfast Show DJ Chris Moyles. Mr Moyles was branded Stonewall’s ‘Bully of the Year’ at their annual awards ceremony in 2006 after he dismissed a ringtone, saying: ‘I don’t want that one, it’s gay.’ Hate speech laws in the UK are found in several statutes. Expressions of hatred towards someone on account of that person’s colour, race, nationality, religion or sexual orientation is forbidden. Famously, Sam Brown, a 21-year-old student, was taken to court in 2006 for calling a policeman’s horse ‘gay’ after being arrested under section five of the Public Order Act. His remarks were deemed likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress by police, but the prosecution dropped the case at Oxford magistrates’ court. Pop singer Will Young yesterday highlighted the ‘subconscious’ use of the word ‘gay’ and how it was used as a ‘negative term’ when he was growing up. He challenged Mr Gove at the London conference about how few people are brought to account in law for using offensive homophobic language. Mr Gove replied: ‘There are laws there to prevent it happening. ‘One thing I will do is talk to Ben (Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall) and others about how we can make sure that the laws we’ve got at the moment are properly policed and also I’m always open if we need to sharpen the law because it’s not working, I’m always open to that argument.’ In an exchange with the former winner of Pop Idol, the Education Secretary agreed that it was wrong for people to argue that homophobic bullying was ‘less than an issue than bullying based on skin colour or other cultures’. He added: ‘There’s more to be done. I want to work with Stonewall to do it. War of the words: While former Radio One DJ Chris Moyles (left) was singled out for using the word as a dismissive term, singer Will Young (right) urged Michael Gove to tackle homophobic bullying . ‘But I think one of the things I can do effectively is wherever there’s an opportunity on a public platform to say so, to say that it’s just utterly outrageous and medieval to think that to use the word gay as an insult is somehow acceptable. ‘Whether it’s Chris Moyles or anyone else does it, it’s wrong and they should be called out.’ Mr Gove said that the Coalition agreement had referred to the vital importance of tackling bullying , especially homophobic bullying, in schools. He said this was a recognition that even as ‘prejudice in our society was in many ways receding there were some prejudices that remain remarkably and irrationally stubborn’. One of these was the prejudice sometimes shown to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and to the young in particular. He said: ‘That prejudice would sometimes find its expression in thoughtless words from disc jockeys or in language in playgrounds that wasn’t effectively policed.’ He added: ‘Therefore it was important even as we saw prejudice recede elsewhere to be more vigilant and more determined than ever to deal with this particular prejudice and the effect it had on young people. Offensive: The Education Secretary said that it was wrong for people to argue that homophobic bullying was 'less than an issue than bullying based on skin colour or other cultures' ‘Because if you’re growing up, wrestling with your sexuality, knowing that it will mean your life will perhaps form a different path from the one your parents envisaged, the last thing that you need to feel is that at school, where other people who should be there to care for you and show you what adult life can bring, the last thing you need is any sense that the difficulties with which you’re wrestling and the path on which you wish to embark are in any way either a legitimate subject for humour, ostracism or prejudice. ‘What young people need as they decide for themselves how they’re going to live their lives is support, approval and celebration.’ Russell Hobby, general secretary of NAHT, said last night: ‘We are pleased the Secretary of State has recognised the impact homophobic bullying can have on young people. ‘By combating bullying and making it clear education should be inclusive school leaders can help reinforce the message that there is no place for homophobia in a school or anywhere in society.’ | Education Secretary said the homophobic language is 'medieval'
Former Radio One DJ Chris Moylesw singled out for using the word in a dismissive way .
Said hate speech laws need to be properly policed to stamp out bullying . |
30,990 | 5810cde5edfeb04e0a67b436696f1d08908bfbc9 | (CNN) -- A whistle-blowing Russian lawyer whose death in custody strained U.S.-Russia relations was posthumously convicted in a tax case in a Moscow district court Thursday, state-run legal news agency RAPSI reported. Sergei Magnitsky was convicted of tax evasion -- a verdict that comes after he died in 2009 in a Moscow detention center. The United States alleges Magnitsky was beaten to death in detention, a claim that Russian authorities reject. Magnitsky's 2008 arrest and tax charges came after he uncovered Russia's largest known tax fraud in the form of rebates claimed by government officials who stole money from the state. The U.S. State Department believes Magnitsky was persecuted because he "was blowing the whistle of confiscation of private assets and misuse of private assets," a State Department official said in a background briefing with reporters earlier this year. U.S. lawmakers responded to Magnitsky's death by passing the December 2012 Magnitsky Act, a law that imposes visa bans on and freezes the assets of 16 Russian officials that U.S. officials allege were connected to his death, abuse or detention. Thursday's verdict prompted more criticism from U.S. officials. "The trial was a discredit to the efforts of those who continue to seek justice in his case," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. "Despite widely publicized, credible evidence of criminal conduct resulting in Magnitsky's death, authorities have failed to prosecute those responsible. "We continue to call for full accountability for all those responsible for Magnitsky's wrongful death, and we'll continue to support the efforts of those in Russia who seek to hold those individuals accountable." Sen. Robert Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Thursday that Magnitsky's posthumous conviction "is nothing short of a message to Russia's activist community of the repercussions of opposing the state." Russia's lawmakers responded to the Magnitsky Act with their own list, slapping similar sanctions on 18 Americans it called rights violators. Russian President Vladimir Putin last year called the Magnitsky Act "another anti-Russian law" and an "imperialist approach to foreign policy." In December, Putin signed into law a measure that would ban the adoption of Russian children by U.S. families starting in 2014 -- a move also widely seen as retaliation for the Magnitsky Act. CNN's Elise Labott, Jason Hanna, Alla Eshchenko, Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report. | NEW: The verdict draws criticism from U.S. officials .
The conviction of Sergei Magnitsky comes nearly four years after this death .
Magnitsky died in a Moscow jail in 2009; the U.S. alleges he was beaten to death .
His death prompted the United States to freeze the assets of certain Russian officials . |
105,681 | 1449a13d87df3825c0c7f1712c88df17bc821cbb | In a scene reminiscent of the iconic Princess Diana Taj Mahal photo, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were pictured on day three of their India tour in front of a magnificent Hindu Temple complex. And earlier in the day the couple became Slumdog royalty, where Charles was given an early birthday surprise. The gesture came courtesy of pupils at a school in the Govindpuri slum in the south of the city, a labyrinth of filthy two and three-storey shacks with precious little water or sanitation. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Camilla and Charles outside the Akshardham Temple during day three of their official visit to India . Iconic: Diana, Princess of Wales, in front of the Taj Mahal on 11 February 1992, during a Royal tour of India . Charles with priests outside the temple. This will be the Royal couple's third official visit to India together and their most extensive yet . One of the largest 'jugghis' in India, . with more than 200,000 inhabitants, families with six or seven children . cram into a single room. Water-borne disease is rife and rabid mongrels defecate in the streets as children play. In . amongst the squalor, however, is the Katha school, a whitewashed beacon . of hope for the slum's thousands of children, many of whom would be . forced into child labour without its help. The temple was constructed with the help of thousands of volunteers over five years and is now a huge tourist attraction . The Hindu temple has a colossal main area, which measures 141 foot high and 316 foot wide . Insight: Camilla pictured during a tour of the temple . The main monument is 'supported' by 148 elephants, which have huge importance in Hindu culture . Of its 1,350 pupils aged three to 17, 98 per cent pass their state exams while 56 per cent go on to university. Indeed, pictures of the non-profit school's success stories are pinned to the walls - along with how much they are now earning. One, a young woman called Gayatri, has . just taken her civil service exams and now works in the Indian . government's customs office earning 50,000 rupees a month - around £500. Until . last month she lived in the slum with her deliveryman father (who would . earn around 3,000 rupees per month or £30), but has now moved into an . apartment in a more salubrious area of the city. Parvinder . Kaur, assistant executive director of the school, which has so far . helped more than 162,000 children, said: 'Around 80 per cent of the . inhabitants live here permanently while the other 20 per cent are . migrant workers from rural India, labourers, carpenters, plumbers and . the like. Gesture: Prince Charles is presented with a cake from pupils at the Katha school as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, looks on . Vital: The Katha school is a beacon of hope for the slum's thousands of children . Success: Katha is one of the highest-achieving schools for the poor in India . Onlookers: The royal couple and their entourage arriving at the Katha Community School . Warm welcome: Charles is greeted by one of the Katha school's staff members . Charles Charles politely put his hands together for what is known as a 'namaste' greeting when he arrived at the Katha school . 'There are around 2 lakh (hundred thousand) people here living in houses with no real sanitation. ‘Success stories are looking down at you from these walls.' The . head teacher, Geeta Dharmarajan, began her project in 1990 by offering . vocational training to the slum's downtrodden women so they could earn . more money and over-rule their husbands' refusal to send their children . to school. ‘When Geeta . started, families were not willing to send their children to school. Their mothers weren't in control. The fathers wanted the children to . become servants. She focused on the mothers to give them income so they . could fend off the alcoholic fathers,’ explained Arun Seth, a board . member, whose former employer BT funded the growth of the school. Since . then it has become one of highest achieving schools for the poor. If it . was a government school, it would be ranked in India's top ten per . cent. Former Labour Health Sectretary Patricia Hewitt had played a key role in BT funding the charity which runs the school. The . couple arrived almost half an hour late - caught up in the city's . notorious traffic - but there were hundreds of locals waiting for a . glimpse of the VIP visitors. Celebration: Prince Charles is presented with a framed birthday card . The Katha pupils gave Prince Charles a cake with '65' in chocolate on top . He and his wife quickly went inside for a tour of the impressively clean facilities, chatting with some of the adorably excited nursery age children. The Prince told teacher Sudhir Jha he was ‘very impressed’ with the school's bilingual approach and its focus on lifting people out of poverty. Among the students they met was Kumar, 32, who was living in the slum with seven other people in one room when he joined a bakery course at the school. Now he is working in a restaurant earning 35,000 rupees a month and has moved out of the slum into a house of his own. ‘If it wasn't for the school I don't know what I would have done with myself,’ he said. ‘Thanks to them I am doing so well.’ He is still single, but has no plans to marry yet. ‘I want to get into a chain of hotels and become a big shot chef,’ he said. ‘Then I will think about settling down.’ During another part of the visit, the Katha schoolchildren kicked off Charles' 65th birthday celebrations early when they presented him with a home-made Black Forest gateau. Pupils gave him the cake with '65' in chocolate on top a week ahead of his pensionable birthday next week. The prince will celebrate his birthday on the last day of his nine-day tour to India before flying to Sri Lanka to represent the Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The cake was made by catering students at the 1,300 pupil school under the tutelage of local Master chef Ram Kumar. One of the trainee bakers said they had out five eggs in the mix for a high cholesterol treat. The couple eventually went their separate ways with Camilla visiting workshops for young women training to be seamstresses and designers, while Charles viewed children learning computer skills. The Duchess asked the women to show them their skills and even tried her hand at some silk printing. The couple left after around 20 minutes, their convoy speeding through the dusty streets. Meet and greet: Charles speaks with a student during his visit to Katha Lab School . Prince Charles during his visit to the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun . While Charles went for a private lunch with the Vice President of India, Shri M Hamid Ansari, his wife went to the home of the British High Commissioner where she met with women from the Self-Employed Women's (SEWA). The Duchess was greeted with a welcome symbol painted out in red and white powder on the ground called a Rangoli. The SEWA organisation helps Muslim women break out from poverty by working for themselves and Camilla watched astounded as a group of ladies in brilliant jewel coloured saris span silk from cocoons using their feet. Camilla meets women from SEWA, a self-employed women's cooperative at the High Commissioner's Residence . 'I have never seen anything like that in my life. It is remarkable,' she said. The cocoons are especially cultivated and then boiled for the women to spin from. They can earn up to 800 rupees (£8) for a piece of cloth through SEWA, double what they would normally earn. Camilla then teamed up with her husband to visit one of the world's largest temples, Akshardham, opened in 2005. As . they arrived they were given garlands of fragrant frangipani, while . Charles was anointed with a red dot on his forehead known as a chandlos . by a Swami (or priest) and given a friendship bracelet. The couple posed outside the Hindu temple's colossal main area, which measures 141 foot high and 316 foot wide. It . was built from Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italian Carrara marble and . is covered from top to bottom with elaborately carved details of flora, . fauna, dancers, musicians and deities.It also consists of 234 ornate pillars, nine domes and 20,000 religious figures. The main monument is 'supported' by 148 elephants, which have huge importance in Hindu culture.Photographs . of the couple posing outside the temple echoed a legendary picture of . Charles's late first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, who memorably sat . alone for photographers in front of the Taj Mahal in India in 1992. Prince Charles shakes hands with India's President Pranab Mukherjee as Camilla watches before their meeting at the Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential palace in New Delhi on Friday . The poignant shot was widely interpreted to be a sign of the state of the couple's marriage. Afterwards . Charles and Camilla couple flew on to Mumbai by private jet where they . will attend a lavish Bollywood dinner thrown by India's wealthiest man, . Mukesh Ambani. With . a personal fortune of $22 billion, he is also the second wealthiest man . in Asia and is ranked 37 in the Forbes list of The World's Most . Powerful People. On Thursday Charles visited the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun which was established in 1906 and is the largest centre of its kind in South Asia, recognised for its wealth of knowledge on forestry. It trains most of India's forest officers and offers masters degrees in courses such as environment management, wood science and technology. | Charles was presented with the chocolate cake by pupils at the Katha school .
The school is a beacon of hope in the Govindpuri slum in the south of Delhi .
Later the couple visited the magnificent Akshardham Hindu temple complex . |
32,158 | 5b854f74b032581761945ac0d5e5ea248d3a2d03 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:26 EST, 14 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:59 EST, 14 June 2013 . Charla Nash, the Connecticut woman who lost her eyesight, lips, . nose, and hands when she was mauled by a chimpanzee in 2009, has been denied permission to sue the state. Her family sought permission to sue for $150 million but was denied on Friday by state Claims Commissioner J. Paul Vance Jr. Connecticut has 'sovereign immunity' from lawsuits unless they're allowed by the commissioner. Nash's lawyer had said the state should be . held responsible for failing to seize the animal before the attack, because . it was warned the animal was dangerous. Denied: Charla Nash, who was horrifically disfigured after she was attacked by a chimpanzee in 2009, has been denied permission to sue the state of Connecticut. She is pictured last year . Vance said in his decision that at . the time of the attack, state law did not prohibit the private ownership . of chimpanzees and did not require the state to seize an animal that . was privately owned and not banned by the state. Vance noted that the state banned the ownership of chimpanzees after the attack. 'The State of Connecticut, were it a . private person, would generally not have any duty to control the conduct . of (a) third party absent some special relationship,' Vance wrote. Nash has a chance to appeal to the state General Assembly to reverse Vance's decision. 'I hope and pray that the . commissioner will give me my day in court,' Charla Nash previously told reporters . following a hearing in August before Claims Commissioner J. Paul Vance . Jr. Attack: On Feb. 16, 2009, the 200-pound chimpanzee named Travis, left, mauled Charla Nash, right, causing her to lose her eyesight, lips, nose, and hands in the attack . Happy: Nash, pictured with Travis, worked for the chimp's owner performing odd jobs and caring for the animal . 'And I also pray that I hope this never happens to anyone else . again. It is not nice.' State Attorney General George . Jepsen said the state shouldn't be held liable for the mauling. He argued the judge should deny permission due to a law called the 'public duty doctrine'. It says the state has a duty to protect . the general public in regulatory matters, but not any individual who is . injured by another person not complying with regulations, the Hartford Courant reported. Nash, who received a successful face transplant in 2011, reached a $4 million settlement . last year with the estate of chimp owner Sandra Herold, who died in . 2010. She had sought $50 million. The . settlement agreement filed in Stamford Probate Court calls for Herold's . estate to provide Nash with $3.4million in real estate, $331,000 in . cash, $140,000 in machinery and equipment and $44,000 in vehicles. Reconstruction: In the attack, her eyes, nose, and lips were mauled off . Courageous: The survivor first revealed her mauled face on the Oprah Winfrey show; before the surgery, she kept a veil over her face . Brenden . Leydon, a Stamford lawyer representing Herold's estate, had argued that . it couldn't be sued because Nash was an employee of Herold . and any claims were a worker's compensation matter. Charla Nash now lives in a . nursing home outside of Boston. She had gone to Herold's home on the day . of the attack to help lure Herold's 200-pound chimpanzee, Travis, back . into her home. But the animal went berserk and ripped off Nash's nose, lips, eyelids and hands before being shot to death by a police officer. Travis had starred in TV commercials . for Old Navy and Coca-Cola when he was younger and made an appearance on . the The Maury Povich Show. The chimpanzee was the constant . companion of the widowed Herold and was fed steak, lobster and ice . cream. The chimp could eat at the table, drink wine from a stemmed . glass, use the toilet and dress and bathe himself. Court: Nash talks with attorney . Bill Monaco before a hearing at the Legislative Office Building in . Hartford, Connecticut last August. She was awarded $4 million in damages from the chimp's owner's estate . Injury: Charla Nash arrives for a hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Connecticut . A month after the mauling, Nash's family sued Herold for alleged negligence and recklessness. The lawsuit alleged Herold knew . Travis was dangerous but failed to confine him to a secure area and . allowed him to roam her property. It also claimed Herold gave the chimp medication that exacerbated his 'violent propensities'. Travis had previously bitten another . woman's hand and tried to drag her into a car in 1996, bit a man's thumb . two years later and escaped from her home and roamed downtown Stamford . for hours before being captured in 2003, according to the lawsuit. Nash wants to sue the state . Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which she holds . responsible for not seizing the animal before the attack despite a state . biologist's warning it was dangerous. | Nash's lawyer said the state was responsible for failing to seize animal before 2009 attack that left her without eyes, lips, nose and hands .
