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213,956 | a118b260613d4d959a13b59eeef0ecfc6409c933 | The fast food chain Chick-fil-A has long been suspected of having an anti-gay agenda, and this week, the company’s COO has decidedly come out on the side of the 'biblical definition of the family unit.’ Dan Cathy, the president of the multimillion-dollar empire said in an interview with the conservative paper Baptist Press that his company is ‘very much supportive of the family,’ but only when it involves heterosexual couples. ‘Well, guilty as charged,’ Cathy responded when asked about Chick-fil-A’s backing of ‘traditional’ families with a husband and wife. Anti-gay: Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy's comments against gay marriage have caused a huge amount of criticism from consumers . ‘We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives,’ Cathy continued, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Atlanta-based business currently has 1,608 locations and boasts sales of more than $4billion. According to the paper, Chick-fil-A workers are trained ‘to focus on values rooted in the Bible,’ and the eateries nationwide are closed on Sundays. ‘We don’t claim to be a Christian business,’ Mr Cathy said. ‘Companies are not lost or saved, but certainly individuals are. But as an organization we can operate on biblical principles.’ The company, founded in 1946 by Cathy’s father, S. Truett Cathy, has come under fire for donating more than $3million between 2003 and 2009 to Christian organizations with a well-known anti-gay agenda, among them the Marriage & Family Foundation and the Family Research Council. Activist business: It has been reported that Chick-fil-A has donated millions of dollars to Christian groups that oppose gay marriage . 'Going forward': The Atlanta-based fast food chain released a statement on Facebook saying they will 'leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena' According to a report from LGBT advocacy group Equality Matters, in 2010 alone Chick-fil-A gave nearly $2million to such causes. Ed Helms, known for his memorable roles in The Hangover and The Office, posted his two cents on Twitter today, writing: ‘Chick-Fil-A doesn’t like gay people? So lame. Hate to think what they do to the gay chickens,’ adding that the restaurant ‘lost a loyal fan.’ Other celebrities like Andy Richter took to the microblogging site to say: ‘Plenty of other chicken sandwiches out there, folks.’ Despite the food chain’s history of providing financial support to faith-based groups that oppose homosexuality, Cathy’s comments appear to contradict his previously stated position on the issue. In a 2011 interview with the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Cathy said that his business ‘opted not to get involved in the political debate. It's never been our agenda.’ However, in last month’s radio . interview on The Ken Coleman Show, Cathy stated in no uncertain terms . where he stands on the issue of gay marriage. ‘I . think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our . fist at Him and say 'we know better than you as to what constitutes a . marriage,’ and I pray God's mercy on our generation . that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the . audacity to define what marriage is about,' he said at the time. Cathy . said this week that he realizes that their stance on same-sex marriage may not be . ‘popular with everyone,’ but his company’s leaders intend to stay the . course. Chick-fil-A’s record of donations to anti-gay groups through the company’s charity organization, WinShape, has already prompted Northeastern University in Boston to abandon plans to open an eatery on campus. The chain also faced criticism when it sponsored a relationship seminar in Pennsylvania that banned same-sex couples from attending, Philadelphia Magazine reported. Change of heart: Northeastern University in Boston scrapped plans to open a Chick-fil-A on campus last year . 1946: Dan Cathy’s father, Truett Cathy, opens The Dwarf Grill in the Atlanta suburb of Hapeville (later renamed the Dwarf House) 1964: Truett Cathy invents the original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich . 1967: First Chick-fil-A in-mall restaurant opens in Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall . 1982: Chick-fil-A Inc moved into its corporate office headquarters on Buffington Road in southwest Atlanta . 1985: WinShape is founded as a non-profit organization and charitable foundation . 1986: Company opens its first stand-alone restaurant on North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta . 1992: Chick-fil-A expands to college campuses, including Georgia Tech and Clemson University, with first brand licensing agreements . 1995: Restaurant chain ‘Eat Mor Chikin’ Cow Campaign debuts . 2003: Chick-fil-A begins expansion to Western U.S., opening its first stand-alone locations in Utah and Arizona, and breaking ground on four Southern California Restaurants . 2010: Chain opens its 1,500th location at the Chick-fil-A at USC In-Line; the restaurant is the first in the Los Angeles area, located near the University of Southern California . 2010: Chick-fil-A begins its expansion into the Chicago area, opening its first stand-alone location in Aurora, Illinois . 2010: Restaurant chain enters its 39th state by opening a location at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho . 2012: Chick-fil-A surpasses $4billion in sales . Source: www.chick-fil-a.com . | Chick-fil-A COO Dan Cathy said in explosive interview that company is only supportive of heterosexual family values .
Added that business is family-based 'and we are married to our first wives'
Company donated more than $3m between 2003 and 2009 to Christian organisations with anti-gay agendas . |
267,214 | e6143dfe1e9ac56137300f527d2ce49888623663 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:16 EST, 18 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:19 EST, 18 March 2014 . A pair of robins have put a spanner in the works after building a nest in a mechanic's motorbike. Anthony Straight, 49, of Romford, Essex, found the birds in the grill seconds after turning his Honda Interceptor engine on before taking it out for a spin. Inside the nest were tiny eggs which have since hatched and the baby robins are expected to fledge in the next couple of days. Anthony Straight found the birds in the grill of his motorbike seconds after turning his Honda Interceptor engine . The birds now have been in the bike for about two and a half weeks which has meant Mr Straight has had to give up his wheels and find an alternative mode of transport. Mr Straight said: 'The bike started smoking and smouldering and I was worried that it meant an expensive bit of work was on the cards. 'But on closer inspection, I found a bird's nest with three eggs inside. I couldn't believe it. 'I was concerned I'd done some damage by running the engine but decided to leave the nest where it was to see what happened. Not long later I saw the parents returning to the nest.' The baby robins inside the motorbike (left) and the eggs which were found by Mr Straight in his motorbike . Discovery: The birds have now been in the bike for about two-and-a-half weeks . No-one knows exactly how they ended up inside the engine but during the mild weather many birds have started nesting. Mr Straight said: 'I was concerned I’d done some damage by running the engine but decided to leave the nest where it was to see what happened. Not long later I saw the parents returning to the nest. 'The RSPB advised me to leave the bike alone and the next day a fourth egg appeared. After a while, two of the eggs hatched into healthy, hungry robin chicks and the parents have been taking it in turns to feed them ever since. 'I can’t wait to get my bike back though, it has been hard not riding it in the good weather.' Richard James, wildlife advisor at the Royal Society for Protection of Birds, said: 'Birds are naturally secretive and tend to build their nests in hidden places for safety, so you may not realise. 'Luckily Anthony did and responded in the right way.' | Anthony Straight, 49, from Essex, found the nest inside the grill of his bike .
Inside the nest were tiny eggs which have now hatched .
Baby robins are expected to leave the nest in the next couple of days .
Mr Straight unable to ride his bike for the past two-and-a-half weeks . |
227,413 | b27340cc01bb8f659d93d31879839b2935825008 | By . Rachel Watson . PUBLISHED: . 03:46 EST, 6 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:08 EST, 6 January 2014 . Find: The skeletons of four adults and a child (pictured) have been discovered behind a townhouse in central Edinburgh . They were the real-life bogeymen whose murderous trade in bodies for medical research led to their names going down forever in infamy. Now, bones from five skeletons found in a shallow grave behind an upmarket townhouse in Edinburgh are thought to be linked to the period of 'resurrectionists' William Burke and William Hare. Archaeologists have determined that the five bodies - four adults and one child, which were found in Grove Street in the Haymarket area of the capital - date back to the early 19th century. Burke and Hare gained their murderous reputation after killing 16 people in the city in 1828 and selling the bodies. At the time there was a market for corpses and the remains are thought to belong to criminals or dwellers of poorhouses, who could also be sold on. John Lawson, from the City of Edinburgh Council Archaeology Service, was the first to examine the remains on site. He said: 'At the end of the Enlightenment period there was significant demand for cadavers - which indeed outstripped supply - and that led to a thriving illegal trade, with Burke and Hare clearly the most infamous of those who supplied bodies to medical schools. 'We can't rule out that those found on Grove Street were sold by the resurrectionists, as they were called, although it might be a stretch to say it was Burke and Hare themselves, given their crimes are well documented. 'It is possible that, given the fact they may have been acquired illegally, that someone should wish to bury them, or it could have been as simple as a house clearance. 'What we do know is that these were used to train the surgeons of the future and are a relic of our heritage, of that early stage of modern medicine. 'I'm not sure how far the project will go but there are techniques to determine where the remains came from by the kind of water they drank, the diet they had. 'It was just a chance discovery but despite the length of time that has passed we always like to put the person into context, how old they were, how they died, who they were.' Murderers: Irish serial killers William Burke (left) and William Hare (right) Maureen Kilpatrick, a lead archaeologist at consultants Guard Archaeology, said: 'We found four right-sided jaws and we also had enough bone likely to be a young person. There were quite a few little holes in them which were to cater for wires, which leads us to believe they were used for anatomical purposes. 'We found they were likely to date back to the early 1800s, and although there were no medical professionals living in the house, we believe they had friends who were.' Irish immigrants Burke and Hare sold the bodies of the dead on to Dr Robert Knox to use for medical research and teaching. When they were arrested, Hare was offered immunity from prosecution if he testified against Burke, as authorities feared they would blame each other - making it difficult for a jury to convict. More than 25,000 people watched Burke hang in 1829 while Hare disappeared after his release. Burke's skeleton is displayed at the University of Edinburgh's Anatomy Museum. His death mask is exhibited at Surgeon's Hall in the capital. Over a period of ten months in 1828, 16 murders were committed in the Scottish capital. The killings were carried out by two Irish immigrants William Burke and William Hare - who then sold the corpses of their victims. Local doctor Robert Knox received the bodies as dissection material for his anatomy lectures. In order to keep the bodies in a good condition, the two killed their victims by smothering them, compressing their chests until they died. The duo did not work alone. Burke's mistress Helen McDougal and Margaret Laird, Hare's wife, assisted them in their murderous spree. Burke was born in Urney, County Tyrone. He left his family - a wife and two children - to emigrate to Scotland in around 1817, and met his mistress while working on the Union Canal. Hare's birthplace is less certainly documented, but it is thought he was from either Poyntzpass near Newry, or Derry. He emigrated to Scotland and also worked as a labourer on the Union Canal. The duo met when Burke and his mistress moved in to Hare's wife's lodgings in around 1827. According to Hare' testimony - the first body the duo sold was that of a tenant who died of natural causes in November of that year. Burke was executed in 1829 but Hare escaped being hanged after giving evidence against his former accomplice. | Skeletons found in a shallow grave behind townhouse in Edinburgh .