But the Claims Commissioner ruled that there were no laws against owning chimpanzees at the time of the attack . |
202,055 | 9193fff4fb0757e892acee23404c4a69a98d7992 | Stand-in captain George Bailey has no concerns about his unusual status within the Australia squad. Bailey will lead his country in the Carlton Mid Tri-Series, starting against England at the SCG on Friday, and will continue throughout the World Cup if regular skipper Michael Clarke cannot prove his fitness by February 21. But should Clarke be ready to return by that deadline, Bailey faces the probability of dropping out of the side to make way. George Bailey (left) looks on as captain Michael Clake celebrates scoring a half century for Australia . Bailey is filling in as Australia captain, but might not make the World Cup team if Michael Clarke is passed fit . Unless form or other fitness issues intervene, Bailey is expected to be behind Clarke's Test deputy Steve Smith and former vice-captain Shane Watson in the pecking order, making him vulnerable to Clarke's return. 'Does it bother me? Not at all,' said Bailey. 'We have probably more captains in the side at the moment than you can poke a stick at, which is a wonderful position to be in. I think every person who is playing, regardless of any other positions, will just be looking to perform to make the case for retaining them within the XI pretty compelling.' Bailey is hardly an untested leader, having captained 24 of his 52 ODI matches due to Clarke's fragile body. 'I think the regularity of it has probably made it easier for me than what it would be otherwise,' he said. 'Unfortunately it has happened quite a bit over the last 12 months. 'It is something that we have been used to as a team, having to deal with not having a player like Michael in the side. 'I think we have responded pretty well when that has been the case.' As World Cup co-hosts, Australia are desperate for Clarke to play his part in the tournament. Bailey (left) is also captain of the Hobart Hurricanes in Australia's Big Bash League . Bailey believes that Clarke is heading in the right direction with regard to recovering from injury in time . He netted in Sydney with the team on Thursday and all signs are positive that the 33-year-old is heading in the right direction. 'Michael has been with us doing his training stuff and his rehab stuff around us for the last couple of days,' confirmed Bailey. 'I think he is really happy with how he is progressing, so that is all positive. '(He is) very confident as you can imagine.' | George Bailey filling in as Australia captain while Michael Clarke is injured .
Clarke has been hampered by hamstring and back problems .
If he recovers for the World Cup, Bailey is expected to exit the team line-up . |
156,607 | 567bf0077240b775a1baf7de844ce3145b7985bf | Usually when the Duchess of Cambridge steps out in recycled outfits, women across the country look on with admiration and think, ‘maybe she is like us after all’. But after Kate made her first public appearance since giving birth five weeks ago, those approving looks will probably be tinged with a little bit of envy. Yesterday the Duchess, 31, stepped out in a recycled jacket and blouse, and, sensationally, her pre-pregnancy trademark skinny jeans, revealing just how quickly she has managed to snap back into shape. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Back to business: Kate in her skinny jeans yesterday. She also wore a £38 blouse from High Street store Zara and a Ralph Lauren blazer she has been pictured in on previous occasions . Break from changing nappies: Kate joined Prince William at the start of an ultra marathon in Anglesey . As well as the £180 jeans by designer Paige, she wore a £39 sleeveless patterned blouse by Zara – last worn when she was just a few months pregnant – with a £570 Ralph Lauren hacking jacket and her favourite £80 Pied a Terre wedges. The Duchess hadn’t planned to step back into action so soon, with her first official engagement not scheduled until September 12. But earlier this week sources indicated that she was considering joining Prince William to officially start a marathon on Anglesey, where the couple have lived for two years. Kate is understood to have been keen to thank locals for their support and discretion before the couple return to London after William’s search and rescue RAF posting ends next month. Welcome: The Duchess was given flowers and cards from well-wishers (left). Her trademark skinny jeans and Pied a Terre wedges made an appearance in Canada during the 2011 royal tour (right) Starter's orders: Prince William had been asked to officially start the long distance race . High Street fan: Kate's blouse is no longer on sale at Zara. She's often seen in clothes from the store . In the end a decision wasn’t made . until just a few hours before the event yesterday morning, after aides . were told that ‘little rascal’ Prince George, as his father likes to . call him, had given his parents a relatively peaceful night. While . speaking to locals at the event, the Duchess revealed that her mother, . Carole – or granny as she called her – had come up to North Wales to . babysit. ‘He’s doing . very well. He’s with granny at the moment. He’s sleeping well but I know . these things suddenly change at a minute’s notice,’ she told fellow . mother Sarah Bingham, 38. Supporting runners: The couple head to the start of the ultra event that will last three days . On the slopes: The Duchess was last seen wearing the Zara top when she was five months pregnant . Re-worked outfit: Kate was pictured wearing the £570 Ralph Lauren blazer in March 2011 when she teamed it with brown boots and a matching handbag, right, but today went for a more summery look with wedges . Marian . Wyn-Jones, High Sheriff of Gwynedd, said: ‘We were talking about the . joy she was having from George and how quick he was changing, she . couldn’t quite believe it. She’s enjoying every minute of it. He’s . getting quite huge, she said.’ But it seems the Duchess has been finding time to re-start her fitness regime. Will . Stewart, park warden at Holyhead Breakwater Country Park, where the . gruelling three-day Ring O’Fire race started, said the Duchess told him . she was ‘genuinely interested’ in doing some more walking around the . area, ‘especially after the baby’. First official outing: Kate was described as looking 'absolutely gorgeous' by locals attending the event . High Street choice: The Duchess recycled a top from Zara she last wore when she was five months pregnant . He said: ‘She said she wants to get back into shape. I said, “You don’t need to worry about that”. She looked great.’ Although . aides have remained tight-lipped about her fitness regime, Kate is . sporty and is known to have kept fit by walking her dog, Lupo, and . taking part in ante-natal yoga classes, which are said to help women . regain their figure by ‘training’ muscles to snap back into shape. Sarah . Barrett, managing editor of website BabyCentre UK, said: ‘Kate looks . fantastic – and we wouldn’t be surprised if a little yoga was part of . her secret.’ As she left the hospital with newborn Prince George, Kate wore a bespoke Jenny Packham dress . The following day as she drove to her parents' home, she wore a maternity dress by Seraphine . Seraphine was again her shop of choice when she posed for the first official family portrait with Prince George . Seraphine sales soar: The dresses have been in demand since they were seen on the Duchess. The floral print version is £50 and the pink £46 . | Duchess joined Prince William at start of ultra marathon in Anglesey .
She wore spotty £38 Zara T-shirt under green Ralph Lauren blazer .
She was last seen in Zara blouse when five months pregnant .
£570 Ralph Lauren jacket is another of her wardrobe staples .
Onlookers said new mother looked 'absolutely gorgeous' |
153,662 | 529294859ed596018b73a89738ee426b2c913d6c | (CNN) -- The newly-rescued Sauber team have been awarded the 13th place on the grid for the 2010 Formula One season. Motorsport's world ruling body the FIA revealed on Thursday that the Switzerland-based team will take the place of Toyota, who have decided to quit F1. Pete Sauber bought back the outfit from BMW last week after the German car manufacturer also decided to pull out of racing's premier category. The 66-year-old had run his own marque for 13 years before selling a majority holding to BMW in 2005, and he will again be at the helm after agreeing a deal which saved the team's Hinwil headquarters. "The FIA has written to inform BMW Sauber AG that their application for an entry in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship has been successful," the governing body said in a statement on its Web site. "Subject to their signing the Concorde Agreement, BMW Sauber will be awarded the 13th entry in the championship, taking the place of the departing Toyota team. "The FIA has worked closely with the commercial rights holder (Bernie Ecclestone) and the teams involved over recent weeks, and is grateful for their support in achieving the best outcome for the sport." Sauber have yet to indicate who next year's drivers will be, having finished sixth in the team standings in 2009 with Poland's Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld of Germany at the wheel. | Newly-rescued Sauber team have been awarded the 13th place on the F1 grid .
Motorsport's governing body the FIA says Sauber will take the place of Toyota in 2010 .
Toyota have decided to pull out of motor racing's premier category due to the recession .
BMW had also pulled out but were bought out by former owner Pete Sauber . |
131,166 | 359ce65a8d8b9c316895101998cc6fb86c6c3eab | (CNN) -- When Katy Wilson was born with Down syndrome, doctors told her mother that the infant likely would never walk or talk. Katy Wilson says she wants her athletic successes to surprise people and give them hope. She sure showed them. Wilson, now 29, has won two international gold medals in the Special Olympics for her gymnastic abilities. She turns cartwheels for her floor routine and does acrobatics on the balance beam. She also goes on public speaking tours. "Most of all, I love doing speeches because I want them [the audience] to be surprised just how good my speeches are," she said by phone. Wilson's story -- and countless other stereotype-bending stories like it -- is possible in part because of the dogged vision of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and the Special Olympics organization she founded more than four decades ago. Shriver, who died Tuesday, started the organization as a sports camp for special-needs kids and adults in her backyard in Maryland in 1962. The camp, in part, was inspired by the life of Shriver's sister, Rosemary Kennedy, who had an intellectual disability. The Special Olympics has grown from that small camp into a global organization that helps 3 million athletes with Down syndrome, autism and other intellectual disabilities compete for medals in an array of sports. Her legacy will live in the stories of hope and against-the-odds success she made possible through the Special Olympics. See photos of Eunice Kennedy Shriver » . "She helped forever alter how people with intellectual disabilities are viewed and treated and respected," said Amie Dugan, a spokeswoman for the Special Olympics. "This is a population that 40 years ago they were beyond marginalized. They were disenfranchised from society. "It was considered the status quo ... to put them in an institution and never think about that again. And she changed all of that. She brought them out into the light." An estimated 200 million people in the world live with intellectual disabilities. That population was largely unseen and voiceless in 1968 when Shriver stepped to the microphone to announce the start of the first Special Olympic Games at Chicago's Soldier Field. "In ancient Rome, the gladiators went into the arena with these words on their lips," she told the 1,000 athletes in the stadium. "'Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.'" In 2007, the most recent Special Olympics World Summer Games were held in Shanghai, China. More than 7,000 athletes competed. The sports competitions are held in the winter and summer on four-year intervals, just like the Olympic Games; people from countries as far-flung as Tunisia, Rwanda and Sri Lanka participate in events that include skiing, volleyball and track and field. Before the program, people with intellectual disabilities were only told what they could not accomplish, said David Tolleson, executive director of the National Down Syndrome Congress. "Special Olympics emphasizes what folks can do, and it does it in a manner that's fun and exciting and it offers a sense of community both within the family of those with developmental disabilities as well as with the greater community at large -- the volunteers who come in and have some of their misconceptions or preconceptions cast aside when they realize how much people with developmental disabilities truly are capable of," he said. The program continues to expand its global reach, but in many places, people with intellectual disabilities lack basic human rights, said Dugan. Thomas Webb, a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation fellow who studies public policy and intellectual disability, said it's still a challenge in the United States to integrate people with disabilities into mainstream society. No one knows all of the solutions, but Shriver and the Special Olympics have had "significant impact" on peoples' lives, he said. Coming from the athletic Kennedy family, Shriver realized the wide-ranging benefits of sports, said Dugan. "It's just a fun way to bring people with intellectual disabilities and their non-disabled peers together," she said, "because everyone enjoys competition and fun and exercise and getting out there." The fun translates into experience that helps Special Olympians build communities of friends and succeed in the workplace, advocates and athletes said. Melissa Stokes, 26, started playing sports with the Special Olympics when she was 8. She now is a volunteer Special Olympics ski coach in the Denver area and works as an assistant at the Special Olympics of Colorado office. "We're like a little family," she said of her ski team. She added: "Because we have special needs doesn't mean we can't do stuff. We can still accomplish a lot." More than half of Special Olympians in the U.S. are employed, according to the organization, compared with an estimated 10 percent of the intellectually disabled population at large. Jeanne Wilson, the mother of the gymnast with Down syndrome , started tearing up when she recounted the moment she saw her daughter -- whose future once looked so uncertain -- standing atop an awards podium with a gold medal draped around her neck. "It was just amazing because that really gave her confidence. And I don't think people realize how much it means to a young person who you might have thought did not have a future or might not ever have a chance to walk," she said. "To see her doing a routine on balance beam or a floor routine is pretty amazing." Katy Wilson, who lives in Gainesville, Georgia, continues to train as a gymnast. She also goes bowling with a group of Special Olympians most Fridays. They call themselves the Alley Kats, and Wilson describes the bowlers as some of her best friends. "I love bowling because it is so much fun being out there being able to have friends," she said. "It's exciting to do bowling because I get a lot of scores." When she's not in training, Wilson works at a steakhouse as a hostess. "I get their coffee, I get their bread, I get their drinks, I do the silverware, I sweep up, I do the hostess," she said. "Oh, I love the job because everybody's so nice to me, especially the managers, they give me hope and they're so excited to have me there and I'm so happy to be there with them." As a global ambassador for the Special Olympics, Wilson tours the country telling people about her life story. She says she hopes it reminds them that everyone can succeed with a positive attitude. She grew up watching her sister do cartwheels as a cheerleader. She modeled her life in her sister's image, but she forged a life that's all her own. | Eunice Kennedy Shriver started Special Olympics in her backyard in 1962 .
Special Olympics has grown into a global organization that helps 3 million athletes .
An estimated 200 million people live with intellectual disabilities worldwide .
Says one athlete: "Because we have special needs doesn't mean we can't do stuff' |
219,609 | a84955e7938d0874286cbb512ddb942b54c37f92 | Forget prawns, this year it's mussels that could be all the go this Christmas. It’s an Australian tradition to have seafood for Christmas lunch or dinner. But never mind prawns; freshly shucked oysters, salmon canapés, and crab salad are also all passé - it's blue mussels that were the connoisseurs’ choice at the 19th annual 36-Hour Seafood Marathon in Sydney Fish Market. The event saw the first of the Christmas catch sold at 5am on Tuesday, with trade continuing non-stop until 5pm on Wednesday, Christmas Eve. Current sales indicate that produce sold will be up on last year's figures, and blue oysters will be a popular choice. Fishmongers throw ice cubes onto prawns to keep them fresh before selling them at Sydney Fish Market . A seafood vendor at Sydney Fish Market smiles as he takes a delivery of a particularly large fish . Fishmongers bid competitively for fresh festive seafood supplies at Sydney Fish Market . As usual at the fish market prawns are very popular with local customers in Sydney . 'If you're looking for something a little different and a litter cheaper, but still very, very nice, then the blue mussels are a good buy at the moment,' said Brian Skepper, seafood expert and general manager of Sydney Fish Market. 'There's been good supplies around for them. Having them in a simple white wine sauce is as good a meal as you'll get anywhere this Christmas. 'Our climate lends itself to have seafood for lunch. It just makes sense. Christmas is by far the busiest time of the year for us now as far as seafood sales. 'The next is Easter followed by Chinese New Year. It has become a tradition in Sydney at Christmas to come down to the seafood marathon and do your Christmas food shopping. ‘Even at midnight the place is really buzzing. You’ll often see a family down shopping together for seafood for their Christmas lunch.' Apart from the blue mussels that sell for between $7-$11 a kilo, the selection is huge. The favourites tend to be prawns and oysters. Over the 36-hour period about 120 tonnes of prawns – about 55 kilograms every minute – will be sold. 70,000 dozen oysters will also be sold – almost 390 Oysters per minute. Based on prior years organisers are expecting to have over 100,000 people visit the market during the 36-hour period. Approximately 600 tonnes of fresh seafood will be sold through the wholesale market and retailers during this time. the prices and tyoes of fish are put on display at Sydney Fish Market . Customers will be buying seafood at Sydney's fish market over the next two days before Christmas Day . A seafood vendor packs a fish in ice to keep it fresh. Christmas is Sydney's Fish Market's busiest time . Some fish look more like they have just landed from an alien planet rather than being caught in the sea . It's a Smörgåsbord of seafood. Depending on whether you buy a king prawn or a farm prawn they’ll range between $18-$40 a kilo. Pacific oysters sell at between $12-$18 a dozen. Sydney rock oysters between $14-$18 a dozen. In terms of fish, snapper, barramundi and Atlantic salmon are all the most popular. But winter species such as filleted fish are not worth considering during the festive season. For the big spenders, Eastern rock lobster is right at the top end of the market and range from $99-$100 a kilo. It is one thing buying the fish and another thing trying to pick the freshest ones though. ‘Look for product that’s in tact and has good colour. Fish should have firm flesh and bright eyes. They should have pink-red gills and should have a fresh seafood smell to it,' Mr Skepper explained. A large Mahi Mahi is shown off by two Sydney Fish Market vendors . All the fish on view have to be weighed first before going on sale at the market . ‘Then when you purchase your seafood it's critical to keep it cold. Bring an Esky, get the fishmonger to put a bit of ice in it, take it home and get it into the coolest part of the fridge. 'Providing you keep it below four degrees it’ll keep for well up to two or three days.’ He also advised people to come to the market sooner rather than later as people usually leave coming to the last minute. 'Generally there’s a peak at 11pm tonight (Tuesday). People go out for dinner then call in here on their way home. Early in the morning on Wednesday, which is Christmas Eve, is another good time to come. After that it can get very busy as most of us like to leave our shopping to the last minute.' One seafood vendor gets a workout by just loading large fish onto his trolley at Sydney Fish Market . Vendors have no time to waste as the demand for seafood in Sydney's fish market is at its height during Christmas . | General manager of Sydney Fish Market , Bryan Skepper, predicts blue mussels to be all the rage this year .
'Having them in a simple white wine sauce is as good a meal as you'll get anywhere this Christmas,' he says .
At the 19th annual 36-Hour Seafood Marathon about 120 tonnes of prawns – about 55 kilograms every minute – will be sold .
70,000 dozen oysters will also be sold – almost 390 Oysters per minute – at the Sydney Fish Market event .
Current sales indicate that produce sold over the next two days will be up on last year's figures . |
231,627 | b7e4ba620907c50eed410bc98e923f6ca591fe8b | Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- Brazilian World Cup winner Bebeto believes his country's current crop of stars are capable of earning a record-extending sixth title in South Africa. The former striker, now 46, was a member of 1994 team that triumphed in the United States along with the likes of Romario and captain Dunga, who is now Brazil's national coach. He scored three goals in that tournament, and made the headlines after celebrating his effort in the quarterfinal against the Netherlands by racing to the touchline and rocking his arms back and forth in honor of the recent birth of his third child. That year Brazil became the first country to win the World Cup four times, having last triumphed in 1970. They managed it under the guidance of coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who is now in charge of 2010 hosts South Africa. Brazil won a dour final on penalties against Italy after the match ended 0-0 following extra-time, and Dunga has been criticized for instigating a similar tactical approach as he left out talented but faded stars such as Ronaldinho and Adriano from his 23-man World Cup squad. But Bebeto told CNN's Pedro Pinto that Dunga deserves to be given time to impress, having opened the event with a hard-fought 2-1 win over North Korea ahead of Sunday's second Group G clash with the Ivory Coast at Johannesburg's Soccer City. "I think that this squad is a very strong one. There already world champions in it: Lucio, Juan, Kaka, and others that already won the cup," he said. "Experience is important. Dunga is working with a group of winners: they came top of their qualifying group, they won the Confederations Cup here in South Africa [in 2009] and they won Copa America. How it is possible to say something against this kind of squad?" Bebeto agreed that there were similarities between Dunga's team and that of 1994. "It's a hard-working team. It will be very hard to score against Brazil," he said. "I think they have the best defense in the world, starting with our goalkeeper -- that makes them similar to the champions in '94. "When we won in '94, we were already together for 40 days. And that helped a lot. So we need to be patient, and let Dunga do his job. Players like Kaka and Robinho can make the difference. "Luis Fabiano too, even if he's not in peak condition, and Kaka as well. But a player like Kaka, if he feels good, oh my God..." Kaka has struggled to find form after an injury-hit first season with Real Madrid in Spain, having left Italian club AC Milan where he had been hailed as the best player in the world. Forward Robinho has regained the form that prompted English club Manchester City to break the British transfer record in 2008, but only after returning home on loan to Santos. | Former World Cup winner Bebeto believes Brazil can claim sixth title in South Africa .
Bebeto played with current coach Dunga in 1994 triumph in the United States .
The 46-year-old says Dunga's squad have enough experience to do well in 2010 .
He believes playmaker Kaka will be a key figure if he can regain his best form . |
109,251 | 18d42d211e45e5a48159616d2a959093483bcdf8 | When Chloe Valentine's teenage mother was punched in the face by a partner while holding her infant daughter, little Chloe didn't cry. By then, she had become used to such violence. As the first phase of an inquest into the Adelaide girl's death drew to a close on Friday, there could be no doubt Chloe's short life was also marred by appalling squalor and neglect. Government agency Families SA considered her to be at risk even before she was born and had received multiple calls about the girl by the time she was six weeks old. After 20 notifications were made to the child protection agency about Chloe's care, she was never removed from her drug-using mother, Ashlee Polkinghorne. Chloe was four years old when she died of massive head injuries in January 2012 after being forced to ride a motorbike and repeatedly crashed over a three-day period in her Adelaide backyard. Scroll down for video . Chloe Valentine was just four when she died of massive head injuries in January 2012 . The inquest has focused on the heavy involvement of Families SA and other child welfare agencies throughout most of Chloe's life and their efforts to protect the girl. Evidence has revealed how Polkinghorne, described by one concerned friend as a very convincing liar, was often given the benefit of the doubt by social workers, who helped clean her house and avoided confronting the teenager about her drug use. One of the squalid residences she and Chloe occupied was reportedly infested with rats, while another was littered with soiled nappies and rotting food. It was alleged Chloe was also left for days on end with Polkinghorne's teenage friends. The reaction of State Coroner Mark Johns and his counsel to the evidence was one of disbelief. Social worker Nicholas Ratsch told the inquest he helped Polkinghorne draft a safety plan in late 2007 to make sure infant Chloe received proper care when her mother was affected by drugs. Polkinghorne, who was 16 at the time, agreed that whenever she and her then-partner were out of it there would be a sober person at home. The strategy replaced a previous agreement, brokered by case workers, in which Polkinghorne pledged to cease all drug-taking. An inquest into Chloe's death heard that social workers knew that her mother, drug user Ashley Polkinghorne, was neglecting her daughter from 18-months-old . The coroner questioned why Mr Ratsch would muddy the waters, saying the new plan had effectively condoned Polkinghorne's drug use. 'It doesn't in any way start with discouragement not to use drugs, does it?' Mr Johns asked. 'It's almost implicit that they will use drugs.' Another social worker, Leanne Stewart, told the inquest Polkinghorne was 'just a teenager' who found it difficult to prioritise tasks such as cleaning her rubbish-strewn house. Chloe died at the hands of her parents after she was repeatedly forced to crash a motorbike over a three-day period . Counsel assisting the coroner, Naomi Kereru, accused Ms Stewart of defending Polkinghorne's behaviour, saying her obligation was to protect infant Chloe. 'She was a teenager with a baby,' Ms Kereru said. 'You're there to protect the baby, not make excuses for the mother, aren't you?' Social worker Leanne Stewart told the inquest on Wednesday she believed 18-month-old Chloe was receiving 'good enough' care in early 2009, despite substantial evidence of neglect and multiple child abuse notifications, when her mother was 17. Chloe's teenage mother allowed the 18-month-old to be supervised by other teenagers for extended periods, despite being warned by Ms Stewart that this was not acceptable. Family members, including Polkinghorne's father, raised alarms about infant Chloe's safety and told agencies they would be happy to take care of the girl if she was removed from her mother. But Ms Stewart believed some of the allegations may have been malicious or exaggerated because there was 'frequent conflict' in Polkinghorne's family relationships. Polkinghorne was 'just a teenager' and found it difficult to prioritise tasks such as cleaning her often rubbish-strewn house, Ms Stewart said. Polkinghorne, was jailed for at least four years and nine months while the 22-year-old's then-partner, Benjamin McPartland, 28, received four years and two months . Chloe died of 39 different injuries in 2012 . Ms Stewart denied that she was reluctant to act on the child abuse allegations, saying it took time for parents such as Polkinghorne to make sustained changes. Polkinghorne, now 22, and a later partner, Benjamin McPartland, 28, were jailed this year over Chloe's death after pleading guilty to manslaughter through criminal neglect. The inquest will resume for another two weeks on December 1. | Chloe Valentine died at the hands of her neglectful mother Ashley Polkinghorne and her partner Benjamin McPartland in 2012 .
Families SA considered Chloe to be at risk even before she was born and had received multiple calls about the girl by the time she was six weeks old .
She suffered massive head injuries, black and swollen eyes, a cut to her head and bruises all over her body .
Social worker Leanne Stewart told the inquest into Chloe's death that she believed the toddler was receiving 'good enough' care in early 2009 .
This is despite substantial evidence of neglect and multiple child abuse notifications against her mother at the time .
Counsel assisting the coroner, Naomi Kereru said: 'You're there to protect the baby, not make excuses for the mother'
Polkinghorne, 22, and McPartland, 28, pleaded guilty to manslaughter through criminal neglect . |
71,835 | cba185c08af507014d135dad92583e641560def0 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:42 EST, 8 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:42 EST, 8 January 2013 . Tragic: Tameria Greene, pictured, was stabbed to death last week and her mother, Semeria, has been charged with her murder . The younger brother of an eight-year-old girl who was allegedly stabbed to death by her mother told children's advocacy workers he witnessed the murder. Semeria Greene is charged with murder in the December 30 slaying of her daughter Tameria. A petition filed on Monday in Wayne County Juvenile Court stated the boy, four, said that his mother 'had a big knife and cut his sister and his mother killed Ti-Ti'. Greene has three other sons who the state are petitioning to take from her permanently. Michigan Child Protective services tried for two years to remove Tameria Greene and her four younger brothers from their mother's care, even petitioning the court as recently as November. Greene was charged last Wednesday with felony murder and first-degree child abuse and her four sons have been turned over to Child Protective Services, police spokeswoman Sgt Eren Stephens said. Neighbors called police to the Greene family's apartment in the Martin Luther King block just east of downtown Detroit in the early hours of Sunday morning. When officers arrived at 2.42am, they found Tameria bleeding and unresponsive on the floor, having been stabbed in the chest, and recovered three bloodied kitchen knives that were scattered around her. The little girl was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead and Semeria Greene was taken into custody. The hospital told police Tameria also had bruises, possible bite marks and scratches on her face. 'This is only the second day of the year and we are charging a parent with a child homicide,' said Kym Worthy, county prosecutor. 'This case is made even more profoundly sad because today would have been Tameria's ninth birthday.' Semeria Greene's family don't believe she killed her daughter and claim police should be questioning Greene's allegedly abusive partner, Jovan Mull, who is the father of three of the boys. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Plea: Semeria Greene, pictured, has entered a not-guilty plea after she was charged with fatally stabbing her daughter . 'There's no way (Semeria was responsible). My sister did not even like to whoop her kids,' Tanisha Robinson told Fox 2 News. 'Jovan Mull, he should be arrested. He fled the scene of a crime,' she added. According to the Detroit Free Press, Greene told police her daughter had been making sandwiches in the kitchen when she heard a knock at the door. It's . unclear what happened next, but Greene said she then saw Tameria lying . dead on the living room floor. The police report says there was no . evidence the girl was making sandwiches. Greene had blood on her shirt and sock and was giving her daughter CPR when police arrived, according to reports. Police said she was uncooperative after her arrest, refusing to walk and pretending to fall asleep. They said her breath 'smelled of metabolizing alcohol.' According to the Free Press, . officers found a bloody knife by the sink in the house, a folding knife . on top of the refrigerator and a butcher knife between couch cushions. Failings: Michigan Child Protective Services attempted to remove Tameria, pictured, from her mother's care for two years but a court ruled against it . Gone: The little girl, pictured left with her mother Semeria, right, was found in a pool of blood with stab wounds, bruises and bite marks . They also found a dried blood shoe print in the dining room and dried . blood in the living room. Greene . had a bruise under her eye when police arrived at the apartment, which . relatives said may have occurred at the hands of her abusive partner. State child welfare workers have known . of problems with the family for at least two years and have . unsuccessfully tried to take Greene's children into protective custody, . said Michigan Department of Human Services Director Maura Corrigan. Support: The family of Semeria Greene, pictured, don't believe she killed her daughter and claim police should be questioning Greene's allegedly abusive partner, Jovan Mull . Corrigan said an expedited internal . review after the death showed that case workers have been trying to . protect the children and act on concerns raised by family, friends and . neighbors. 'Most recently, DHS petitioned the court on November 28, unsuccessfully, to remove Tameria and her siblings from her mother's home,' Corrigan said in a statement. It's not immediately clear why the court blocked the state's attempts to remove the children from Green's care. Corrigan said the department 'continued to provide court-ordered counseling services to the family as well as conducting in-home visits, the last of which occurred only two days before Tameria's death.' 'We share the grief felt by her loved ones and her community,' the woman said. Tameria's 7, 4, 2 and 1-year-old brothers now are in foster care. A motive for the stabbing was not clear. Neighbor Kimyatta Craigmiles told The Detroit News that she had earlier seen Greene arguing with a man in the complex's parking lot. According to the Detroit Free Press, . police had contact with Greene over allegations of child abuse and . neglect, as well as the previous visits from Children's Protective . Services. Greene . had taken Tameria to Children's Hospital of Michigan in October with . bruises on her body and told hospital officials an incident had occurred . at school, a report said. Neighbors noted how the mother would leave her children alone at times and was abusive. She had reported checked her self into a mental health clinic in the past. Memorial: Family and friends tied balloons on the door step of the Greene's home at the Martin Luther King Apartments, in Detroit, after the stabbing . Emotional: Relatives break down at a candlelight vigil for Tameria Greene, pictured . Court records show that Greene's sister was given guardianship of Tameria and at least one of her brothers in 2007, but they were returned to their mother in January 2008. Minister Craig Fuqua Bey, who will be conducting Tameria's funeral service next week, told the Free Press Greene was a loving mother. 'She loved her children,' he said, 'and her children loved her.' Neighbors adorned the family's porch and front door at the Martin Luther King Apartments with balloons and stuffed animals in the girl's memory. Greene is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole if convicted of murder. The child abuse charge carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence. Fox 2 News Headlines . | Semeria Greene, 26, was charged last week with felony murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of her daughter Tameria .