Archeologists say the bodies of four adults and a child date to 19th century .
'Body snatchers' Burke and Hare killed 16 people in the city in 1828 .
Irish migrants sold the bodies of their victims on for medical research . |
235,408 | bcc0099d8cc08ac218b9eb0609eee397951adbe4 | By . Joel Christie . and Jessica Jerreat . Published: . 23:44 EST, 17 May 2014 . | . Updated: . 01:51 EST, 18 May 2014 . After being convicted of the double murder of her two teenage children earlier this week, the twisted hand-written journal that allowed a jury to find Julie Schenecker guilty has been released, painting a picture of a bitter and evil mother struggling to deal with her bipolar disorder and abuse of drugs and alcohol. The at-time incoherent notes, which were written in a school book that belonged to her 13-year-old son Beau, were made public as Parker Schenecker spoke out about his former wife's trial and how he can now finally move on. The retired Army Colonel said he agreed with jurors rejecting Schenecker's insanity defense, believing she was acting with a sane mind when shooting dead her son and 16-year-old daughter Calyx in Tampa in January 2011. 'I think there was a resentment from her for a lot of circumstances,' Parker Schenecker told WTSP. 'There were some things that she had done that she was now having to take responsibility for, and I do think she was desperate, angry and upset just as the prosecution laid out to the jury.' Guilty: Julie Schenecker, right, listens to the closing arguments as the trial into the double murder of her children comes to a close on Thursday. The diary she used to document her murderous thoughts have now been released . Sentenced: Schenecker cries and puts her head in her hands as the judge sends her to life in prison . Closure: Parker Schenecker, pictured in court on Thursday, said the verdict won't bring his children back but it will help the family move on . Victims: Calyx, 16, and Beau, 13, were murdered by their mother in Tampa in 2011. She shot them both in the head for being 'mouthy' Haunting: Pages from Julie Schenecker's journal which was used as evidence during her murder trial. In the stomach-churning notebook she detailed her plan to kill her children and then herself, however passed out before she could commit suicide . Parker Schenecker said he has found solace over the years by keeping in touch with the friends of his children. 'You know, I'm still a father,' he said. 'I'm still a dad, whether Beau and Calyx are with me here on Earth or not. And that's what this really boils down to. 'Dads love and honor their kids forever.' Schenecker's murder trial culminated in the blue spiral notebook that was left sitting on her bed, Tampa Bay Online reported. Soaked in blood, it was turned to her last entry on January 27, which read: 'We're going Home today. Take us home Lord.' Following a three-year investigation, jurors turned to its pages during their deliberation, reading aloud how she planned to buy a gun, kill her children and turn it on herself. She had planned to kill herself after murdering her children, the prosecution said, but passed out through a combination of pills and alcohol before she was able to. In her journal, one entry read: 'I offed Beau on the way to practice. I accidentally shot the window then shot him. One in the side of the head and one in his mouth because he became so mouthy just like Calyx.' Another entry, about her daughter, read: '[I] walked up without [Calyx] reacting, and shot her in the right temple. Then shot her in the mouth, her sassy little mouth.' It took the jury just two hours to find the 53-year-old guilty. Taken away: Schenecker looks at her family as she is led out of court. Before she left, she apologized . Chilling: Schenecker writes exactly how she plans to shoot her children, Beau and Calyx, worrying that she will have to reload the gun . Some pages were completely coherent while others contained nonsensical ramblings. Here Schenecker has simply written: 'You're a failure.' The wide-ruled, single-subject notebook - a staple of drugstore school supply aisles - belonged to Schenecker's 13-year-old son, Beau, whose name is written neatly on its cover along with the subject 'Language Arts' Trial: Parker Schenecker examines evidence at the trial of his wife. Prosecutors claimed Juilie Schenecker killed their children in anger at him . Along with warnings of a coming 'massacre' and her promise that 'the evil starts Thursday', Schenecker devoted pages to planning what should be done after she and her children were found dead. 'I have no idea where to do the memorial service,' she wrote, suggesting a few possible locations, including the Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. She wanted their bodies to be donated to science, but she also asked to be cremated and have her children's ashes mixed with hers. Her clothes should be given away, she wrote, and wanted her family and girlfriends to be informed of her passing. 'Maybe post it on facebook,' she wrote, listing her username and password. 'Everyone I know & love is on facebook.' Schenecker also worried her children would become bipolar like her. 'If you're wondering why I decided to take out the kids it's to protect them from embarrassing them for the rest of their lives,' she wrote. She devoted an entire page to listing the things Calyx had supposedly wronged her. 'Sprayed lysol in my face when I came in from smoking,' she wrote. 'Wants to euthanize one of the cats.' 'said recently ''If I commit suicide it's all your fault!''.' Plea: Schenecker, pictured being led into the courtroom on Thursday, had tried to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, but a jury found she was sane at the time of the killings . Beau had been her 'ally' she wrote, and Calyx had been the 'bully'. At the top of one page she wrote only: 'You're a failure.' In the hours after she killed her children, she returned to the journal. 'I have really lost my mind. . . I'm so sad, my two babies! It was too easy to take them out.' The prosecution said Schenecker's motive was anger and resentment toward her . husband, saying she intended him to come home and find his family dead. Schenecker now faces a life sentence after the possibility of a death penalty . was ruled out. As she was sentenced to life in prison with no parole, Schenecker addressed the court, saying: 'I shot my son and daughter, I don’t know why,' Fox 13 reported. She apologized for the killing and, through tears, said: 'I know my children are I heaven. I want people to try to find comfort and meaning, as I do, that they are in no pain.' 'I'm prepared and accept your sentence. 'I apologize, I apologize to everyone in this courtroom who I have broken, the lives I have destroyed. I hope they can collect themselves as best as possible. All of us. Not just this courtroom - anybody who knew our family, Calyx and Beau, our children's friends, teachers, coaches, our relatives, aunts, cousins, grandparents, uncles, nieces, nephews, everyone has been so deeply affected and I understand that there are people affected by this that maybe just read about in the paper, maybe a child looked at their mommy and said, "Mommy are you ever going to shoot me?" I know that this could happen, and I apologize for what happened, what I did. I take responsibility. I was there. 'I know I shot my son and daughter. I don't know why. But I have a period of time to try to understand that. 'Your honor, the judicial system in the U.S. is the best in the world. We don't lash our women 125 times for driving when they're not supposed to drive. I'm proud to stand here in front of you, as I understand you might be prior service as well. And to serve my country, and I proudly said the first code conduct as a soldier, in 83, I said - I said, I'm an American fighting man [sic], serving in the forces which protect our country and our way and our way of life, an I’m prepared to give my life in their defense. I said that proudly, it changed, we’re no longer by men, we’re fighting in the forces which protect our country. 'It’s our trust and I believe in you and what you’ve done. You’ve run a great court. I have no experience, from what I’ve seen, you control the court tremendously well. I thank my attorneys who supported me, and I trusted them and they worked so well. And all those people behind me on my team, put in many, many hours on this case. I will never be able to repay all these people, I have no way to repay, but to say thank you. So thank you to the entire American judicial system. I am not playing you're honor, and that is heartfelt. 'I have one more... I know our children are in Heaven. I want people to try to find comfort and meaning as I do that they are in no pain. And they are alive and enjoying everything and anything Heaven has to offer, Jesus protecting them and keeping them safe until we get there, and their loved ones follow us to join them. That’s all your honor, I appreciate you letting me speak.' | Julie Schenecker found guilty of double murder on Thursday .
Florida mother killed her 13-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter in Jan. 2011 .
Children's father welcomes verdict, saying it will allow family to move on .
Schenecker detailed how she shot the teenagers in a journal, which have now been released .
In it she wrote about shooting both kids in the mouth because they had been talking back to her .
She also wrote it was 'easy to take them out' |
47,433 | 85b7e33440497cd8bfeb561d97ce50aac0ab94b4 | By . Tamara Cohen . Last updated at 12:30 PM on 16th November 2011 . With autumn frosts well under way, it is hardly hosepipe ban season. Yet, just six weeks before Christmas, the public is being urged to ration its water use. The year’s topsy-turvy weather has seen several counties remain in drought for months after the lowest rainfall on record. Now water companies are urging householders to cut back on water use, amid concern that if reservoirs do not fill up, reserves could reach a critical level next summer. Dry spell: Parched areas of Pitsford Water pictured yesterday where half the normal rainfall has led to concerns over a water shortage . Wet: The reservoir near Northampton pictured with normal water levels in previous years . The east of England had only half its usual rainfall in September and October, following the driest Spring for 80 years. In March and April just one inch of . rain fell – a fifth of what is normal for the season and about the . typical level for North Africa. Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and . South Lincolnshire have had their driest year on record. Other . drought-stricken areas are parts of Bedfordshire and Norfolk. Anglian Water, which serves six . million homes and businesses, yesterday applied to the Environment . Agency for a permit to drain extra water from the River Nene to feed . reservoirs in Pitsford and Rutland Water which are half-full. Shortages: Anglian Water has applied for a winter drought permit so it can drain extra water from the River Nene to feed its reservoir at Rutland Water . It has applied to drain an extra 17million litres a day between December and April. Spokesman Ciaran Nelson said: ‘You usually think of having to save water when it is hot. ‘But this is the time of year when we . need to save water the most as the reservoirs should be filling up . ready for next spring.’ He said householders should take . measures such as lagging pipes so they don’t freeze, as well as basics . such as not keeping water running while brushing their teeth. Farmers are also irrigating at night to reduce the amount of water evaporating. Unseasonable: Bright sunshine at Stourhead National Trust estate this weekend. The weather in the UK has been so warm this autumn that farmers are irrigating at night time to reduce the amount of water evaporating . Another spokesman for the firm explained: 'Last year's winter . was the most severe since records began over 100 years ago. If that . wasn't enough, we saw an average 20 per cent less winter rainfall in our supply . region, followed by the driest spring in over 80 years. 'Despite these exceptional challenges we kept water supplies secure, and . by the start of spring we had replenished our reservoirs. 'However, . through spring, rainfall remained exceptionally low, particularly in the . west of the region. 'If the dry conditions were to continue throughout this winter, storage . levels at Pitsford would not recover and would remain very low. 'That's . why we're taking prudent action now, applying for a drought permit to . try to keep water supplies secure and customers' taps flowing.' Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman: 'Despite our reputation as a rainy country, planning for unreliable rainfall is something we all need to do' The last time such a permit was applied for during the autumn or winter months was in 2003, the Environment Agency said . David Hawley, a manager for the . Agency, said: 'Balancing the needs of people, businesses and . the environment for water has been a difficult job this year. 'Farmers . have been working hard to make the best use of the water they have and . we've been busy planning supplies and monitoring what's going on. 'But if we have a dry winter, this could make next year far more difficult for everyone than this year has been. 'That's . why we're asking everyone to look at their water use and see how it can . be reduced now so that there's enough to go around next year too.' Environment . Secretary Caroline Spelman said: 'Farmers, water companies and other . abstractors have worked really hard over the summer to help keep our . rivers flowing and head off any threat of hosepipe bans. 'Northamptonshire . and South Lincolnshire are amongst a number of areas taking steps now . to safeguard the water supply next summer and, despite our reputation as . a rainy country, planning for unreliable rainfall is something we all . need to do.' | Farmers having to irrigate at night to reduce amount of water evaporating as the weather is so warm .
Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and .
South Lincolnshire have had their driest year on record .
Anglian Water applied to Environment .
Agency for a permit to drain extra water from the River Nene to feed .
reservoirs . |
93,213 | 03e9175909d70ffc3a87b2abd7628982abb80232 | Being able to pull their own pints is a pub-goer's dream. And now punters at Britain's first iPub will be able to do just that - as barmaids have been ditched for iPads. Landlord Mark Lingwood has cut the queues The Westbourne pub in Swansea, South Wales, which allows drinkers to help themselves to lager on pumps - as well as snacks from the bar. Scroll down for video . Beer on tap: Mark Lingwood with his new tablets which allow drinkers to buy beer without going to the bar . The tablets are fixed to tables at the digital-friendly boozer, which cost the 33-year-old £20,000 to develop. He said: It's something I have looked at for a long time, it's a great, fun idea. 'Why queue at the bar when you can use our table top iPads?' Drinkers at the newly refurbished pub first have to buy a special card to use the iPads. Landlord Mark at The Westbourne pub in Swansea, where punters can buy beer via an iPad . There's an app for that! Mark's is the first iPub to open in Britain - allowing punters to help themselves . This is then placed under a sensor on the iPad to allowing them to pour themselves pints using the pumps fixed to three of the bar-room tables. Bar staff can see how much punters are drinking using a central system - and they check up on them to make sure they are getting on OK. Mr Lingwood had to clear his new system with Swansea Counci's licensing department but was given the backing for his iPub. The pub currently has Sagres and Amstel beers on the self-service taps. Help yourself! Mark says his new iPub in South Wales has already been a hit with drinkers . But customers can order any drink to be delivered to the table using the tablet computers. The pub's staff aim to bring snacks and other orders over to drinkers within two minutes of them placing an order. Satisfied customer Keith Leyshon, 37, said: 'I never thought they'd be able to make a computer to improve drinking - but they have. 'I used to hate queueing at the bar, it was the worst part of any night out. 'But with these iPads I just help myself. It's hard not to get carried away.' | Mark Lingwood spent £20,000 developing the concept in South Wales .
The Westbourne pub in Swansea is first of its kind to open in the UK .
Punters can order their drinks via iPad - and pour them at their table .
Means drinkers no longer need to queue at the bar and reduces waiting time . |
76,435 | d8c823c0ec49ff8fda32309106e729ff835a5089 | By . Stephen Mcgowan . By time up the sighs of relief from the Celtic directors box very nearly drowned out the howls of outrage and anger from their St Johnstone counterparts. Almost, but not quite. Celtic will wake on Thursday morning to learn if Legia Warsaw have been judged to be the victims of an over-officious UEFA injustice. There was no right of appeal for St Johnstone on Wednesday night. No way of reversing the two significant penalty calls from referee John Beaton which saw Ronny Deila’s first competitive domestic game end in a comfortable victory. Breakthrough: Anthony Stokes rounds Mannus to give Celtic the lead at St Johnstone . St Johnstone (4-5-1): Mannus 5; Mackay 5,Croft 6, Anderson 5, Easton 6; Scobbie 6, Millar 6, McDonald 5 (Miller 78), O’Halloran 5 (Morgan 59), Caddis 5 (Wotherspoon 45); MacLean 5. Subs not used: Banks, Wright, Brown, Kane. Booked: Mackay, Wotherspoon. Sent off: Mackay. Celtic (4-4-2): Gordon 7; Matthews 6, Izaguirre 6, van Dijk 6, Lustig 6; Biton 6, Johansen 6; Forrest 7 (Boeriggter 57), McGregor 6; Commons 5 (Berget 67), Stokes 6 (Kayal 73). Subs not used: Zaluska, Ambrose, Pukki, Denayer. Booked: Johansen. Referee: John Beaton. Attendance: 6890. Man of the match: James Forrest . A week after finding himself in the eye of a storm for red carding Hibs player Danny Handling at Ibrox, Beaton was in the spotlight once more. If referees really are looking for a pay rise, this is the kind of game unlikely to help their cause much. It all hinged on six minutes and two key incidents involving Saints skipper Dave Mackay. The first saw the right-back race the length of the field to remonstrate after the raised boot of Virgil van Dijk appeared to make clear contact in the Celtic penalty area. No penalty, said the referee. On the touchline Tommy Wright writhed and gyrated, incensed with the verdict. His mood was scarcely aided by the spot kick given at the other end five minutes later. It was, in truth, a horrible decision. Derk Boeriggter hasn’t done much to enhance his reputation in Scottish football. His exaggerated tumble as he tried to wriggle clear of Mackay in the St Johnstone area is unlikely to improve the situation. Mackay – already booked – was shown an instant red card for an alleged infringement. Yet the Dutchman appeared to throw himself to the ground a full step after any semblance of contact, such as it was. The dismissal added insult to substantial injury. Already a goal down to an Anthony Stokes opportunist finish in 55 minutes, St Johnstone were done for. Controversy: Referee John Beaton shows a red card to St Johnstone's Dave Mackay (left) Nir Biton struck the penalty kick calmly into the net for his first Celtic goal. The third, a squirming low shot from Callum McGregor which wriggled horribly past Alan Mannus in 84 minutes, even though he got his hands to it, only compounded the St Johnstone anguish. The home support left at the end muttering their claims of Celtic cheating. The away support were diverted – however briefly – from their state of simmering discontent over Celtic’s transfer spend. Or lack of it. Seventy two hours before Fergus McCann unfurls the league flag there was a Bunnetesque sense of déjà vu as a banner in the Celtic support read: ‘Back the Team, sack the board.’ It was gone by time up. As was the Maribor assistant coach who travelled to Perth in expectation of hosting Celtic next Wednesday night. UEFA notwithstanding. His report will surely speak of a scoreline flattering the champions slightly. In truth Celtic rarely have it easy in Perth, winning just one of their last four visits on league business. Clinical: Nir Biton struck his penalty kick calmly into the net for his first Celtic goal . The injured Aleksandar Tonev was missing, while Manchester City’s on loan defender Jason Denayer started on the bench. The opening 45 minutes demonstrated why Ronny Deila’s next priority is to sign a striker. Leigh Griffiths – a player who might be the best option in the current impoverished circumstances – was axed from the squad completely. That, you sense, is a developing story. Stoke partnered Kris Commons up front once more in a conventional 4-4-2 – a departure from Deila’s preferred 4-2-3-1. Not for the first time the Irishman frustrated the life out of his supporters in the first half before delivering the goal which changed the game with an opportunist finish. The goal was well-timed. Without Stevie May, the talisman sold to Sheffield Wednesday, St Johnstone had their best spell at the start of the second half. The first period had been a non event. James Forrest had a bright 45 minutes on his first start for some time, but limped off in increasingly characteristic fashion in 57 minutes for Boeriggter, a critical change. Howler: St Johnstone keeper Alan Mannus (centre) fumbles a shot from Callum McGregor for third goal . Aside from Forrest, a competitive start for Craig Gordon marked the only other bright spot of the opening 45 for Deila. The former Scotland keeper might soon be the current Scotland No1 if he stays fit. Replacing Fraser Forster he looked assured and confident, producing the only save of note in a pretty dreadful opening period when he pushed away Steven MacLean’s 20 yard drive in the 22nd minute. Forrest was a bundle of energy, adding more balance and width to Celtic’s play. He played a terrific one-two with Commons in 15 minutes and cut inside before striking a disappointing left foot low drive. But Celtic’s next chance came a full 23 minutes later, Stokes fouled on the edge of the box by Mackay and striking the free kick narrowly wide himself. Within five minutes of the restart Saints came close to taking the lead when Michael O’Halloran retrieved Lee Croft’s inviting ball across goal and cut inside, his driven angled shot almost turned into goal by MacLean from close range. Delight: Celtic manager Ronny Deila salutes travelling fans after first league victory . Celtic, it seemed, were on the back foot. St Johnstone were knocking on the door. Yet that changed completely when Steven Anderson dallied in possession in his own final third and was dispossessed by a pressing Commons. Stokes collected, kept his cool and rounded Mannus to slot an angled low shot into the net for 1-0. McGregor almost added another seconds later, taking a ricocheted Emilio Izaguirre cross and thumping just wide. His moment would come. But only after the penalty incidents which defined this game. The Mackay claim after the raised boot by van Dijk. The Boeriggter flashpoint which left St Johnstone flushed and fuming. At 2-0 it wasn’t over yet. McGregor’s useful knack of scoring goals continued when his low shot at the end of a neat passing move slipped and squirmed and evaded Mannus for 3-0. The Celtic youngster could have had another moments later but the champions – and Deila – had the win they craved at the end of a difficult fortnight. | Ronny Deila's first competitive domestic game ended in comfortable victory .
Referee John Beaton at centre of two controversial penalty decisions .
Dismissal of Saints skipper Dave Mackay added insult to injury . |
136,462 | 3c88828c252af2b4b5e55c3199983ea780330517 | (CNN) -- Barcelona has appointed Luis Enrique as the club's new manager just days after losing out on the La Liga title. Enrique, who has resigned from his role at Celta Vigo following a successful season in charge, returns to the club where he starred as a player between 1996 and 2004. The 44-year-old has signed a two-year deal and replaces Tata Martino, who left the club after just one season at the helm. In a statement, the club confirmed that Enrique was appointed following an endorsement from sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta. Barcelona endured a disappointing season, failing to retain its league title and crashing out of the Champions League following a defeat by Atletico Madrid. Atletico also pipped Barca to the league title by securing a final day draw at Camp Nou on Saturday. Martino's side was also beaten by arch-rival Real Madrid in last month's Copa del Rey final. His departure, which came following Saturday's draw, raised few eyebrows following a reign perpetuated by rumors of unrest within the camp. The attention will now turn to Enrique, who guided Celta to an impressive ninth place finish in La Liga. Enrique, who arrived at the club for the first time as a player in 18 years ago following a move from Real Madrid, became a huge favorite with the club's supporters. He won two league titles, two Spanish Cups, a European Cup Winners Cup and a European Super Cup during his eight years at the Camp Nou. Enrique played 300 games for the club, scoring 109 goals and captained the side between 2002-2004 before retiring. In 2008, the former Spain international coached Barcelona B, winning promotion in his second season in charge before leaving to take over at Italian side Roma three years later. At Roma, he guided the club to a seventh place finish in Serie A and into the semifinals of the Italian Cup. He left his post after citing fatigue. The confirmation of Enrique's appointment came shortly after Lionel Messi signed a new deal with the club, which reportedly takes his net annual salary to $27.4 million. Messi agreed the deal last Friday but put pen to paper on the new contract Monday. The Argentina striker has had a lean season by his own impossibly high standards, but has still scored 28 La Liga goals in his 30 games. Messi joined the Catalans in 2000 at the age of 13 and has gone on to win 21 trophies with Barca, including six La Liga titles and three European Champions League crowns. The 26-year was also voted World Player of the Year in four successive seasons, between 2009 and 2012, and will be one of the biggest names at the World Cup in Brazil. Barcelona has also announced the signing of Borussia Mönchengladbach goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen, who is expected to become the club's first-choice next season. | Luis Enrique appointed new manager of Barcelona .
Enrique replaces Tata Martino at Camp Nou .
Former player a huge favorite at Catalan club .
Enjoyed a fine season in charge at Celta Vigo . |
249,440 | cecb224512df16938f25dfd19c5d56bbc3d5945a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A Russian skier who was hospitalised after a serious accident at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games will never walk again, it emerged today. Maria Komissarova, 23, is in a German clinic after suffering a fractured spine in a crash during a training run for the ski cross event in Sochi. The Russian Freestyle Federation confirmed today that Miss Komissarova is permanently paralysed, citing her doctors in Germany. Scroll down for video . Paralysed: Freestyle skiier Maria Komissarova, 23, posted on her Instagram page that she has no feeling from the waist down after a visit from Russian president Vladimir Putin . The freestyle skier fractured her 12th dorsal vertebrae in her lower-middle back but has sworn to walk again. ‘I do not feel my body lower than my belly button,' Miss Kommissarova wrote in Instagram last month. 'But I am strong and I know that some day I will definitely be on my feet again.’ ‘Due . to the severity of the injury, the functions of the spinal canal are . not regenerating,’ the Russian Freestyle Federation cited specialists at . the German clinic as saying. ‘In . the opinion of the specialists, Maria will be able to move around . independently using special equipment,’ the statement said. Komissarova . is due to spend another 10 weeks in the German clinic learning to adapt . to her condition and will then undergo a long period of treatment and . rehabilitation, the federation said. Tragic accident: Russian freestyle skiing pin-up girl Maria Komissarova, 23, is paralysed from the waist down after a training accident in Sochi . Raunchy: Prior to the Winter Olympics, freestyle skiier Maria Komissarova was one of a number of Russian athletes who posed in sexy outfits to show off their femininity . Ski-cross . is one of the most frenetic and risky events of the Games, where four . skiers race together down a slope filled with jumps, obstacles and . banked corners. During the main competition, six skiers race against each other, with the top three advancing through the heats to the final. Normally during practice runs, skiers are on the course themselves, or traveling down the mountain in loosely packed bunches. International . Ski Federation spokeswoman Jenny Wiedeke said the accident occurred on a . series of jumps near the top of the course and that Komissarova fell . while exiting the third jump. Off the snow: Komissarova won't be skiing for a while after a serious training accident in Sochi last Saturday . Russian president Vladimir Putin stopped by following the operation to give his athlete his best wishes in person. Komissarova, . who won silver in a World Cup medal in ski cross in 2012, was the face . of Russian Freestyle Skiing leading up to Sochi. She is ranked 33rd in the current World Cup standings and recovered from a leg injury last year to qualify for the Olympics. Russian Fresstyle Ski Federation spokesman Mikhail Verzeba said the operation was successful. ‘When . our doctor discusses everything with the hospital medics, we are going . to issue a statement and post it on our site,’ he said. At . the same event, Canadian skicross racer Nik Zoricic was killed after . crashing near the final jump of a heat in the men's race. | Maria Komissarova fractured 12th dorsal vertebrae in lower-middle back .
The 23-year-old said she cannot 'feel her body below her belly button'
Doctors have said she is permanently paralysed from the waist down .
Accident occurred on a series of jumps near the top of the course .
Russian president Vladimir Putin visited Komissarova after operation . |
163,562 | 5f7de3600509848b10d72fedd4de90a8463e7025 | By . Lucy Osborne . PUBLISHED: . 06:09 EST, 2 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:09 EST, 2 March 2013 . A new generation of mollycoddled children are unable to cope in adulthood, David Cameron’s new adviser on childhood said last night. MP Claire Perry criticised the paradox of parents being over-controlling in their children’s lives, while at the same time giving them limitless access to the internet - where she says, the real dangers lie. Every moment of a child’s life is filled with organised activities, leaving young people unable to fend for themselves when they leave home or go to university, the 48-year-old mother of three said. Controlling: Parents fill their children's lives with organised activities, leaving young people unable to fend for themselves when they leave home or go to university, says MP Claire Perry. Picture posed by models . Yet at the same time, many children are given few restrictions when it comes to the internet. ‘We’ve created a treadmill,’ she said. ‘It’s usually the mother that is orchestrating all of that and doing all the driving. ‘We have created rods for our own back. Children need time to be bored.’ When discussing the internet, Mrs Perry, the Prime Minister’s adviser on the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood, told The Times newspaper: ‘Most parents are too busy, don’t know the words, aren’t aware their children are doing it. ‘They are living in digital oblivion,’ she said. Doing too much for the children: ' Children need time to be bored,' says the MP . Her remarks on parenting are in sharp contrast to those of many other politicians, who are more likely to praise parents’ efforts. The MP for Devizes, also criticised the sexism in political life, during an interview with The Times newspaper. Before she entered politics, Mrs Perry worked in the banking and finance industry, which despite its reputation for being chauvinistic, was far more meritocratic than British politics, she said. Mrs Perry took a seven-year break from her career in management consulting when her children were young but admitted that she was guilty of ‘hovering’ over them too much when she was at home. She said that when mother’s do too much for their children, they struggle when they leave home and realise they haven’t got a mother to help them with their homework, watching their every move. Critic: Claire Perry is concerned about good parenting as David Cameron's special advisor . The new trend of 1950s-style homemaking has added to the burden on today’s mothers, she said. ‘We fetishise cupcakes ... I like baking but I don’t want to make that my life’s purpose. We worship this feminine motherhood thing and I don’t think our children have benefited actually. They’re babied a lot.’ Mrs Perry added that, despite the intense focus on children’s lives, parents were often afraid to lay down the law. ‘Good parenting isn’t just about making sure they come top in maths but all the difficult stuff too. If they don’t learn the limits from us who is going to tell them?’ Mrs Perry’s decision to criticise today’s parenting methods was criticised by some campaigners last night. Justine Roberts, co-founder of the Mumsnet forum told The Times: ‘Mothers are, sadly, used to copping a lot of blame but being charged with being over-protective, cupcake-baking helicopter parents at the same time as being feckless, couch potatoes who let their children have unfettered internet access is a bit rich. ‘Politicians could more usefully perhaps focus on improving local schools, job prospects, childcare options and flexible work solutions than telling us how to be better parents.’ Mrs Perry has been leading the Government’s campaign to persuade broadband providers and internet companies to adopt an "opt in” filter, which would automatically block pornography and other adult content unless subscribers specifically request it. | Claire Perry says we have 'created a rod for our own backs'
She claims parents are 'living in digital oblivion' about the internet . |