The girl was found in a pool of blood at family's Detroit apartment on Sunday morning, with multiple stab wounds, bruises, bite marks and scratches .
The woman's four sons have been turned over to Child Protective Services .
Michigan Child Protective services first tried to remove the children in 2010 and most recently on November 28, 2012, but were unsuccessful . |
86,567 | f5b1a1af6564f8b86a6615e9fbac9de679bd9691 | (EW.com) -- "Facts of Life" star and "Survivor" schemer Lisa Whelchel has West Nile virus. The 49-year-old actress tweeted her condition, writing, "Dr. just called with blood test results...I have West Nile. Ugh. I'm fine, just tired. Takes a year to recover." It's unknown where she contracted the illness, which can be spread by mosquitoes. 10 Most Successful Mouseketeers . "Survivor: Philippines" wrapped its production in April. Approximately 5,000 Americans have been infected by the illness this year, and Texas, where Whelchel lives, is one of the hardest-hit states. Whelchel later tweeted, "I've been very touched by all the sweet tweets. Other than tired, I'm feeling fine & expecting a full recovery. So grateful for you. Thanks!?" See the original article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | "Facts of Life's" Lisa Whelchel has West Nile virus .
The 49-year-old actress tweeted, "Dr. just called with blood test results...I have West Nile"
"Survivor: Philippines" wrapped its production in April . |
85,100 | f15c67d0a57ee11ce8d4b1d423ed5f2ca2b1b082 | Borussia Dortmund are laying the groundwork for the potential departure of Mats Hummels to Manchester United. Hummels has underlined in recent days that he intends to see out his contract but it is understood meetings have taken place outlining a price to United of around £37million. Dortmund have also earmarked a potential replacement in Dinamo Kiev's Aleksandar Dragovic and have made contact this week. Dortmund are laying the groundwork for the potential departure of Mats Hummels to Manchester United . Dortmund have been looking at Aleksandar Dragovic (right) as a replacement for Hummels . Hummels has shown signs of frustration at being constantly asked the question of whether he will depart for Old Trafford, snapping at reporters, and it has not helped Dortmund's cause. They are staring relegation in the face as they prepare for the second half of the Bundesliga season and Jurgen Klopp has called for the group to close together with Marco Reus also the subject of interest from Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea as his release clause kicks in. United have not denied interest in Hummels but have asked about other players in his position too. Kiev's Dragovic, 23, is one of those who has been watched by United also but has had mixed scouting reports. West Ham were also keen but his value is out of their budget at £15m. Leicester City did make a bold attempt to take him on loan this week, offering a fee and to cover his wages, but the player declined. Sadik El Fitouri impressed Manchester United coaches in a trial game and could join the club . Manchester United are ready to offer a contract to Salford City trialist Sadik El Fitouri. Sportsmail revealed how the 20-year-old right back, who only joined Salford in December, had impressed staff during a game between United's Under 21s and first-team fringe players. He has continued to impress in training and in games and United are willing to offer an 18-month deal. El Fitouri was a junior at Manchester City but apparently fell out of love with the game and his limited prospects of breaking through. He joined Salford but was encouraged to try for United and that now looks to have paid off. He won't necessarily jump straight into the first-team squad but will help boost numbers and quality in Warren Joyce's Under 21 set-up. Paris Saint-Germain remain the most prominent club chasing the signature of United teenager Andreas Pereira who is out of contract in the summer. Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah is still being discussed as a potential makeweight in the Juan Cuadrado deal . Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah is still being discussed as a potential makeweight in the deal that brings Juan Cuadrado to Chelsea from Fiorentina. Talks were ongoing last night and this morning with Real Sociedad and Roma also in the frame. Jose Mourinho is keen to help Moyes in particular but the Egyptian is keen on Italy. As revealed by Sportsmail, Chelsea will sell Andre Schurrle, are in talks over Cuadrado and have tabled a parallel bid for Douglas Costa at Shakhtar Donetsk. Fiorentina have so far refused to budge form their valuation of Colombian midfielder Cuadrado . Swansea City are trying to sign Southampton midfielder Jack Cork. The 25-year-old was given an ultimatum by Southampton manager Ronald Koeman to sign a new contract this week as his deal ends in the summer and the club want to protect themselves against losing him for nothing. Koeman has enquired about Feyenoord's Tonny Vilhena and is down the line in talks with Benfica over the loan of Filip Djuricic. Looming large is the expected bids from Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool for Morgan Schneiderlin. His departure could give Cork more opportunities but the likelihood is Southampton will buy another replacement with Jordy Clasie in Koeman's sights. Swansea will offer around £3m for Cork and see how the next few days shape up. Swansea will offer around £3million for Cork and see how the next few days shape up . Aston Villa have joined Newcastle by showing interest in MK Dons midfielder Dele Alli. Newcastle are willing to pay £4m rising to £5m and allow the 18-year-old to return to Dons on loan for the rest of the season. Villa have discussed a similar deal with slightly more up front for the England Under 19 international who has scored 12 goals this season. Manager Karl Robinson re-iterated: 'We know there has been communications with clubs. We hope we can do right by Dele and the club as well. I can't see him not wearing our shirt for the rest of the season. Part of the deal would be him staying with us for the rest of the season and joining whoever it is in the summer. 'There's no deal completely confirmed yet.' Alli, who has also been watched by Liverpool and Bayern Munich, made his MK debut as a 16-year-old in November 2012, and has gone on to play 75 games, scoring 20 goals, and signed a contract until 2017 in September. Aston Villa have joined Newcastle by showing interest in MK Dons midfielder Dele Alli . Villa are giving a trial to Michael Jordan Nkololo. The 22-year-old striker is hoping to impress Paul Lambert after playing at French side Chateauroux this season. They have also declared an interest in Besiktas striker Demba Ba who will be considerably more expensive. West Ham hope to have an answer from Darren Fletcher with a two-and-a-half year deal on the table and the option of an extra year. The Manchester United midfielder, who is now cured from ulcerative colitis following surgery, has had further talks with West Brom and Valencia but the latter has slipped away with Spain's deadline tomorrow night and Valencia unable to move out three players. Fletcher has been allowed to leave on a free transfer and United will pay a contribution towards his wages with the 30-year-old at pains to point out he has had no dispute with Ed Woodward or Louis Van Gaal who he says have both been supportive in his move away. Hamilton left-back Stephen Hendrie underwent his medical today at West Ham's training ground ahead of agreeing a pre-contract for the summer. Ravel Morrison has agreed his move to Italian side Lazio and will wear the number four shirt. West Ham hope to have an answer from Darren Fletcher with a two-and-a-half year deal on the table . Ravel Morrison posted this picture on Instagram showing his name on the back of a Lazio shirt . Wigan are taking a look at Icelandic goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsen. Manager Malky Mackay wants cover with clubs continuing to show interest in Oman international Ali Al Habsi. The 30-year-old Halldorsson has 26 caps for Iceland and is an interesting character. He even directed the video for Iceland's entry to the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest and he is hoping to return to a career making films when he finishes with football. Wigan are also taking a look at Olympiacos left-back Gaetan Bong. The 26-year-old Cameroon international is training with the club ahead of a potential deal. Birmingham and Charlton are showing interest in Wigan's Rob Kiernan. The 24-year-old can play at centre-back or defensive midfield and has two years left on contract. Malky Mackay wants cover with clubs continuing to show interest in Oman international Ali Al Habsi . Burnley are showing an interest in Celtic's Anthony Stokes as they weigh up late additions. The 26-year-old former Arsenal and Sunderland striker is open to a move and keen to return to England. The Republic of Ireland international has had interest from Cardiff and Leeds United. Burnley remain in the frame for West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans also. Birmingham, Middlesbrough and Fulham have enquired about loans but Albion want around £3m for the 27-year-old Scotland international. Iain Hume has rejoined Tranmere Rovers on a six-month contract subject to international clearance. The energetic striker, 31, has chosen to return to the League One club following his successful spell in the Indian Super League where he was voted Player of the League after helping Kerala Blasters reach the final. | Borussia Dortmund are preparing for life after defender Mats Hummels .
Manchester United have failed to deny their interest in the German .
United are also ready to offer a contract to Sadik El Fitouri .
READ: Sadik El Fitouri stars on trial at Man Utd .
Chelsea may use Mohamed Salah in deal for Juan Cuadrado .
Swansea City are trying to sign Southampton midfielder Jack Cork .
Click here for all the latest transfer news . |
262,540 | e013a6e69cfc492c61067659f6852c56b79d7467 | By . Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 20:16 EST, 16 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:59 EST, 17 September 2013 . TODAY show executives are hoping its new orange set signifies a new dawn for the venerable show, but critics and viewers aren't sold on the bright idea. NBC's TODAY has been losing viewers since the badly-handled departure of Ann Curry in 2012 and network executives are clearly hoping the revamped set, as well as the addition of The Voice host Carson Daly. As TODAY hosts Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales showed viewers around their brand new set, viewers took to Twitter to express their views on the decor. New dawn: Natalie Morales, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker opened Monday's show for the first time in the renovated Studio 1A . Seeing orange: The TODAY hosts test out their new sofa . Sunrise, sunset: Willie Giest shows off the new six-panel screen in the revamped TODAY set . For some, orange is the new black, but for others the new set missed the mark. Jeremy Harris wrote, 'Not impressed by the "makeover"... new graphics are stylish by the new set looks like it's from the 70's.' Ken Roberts tweeted, 'TODAY show debuts new orange set. As a result, Snooki and John Boehner will require GPS chip implants in case they blend in and get lost.' 'The new @todayshow set looks TERRIBLE!! I am sincerely shocked. It looks like 1973. And the burnt orange couch? I can't!' tweeted Ferocia Fatale. Some critics were of the same opinion. 'NBC's venerable Today Show unveiled a new set and tried to unveil a new attitude on Monday morning, but the orange-tinged hues looked more than a little desperate,' wrote TV critic Scott D. Pierce in the Salt Lake City Tribune. Daly, daily: TODAY's new team member shows viewers around the Orange Room . Friend in need: Roker helps Guthrie remove some kale from her teeth on their new orange sofa . The New York Daily News describes the set as ' the way your TV screen would look if someone punched a hole in the top and poured in a glass of orange juice.' The studio was renovated in just 30 days by a team of 200 people. It includes a new anchor desk that can spin 360 degrees, an 'interactive weather wall' made up of six screens that can come apart and the Orange Room, a digital studio that will allow multi-platform reporting and will be presided over by Daly. Interactive: The TODAY team test out their new interactive Orange Room by Skyping with a viewer . Orange you glad: None of the TODAY team will ever wear orange again, lest they blend into their bright sofa . A recurring sunrise motif - though some have pointed out that it actually looks more like a sunset - decorates the studio. According to the Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Don Nash described the set as a 'hipster New York City apartment.' A large burnt orange sofa dominates the main interview area and revealed a problem for the show's costume department. Savannah Guthrie's hot-pink dress clashed with the orange hue, evoking the colors of a tequila sunrise - the costume department at TODAY will now have to take into consideration the clash-factor when dressing its stars. TODAY is the cash-cow for NBC's news division, and the network is hoping viewers who strayed to competitor (and the top rating morning show for the past 55 weeks, breaking a 16-year winning streak for TODAY) Good Morning America. | NBC's beleaguered morning show has unveiled a new set .
Much of the TODAY show set's decor is orange .
Critics and viewers have expressed distaste at the '1970s' style of the set . |
220,428 | a952947e6bebb17ed8e900be578977fe5da473ff | By . Nazia Parveen . PUBLISHED: . 04:50 EST, 24 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:37 EST, 24 June 2013 . Disciplined: Magistrate Yvonne Davies has been reprimanded after telling Christopher Duncan who she was sentencing for growing cannabis that addiction to the drug had led to the death of her brother . A magistrate has been forced to resign after she told how cannabis led to her brother’s untimely death when she sentenced a drug dealer. Great-grandmother Yvonne Davies issued a heartfelt plea to the cannabis grower to mend his ways as she described the devastating impact of her brother’s drugs addiction on her family. Even though Mrs Davies says she had spoken about her family’s experience ‘hundreds of times’ during her 14 years on the bench, she was told that her actions fell ‘well below’ the standards expected. Following four complaints – including one from a pro-cannabis campaigner – Mrs Davies was officially reprimanded. The decision was signed off by Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling and the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge. But the 65-year-old former chairman of the bench said her position was made ‘untenable’ following a ‘back-to-work’ interview, during which she says she was repeatedly asked to resign by senior colleagues. She quit last week. Mrs Davies said: ‘I feel disgusted and let down. I was in the business of ensuring justice prevailed but there is absolutely no justice in what has happened to me. ‘I could not go back into an organisation where I felt I was being gagged and pilloried for speaking out about a substance which is illegal in this country. ‘I feel devastated that I have given the magistracy 14 years of my life and spoken about my brother’s death hundreds of times helping hundreds of offenders and this is how I am repaid. It is despicable.’ In August last year, Mrs Davies, who also works as a psychotherapist and mental health counsellor, spoke out about the death of her brother while sentencing Christopher Duncan, 55, to 200 hours unpaid work for growing cannabis. Mrs Davies, told how her family went through a ‘living hell’ after her brother Glen Harding died aged 39. He developed epilepsy, schizophrenia and depression following years of smoking cannabis and was found dead in a canal in 1997. Following the hearing, and Mrs Davies’ interviews in local and national media, the Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) launched an investigation into the way she had expressed her personal views on the case. This was triggered by complaints from three retired magistrates and a pro-cannabis campaigner who asked for Mrs Davies to be removed from her position immediately. Mrs Davies was then suspended. However, after a ten-month investigation the OJC opted only to reprimand her. Then, during a back-to- work interview, she claims requests were made for her resignation by a justice clerk and a liaison judge and she resigned on Friday. Mrs Davies said: ‘I was suspended immediately and it was made very clear that I wasn’t going to be receiving any support. ‘I just felt incredibly shocked and upset at the way I was being treated. I had not committed a criminal act – I was genuinely trying to help others.’ Experience: The 65-year-old chairman of the bench had cited the 'living hell' her family went through after losing her brother Glen Harding, pictured . The decision to suspend and investigate Mrs Davies was criticised by an anti-social behaviour reduction charity. Nick Buckley, who runs Mancunian Way, said: ‘We find that it’s not until someone dealing drugs meet families and victims caught up in the trade that things change. ‘I think the way this magistrate has spoken to this defendant is right. She might not be following the rule book exactly but it’s these personal stories which will reach someone.’ And Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, also voiced support for Mrs Davies. She said: ‘It is extremely sad that Yvonne Davies has chosen to resign over this issue, but she has done a service in highlighting the dangers that cannabis can pose to those who are vulnerable to mental illness. ‘There is a growing body of evidence linking cannabis, especially in its strong form skunk, to mental illness, with all the damage that can inflict on individuals and their families.’ Tragic: Glen Harding developed schizophrenia and epilepsy, apparently as a result of cannabis use. He is pictured here with his father Les Harding in 1987 . In a statement the OJC confirmed that Mrs Davies was made subject to an investigation following the ‘expression of personal views in court’ and subsequent media interviews. A statement read: ‘The investigation found the views expressed in court were inappropriate. ‘The Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice agreed and concluded that her combined actions fell below the standard of behaviour expected of a magistrate and have issued Mrs Davies with a reprimand.’ Mrs Davies, who lives with her husband Ernie, 65, in Partington, Greater Manchester, remained defiant last night. She said: ‘It is ludicrous that as a magistrate I cannot cite a personal experience where there have been devastating consequences because of cannabis abuse. ‘It is also doubly astounding that the views of a pro-cannabis campaigner were used to build a case against me. As far as I am aware, cannabis is still very much illegal in Britain. ‘But I don’t regret any of it and I would speak out again about the dangers of using drugs. My brother lost his life because of it and if I can save others from the devastation it causes I will. ‘When I spoke out I received dozens of letters of support from families whose children were abusing drugs telling me that they were grateful – even just for those it was worth it.’ | Yvonne .