176,247 | 70281e5552b73e37ba7c850d28a937a555498b2f | She's already been reported to the police for hate crimes against overweight people, but Katie Hopkins is continuing with her verbal assault on the matter. On Tuesday, the controversial TV star was reported by a woman belonging to a 'fat activist' group during filming for her new programme on TLC, in which she gains and loses three stone in six months. But the former Apprentice star isn't backing down. In an interview with The Telegraph today, she has taken another stab at people who are overweight, saying: 'All fat people want is an excuse. But fatties have the one thing disabled people don’t have. They have choice.' There's no stopping her! Katie Hopkins, who in her new show, went from 8st 12lb to 11st 13lb and back again in six months, has hit out at overweight people again by saying that 'all fat people need is a kick up the a**' She went on to explain that she believes nobody is forcing these people to eat and maintains that she would raise the topic with a morbidly obese person if she saw them parking in a disabled spot. Katie, who added that 'all fat people need is a kick up the a***', is convinced that half of the British population secretly shares her views. On Tuesday, however, Katie was reported to the police when she met up with the group of five women in London who all work independently as plus-size activists or diet bloggers, so that she could hear opposing views on her claims that 'fat people are lazy'. The panel included size acceptance campaigner Kathryn Szrodecki, burlesque performer Khandie Kisses, blogger 'Big Fat Betty', editor of Slink magazine Rivkie Baum and vlogger Thandi Ejindu, who lost 11 stone in one year. The discussion between Katie and the women quickly heated up and size acceptance campaigner Ms Szrodecki is seen storming out of the room to call the police in the second episode from the series, which is set to air on Saturday. Katie Hopkins has been accused of committing a hate crime against fat people. The TV star was reported to police by plus size campaigner Kathryn Szrodecki (right) during filming for Katie's new documentary. Size acceptance campaigner Kathryn Szrodecki is seen storming out of the room after her clash with Katie . Ms Szrodecki walks outside with her mobile phone and can be seen speaking to the police about Katie. She says: 'Yes, it became personally offensive. And I believe it is a hate crime and I’d like to report it.’ The argument is seen in the second episode of Katie's new show, with the first part airing on Friday night. Over six months, Katie went from 8st 12lb to 11st 13lb and then lost the weight again to prove how easy it is to get fit. The journey was all captured on camera for the documentary. Katie caused an uproar last year, when she told an obese woman on This Morning that she wouldn't employ her because fat people give off the impression that they are lazy. But she decided to put her money where her mouth is with her latest project, by gaining and losing 3st to prove that overweight people are unwilling - rather than unable - to lose weight. The weight gain hit Katie's emotions harder than she expected, with the mother-of-three was often reduced to tears over her size, especially when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She recently told The Sun that she even refused to have sex with her husband Mark Cross after she had gained the first stone, because she felt so unattractive. Katie originally weighed 8st 12lb (right) but ate her way to 11st 13lb (left), then dropped back down again in just a few months to prove how easy it is to lose the flab . Katie Hopkins refused to be intimate with husband Mark Cross, pictured, after she gained a stone in weight . Previously a slim size eight, weighing in at 8st 12lb at 5ft 7in, the 39-year-old gained nearly 3st by gorging on 6,500 calories a day and severely limiting her movement. The documentary Katie Hopkins: My Fat Story, follows Katie after she's at her peak weight of 11st 13lb, with a 38in waist and a BMI of 26, and then slims down thanks to a strict diet and exercise regime. In the show, we see the usually polished star in her unguarded moments. Make-up free and in a pair of striped pyjamas, Hopkins breaks down over her larger body. After a weight-gain diet that included daily 'snacks' of a litre-and-a-half of Mars milk drink, an entire tub of Pringles, cheese on toast, Dairy Milk and Galaxy chocolate and the inclusion of a second breakfast, Katie then cuts her calories to a mere 1,500. Katie found fame on The Apprentice, left, and also enjoyed a stint in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here in 2007, right . As well as a low fat diet of porridge, salads and lean chicken with a jacket potato, Hopkins upped her daily steps from 1,000 to 20,000 daily and introduced several hour-long runs a week. Following this self-devised plan she managed to drop down to 9st 12lb in just three months, shedding a further 6lb after the documentary ended. Katie kept a video diary during the making of the programme and regularly recorded her strong views on fat people. One video sees her explaining: 'One of the things about being fat and eating all the time is you find you don't want to go out so much. You feel like you don't really want to go out because you can't fit into the things you would like to wear. 'I'm not sure if that's something many fat people suffer from because I see a lot of fat people out and about. Whether that's out of choice I don't know but I'm surprised that fat people go out at all.' The controversial former reality star has been as active on Twitter, defending her views on being overweight . Katie first embarked on the weight-gain and weight-loss scheme after becoming sick of hearing excuses thrown around by overweight people for their size. Speaking on ITV's This Morning in September she said: 'One in ten of our children are starting school overweight or obese and one in three children who are 15 or over are overweight or obese. 'People have always said to me, "You're lucky, you're skinny," and I just don't think these excuses are cutting it any more. 'I saw a story the other day about how the curtains in your bedroom not being thick enough could be making you fat. I just thought, we have to put an end to this.' While she now has greater sympathy for people with weight issues, Katie is continuing to be outspoken on the topics, using her Twitter account to make digs at larger people in her neighbourhood. She recently tweeted: 'My local over/under active thyroid self help group meets in KFC.' She also posted: 'I see you all down there with your excuses, but a third of the planet is obese. The first step to slim is NO EXCUSES. Own your problem.' Katie Hopkins: My Fat Story, airs Friday and Saturday, 2 and 3 January at 9pm on TLC. | Katie Hopkins was accused of committing a hate crime against fat people .
Now says that fat people, unlike disabled people, have a choice .
Maintains that she would raise topic with an obese person in a car park .
In show, she went from 8st 12lb to 11st 13lb and back again in six months . |
87,552 | f86997a650a4cc08dafa228012433c0a332a3624 | (CNN) -- Supporters of Pfc. Bradley Manning, accused in the largest leak of classified documents in U.S. history, have adopted the phrase: "I am Bradley Manning." But who is Manning? A whistle-blower? Or someone who aided the enemy in the midst of war? Those and other questions go to trial Monday as Manning's court-martial is scheduled to begin at Maryland's Fort Meade. Gallery: Key WikiLeaks figures as trial begins . In February, Manning, 25, pleaded guilty to 10 of the 22 charges against him and faces up to two decades in jail. He did not plead guilty to the most serious charge -- that of aiding the United States' enemies, which carries the potential for a life sentence. During the proceeding, Manning spent more than an hour reading a statement that detailed why and how he sent classified material to WikiLeaks, a group that facilitates the anonymous leaking of secret information through its website. Manning said he passed on information that "upset" or "disturbed" him but didn't give WikiLeaks anything he thought would harm the United States if it were made public. "I believed if the public was aware of the data, it would start a public debate of the wars," he told the court. The U.S. military first detained Manning in May 2010 for leaking U.S. combat video -- including a U.S. helicopter gunship attack posted on WikiLeaks -- and classified State Department cables. Manning was turned in by Adrian Lamo, a former hacker, whom Manning allegedly told about leaking the classified records. In his statement to the court, Manning said he initially contacted The Washington Post and The New York Times to provide information. He said he either wasn't taken seriously or got voice mail, so he gave the material to WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks has never confirmed that Manning was the source of its information. On Saturday, Manning's supporters rallied outside Fort Meade. "People came from great distances to stand with a true American hero," said Jeff Paterson, director of the Bradley Manning Support Network. "From Bradley's demeanor in court, it's clear he takes strength from the outpouring of support." Manning was formally charged in February 2012. On the eve of the court-martial, his lawyer, David Coombs, issued a rare public statement through his website. He thanked those who raised money and awareness over the past three years, bringing "worldwide attention to this important case." 2012: Prosecutors say Manning didn't report any mistreatment to them . CNN's Carol Cratty, Larry Shaughnessy and Mark Morgenstein contributed to this report. | Pfc. Bradley Manning is accused in the largest leak of classified documents in U.S. history .
In February, he pleaded guilty to 10 of the 22 charges against him .
He did not plead guilty to the most serious charge -- that of aiding the United States' enemies .
Manning's supporters rallied at Maryland's Fort Meade on Saturday . |
84,386 | ef5c70bbd8df6f74e6bc4a1aa711de2a6d45170a | Hong Kong (CNN) -- Hong Kong authorities said Friday that they had confiscated $1.4 million worth of ivory that arrived smuggled in a shipping container from Africa, the second large seizure of tusks at the busy port in the past month. Customs officials discovered the 1,330 kilograms (about 2,900 pounds) of illegal ivory Thursday in a container from Tanzania that was marked as carrying sunflower seeds, authorities said. The 569 tusks, worth 10.56 million Hong Kong dollars (about $1.4 million U.S.), were in the back of the container, buried under hundreds of bags of the seeds. The Hong Kong government said customs officials are investigating the case and are still trying to find "the smuggling syndicate members." The container had been picked out for inspection based on "risk assessment," authorities said. The seizure follows the roughly $3.4 million worth in ivory found in two shipping containers last month, one of the largest amounts ever seized in Hong Kong. Those containers arrived from Tanzania and Kenya, according to Hong Kong customs officials. The agency seized 1,209 pieces of ivory tusks and 3 pounds of ivory ornaments from the two containers, discovered over a period of two days. In that case, Hong Kong customs officials were on alert after a tip-off from officials in Guangdong, China. Read more: Priest embroiled in ivory smuggling controversy . Seven people, including one Hong Kong resident, were arrested by Chinese officials in connection with the case, authorities said at the time. Hong Kong is viewed as a transit point for the illegal ivory trade, feeding into increasing demands in China, according to a Time article published last month. Elephants are being killed in Africa at an alarming rate as international demand soars for ivory. Much of the demand comes from increasingly affluent Asian countries, particularly China and Thailand. Before this year, the most recent major bust in Hong Kong occurred in 2011, when officials seized a shipment of ivory and rhinoceros horns valued at $2.2 million Hong Kong dollars. Journalist Paavan Mathema contributed to this report. | This is the second large amount of ivory confiscated in Hong Kong in the past month .
569 tusks were found under sunflower seeds in a shipping container .
The container came from Tanzania as was picked out for inspection by officials . |
63,350 | b3ecef88143935bd3bab192361826d2c3bdd0828 | (The Frisky) -- It's not easy being a mother, caring so much about these delicate little dumplings that hold half of your DNA and keep putting themselves in danger. Which is why it's important to not just acknowledge the worst TV moms, but also the best. My personal favorite is Kitty Foreman (Debra Jo Rupp) from "That '70s Show." She didn't just raise Eric; she mothered the whole neighborhood of delinquent teenagers while working full-time as a nurse and dealing with a grumpy husband. And she managed to do all that while maintaining her sense of humor, with a little help from her dear friend Kahlúa. The Frisky: 10 worst TV moms . Another fantastic mom was Jean Weir (Becky Ann Baker) from "Freaks and Geeks." Because no matter how broody her daughter Lindsay got, she was always upbeat and supportive. I definitely cried a bunch during the Halloween episode when she's excited to give out candy with her daughter, but Lindsay ditches her for James Franco and Jason Segel. Not that anyone can blame her. All the parents on "Modern Family" are pretty great, but I love Gloria (Sofia Vergara) because she's raised the most precocious little boy, Manny. And she honestly loves Jay way more than his last wife Peggy, from "Married With Children." She's also terribly good-looking and tirelessly cheers on her family. My favorite character from "The Golden Girls" was Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) because she said the most amazing things ever. And even as a 90-year-old, she was still raising Dorothy -- even though she was younger than Bea Arthur in real life. The Frisky: "Playboy" rejects TV mom Kate Gosselin and 7 other celebs . Sure, Marge Simpson sometimes forgot about Maggie's existence and Bart turned out to be a brat, but you can't argue that she did a good job with Lisa! And since "The Simpsons" has been on longer than any other show, she's been raising those un-aging kids for 21 seasons. And on top of that, Homer is a bigger baby than any of the kids. But Marge still gets up every morning, does her fro, and loves the hell out of her family. If Rayanne's mom was one of the worst TV moms, then Angela's mom, Patty Chase (Bess Armstrong), from "My So-Called Life" was one of the best. Her daughter was one of the emo-est teenagers ever and with a bad boy boyfriend like Jordan Catalano, she should have been pulling out her hair. But she managed to be a working mom and give Angela the space to be independent and make some mistakes. When things got dangerous, she stepped in and came to the rescue. "The Cosby Show" was an enviable home environment and Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) managed to have a successful career as an attorney while raising five kids. She was such a beautiful, confident woman and she doled out the lessons like no other. Plus, she was always dancing and wearing really amazing '80s fashions. The Frisky: 10 worst boyfriends and husbands of 2009 . I secretly loved "The Lizzie McGuire Show" and Lizzie's mom, Jo McGuire (Hallie Todd), was so sweet. She reminds me of my mom, always trying to be Lizzie's best friend and getting super emotional when Lizzie went away on trips. She did often mess up Lizzie's life when attempting to solve her problems, but Lizzie and Jo had one of the most tender mother-daughter relationships ever. Marion Cunningham (Marion Ross) from "Happy Days" was similar to Kitty from "That '70s Show," but much less of a lush. She was the only one allowed to call Fonz his real name, "Arthur," and she was always doting on her grumpy husband, Howard. She also raised two pretty good kids and was a fantastic cook. The Frisky: Six celebs with reality shows in the works . One of the best mother-daughter-friend relationships is between Rory and Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) on "Gilmore Girls." She had a rough start -- what with the getting pregnant before graduating from high school, while out of wedlock, and with estranged parents -- but she gave absolutely everything for her daughter. Who doesn't want to be part of their fast-talking, smart-aleck brood? They love and respect each other. And enjoy witty repartee on top of that. TM & © 2010 TMV, Inc. | All Rights Reserved . | Fantastic mom was Jean Weir (Becky Ann Baker) from "Freaks and Geeks"
We secretly loved "The Lizzie McGuire Show" and Lizzie's mom, Jo McGuire .
One of the best mother-daughter-friend relationships was on "Gilmore Girls" |
149,775 | 4da6eaacaa228893c5da4e638e13036930031e10 | David Cameron has been accused of breaking the Armed Forces Covenant, under which veterans must receive priority NHS treatment . Ministers are failing to honour a pledge to Britain’s wounded war heroes who face a healthcare ‘postcode lottery’, it has been claimed. In a devastating assessment, medical experts, MPs, soldiers and military charities have revealed that troops who suffered on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan are being badly let down. In the past five years, around 51,300 service personnel – some still in their teens – have been categorised as injured, wounded or sick. Some will require constant care their whole lives. Under the Armed Forces Covenant, enshrined in law by David Cameron three years ago, veterans must receive priority NHS treatment for injuries suffered in the line of duty. But experts have come forward to point out that many are not being placed at the front of waiting lists – meaning the Government is failing to fulfil its pledge. Professor Neil Greenberg, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: ‘The Government needs to be a bit more honest about what it is delivering and what it says it’s delivering, because the two are definitely not the same.’ Orthopaedic surgeon Professor Tim Briggs said: ‘We can do better and we should do better. Veterans weren’t aware of the Covenant. Finding access to specialist care was proving difficult, some were falling through the net.’ And Royal British Legion director-general Chris Simpkins said the £150,000 spent annually by each of ten specialist NHS mental health centres for ex-soldiers in England was ‘not enough to shield veterans from the extreme postcode lottery of variable waiting times for treatment’. Corporal Simon Brown, who served in the Army for more than ten years, was medically discharged after being shot in the face by a sniper in Iraq in 2006. He still has not had the surgery and treatment he requires. Condemning the ‘flawed’ system, he said: ’It has been long processes – there’s been a lot of jumping through hoops. I actually had to see a committee to see whether or not I was entitled to free plastic surgery.’ A separate report written by the Commons Defence Select Committee and published yesterday said that ‘more resources’ would need to be injected into supporting the physically and psychologically wounded. The cross-party panel of MPs found soldiers deployed in combat roles suffered twice the usual rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and one in five of all troops experience some kind of mental disorder. Committee chairman Rory Stewart, a Conservative MP, said: ‘British society has a unique debt of gratitude and an obligation to look after the citizens who have risked their lives for their country.’ An MoD spokesman insisted that the Government has ‘worked hard to ensure that our serving personnel, veterans and families have the support they need and are treated with the dignity they deserve’. | Veterans must receive priority treatment for injuries suffered in active duty .
Armed Forces Covenant enshrined in law by David Cameron 3 years ago .
But experts warn many are not being placed at front of NHS waiting lists .
51,300 service personnel have been injured, wounded or sick in past 5 years . |
276,395 | f21cdc31030eb27d068a1096220c55c8f1f03606 | (CNN) -- The Washington state Liquor Control Board on Wednesday banned the sale of alcoholic energy drinks after a group of college students got sick from consuming a drink nicknamed "blackout in a can." The ban, which takes effect November 18, follows the October hospitalization of nine underage Central Washington University students who said they got sick after drinking "Four Loko," a caffeinated malt liquor. Some of the students also mixed the canned drinks with other alcohol, including vodka, police reported. Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna has called for federal food regulators to ban the beverages, which he said "have such high levels of stimulants that people have no idea how inebriated they really are." But Four Loko's manufacturer, Phusion Projects of Chicago, Illinois, said the drink is "just as safe as any other alcoholic beverage" when used responsibly. The company said it was "extremely disappointed" by the ban, which it said was "based on misguided information and does not address the issue at hand." "If the true concern was to preserve the public health, safety, and general welfare, this ban would also address caffeinated liquor products, which contain three to four times as much alcohol as our products," Phusion said in a written statement. "Instead, under this ban, these products will remain legal and accessible to the same subset of the population that chose not to consume our products responsibly, sold in stores where existing alcohol laws can continue to be ignored, and abused alongside the same types of alcohols and other illicit substances that contributed to the incident at Central Washington University earlier this year." The company called the Central Washington University incident "disturbing and unacceptable," but said the liquor board's move does nothing to address the "ongoing challenge" of underage drinking among college students. And it said the board ignored its normal procedures, depriving affected businesses "any opportunity to be heard." In an earlier statement, Phusion said Four Loko has about the same amount of alcohol as wine or some craft beers and roughly the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee from the Starbucks chain. The incident that led to the ban took place in Roslyn, Washington, in early October. Police concluded that none of the students was drugged or given alcohol without their knowledge, according to a school statement, but the findings convinced university President James Gaudino to ban "alcohol energy drinks" from his campus. "We need to make sure that we're sending a strong message to students about the dangers of alcohol energy drinks and we need to know more about the way it affects health and behavior," Gaudino said. The drinks are "a binge-drinkers dream because the caffeine and other stimulants allow a drinker to ingest larger volumes of alcohol without passing out," the chairman of the school's physical education department said. "Being able to feel the effects of tiredness, loss of coordination and even passing out or vomiting are the body's defenses against consuming doses of alcohol that will kill you," professor Ken Briggs said last month. "Regardless, once the blood alcohol level reaches a certain level you can drop like a box of rocks." CNN's Alan Duke and Michael Martinez contributed to this report. | NEW: Manufacturer says the ban is based on "misguided information"
"Alcohol energy drink" led to 9 students being hospitalized, police said .
"Four Loko" is a "binge-drinker's dream," a professor says . |
85,890 | f3955c61d13da71cf903652d8201a3a993c0a39d | Washington (CNN) -- A U.S. district judge granted a preliminary injunction Monday to stop federal funding of embryonic stem cell research that he said destroys embryos, ruling it went against the will of Congress. The ruling by Judge Royce C. Lamberth was a blow to the Obama administration, which last year issued guidelines to allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Lamberth's ruling said all embryonic stem cell research involves destroying embryos, which violates the Dickey-Wicker Amendment included in federal spending bills. "The Dickey-Wicker Amendment unambiguously prohibits the use of federal funds for all research in which a human embryo is destroyed," said the ruling by Lamberth, who was nominated to the federal bench by then-President Ronald Reagan in 1987. "It is not limited to prohibit federal funding of only the 'piece of research' in which an embryo is destroyed. Thus, if ESC [embryonic stem cell] research is research in which an embryo is destroyed, the guidelines, by funding ESC research, violate the Dickey-Wicker Amendment." President Barack Obama signed an executive order in March 2009 that repealed a Bush-era policy limiting federal dollars for human stem cell research. Obama's act permitted the National Institutes of Health to conduct and fund studies on embryonic stem cells. Monday's ruling involved a lawsuit against the National Health Institute filed by researchers opposed to use of embryonic stem cells, a group that seeks adoptive parents for human embryos created through in vitro fertilization, the non-profit Christian Medical Association and others. The ruling stops the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research while the lawsuit proceeds through the legal system. The government can appeal the injunction, and a Justice Department spokeswoman, Tracy Schmaler, said the decision was being reviewed. The field of embryonic stem cells has been highly controversial because the research process involves destroying the embryo, typically four or five days old, after removing stem cells. These cells are then blank and can become any cell in the body. Embryonic stem cell research differs from other kinds of stem cell research, which don't require embryos. Some scientists believe embryonic stem cells could help treat many diseases and disabilities, because of their potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. While some advocates praised the executive order as a giant step forward for medical research, conservatives groups objected, contending that the destruction of human embryos ends human life. Ron Stoddart, executive director of Nightlight Christian Adoptions -- one of the groups that filed the lawsuit -- said he supported adult stem cell research that doesn't require destroying embryos. "Frequently people will say why are you opposed to stem cell research and of course are answer is, we're not," Stoddart said. "We're opposed to the destruction of the embryos to get embryo stem cells." In a statement Monday, the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research said it was disappointed by the injunction granted "in response to the latest maneuver by an ideologically driven fringe group." "We have full confidence that the extensive, deliberative process that shaped federal guidelines now in place will be upheld upon further review," the group's statement said. CNN's Shelby Lin Erdman contributed to this story. | NEW: No word on possible government appeal as the lawsuit proceeds .