Davies was sentencing cannabis grower Christopher Duncan .
She described her family's 'living hell' after losing her brother Glen Harding .
He developed schizophrenia and depression after smoking cannabis .
Magistrate told Duncan: 'You have got to stop using it'
But she was told her actions had fallen 'below the standard' expected . |
164,960 | 614f3ee9c233aa61cf0135ada62011134abcf6a8 | It seems like hipsters are here to stay with the bearded, kale-munching, green juice-drinking members of society creating their own non-conforming offspring. As hipsters breed, it is only fitting that they choose ironic names, inspired by music, art, geographical locations and nature – or sometimes just random letters of the alphabet. When Gwyneth Paltrow announced to the world that her children were named ‘Apple’ and ‘Moses’ the names were considered abnormal. But the kindergarten classes of 2020 are likely to be filled with children with monikers inspired by fruit. They’re the names that make you feel like you haven’t applied nearly enough wit or innovation in the naming of your own children. Beard-twirling, kale juice-drinking hipsters seem to be taking over the baby name game . Here is a list of the names that are most likely to be attached to the cardigan-wearing, thrift-store shopping bubs. Bear, according to Buzzfeed, has frequently been used as a name by celebrities, shared by the sons of both Alicia Silverstone and Kate Winslet. One would think that the prominence of the name amongst celebrities would make it strictly off bounds amongst hipsters. Despite this, it is indeed a favourite name amongst the glasses-wearing, bike-pedalling members of society – especially if it is the ‘spirit animal’ of the parent. Often, the secret to a hipster name is taking a name that is intended for one gender and giving it to a child that is of the other sex. Embracing all things vintage is an important component when naming a hipster child. For girls, names like Edna, Mabel, Edie and Ramona are climbing the hipster charts. There are bouncing baby boys boasting the names Ray, Stanley and Ignatius. But remember – these names cannot hit the top 100 baby names. As soon as they do, they are no longer original, thus cannot be used for a truly hipster baby. Should we named it Edna, Mabel, Edie or Ramona? Ray? Stanley? Ignatius? He'll probably ride a fixie and work as a barista . Names normally used for objects, with Clementine and Pearl frequently used for little girls. Plant and food names are also particularly popular, such as Clover, Juniper, Magnolia and Olive. Amazingly, Kale is even more multipurpose than first thought. It is not just a hipster superfood, used frequently in salads and juices, but is also understood to be a boy’s name . Names that appear to be nicknames, such as Frankie, Lulu are also markers of true hipster names. For hipsters naming their babies it is an opportunity to demonstrated just how cultured and well-read they are. Classic novels are the birthplace of many hipster names. Of course, the books that are used cannot be mainstream favourites, but rather the long-forgotten treasures. The beloved 1960 novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee has inspired two of the favourite names amongst the hipster community: Atticus and Scout. Gulliver is another hipster pick, naturally spurred from the 1726 text ‘Gulliver’s Travels. Atticus, Scout and Gulliver are among the literary-inspired hipster name choices . Holden and Salinger are two names that should be expected in future schoolyards, both derived from ‘Catcher in the Rye’ – Holden being a character in the novel and Sallnger the surname of the author, J.D. Salinger. If the name begins with an X, Q or Z it is preferable, as they are highly uncommon – which remember, is the goal when naming a hipster child. These names include Xena, Zola, Zeus . Many of the character names from The Simpsons are becoming popular are they now hold a certain irony – so expect to see more people bearing the names Homer, Mo, Maggie and Lenny. Just because hipsters are becoming parents, doesn’t mean they’re not cool. To remind the world of this fact, many children’s names have been inspired by the names of old-school rock stars. The name Elvis is having a resurgence, as is Jagger – a la Mick. Buddy is a nod to Buddy Holly and Everly is used for both baby boys and girls, perhaps in reference to the Everly Brothers. Naming children after geographic locations is a special way for hipsters to commemorate memories - with good times obviously frequently occuring at places such as Arizona, Aspen, India and Brooklyn, which are increasing in popularity. Considering the number of hipster's residing in Sydney however, one can expect Tamarama or Glebe to soon be inked on baby certificates. Some names channel the kind of personality the parents want for their child. Some hipster parents are optimistic, choosing names like Serenity. Others are more daring, gifting their future ratbag with the name Rebel or Truant. | Hipster baby trend includes names like Kale, Scout and Django .
Names adopted from pop culture and literature .
Celeb baby names such as Bear and Brooklyn also very popular . |
223,064 | acc562f0fd6020ea4cdd74a98a269389f53e774d | By . Louise Boyle . A former business partner of a Romanian couple wanted by Interpol for an alleged $73million oil tax evasion said today that his dealings with the suspected fraudsters left him on the brink of losing his company. Doug McCrea, who runs a wine business in Yelm, Washington, first came into contact with Radu Nemes, 39, and his wife Diana, 38, in the fall of 2012. They were introduced to the vineyard owner by Greg Simmons, a 'very nice gentleman' and marketing director of a mystical spiritual organization known as the Ramtha School of Enlightenment (RSE). Mr McCrea had known Mr Simmons as an acquaintance for several years after he attended an 'open-house' wine tasting at the vineyard. Radu Nemes, 39, and his wife Diana, 38, are facing extradition to Romania to face charges that they dodged millions in fuel taxes. They were caught hiding out in Washington state where they had joined a spiritual group . Mr Simmons was then director of marketing at RSE but was retiring and taking on the role of the Nemes' business manager when he approached Mr McCrea in fall 2012 about investing in his wine business. Mr Simmons, 68, had reportedly . travelled all over the world spreading the message about . the enlightenment school which has levied accusations of being a cult. By 2008, RSE was widening its reach around the world to countries including Chile, Japan, South Africa - and Romania. Doug McCrea almost lost his business after dealing with the Nemes - who have been arrested after being chased by Interpol from Romania for tax evasion . Mr . McCrea told MailOnline today that Mr Simmons vouched for the couple, . who were presented to him as ‘extremely wealthy’ and members of the RSE . community. The Nemes told Mr McCrea that they had made their money . from a variety of business interests – including oil. Mr MrCrea said that living in Yelm often means running into people from the ‘School’. He said his impression is that they are people of 'impeccable integrity' and that several of his winery employees were members of the . organization. The . School of Enlightenment was established in Yelms, a town of 6,000, in . the late 1980s and has grown to around 2,000 followers. The . RSE was established by female leader J.Z. Knight, a business school . drop-out from Roswell, New Mexico, who claims to channel messages from a . 35,000-year-old warrior. Her spiritual method claims to bring . together ancient wisdom with the power of consciousness and the latest . scientific discoveries. Ms Knight, (the J.Z. stands for Judy Zebra), . a 68-year-old who has three marriages under her belt, holds retreats . for her followers on private land attached to her French chateau-style . mansion. A promotional poster from J.Z. Knight who founded the Ramtha School of Enlightenment in 1988 in Yelm, Washington . The Ramtha method uses ancient wisdom and scientific developments, according to its followers . In 2007, her business filed profits of $2.6million from retreats, books, CDs and DVD sales. The . Nemes, who arrived in the U.S. in 2012 after reportedly fleeing their . native Romania following charges of tax evasion, settled in the quiet town, . far out west. It is then that they became members of the school of . enlightenment. They have two sons, aged eight and nine, and local sources have claimed that Mrs Nemes is pregnant again. Mr McCrea told MailOnline that despite being informed of the couple’s abundant wealth, they were quiet and unassuming. He . said occasionally the couple came for a glass of wine at his bar but . kept to themselves. He described Mrs Nemes as a 'petite blonde' who came . across as a very nice person. The wine-maker said: 'I take people at face value whether they are from Romania or . Nicaragua. They expressed an interest in investing in the winery and . said it seemed like an exciting thing to do.' Mr McCrea, who was looking to grow his business Eagleview Hill, LLC, agreed to a partnership with the couple. Ramtha's School of Enlightenment, established in 1988, is an 'academy of the mind' based in Yelm, Washington . Ramtha is run by J.Z. Knight (pictured) who claims to channel a 35,000-year-old warrior spirit . At . no point, did he have any awareness of their criminal past and is not . aware if Mr Simmons knew of the couple's previous shady dealings. A business plan was drawn up with lawyers and an operating agreement put in place by March 2013. The . investment was large enough to make Mrs Nemes a majority stakeholder, a . strategy which the couple claimed was essential to obtain her an E-2 . visa - which allows a non-citizen to stay in the U.S. if they are a . majority owner of a business. Mr Nemes did not sign the business agreement. Mr McCrea said at this point the couple stipulated that Mr Simmons would come on board as the business manager of the winery. Mr . Crea said: 'He [Simmons] was planning to retire from Ramtha after 25 . years and said this gave him something exciting to do. I took it at face . value.' According to . business filings, Mr Simmons is listed as a business partner along with . Diana Nemes and Li Yew Heah on Magdalena Properties LLC. He is also listed on . a company called Mt Rainier Properties LLC along with Mrs Nemes and . James Capezio. Court documents show that the Nemes bought a home in Thurston . County, and were allegedly in the process of building a lavish property on the grounds with the . illegal funds, according to investigators. They also owned a a . restaurant and a large commercial property in Yelm. By October 2013, the cracks were beginning to show in the wine business partnership. The . Nemes met with Mr MCrea to tell him that they didn't believe that the . business was going well - despite the company's accountant confirming . that the winery was on track to meet its projections for turning a . profit. Mr MrCrea said: 'They basically said that the business was not what they wanted to do.' A . few days later, Mr Simmons showed up with a purchase-and-sale agreement . from the Nemes wanting to buy Mr McCrea’s whole company - at about a . third of the value of the company's inventory. One of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment retreats which encourages followers to 'become a remarkable life' A Romanian couple accused in a plot to dodge $73 million in oil taxes in Romania were arrested this week while living in Yelm in rural Washington state . He was told if he decided to sell within 72 hours, the couple would not stop funding the winery. Mr McCrea refused to sell the business which he started in 2006 – and abruptly the Nemes' funds stopped. Mr . McCrea told MailOnline today that he has not heard from the couple, or . business manager Mr Simmons since October. Mr McCrea believes that Mr . Simmons is still in Yelm as he has seen his car around town. The first Mr McCrea heard of the Nemes' shady past was when authorities came to his home this week. Radu Nemes, 39, and his wife Diana, 38, . were arrested by the FBI on Tuesday and are facing extradition to Romania to face charges that they colluded with a high-ranking . official to dodge millions in fuel taxes. According to filings, Radu Nemes . allegedly worked as part of a criminal gang to illegally import 1million . tons of diesel fuel and sell it in Romania through shell companies . between 2011 and 2012. The shell companies were set up in names of homeless people to distance the Nemes from the fraud. The massive tax dodge came by importing the fuel for manufacturing purposes then selling it directly to consumers. Diana Nemes allegedly helped her . husband by laundering money from the fuel scheme through Dubai accounts . and then bringing it into the U.S. At . least 20 others have been charged in the massive tax dodge, according . to Romanian investigators including a senior official at the national . customs office. The Nemes, who remain in jail, are due to appear in court today. Several calls to numbers for Mr Simmons went unanswered today. He has not been charged with any crimes. Although . Mr McCrea said that although the whole experience was, and remains, extremely . stressful, he has been left with an overarching sense of sadness, . particularly because the Nemes have two young sons. He added: 'They have created it, now they have to live it.' He said that although the wine business is a 'little tough' at the moment, he remains optimistic. 'We are realigning our priorities, we have to slow it down. But we can go forward,' he said. A spokesman for the Ramtha school issued a statement to MailOnline today saying the school 'has no information about allegations from the Romanian government or the student referenced. Mr Simmons retired from principal in March 2013 and we have no information about his private matters.' Ramtha's School of Enlightenment, which claims roots in the teachings of a 35,000-year-old warrior from a mystical land, was founded 26 years ago by a business school drop-out from Roswell, New Mexico. JZ Knight (born Judith Darlene Hampton in 1946) is the spiritual school's 'high priestess' after she claims that she was visited in 1977 by an entity named Ramtha, an ancient warrior who channels his teachings through her. Followers participating in an event at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment . Ramtha, the 'Enlightened One', marries ancient wisdom with neuroscience and quantum physics to allow followers to access their own 'direct channel' with God. Between 1979 and 1988, Knight traveled the U.S. having private 'dialogues' with students. In 1988, Ramtha's School of Enlightenment was founded on former ranch land in Yelm, a small city in rural Washington state. It is . an 'academy of the mind that offers retreats and workshops to people of . all ages and cultures', according to its official website . By 1995, Ramtha's school had an international reputation. J.Z. Knight was touring Australia, Italy, Japan and South Africa to spread her message of how students can use their brain power to 'Become a Remarkable Life'. The school has a 80-acre fenced compound, not open to the public, which is the site of retreats for students and staff. The 68-year-old religious guru's company, JZK Inc. posted profits of $2.6million in 2007 from these courses along with books, tapes and DVDs. In 2008, Ramtha's School of Enlightenment spread to 20 more countries including the Czech Republic, Romania and Chile. Ramtha's claims that more than 100,000 people globally have attended their spiritual events. | Radu Nemes, 39, and his wife Diana, 38, facing extradition to Romania to face tax evasion charges over fuel fraud .
Claims that the couple funneled money into U.S. after laundering in Dubai .
Built a luxury villa and invested in pizzerias and a winery in Seattle area .
Known members of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment in Yelm .
Ramtha's run by J. Z. Knight, a 68-year-old woman who claims to channel a 35,000-year-old warrior spirit . |
55,167 | 9c4356ed2de1a7f4c5b584ff63ff57e1ffca7e13 | By . Simon Jones . West Ham have made a £9.5million bid for Yehven Konoplyanka but face competition from Roma and Atletico Madrid. Dnipro want £12m for the Ukraine winger who missed out on a move to Liverpool in January and has been watched by Tottenham and Manchester United. Atletico, who are signing Bayern Munich's Mario Mandzukic for £17.4m, plan talks on Wednesday with the Ukrainian's father and agent while West Ham consider other options also. Done deal? West Ham have bid £9.5million for Dnipro winger Yevhen Konoplyanka . Liverpool offered Konoplyanka close to £6million-a-year in wages and he will have to become the Upton Park outfit's top earner, outstripping the £75,000-a-week deal of Andy Carroll, to join. Konoplyanka scored 13 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions for Ukrainian outfit Dnipro last season. West Ham had also considered his Ukraine team-mate Andriy Yarmolenko at Dynamo Kiev but face competition from Chelsea for him. Meanwhile, Stoke are rivalling West Ham for Ecuador striker Enner Valencia of Pachuca. International pedigree: Ukraine flyer Konoplyanka (left) was the subject of a failed bid by Liverpool in January . | Roma and Atletico Madrid also interested in 24-year-old winger .
Dnipro holding out for £12m for the Ukraine international .
Konoplyanka was the subject of a failed bid by Liverpool in January . |
116,991 | 2308c344885d85a8b11756439e8fa97425b84236 | By . Nick Enoch . PUBLISHED: . 09:30 EST, 20 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:33 EST, 20 March 2013 . A 'Dad's Army' scheme which will see residents gathering information for police investigations has been criticised due to the risks involved. Essex police are asking volunteers to take part in Operation Homeguard, where 'back-up bobbies' will share information and be asked to help officers notify residents after break-ins in Colchester. It is the first scheme of its kind in the country and police chiefs have hailed it as a way of getting more information from people who might otherwise be reluctant to speak to officers. However, the plans from the force - which has to cut £42million from its budget by 2015 - have been called into question. Essex Police are asking volunteers to take part . in Operation Homeguard, where citizen police in Colchester will be asked to gather information after break-ins (file picture, left). The Dad's . Army (scene from sitcom, right) scheme will also see the back-up bobbies help spread crime prevention messages . Concerns have been raised that volunteers could put themselves in dangerous situations, with nobody there to help them. Resident Charlotte Salmon, 36, said: 'It is policing on the cheap - something that the officers would have done themselves previously. 'Who is going to give the members of the public the protection or back-up? 'You can call 999 but I would be worried. Surely there are other ways to cut spending and still have the police available to do their work rather than asking the public to step in?' And Martin Goss, the town's Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator Of The Year, also questioned the motivation behind Operation Homeguard. He said: 'It all sounds great in principle but isn't it just policing on the cheap to make up for all the cuts? 'I don't see who they will get because the people who come forward will be those already involved in the community.' Chief Inspector Richard Phillibrown (above), the man who came up with the plan, said he believes officers are currently only getting about 25 per cent of information about crimes . Chief Inspector Richard Phillibrown, the man who came up with the plan, said: 'Operation Homeguard aims to raise public awareness . of crime by providing an opportunity for people in the community to . work with the police to help spread crime prevention messages and get a . greater understanding of police work. 'There . is no question of any member of the public being asked to carry out any . police enquiries or act in any front-line policing capacity. 'This . is not about replacing police with members of the public - it is about . engaging with the community to help develop intelligence about what . crime is occurring and who is doing it. 'At . the moment, we believe we receive about 25 per cent of the information . held by members of the public in relation to crime in their communities. 'The . aim of this initiative is to increase that percentage significantly. It . involves Essex Police in partnership with the Safer Colchester . Partnership and Colchester Volunteer Services and we are still looking . at the finer details of how this will work in practice.' Police are currently checking issues for their volunteers such as insurance in case they are hurt while taking part in the operation. Tim Young, the Colchester borough councillor in charge of community safety, said he was in favour of getting the public to be back-up bobbies. He said: 'I have had an initial meeting with Mr Phillibrown and support the idea of getting the public to assist. 'Any way that we can work together to combat crime and anti-social behaviour should be welcomed.' The volunteer scheme is set to focus on burglaries in neighbourhoods across Colchester after 400 were committed in just four months leading up to January 2013. This is not the first unique initiative launched by Essex police. During . Operation Leopard in 2007, anti-social behaviour offenders were . followed and filmed by police around the district of Vange. Operation Homeguard will be launched in Colchester (above) later this year but the plans from the force - which has to cut £42m from its budget by 2015 - have been called into question for possibly endangering the lives of the volunteers . | Operation Homeguard will be rolled out in Colchester later this year .
Back-up bobbies will also help to spread crime prevention messages .
Concerns that the volunteers could end up in dangerous situations .
Essex Police needs to cut £42m from its budget by 2015 . |
227,225 | b23b4bfae87da711bc15e18ce19f10fe87abd4d6 | You may recognise the name Randi Zuckerberg following her integral marketing role at a little site called Facebook, which was, coincidentally, founded by her brother, Mark. While at the company, she pioneered and ran the social media marketing programs for the brand and introduced Facebook's live-streaming initiatives. Since then, however, the tech-savvy founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media and the Editor-in-Chief of Dot Complicated, has made it her mission to help others unplug from their wired, technology-filled lives. Randi Zuckerberg has made it her mission to help you 'unplug' while on holiday with Celebrity Cruises . Thus, the 'Take Care of Your Selfie' collaboration with Celebrity Cruises' Canyon Ranch SpaClub was born. The year-long programme, which encourages guests to find a tech-life balance while on holiday, kicked off this month with a new line-up of specially designed spa treatments and services on board. With offerings like 'fACEial Time,' which is a facial designed to treat skin care needs relating to staring at a computer and tablet screens, and the 'texticure' manicure complete with softening paraffin wax, the treatments are as witty as they are relaxing. And it's the manicure that's Zuckerberg's favourite, as it forces her to take a break from responding to emails. Along with the luxury liner, Zuckerberg has crafted a menu of tech-specific detox spa treatments . 'It’s so luxurious and immediately moisturises your hands,' she tells MailOnline Travel. 'And because they’re in gloves, you can’t even send a text message while you’re getting it.' Zuckerberg's interest in the precarious tech-life balance, as she calls it, first began when she was researching her book Dot Complicated: Untangled Our Wired Lives. 'I'd been thinking so much about the wonderful opportunities that technology presents in our lives, but I was also talking to a lot psychologists and observing how our behaviours with tech aren't always helping,' she explains. 'We tend to border on addictive and obsessive - in fact, the average person checks their phone 150 times a day. 'Because technology is new and magical, we haven't quite established balance and boundaries.' The entrepreneur and tech guru also shares her tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance in her own life . The average person checks their phone 150 times per day, so it's important to make an effort to disconnect . But that's not to say Zuckerberg doesn't understand the appeal and that she isn't guilty of over-checking her mobile herself from time to time. 'I'm a working mum with two young children, so I feel like technology is my lifesaver and the whole reason that I can be doing what I'm doing,' she says. 'But being always connected can be a blessing and a curse, especially when you feel like you're always reachable. 'And when you're on holiday, those little devices in your pocket make it so easy. I call it 'snacking.' It's that moment when you have a minute of downtime, but instead of thinking about something creative, it's easy to mindlessly whip out your phone and scroll through feeds.' Zuckerberg's trick is to keep her phone in another room during family time and keep the attention on her kids . So, what's her advice to keep 'snacking' at a minimum - both while on holiday and at home? 'I try to put my phone in a different room at home,' she tells MailOnline Travel. 'When you're with your family, it's about quality time. Make eye contact and put the phone away.' But most of all, Zuckerberg wants people to understand that it's simply not possible to do every single thing on your to-do list every single day. So, instead, pick a few things to focus on and - especially when you're on holiday - be sure to take time to relax and fit in the odd spa treatment. 'I have a mantra,' she says. 'It's five words that I repeat: work, sleep, friends, family, fitness.' 'Pick three. You can't pick five because it's impossible to do all five well everyday. 'As long as it balances out in the long run, you should feel happy and proud.' | CEO and author, Randi Zuckerberg, encourages everyone to 'unplug'
Partnered with Celebrity Cruises for 'Take Care of Your Selfie' campaign .
New range of on-bard spa treatments designed to help holidaymakers relax .
Zuckerberg also shares her tips to maintaining tech-life balance at home . |
56,367 | 9fb57d00f434b1d0ac379db33e2279b33007957c | Harry Redknapp aside, it will be difficult for most football people not to be excited by Sunday's Manchester United debut for Radamel Falcao against QPR. The procession of genuine world-class talent to Spain has seemed like one-way traffic in recent years while the Premier League sat around waiting for the scraps left over from Barcelona and Real Madrid. Latterly, even Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco have been the preferred destination over England. So even players of international renown and some experience are infected by the vibrancy that the Colombian has brought to the Premier League and to Manchester United, Wayne Rooney included. You can like our Manchester United Facebook page here . VIDEO Scroll down to watch Van Gaal: Welbeck wasn't good enough for Manchester United . Radamel Falcao and Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal (right) talk during training on Thursday . Manchester United fans will be hoping Radamel Falcao will inspire them to their first Premier League victory . Radamel Falcao will make his Manchester United debut against QPR at Old Trafford on Sunday . ‘I’ve seen him play throughout the years and he’s a fantastic player,’ says the United captain. ‘It’s exciting — and also for the Premier League. He could have gone to a number of other clubs but it’s great we’ve got him.’ And given the desperate start the club have made — two points from three games and elimination from the Capital One Cup — the arrival of Falcao, along with Daley Blind, Angel di Maria and Marcos Rojo, has provided a renewed sense of optimism at the club. ‘Obviously last season, we all know we were not good enough,’ says Rooney. ‘But the time is now right to get these top players to get us back to where we belong, back to winning titles again. It’s exciting times, it’s interesting times for United. We’ve not got off to the best of starts but we are confident. It’s a great signing. It’s a great statement of intent. And I am looking forward to working with him. Hopefully we can form a great partnership.’ As captain, Rooney will be responsible for ensuring the transition from Monaco to Manchester is smooth. ‘You have to make sure the new players are made to feel welcome,’ said Rooney. Angel di Maria was signed by Manchester United for £60million from Spanish giants Real Madrid . Argentine defender Marcos Rojo will finally make his ManUnited debut two weeks after signing for the club . Daley Blind was another of the stars to arrive at Manchester United over the summer . But in terms of how the team are going to play, even Rooney has not quite figured that out yet. ‘Falcao is a world-class player and it’s down to the manager how he chooses to play. He [Louis van Gaal] has myself, Falcao, Robin van Persie, Di Maria, Juan Mata, so it’s a great selection of players for him to pick from.’ Yet amid the sense of euphoria that big-name signings always create, there are ripples of discontent. Eric Harrison, Mike Phelan and Gary Neville have all spoken of their surprise that United sold Danny Welbeck, a youth-team graduate, who understands the club, fans and the area, and recruited a Colombian on loan, a player who has never spent more than two years at a club since he left River Plate in 2009. To make way for the new arrivals, another youth-team graduate, Tom Cleverley, has also been moved on loan to Aston Villa and over the summer £160million has been spent. It might have transformed some people’s view of United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, with Paul Scholes saying he had done his job ‘brilliantly’ after questioning whether United were capable of finalising the biggest deals. Former Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck made his debut for Arsenal on Saturday . Tom Cleverley (right) made his Aston Villa debut on Saturday against Liverpool having been let go by United . But for Van Gaal, the man who made his name primarily by promoting young players and not through lavish spending, it looks an unlikely change of direction. Nurturing the youth was his stock in trade at Ajax in the Nineties, where he established his reputation by winning the Champions League in 1995. And even at the richest clubs such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich he seemed to concern himself more with young players from the academies than with major signings. The manager bristles when the point is put to him, his explanation being that he still believes in youth but that he has sought to disrupt the atmosphere of the dressing room to create a new dynamic. ‘You have seen Tyler Blackett, Jesse Lingard and Reece James playing. When you see my line-ups there are several young players who have played already. So I don’t think I have changed my philosophy, only that we have to change the selection to give a new rhythm in the dressing room,’ he says. ‘When you are there for more than two or three years as a substitute, do you think this is a good thing for the players? No. Jesse Lingard started Manchester United's first game of the season against Swansea . Tyler Blackett (right) has been a regular for Manchester United since Louis van Gaal took over . Reece James is another young player that Louis van Gaal has given a first-team chance to . ‘My philosophy is that you have to sell those players or send them on loan. Better for them and also better for the atmosphere in the dressing room. So we let go 14 players and we bought six players, so there are eight vacancies for young players. But it depends on the level of the young players at United. I cannot change that. But I have already played with a lot of youngsters so I don’t understand your question.’ He might not put it this way but it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Van Gaal feels he has cleared out some dead wood to allow new flowers to blossom. But there are more seasoned Van Gaal watchers, those who have worked closely with him in the past, who have been surprised by the signals the summer transfer window has sent out. Kenneth Perez was one of Van Gaal’s key players at AZ Alkmaar, the club where Van Gaal restored his reputation by winning the Dutch league in 2009 after failing with the Holland national team in 2002 and his indifferent second spell at Barcelona in 2003. Perez became close to Van Gaal, is still in touch with him and now works as a pundit for Fox Sports in Holland. ‘I’m really surprised about the players he has bought, the money he has spent, the positions they are in,’ says Perez. ‘Maybe because of the good results in pre-season he thought United were better than they are. For me, from the outside, it looks like he’s not the only one deciding who is coming in. Kenneth Perez (left, who worked with Louis van Gaal) shoots for goal during his time at AZ Alkmaar . Javier Hernandez played for Real Madrid against rivals Atletico on Saturday after leaving Manchester United . ‘I understand Angel di Maria because Van Gaal is looking at a type and he needs a player like Arjen Robben, who can do something on his own, carry the ball 50 metres passing people. He couldn’t get Robben, so I guess Di Maria was second best. But renting Falcao for that kind of money when you have Van Persie, Rooney and you had Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck, is a big surprise.’ Significantly, Van Gaal suggests the spending is not yet over. ‘We have more balance in the squad but not enough balance,’ says the United manager. When pressed on areas which remain out of equilibrium, he said: ‘Obviously the defending part.’ Perhaps at Old Trafford there will be a balance. Sources close to United speak of how he has spoken with enthusiasm about Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, players with whom domestic observers have long since become impatient. And his persistence with Blackett, another who is said to be soaking up Van Gaal’s instructions, the insistence that James Wilson can be his fourth striker, the use of Lingard on the opening day of the season are actions more in line with the Van Gaal of old. ‘That’s his trademark,’ said Perez. ‘He likes to prove you wrong. If you write Smalling is the worst player, he likes to show you: “Hey, I can make Smalling a good player”. Louis van Gaal is said to be enthusiastic about the potential of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones (right) Danny Koevermans (left, a AZ Alkmaar player Van Gaal improved) celebrates with Moussa Dembele . ‘The best example was Danny Koevermans at AZ. He wasn’t that good passing or in his first touch. And after four months with the training of Van Gaal, he became brilliant. That was the biggest change I’ve seen, from a player who couldn’t pass to one who was very good. ‘My only worry that Van Gaal would not be a success is because English players are not tactical, clever players. At the moment the back-line don’t push up, so the space between midfield and the defence is too big so everyone can just play in between there. It’s just too easy. It was unbelievable in that first game against Swansea and I doubt they understand what he wants.’ Of course, if he can transform Blackett, Lingard, James and even older players such as Jones and Smalling into significant United defenders, the £160m spent will seem unimportant given the money he has saved the club. But if he can’t, he may just find himself knocking on Woodward’s door again in January asking for more. Louis van Gaal has a stunning squad to choose from after a summer of spending at Old Trafford but the new United boss has his work cut out choosing a starting XI and keeping those he leaves on the bench happy. 1. 3-4-1-2 . If LVG wants to squeeze the majority of his signings, this is the way to go. But it has Blind in an unfamiliar central role and is ridiculously open in central midfield. Would surely need a Darren Fletcher type in there to shore things up. 2. 4-3-3 . Looks a little more balanced but asking Van Persie and Rooney to run wide for Falcao might not go down terribly well. Rooney will do the job but RVP hasn’t played there since his early days at Arsenal. Still no room for Januzaj. 3. 4-4-2 . A classic Fergie formation — wingers (though you might want Valencia on the right to really get outside players) and two central midfielders who can tackle and pass. But Mata, RVP and Herrera — £75m of talent — are sat on the bench. | Manchester United take on QPR at Old Trafford on Sunday .
New boys Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo and Radamel Falcao expected to play .
Luke Shaw, Angel Di Maria and Ander Herrera also may feature .
Manager Louis van Gaal faces a challenge to fit all his stars in starting XI .
United have spent heavily this summer but have drawn criticism .
Sale of Danny Welbeck to Arsenal has surprised many people .