A judge rules government guidelines go against the will of Congress .
Embryonic stem cell research involves destroying embryos, the judge says .
Congress prohibits federal funding for research that destroys embryos . |
107,890 | 171814bf938b8f42b5e6b6fdba7abb232514b8cf | By . Paul Donnelley . A loophole on no-frills airline easyJet’s website could save parents hundreds of pounds. The company has a deal called Flexi fare in which customers can buy a ticket for one date and then change it to another free of charge. So parents could buy cheaper tickets for dates in term time and then swap to much more expensive school holiday times. Loophole: easyJet has a deal called Flexi fare in which customers can buy a ticket for one date and then change it to another free of charge . Tickets must be bought for three weeks before or one week after the day that they want and then wait a nerve-wracking 24 hours before they can make the change, reports The Sun. Flexi fare is aimed at businessmen, however, it is not without a risk as the new date could be sold out in the 24-hour waiting period. The fares are also more expensive than regular tickets. EasyJet is aware of the dodge but commented: ‘There is no guarantee of availability on alternative dates.’ More than £250 can be saved on trips if you are able to get the tickets you want . | Customers can buy cheap tickets and swap them for expensive ones later .
No charge when changing tickets but fliers must wait 24 hours .
Tickets must be bought three weeks before or one week after day they want .
easyJet aware of loophole but warns that tickets may be unavailable for requested days . |
202,449 | 92167cc14ccf4a6dbd12e36ffad0430672f2a7db | (CNN) -- A retired union president was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday and is accused of using his position to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. The charges against Terence J. Bonner, former president of the National Border Patrol Union, include wire fraud, said United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy. Bonner, who is from California, is accused of taking payments for union activities and using it for himself in a scheme to "defraud some 14,000 dues-paying union members," Duffy said. "These false claims included periods of time when Bonner was actually visiting his mistress in Chicago or family members, as well as trips to attend non-Union activities, such as hockey games and other sporting events," the indictment says. Bonner is also accused of filing for reimbursement for travel expenses for personal trips, Duffy said. "Siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars from hard-working fellow Border Patrol agents, many of whom put their lives on the line every day to protect this country, is a particularly troubling form of corruption that must be addressed," Duffy said. Bonner was arrested and scheduled to be in court for his first appearance on Monday, August 20. | Bonner is accused of taking payments for union activities and using it for himself .
This "is a particularly troubling form of corruption," attorney says .
Bonner is scheduled to be in court on August 20 . |
113,540 | 1e8386383f60e376380dc52bdf760ef6c713a674 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Just one day after flight delays caused by a computer glitch led to fist fights at an airport outside of London, a similar computer glitch grounded flights at several California airports on Wednesday. The glitch apparently hit the Los Angeles Center air traffic facility about 2:20 p.m., which forced officials to ground departing flights at several southern California airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, Bob Hope Airport in Burbank and John Wayne Airport in Orange County. 'Arrivals continue to be accepted but departures are being held on . ground. No ETA on when it will be lifted,' read a post on LAX's . Twitter page. Delays: A computer glitch forced aviation officials to ground flights out of several airports in Los Angeles, including LAX . Glitch: Bob Hope Airport in Burbank also was forced to ground departing flights due to the glitch . The Federal Aviation Administration issued a press release explaining the delays. 'Los Angeles Center air traffic control facility experienced technical . issues and stopped accepting additional flights into the airspace . managed by the facility for about an hour. 'Some flights were . diverted and the agency issued a nationwide ground stop for flights . heading into the airspace managed by the center. The agency is gradually . restoring the system,' the FAA said. A spokesperson for the FAA assured CNN that the control center's radar was not down during the delays. Orange County's John Wayne Airport also experienced delays, which led to backups at airports across the southwest . The glitch impacted airports throughout the southwest, with hour-long delays at Las Vegas' McCarran Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport. On Tuesday, chaos broke out at Gatwick Airport - about 30 miles south of London - after a computer glitch caused delays at several airports in Great Britain, including Heathrow. Furious travellers described the scenes as ‘a disgrace and a national embarrassment,' with . many complaining about a lack of information. One . passenger at Gatwick reported that passengers were turning violent. Kay . Perry tweeted: ‘Gatwick airport chaos. Fights break out among . passengers as queues reach for miles.’ Chaos: A similar glitch caused much lengthier delays at airports across the UK, which reportedly led to fist fights at Gatwick Airport . Another . posting mocked the airport, saying: ‘Well done Heathrow airport. I’ve . spent longer in this immigration queue than in the air.' The delays at the U.S. airports did not include fist fights - and departing flights resumed about an hour after the glitch was first noticed. | The computer glitch happened at the Los Angeles Center air traffic control facility .
The glitch forced officials to ground planes departing from LAX, John Wayne Airport and Bob Hope Airport .
A similar glitch grounded flights at UK airports on Tuesday .
The delays led to violence amongst passengers at Gatwick Airport about 30 miles south of London . |
77,120 | daa9c87d28207df2419aa1d419951437e8480055 | (CNN)Senior Hamas official Izzat Risheq denied reports Monday that the group's political leader Khaled Meshaal has been expelled from Qatar. Earlier Monday, sources close to Hamas told CNN that Meshaal and members of the Muslim Brotherhood were expelled from Qatar, and were most likely on the way to Turkey. Risheq, speaking from Qatar, said that was not true. Who's who in Hamas . The Qatari government has not commented. Saudi Arabia has been working to improve relations between Qatar and Egypt. Which Mideast power brokers support Hamas? Qatar supports the Muslim Brotherhood; Hamas is an extension of the group. Egypt removed the Islamist organization from power in 2013. Inside the mind of Hamas' political leader . | A senior Hamas official denies reports that the group's political leader was expelled from Qatar .
Earlier, sources close to Hamas told CNN the expulsions were happening . |
239,420 | c1fb33409d9e8ae22999d983432fe52ed4580bad | (CNN) -- The journey to interview Internet security guru John McAfee began with a secret phrase, a mysterious driver and a circuitous route full of left turns, right turns and U-turns. It concluded at a safe house on a tropical island paradise, where the 67-year-old was waiting in disguise --as an old man with salt and pepper hair -- to tell his bizarre tale. "It hasn't been a lot of fun. I miss my prior life. Much of it has been deprivation. No baths, poor food," McAfee told CNN Friday in his first on-camera interview since going on the run from Belize authorities who want to question him in the killing of his neighbor. Three people have been detained for questioning in the killing, police have said, and investigators are pursuing multiple leads. Three detained in killing of Internet pioneer's neighbor . Belize authorities say they only want to talk to McAfee about the November 11 shooting death of American businessman Gregory Faull, who was found dead in his home near San Pedro, on the Caribbean island of Ambergris Caye. The case began to unfold on November 9, when McAfee told police someone poisoned four of his dogs. To put them out of their misery, he shot each in the head and buried them on his property, a former girlfriend said. Officials say the dogs' barking and aggressive behavior was a frequent source of friction between McAfee and Faull, a 52-year-old contractor who retired to Belize from Florida and lived next door. Two days later someone shot Faull in the head in his own living room. A 9 mm shell was found on the second step on the first floor, and Faull was found dead on the second floor. Former girlfriend says McAfee 'frightened for his life' During the interview, McAfee said he did not kill Faull and did not pay anybody to kill the man. So why not surrender to police for questioning? "I will not," McAfee said, adding his priority is to clear his name. To hear McAfee, who is not a suspect, tell it: He's a man on the run, afraid for his life, from authorities who he has been at odds with since refusing to pay a bribe to a politician months earlier. McAfee is so fearful, he says, that he carries up to a dozen disposable cell phones at one time. He estimates he has gone through 200 since he fled more than three weeks ago. In fact, he only agreed to an interview with CNN after a number of conversations that involved middle men, telephone calls with ever changing numbers and, finally, a cloak and dagger meeting complete with a secret phrase and response. The phrase: "Sorry I'm late." The response: "That's OK, we are waiting for our co-worker." McAfee's near daily "catch me if you can" game is wearing thin with investigators, who are baffled and angered by the allegations. Recently, he began a blog -- www.whoismcafee.com -- to chronicle his time on the run, the media's portrayal of him and what he describes as harassment by the Belize government. The longer it all goes on, the more suspicious police become. McAfee doesn't know how the story will play out. "I don't have a crystal ball. I'm going to fight until something changes," he said. "I will certainly not turn myself in, and I will certainly not quit fighting. I will not stop my blog." For the software security pioneer, the end will come only if he's arrested or he gets away from corrupt officials. "Get away doesn't mean leave the country. It means they will, No. 1, find the murderer of Mr. Faull and, No. 2, the people of this country -- who are by and large terrified to speak out -- start speaking out," he said. McAfee founded his namesake computer security software in 1987, running it initially out of his home in California. He sold his stake in McAfee Associates in 1994. A 2009 story in the New York Times indicated his fortune had plunged to $4 million from its $100 million peak, due largely to the real estate and stock market crashes that hit his investments. McAfee moved to Belize in 2008. And in February 2010, he started QuorumEx, which claims on its website to be trying to "re-invent the way modern medicine combats and disarms pathogenic bacteria." CNN's Martin Savidge reported from Belize. CNN's Chelsea J. Carter wrote the story from Atlanta. | John McAfee tells CNN he did not kill his neighbor, nor did he hire somebody to do it .
"I will certainly not turn myself in," he says .
McAfee, 67, is wanted for questioning by Belize authorities in the killing of Gregory Faull .