Likes of Gary Neville, Eric Harrison and Mike Phelan have all spoken out . |
62,414 | b14b6c4250ff55cb32fa4114053ef0fe2831f892 | By . Associated Press . When a man regarded as the deadliest sniper in U.S. history detailed his kills in a bestselling autobiography, he also included details about a 2006 incident in which he says he punched a guy he called ‘Scruff Face’ — later identified as former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. Ventura, a public figure with a tough-guy image, says the fight didn't happen, and he sued author Chris Kyle for defamation. The trial begins Tuesday, and it will be up to Ventura's attorneys to prove that Kyle's account about that night in a California bar was false — and even more difficult, that Kyle knew it. ‘Ventura is going to have to prove falsity...but the harder part is proving actual malice,’ said Raleigh Levine, a law professor at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul. ‘It has to do with what you know about the truth — that you actually knew that what you were saying was false or that you recklessly disregarded the truth.’ The suit must go on: ¿It's about clearing my name. It's a lie,¿ Ventura told The Associated Press in February about the reference to him in Chris Kyle's 2012 autobiography. Kyle used the name Scruff Face for a man whom he punched out in a bar for disparaging George W. Bush. Scruff Face was later revealed to be Ventura . Besides sorting out what happened in the bar, jurors will have to assess whether Ventura's reputation was damaged and whether Kyle used Ventura's name to make a profit. Kyle and a friend were killed in February 2013 at a Texas gun range, allegedly by an Iraq War veteran they were trying to help. Kyle's widow, Taya Kyle, is now the defendant. Big money may be at stake. Court documents show Kyle's book had earned royalties of more than $3 million as of June 30, 2013, and the judge already has ruled that proceeds from an upcoming movie could be subject to damages, too. Ventura has said the case isn't about money. ‘It's about clearing my name. It's a lie,’ Ventura told The Associated Press in February. Ventura and Taya Kyle are both expected to testify during the trial, which will likely last more than two weeks. Defendant: Kyle, seen here in 2012, claims 'Scruff Face' disparaged the president and said the Navy SEALs deserve to 'lose a few' at a bar . Kyle died when an Iraq War vet he was allegedly trying to help shot him and a friend at a Texas gun range in 2013 . Ventura, a former Navy SEAL and pro wrestler whose post-political life has included hosting several cable TV shows, claims Kyle defamed him to gain notoriety for his best-selling 2012 book, ‘American Sniper,’ which describes his kills of insurgents from 1999 to 2009. A movie based on the book, starring Bradley Cooper, is in production. Claim to fame: Kyle is to date the most deadly of all U.S. snipers. The autobiography in which he allegedly defamed Ventura is called American Sniper . In the book, Kyle describes an incident in which he claims Ventura was speaking loudly against President George W. Bush, the Iraq War and Navy SEAL tactics. Kyle, also a former Navy SEAL, claimed Ventura said the SEALS ‘deserve to lose a few.’ Kyle wrote that he punched Ventura, knocking him to the ground. Ventura denies making those statements, and says Kyle never laid a hand on him. Kyle had maintained the events in the book are true, and the essence of what was said is accurate, court documents say. Both sides have witnesses to back up . their version of events; and attorneys have cast doubt on the opposing . witnesses' credibility. While Kyle's book says ‘rumor has it’ Ventura . had a black eye the next day, photos of Ventura from that time don't . show him with any visible injury, according to court documents. In . March, U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle — no relation to Chris or Taya . Kyle — said the case could go forward because Ventura had offered . sufficient evidence that could lead a jury to conclude Kyle's statements . were false. But because . Ventura is a public figure, the judge wrote, Ventura must show ‘actual . malice’ or prove by clear and convincing evidence that Kyle knew the . statements were false or acted in reckless disregard of the truth. Levine . said Ventura has a high bar to clear, and to win damages, he must also . prove his reputation was harmed in a quantifiable way. In . a November deposition, Ventura said his job offers dried up after the . book was published, and he was worried about being seen as a traitor to . the military. He also said publicity Kyle got from interviews about the . alleged incident with Ventura helped Kyle's book sales and led to the . film option. The defense . argues in court documents that the public embraced Kyle's book for . reasons ‘completely unrelated to any passing reference to Ventura,’ and . that the book has been more successful than any Ventura has written. | A Minnesota judge said this week that Ventura's suit against American Sniper author Chris Kyle may go forward .
Kyle claimed in his bestselling 2012 to have won a fight against a man called Scruffy Face, later ID'd as the former Minnesota Governor .
Kyle was gunned down in 2013 by an Iraq War veteran he was trying to help at a Texas gun range . |
124,176 | 2c86bf8715947f2f5fff089a9d9e50940fcfb0ef | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:09 EST, 21 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:10 EST, 23 December 2012 . A black bear cub was hit by a car in Chesterfield County, Virginia, and is recovering at a local Wildlife Center after undergoing surgery. The cute cub suffered a broken leg in the accident that occurred on Genito Road near Clover Hill High School Thursday evening, police said. The cub was first taken to the Metro Richmond Zoo where it was treated for its injuries by a local veterinarian. Scroll down for video . Poor cub: This black bear cub was hit by a car in Chesterfield County, Virginia near a local high school . Injury: The cub suffered a broken leg in the accident . Treatment: The cub was first taken to the Metro Richmond Zoo where it was treated for its injuries by a local veterinarian. After completing her initial diagnosis and treatment, the veterinarian drove the bear to the Wildlife Center in Waynesboro, Metro Richmond zoo owner Jim Andelin told CBS 6. ‘They found several lacerations, some blood in the nose, and some scleral hemorrhages in the eyes (burst blood vessels) – but the big issue is the broken right femur,’ Wildlife Center of Virginia Director of Outreach Amanda Nicholson wrote in an email to the local news channel. ‘They’ll be attempting to pin the fracture today and then will settle the bear into our bear pen facility for recovery,’ Nicholson wrote. He said the surgery, which began Friday afternoon, would take a couple of hours. The bear cub is expected to be ok. Recovery: The cub is now recovering at the local Wildlife Center after undergoing surgery . Hurt paw: The cub was treated for its broken leg . On the mend: The cub is expected to be ok . Watch video of surgery here: . | The cub was hit by a car and is recovering at a local Wildlife Center in Virginia after undergoing surgery .
The cute cub suffered a broken leg in the accident . |
64,474 | b70a52f65d02d6b7831a98b166c52b2648917f5f | (CNN)The burning death filmed, produced and edited on videotape is a watershed moment for ISIS and for the Kingdom of Jordan. It is clear now that ISIS was never going to release Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, there was never going to be a deal. The hoax of an alternative outcome in exchange for the failed suicide bomber was nothing more than an effort to humiliate Jordan and demonstrate the growing power of the movement. The main objective of such a strategy is simply to widen the base of supporters in the region and inside of Jordan. The CIA says there are between 20,000 and 31,000 ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria, and the great majority of these foreign fighters are from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. There are three messages to understand from today's barbaric footage. First, ISIS is about death or nothing. There is no end game. This is not a movement that wants longevity as their every action is designed to alienate themselves from moderate Muslims and all other decent human beings. Their actions are designed to provoke violent response so that they can achieve martyrdom. There is no focus on expanding and maintaining their territorial boundaries as their external pushes are too infrequent to imply a master strategy and their fighting force, asymmetric and able but too thin to maintain an all-out conflict with the technologically superior western forces. The wider their spread, the weaker their ability to maintain the gains. There are no obvious objectives. The only result they want is more violence as violence is what swells their ranks. Second there is a history between ISIS and Jordan, which has cracked down on the group's supporters, putting many in jail. ISIS started out with al Qaeda in Iraq, whose senior official was the Jordanian, Abu Musaab al Zarqawi. He split from al Qaeda because that group disagreed with his radical approach of even killing moderate Muslims. Zarkawi took his fighters and joined with elements of Al Nusra, which was fighting in Syria, laying the foundation for the creation of the modern-day ISIS. Zarkawi was killed in a U.S.-led strike in June 2006. According to Candyce Kelshall from the Center for Security and Intelligence Studies at University of Buckingham "there is a silent minority of supporters in the country but the majority moderate and outraged population's cry will get louder. Many don't want Jordan involved in the bombing campaign against ISIL [alternative name for ISIS]. This will cause cracks within the country. "There is no underestimating the anger in Jordan over this. People want vengeance. Lt. Kaseasbeh came from a powerful family and a powerful clan within Jordan. This cannot be underestimated in terms of Jordan's next steps." Jordan is a strong US ally and it would be inconceivable that the US is not going to respond to this in some capacity. The third message is a lesson taken from Somalia. Pirates in that lawless country were able to terrorize the East African waters because the world allowed it. Violence by the pirates became normalized and the west accepted the increased business and financial risk. Only when a focused crackdown was put in place did the success of piracy abate, however, as soon as the ships move, piracy will see a resurgence. This is the problem we face now with ISIS. Sending troops or assistance, or technical advisers or funding or weapons will only work so long as that assistance is maintained. Kelshall adds "what we appease we allow. What we fight we make stronger ideologically. ISIL needs to be wiped out but it is the idea that their behavior is acceptable that must be wiped out. An eye for an eye will only consume the whole body, eventually." Killing the idea that we accept this barbarism is the mission that must be embraced. There will be a response. | Every action by ISIS designed to alienate moderate Muslims and decent human beings, writes Zain Verjee .
Verjee: Only result they want is more violence as violence is what swells their ranks .
In Somalia only when a focused crackdown was put in place did the success of piracy abate, she adds . |
18,125 | 3354064da7b23b54aea9aa180bd2df6cb1e45fa2 | Thousands of people are being warned to stay indoors and prepare to evacuate after an explosion rocked a chemical waste facility near Bremen in northwestern Germany. More than 14,000 people were urged to close the doors and windows of their homes in Ritterhude, near Bremen, shortly after the explosion, which sent choking clouds of toxic fumes spiralling into the night sky. Police told the DPA news agency that one person was severely burned in the blast Tuesday night and that the explosion damaged a nearby residential area. More than 300 firefighters and 60 police were called to the scene last night. Scroll down for video . Inferno: One person was severely burned in the blast last night and the explosion damaged a nearby residential area. Around 14,000 residents were told to prepare for evacuation . The 9pm blast could be heard for miles and sparked an intense fire. The plant reportedly produces industrial coatings . The injured man was found in the rubble and several local residents were slightly injured, police and firefighters said. The 9pm blast could be heard for miles and sparked an intense fire. The plant reportedly produces industrial coatings. Police said that around midnight local time the fire had been largely brought under control, according to Spiegel. Firefighters try to extinguish a fire after the serious explosion at a paint and varnish factory in Ritterhude, Lower Saxony . The fire broke out after a violent explosion. Hundreds of people in the area have been evacuated, and thousands warned to keep windows and doors shut . Around 60 police officers and 300 firefighters were deployed. The railway line between Bremen and Bremerhaven was blocked after the accident . The cause of the blast was not clear, as the site was still too hot and not yet accessible to investigators . Around 60 police officers and 300 firefighters were deployed. The railway line between Bremen and Bremerhaven was blocked after the accident. Marcus Neumann, spokesman for the local Verden-Osterholz police, said authorities believe the injured man is a plant employee whose car was found outside the plant. Mr Neumann said the employee responded to an alarm on his beeper, and drove from his home to the plant to investigate. The cause of the blast was not clear, as the site was still too hot and not yet accessible to investigators, Mr Neumann added. The plant is owned by Organo Fluid, which specialises in recovering valuable solvents from mixtures of solvents. | Police confirm blast close to Bremen in northwestern Germany .
Residents told to stay indoors and prepare for evacuation after explosion .
One man has been severely burned and flame seen lighting up night sky . |
238,719 | c1056b90c461e53bc2a9c2be94e997e2ecdda55b | SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- A 66-year-old woman with stage 4 pancreatic cancer became the first person to use Washington's assisted suicide law, a nonprofit organization announced Friday. Compassion & Choices, an organization that says it advocates choice for the terminally ill, said Linda Fleming of Sequim, took her prescribed medication and died Thursday evening at home with her family, her dog and her physician. She had been diagnosed a month ago with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and was told she was "actively dying," Compassion & Choices said in a written statement. "The pain became unbearable, and it was only going to get worse," Fleming said, according to the organization. It said Fleming had worked with the organization's volunteers to consider her choices. "I am a very spiritual person, and it was very important to me to be conscious, clear-minded and alert at the time of my death," she said, according to Compassion & Choices. "The powerful pain medications were making it difficult to maintain the state of mind I wanted to have at my death. And I knew I would have to increase them." Washington's law was approved by about 60 percent of voters in November. A similar law in Oregon passed in 1994. Oregon says 401 people have died under the terms of its law. | 66-year-old woman with stage 4 pancreatic cancer chooses to die .
Woman wanted to be "clear-minded and alert at the time of my death"
Washington's law was approved by about 60 percent of voters in November . |
15,973 | 2d458ba0778f82d5b7b1f873b54b29f85e6ca59f | Marvin Schwabe will have aspirations to replace Manuel Neuer as Germany's first choice goalkeeper in the future but it seems like he is already starting to mimic the Bayern Munich star. Germany Under-20 shot stopper pulled off a skill that Neuer has pulled off on more than one occasion by dribbling past a Polish striker during a recent international match. The Hoffenheim goalkeeper embarrassed his opponent by putting the ball through his legs before passing it on to a Germany team-mate. Marvin Schwabe plays the ball through the legs of a Polish striker before passing to a team-mate . The Hoffenheim goalkeeper showed extreme composure after taking the ball past his opponent . Schwabe, who was a youth wrestling champion before concentrating on his football career, is yet to start a competitive match for the Bundesliga outfit this season, as he remains behind Oliver Baumann in the Hoffenheim pecking order. Neuer's latest marauding run saw him act as a 'sweeper keeper' by picking up possession on the edge of the penalty area before dribbling past his defensive team-mates. | Marvin Schwabe shows off dribbling skills during match against Poland .
Manuel Neuer is known for going on marauding runs during games .
Schwabe is yet to start a competitive match for Hoffenheim . |
233,636 | ba77eb5abb6fd5e5a7051607ec0f52b1eb819e25 | By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 19:36 EST, 15 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:26 EST, 16 December 2013 . Consultants could face the sack for refusing to work at weekends as part of a shake-up ordered by the NHS’s top doctor. Professor Sir Bruce Keogh also plans to impose fines of around £12million on hospitals where patients experience poor care on Saturdays and Sundays. The changes are being brought in after research published in the summer showed that 4,400 lives are being lost needlessly in hospitals every year because of a lack of senior doctors and because key scans and tests are not carried out. Professor Sir Bruce Keogh plans to impose fines of around £12million on hospitals where patients experience poor care at the weekends . Patients are 16 per cent more likely to die if admitted on a Sunday rather than on a Wednesday, another study found. But for certain operations it can be much higher. Other research showed that patients who have planned operations at the weekend rather than on a Monday are 82 per cent more likely to die. At weekends, patients are usually left under the care of junior doctors who may only have a few months’ experience with one or two consultants ‘on-call’ answering their mobile phones from home. Yesterday senior doctors refused to confirm whether they will ask for more money to work weekends although many believe they deserve higher hourly rates. The British Medical Association, their union, is holding talks with NHS officials about changes to consultants’ contracts. BMA chairman Dr Mark Porter would not discuss details of these negotiations but pointed out that hourly rates for nurses and other staff who work weekends is far more attractive. Sir Bruce, the medical director of NHS . England, wants to remove a key clause in consultants’ contracts that . allows them to opt out of non-urgent weekend work. Patients are 16 per cent more likely to die if admitted on a Sunday rather than a Wednesday and for some operations it can be even higher . This would mean they would be . sacked for refusing to work at this time, although officials said this . would only be in the worst circumstances. Hospitals that fail to have enough . consultants working over the weekend or to provide X-rays, ultrasound . scans and other key tests could also be fined up to 2.5 per cent of . their annual income from the NHS. A typical hospital gets £500million a . year so the maximum penalty would be £12.5million. The plans – which will be rolled out . over the next three years – will mean all patients admitted to hospital . will see a consultant within 14 hours. Some currently wait three days if . they come in on a Friday. Critically-ill . patients will have X-rays, heart scans, MRI scans or blood tests within . one hour, urgent cases within 12 hours and everyone else within 24 . hours. Sir Bruce, NHS . England’s medical director who is also a heart surgeon, said: ‘It seems . strange in many ways that we should start to wind down on a Friday . afternoon and warm up on a Sunday while operating theatres are empty, . outpatient clinics echo, expensive diagnostic kit isn’t being used and . in the meantime people are waiting for diagnosis and treatment. ‘When those patients are admitted they get a diagnosis quicker and the appropriate treatment is started more quickly.’ Maria De Jesus died after surgeons removed her ovary instead of her appendix . Mother-to-be Maria De Jesus died after two trainee surgeons operating on a Sunday removed the wrong body part. The 32-year-old – who was five months’ pregnant with her fourth child – was admitted to Queen’s Hospital in Romford, Essex with appendicitis but medics took out an ovary instead. She was discharged but forced to return a fortnight later with severe abdominal pain after the untreated appendix caused the onset of the life-threatening blood infection sepsis. Mrs De Jesus suffered a miscarriage shortly after being re-admitted in October 2011. Just 48 hours later, the teaching assistant died of major organ failure on the operating table just as doctors were finally removing the infected appendix. Her husband Adelino, 53, said earlier this year: ‘My wife’s death could have been prevented, I am sure of it. 'By the time they realised how serious the situation was – and they promised us all the best consultants – it was too late. ‘This is neglect, this is an unlawful killing.’ He . said on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show: ‘That means that patients spend . less time in hospital and the hospital as a whole runs more efficiently. ‘People . are still kept waiting at the weekend for a diagnosis. We have a system . that is not built around the convenience of patients and is not . compassionate to patients for part of the week.’ If hospitals are relying too . heavily on junior doctors at weekends, the NHS will force managers to . bring in consultants in their place. Patients will also be able to have . minor surgery at the weekend such as for hernias and on hips and knees . so they do not have to take time off work. British Medical Association chairman Dr Mark Porter would not say whether it would ask for more money consultants to work weekends . Sir . Bruce added: ‘Why should somebody have to take time off work, why . should someone else have to take time off work to take them to and from . hospital, when, if they were to have their operations on a Saturday, . they could spend Sunday recovering and, in many cases, get back to work . sooner?’ The Care Quality Commission watchdog has been urged to check for levels of weekend care during routine inspections of hospitals. NHS England – which runs the Health Service – estimates the plans will cost the NHS an extra £1billion a year. Its annual budget is about £105billion. But BMA chairman Dr Porter said other NHS staff including X-ray specialists, administration staff and social workers also needed to work at weekends to ensure high levels of care. He refused to comment on whether the BMA would ask for more money for consultants to work weekends as part of discussions about their contract. Nurses currently get time and a half for working weekends while doctors receive time and a third, he said. A survey of 4,500 consultants by the BMA in September found that most were in favour of ‘increased financial remuneration’ for working in the evening and at weekends. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: ‘Patients should be at the heart of the NHS and be able to depend on it every day – not just Monday to Friday.’ The weekend working shake-up follows a number of key studies which warned that patients are far more likely to die or suffer major complications if they are admitted at the weekend. NHS England has calculated that 4,400 lives could be saved every year if hospitals offered the same level of care at weekends as they do during the week. Patients undergoing planned surgery on Saturday or Sunday are 82 per cent more likely to die than if they have their operation on a Monday, according to a study by researchers at Imperial College London published in the spring. Last year, scientists from University College London found patients are 16 per cent more likely to die if they are admitted on a Sunday compared to a Wednesday. The figure for Saturday was 11 per cent. Other studies also revealed an alarming difference in weekend death rates between hospitals. Hillingdon in West London had a rate of 27 per cent, while it was 25 per cent at the Royal Cornwall, according to Dr Foster research. Only last month, a report by the National Audit Office discovered that babies are 13 per cent more likely to come harm if they are born at the weekend than during the week. | NHS's top doctor said system 'not built around patient convenience'
Professor Sir Bruce Keough wants to introduce penalties for hospitals where patients experience poor care at weekends .
Follows research showing lives lost needlessly because of shortage of senior doctors on Saturdays and Sundays . |
159,715 | 5a7337082662394d5ed3b99e015f5e791746244b | (Rolling Stone) -- In February, when Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur and Dhani Harrison arrived at the Carriage House studio in Los Angeles' Silverlake neighborhood, they had three days booked and zero songs to record. "I thought I was going there to add some guitars or harmonies on Joseph's album," says Harrison, who was invited to the session by Harper, whom he befriended at a skate park in Santa Monica. "When I got to the studio, I saw Joe and asked, 'What songs are we going to do?' He said we hadn't written them yet." After three long days, the trio had recorded the nine acoustic tracks that make up "As I Call You Down" -- and called themselves Fistful of Mercy, after the track of the same name. "I never thought we'd pull off an entire album, [I thought] maybe we'd get an EP," says Harper, who credits Arthur as the catalyst who pushed for three songs a day. "The three of us were able to create something we never could have done on our own." With three acoustic guitars and three microphones, the team worked out musical arrangements, and then retreated to different corners of the studio to write. "We were each others' lyric police," says Arthur. ("It was very 'Wilbury' style," says Harrison, whose late father George was a member of the Travelin' Wilburys.) Many times, Harrison threw out lyrical themes for inspiration. "Things Go 'Round" is a throwback to John Lennon's "Instant Karma," imagining a world where people are immediately accountable for their actions. When Harrison called for a blues number, the trio quickly drafted "My Father's Son." Says Arthur: "It's really about the three of our voices, and the harmonies. We're basically singing together the whole time." With nine acoustic and vocal tracks completed, Harrison was determined to ratchet the music up to another level. He instinctively called the legendary session drummer Jim Keltner, an old family friend. "I'd never done anything that I thought was worthy of calling Jim," says Harrison. "We had an emotional conversation on the phone, and he heard some of the stuff we'd done, and he said he'd do it." Keltner overdubbed percussion, Arthur added bass, and Harper (who calls Keltner the "Dalai Lama of the drums") added some slide guitar. "These guys are so talented," says Harrison of his bandmates, who will all hit the road together in October. "I can't believe I get to call them my musical brothers." Copyright © 2010 Rolling Stone. | They call themselves Fistful of Mercy, after the track of the same name .
The trio had recorded the nine acoustic tracks that make up "As I Call You Down"
The band will hit the road together in October . |
68,242 | c19bc4b2621ac77f34c2640d76a7b438aaf47ede | PUBLISHED: . 19:53 EST, 1 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:55 EST, 1 April 2013 . Waiting: Seven-year-old Sienna Singleton needs heart surgery . A girl of seven faces an agonising wait for heart surgery after operations were suspended at a scandal-hit hospital. Sienna Singleton was expecting an ‘imminent’ admission to Leeds General Infirmary. But its paediatric unit has been shut since Thursday night after it emerged that its mortality rate may be twice the national average. Sienna, who needs a third major operation to treat a congenital heart defect, must wait to find out if the unit will reopen or if space must be found at a specialist hospital elsewhere. Her mother Kerry, 33, from Doncaster, said: ‘Sienna has been telling everyone that she cannot wait to have her heart surgery. ‘She comes home from school every day and says “Has the hospital rung yet?”. She knows it will make her better. ‘We are worried about the future. Sienna loves the infirmary, she knows the staff and the hospital and she feels safe there. We don’t want to travel to Newcastle or Liverpool and be treated somewhere unfamiliar. It must be even worse for those children who had dates for surgery this week.’ Like many others, Sienna’s parents now face an agonising wait to find out if the unit will re-open or if space must be found at one of the other specialist hospitals across the UK, including London and Birmingham. Mrs Singleton, 33, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, said: ‘We are worried about the future. Sienna loves the infirmary, she knows the staff and the hospital and she feels safe there. ‘We don’t want to travel to Newcastle or Liverpool and be treated somewhere unfamiliar. ‘It must be even worse for those children who had dates for surgery this week, only for it to be cancelled. ‘To take such drastic action with no contact with myself or others is disgusting.’ It comes amid shocking allegations from other parents of botched operations and poor treatment at the hospital’s cardiac unit. There were also concerns that relatively junior surgeons had been left in charge of the unit after a senior surgeon was banned from operating on children while ‘aspects of his practice’ were investigated. Poorly: Sienna Singleton aged two after she underwent heart surgery . Allegations have been made from other parents of botched operations and poor treatment at the hospital¿s cardiac unit . But MPs and some parents have claimed the decision to suspend surgery at the unit was politically-motivated and ‘suspicious’ timing. Yesterday, a spokesman for the hospital said: ‘I would love to say that no operations will be delayed but, inevitably, when you are being transferred between centres, it is likely that some operations will be carried out later than scheduled.’ A meeting between the unit’s clinicians, NHS specialists and the hospital is scheduled for today. Worried: Concerned mother Kerry Singleton whose seven-year-old daughter Sienna was due heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary . | Sienna Singleton was expecting admission to the hospital .
But its paediatric unit has been shut after it emerged its mortality rate may be twice the national average . |
75,394 | d5c40f97b4d0f0db503c6f02769141d520753981 | By . Sami Mokbel . Follow @@SamiMokbel81_DM . Chelsea are hurrying Atletico Madrid into ratifying Diego Costa's £32million move, fearing the Spanish champions are holding out for a more lucrative offer. As reported by Sportsmail on Thursday, everything is in place for the Spain international to complete his move to Stamford Brigde. But Chelsea feel the La Liga club are dragging their heels over completing the deal's formalities in hope of a more substantial offer from a rival club. On the brink: Diego Costa is close to sealing a £32m move to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid . Splashing around: The Spanish striker has his Range Rover washed with his daughter in Spain . Chelsea have already met the player's . £32million buyout clause meaning there is nothing from preventing the . move from being rubber-stamped before the World Cup. And . Chelsea officials have contacted their Spanish counterparts in an . attempt to push the deal through as soon as possible. A Chelsea source . said: 'Chelsea have made an offer to Atletico Madrid in compliance with . the buyout terms in Diego Costa’s contract, and Chelsea have been . advised that the player has provided notice to Atletico Madrid invoking . the buyout clause and directing the club to accept Chelsea’s offer. 'Chelsea . looks forward to entering into formal transfer documentation with . Atletico Madrid as soon as possible so that the player can concentrate . on the World Cup.' Stateside: Costa and Sergio Ramos at a Spanish training session in Washington ahead of the World Cup . Cool down: Costa and the Spanish team will take on El Salvador in a friendly on Saturday in Maryland . | Spain striker passed his medical with Chelsea on Wednesday .
Costa set to earn £150,000 a week at Stamford Bridge .
Atletico forward with Spain squad ahead of the World Cup . |
61,470 | ae98837d4aed8bab5ede65861d963446bec23538 | By . Alexandra Klausner . Eighteen dogs and two cats were rescued from a filthy Pacific Grove, California home on Wednesday. Animal rescuers from the SPCA for Monterey County had to force open the doors of the home because they were blocked by ' deep piles of feces and garbage,' reports KTVU. Upon entering the home, rescuers' eyes began to burn from the smell of ammonia and toxins from urine. Scroll down for video . Multiple dogs and cats were rescued from uninhabitable Pacific Grove house . The home was filled with piles of garbage and feces so high that SPCA officers had to force open the doors . Four of the animals were puppies who suffered from varying degrees of flea infestation and infection . Animal rescue officers needed to enter the filthy home wearing protective gear because the smell of feces and ammonia ridden urine was so strong . Many of the animals suffered from dental loss and infection because of the filthy conditions in the home . The house which is considered a historic home by the Heritage Society of Pacific Grove, is declared uninhabitable . The toxic smells from animal waste was so potent that the Pacific Grove Fire Department urged rescuers not to enter the home without protective gear. The pets, four of whom were puppies, are recovering from flea infestations, eye discharge and trauma, ear infections, hair loss and dental disease. Two of the dogs were pregnant and the other pets are not spayed or neutered. Beth Brookhauser with the SPCA told KTVU that it would be a few weeks before the sick animals would be up for adoption. 'Right now the animals are being nursed back to health, giving them lots of love and compassionate care,' she said. The home which is considered a historic home by the Heritage Society of Pacific Grove, is declared uninhabitable. SFGate reports that SPCA officers are most likely going to submit the case to the Monetrey County District Attorney for possible animal neglect charges against the owners. The homeowner's identity has not been made public. Animal rescue officers had to force open the doors of the home because the piles of filth were so high . Four of the 18 dogs were puppies and at least two of the dogs in the home were pregnant . The dogs will be nursed back to health and will be put up for adoption in loving homes . The animals suffered from eye trauma and infection among other illnesses . The SPCA is investigating filling animal neglect charges against the homeowners . You can donate to SPCA of Monterey County here . | Eighteen dogs, four of whom were puppies, and two cats were rescued from a filthy California home .
The pets are recovering from flea infestations, eye discharge and trauma, ear infections, hair loss and dental disease .
The pets will be put up for adoption once they are healed and the SPCA is hoping to file animal neglect charges against the homeowners . |
148,201 | 4b9ede44a4eb0d234dc58c718262c3f3210328ed | When Angeline O'Grady's husband Brian James O'Grady died in October 2011 from cancer, she planned to take his remains back to their hometown of Hull, England to rest. The Trumbauersville, Pennsylvania resident boarded a US Airways flight back to England with her husband's ashes safe in her checked baggage. But when she got off the flight and opened the bag, they weren't there. Luggage lawsuit: Angeline O'Grady, left, is suing US Airways after her husband, right, Brian James O'Grady's ashes went missing from her checked baggage on a flight to return his remains to their hometown in 2011 . Now she's suing the company for losing his remains. The lost urn was just the culmination of a terrible day at the airport. Initially, . Mrs O'Grady planned to take the urn on board with her, but was stopped . by TSA agents who told her she wasn't allowed to bring the cardboard box . containing his urn through security because 'it's contents were not a . solid substance'. So she went back to the airline's front desk and put the box in her checked luggage. Airport security: Mrs O'Grady wasn't allowed to take her husband's ashes through security, so put them in her checked baggage instead . Because of that delay she nearly missed her flight as well. By the time she got to the gate, she was too late and the airline had already given up her seat. Mrs O'Grady had to buy a $500 first-class ticket just to stay on the same flight. But the real shocker happened after she arrived at her sister-in-law's house in Hull. She opened the bag she checked, and the box of ashes was gone. Since reporting the disappearance, she says the company hasn't been helpful in trying to recover it. 'My kids, everybody's upset and US Air just blows us off,' she told WCAU in January 2012. She filed a lawsuit yesterday in Common Pleas Court. Where did it go? When she arrived at her sister-in-law's house in Hull, England, Mrs O'Grady opened her luggage and the box of her husband's ashes was mysteriously missing . Ignored: Mrs O'Grady reported the lost urn to US Airways, but says they have been unhelpful in trying to locate it . 'US . Airways, rather than Mr and Mrs O'Grady, has had the last word in . determining Mr O'Grady's final resting place,' the lawsuit reads. 'He . is not at peace.' Airline spokesman Andrew Christie issued a statement to the Philadelphia Daily News: . 'While we certainly send our condolences to Mrs O Grady, US Airways' investigation into this matter did not uncover any information . indicating that US Airways is responsible for this unfortunate incident. We, of course, will defend ourselves against this suit.' Goldman responded saying that he wants to know what kind of investigation they conducted. 'To merely say that our investigation did not reveal anything is inadequate and it's an insult,' he said. 'He was a great guy - he doesn't deserve this,' Mrs O'Grady said. | Brian James O'Grady died in October 2011 after suffering from cancer .
His wife, Angeline O'Grady, wanted to take his ashes back to their hometown of Hull, England as a final resting place .
Mrs O'Grady put the ashes in her checked baggage on a US Airways flight back to England .
But when she opened her luggage in the UK, the box containing the ashes was gone .
Since reporting the missing urn, Mrs O'Grady says that the airline has been less than helpful in trying to find her husband's remains .
Mrs O'Grady filed a lawsuit against the company yesterday, and the airline plans to defend itself in the case . |
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