McAfee founded his namesake pioneering anti-virus software company in 1987 . |
196,864 | 8acaf2d91cecf98105310c1d930109111e70995c | By . Luke Salkeld . Cleared: PC Jonathan Johnson, 44, was cleared of assault after it was revealed a gang who accused him of punching them had made it all up . After 23 years in the force, PC Jonathan Johnson had an unblemished record and many awards for bravery. But that did not protect him when two foul-mouthed teenagers falsely accused him of assault. On the strength of their accounts, the 44-year-old was suspended for a year and faced all the stress of a court case – which fell apart on Monday as a judge said their stories were ‘full of discrepancies, inaccuracies and untruths’. District Judge Bodfan Jenkins added: ‘It’s not possible to rely on anything these witnesses say.’ Throwing out the case, he told the prosecution to pay all defence costs and criticised the Crown Prosecution Service. The false claims related to two incidents last July, in one of which the ‘outstanding’ PC was pelted with rocks and sworn at. Lee Dixon, then 17, and a 13-year-old who cannot legally be named said he assaulted them as he warned gangs of youths who were trespassing at a water-filled quarry. The first time he went, 30 youths pelted him with rocks and shouted: ‘Go and f*** yourself.’ PC Johnson gave the 13-year-old a ‘good old-fashioned telling off about swearing’ – but the boy later claimed the officer punched him in the ribs. The next day, he faced another group in the same area and had to push Dixon, who was aggressive, in self-defence. Both boys complained and he was taken off front-line duties. Almost a year later, the married father-of-two finally gave Cardiff magistrates’ court his version of events at the Wenvoe Quarry. PC Johnson said: ‘In the two months leading up to this I had been to two drownings . . . I was extremely worried someone was going to drown. That water would have been like ice and deadly.’ Incident: Pc Johnson said he was genuinely concerned for the safety of the teenagers as they swam in the disused Wenvo Quarry near Cardiff (pictured) but the gang pelted him with rocks and told him to 'f*** off' Of the first occasion, he said: ‘There was one lad in particular who was vociferous with his language. His abuse was too much – repeatedly being told to “f*** off” and “go and f*** myself” . . . I gave him a strong telling off.’ The next day, PC Johnson was moving a group of older teens. He asked Dixon, now 18, if he could look at his pitbull-type dog to check it was not the banned breed. He said: ‘Dixon came over the top of the quarry bank raging towards me. He was ranting and raving and said I “wouldn’t be taking his f****** dog”. ‘He came directly towards me very quickly with his head down and my initial thought was he was going to head-butt me. ‘He came right up to me and his head almost made contact. I was shocked at how the situation escalated so quickly and I had to do something. I pushed him away with both hands to the chest but he came straight back again. ‘I pushed him again and was shouting at him to keep back and calm down.’ Dixon sat down, ‘crying and hyperventilating’, the court heard. He later claimed the officer had slapped him. Unblemished record: Pc Johnson had received bravery commendations, including for tackling a thug with a knife, but faced ruin had the case against him at Cardiff Magistrates' Court (pictured) not collapsed . PC Stewart Elson, who saw the incident, said: ‘Dixon’s attitude was aggressive and belligerent and he went face to face with PC Johnson. I saw PC Johnson grab him by both arms and say: “Sit on the bank”.’ PC Johnson was acquitted of both assault charges, and can go back to his job at the South Wales Police dog handling unit. Judge Jenkins said: ‘There was no assault on anyone . . . It’s not possible to rely on anything these witnesses say.’ He said the CPS ‘shot [itself] in the foot’ by bringing the case even though it had accepted PC Elson’s statement. He added that Dixon, who has past convictions for wounding and being drunk and disorderly, was ‘not telling the truth’. A CPS spokesman said: ‘We note the comments of the District Judge . . . We are committed to ensuring all cases we bring before the courts are presented fairly and professionally.’ The court was told PC Johnson has had a glittering career. He has received at least six commendations for bravery – for acts such as wrestling a knife attacker and disarming him, arresting a man who had two firearms in a high street, and tackling a thief while off duty. He received an excellence award for talking down a suicidal woman. He was a finalist for a Force Award for exceptional bravery and ran seven marathons in seven days for charity Barnardo’s. | PC Jonathan Johnson was suspended from duties over false accusations .
Officer tried to help gang who he feared could drown in disused quarry .
But the teenagers pelted him with rocks and told him to 'f*** off'
After telling them off two boys, 13 and 17, said they were punched .
In court judge said: 'It's not possible to rely on anything witnesses say' |
258,542 | da9ca02f9d7c371d0dec1b2228e67ed197e7a28b | George Osborne said today that if the Scottish Nationalists win the independence referendum they will not be able to keep their currency . The pound is not an asset to be divided up ‘as if it were a CD collection’ and an independent Scotland will not be allowed to share it, George Osborne insisted yesterday. The Chancellor was backed by Labour and the Liberal Democrats as he delivered a stunning blow to Alex Salmond’s dream of persuading Scots to vote to break away from the UK. In a highly unusual move, the top civil servant at the Treasury, Sir Nicholas Macpherson, agreed that sharing sterling with an independent Scotland would be ‘fraught with difficulty’. He concluded: ‘I would advise against entering a currency union with an independent Scotland.’ In a choreographed series of interventions designed to inflict maximum damage on the ‘yes’ campaign, Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls also insisted they would never agree to share the pound in a formal currency union. That would mean that if it wanted to continue to use sterling, an independent Scotland would be reduced to the position of a country like Panama, which uses the US dollar but has absolutely no say over the management of the currency, or Zimbabwe, which uses the dollar and the euro. The warnings prompted a furious reaction from the Scottish Nationalists - who issued an extraordinary threat to default on their part of the national debt in retaliation if they win the independence referendum taking place on September 18. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘The debt is legally the Treasury’s. Scotland can’t default on debt that is not legally Scotland’s.’ She said the SNP wanted to keep the pound and enter into a formal ‘currency union’ with the remainder of the UK - but said there were other options, including using sterling without a currency union or adopting a new currency for Scotland. Danny Alexander, Chief Secreatry to the Treasury (left) and shadow chancellor Ed Balls (right) have both backed Mr Osborne's refusal to allow an independent Scotland to keep the pound . She insisted Mr Osborne was ‘bluffing’ and would moderate his position if Scots did back independence. But Mr Osborne insisted that while independence would expose Scotland to bigger economic risks, a currency union would oblige taxpayers in the remainder of the UK to bail them out if things went wrong. That prospect was ‘patently absurd’, the Chancellor said in a speech in Edinburgh. ‘If Scotland walks away from the UK, it walks away from the UK pound. ‘The SNP says that if Scotland becomes independent, there will be a currency union and Scotland will share the pound. People need to know that is not going to happen. ‘Because sharing the pound is not in the interests of either the people of Scotland or the rest of the UK.’ A letter from Sir Nicholas to Mr Osborne, released by the Treasury, also dismissed the prospect of a currency union with an independent Scotland. It is almost unprecedented for such politically contentious advice from a senior civil servant to be released. However Nicola Sturgeon (right) has hit back, suggesting that Osborne is 'bluffing', and will change his mind . Sir Nicholas warned that Scotland’s banking sector is too big in relation to national income, and the UK could end up having to bail the country out. He also told the Chancellor that the SNP’s threat to refuse a share of the UK’s debt is not credible. ‘Currency unions between sovereign states are fraught with difficulty. They require extraordinary commitment, and a genuine desire to see closer union between the peoples involved,’ the Treasury permanent secretary said. ‘What worries me about the Scottish Government’s putative currency union is that it would take place against the background of a weakening union between the two countries, running counter to the direction of travel in the eurozone. ‘I would advise strongly against a currency union as currently advocated, if Scotland were to vote for independence.’ Mr Alexander, the most senior Scot in the Government, challenged Mr Salmond to a debate on Scottish independence ‘any time, any place anywhere’ accusing the Nationalist leader of ‘cowering in his bunker’. Mr Salmond hit back, saying: ‘This is a concerted bid by a Tory-led Westminster establishment to bully and intimidate - but their efforts to claim ownership of sterling will backfire spectacularly in terms of reaction from the people of Scotland, who know that the pound is as much theirs as it is George Osborne’s.’ | Three main parties have united in saying independent Scotland would not be able to use the pound in currency union .
However Deputy First Minister has hit back, saying Osborne is 'bluffing'
She added that Scotland could default on national debt if union splits . |
267,226 | e6178d8e8ec5b86aa2adab451870df66ccc3f77e | Denied: Amal Clooney said she was warned by Egyptian officials that she risked arrest before she took on the case of three Al Jazeera journalists . Amal Clooney has denied claims that she was threatened with arrest by Egyptian officials over her work representing three Al Jazeera journalists. According to a Guardian report last week, the human rights lawyer was warned after presenting a report identifying cracks in the judiciary that led to the conviction of three Al Jazeera journalists last year. On Sunday, Mrs Clooney clarified that the warning came in early 2014 - months before she took on the case - when officials said publishing a report could lead to her arrest. The International Bar Association moved the report's launch from Cairo to London as a result. Writing in an op-ed for the Huffington Post - which calls for the release of detained reporter Mohamed Fahy - Mrs Clooney wrote: 'The journalist has since apologized for the misleading presentation of this matter in the article and corrections were made to the text to attempt to address this.' Her words come after Egypt's interior ministry spokesman Hani Abdel Latif denied the allegations from Mrs Clooney, demanding she reveal who threatened her. 'She should say exactly who said that,' Abdel Latif said. 'Why not specify from the start who told her that?' 'We have nothing against her,' he said. Mrs Clooney's report, which was written before she became involved in the Al-Jazeera case, was considered highly controversial for its criticisms of Egypt's courts. Speaking to The Guardian after the Al Jazeera journalists' appeal hearing this week, she said: 'When I went to launch the report, first of all they stopped us from doing it in Cairo. 'They said "does the report criticise the army, the judiciary, or the government?" We said "well, yes". They said "well then, you're risking arrest".' The report, compiled on behalf of the International Bar Association, suggested Egypt's judicial system was insufficiently independent. It highlighted the fact that officials in the ministry of justice have too much power over judges and the government too much control over public prosecutors. Mrs Clooney, who recently married Hollywood star George Clooney, and her team recommended the practice that allows Egyptian officials to handpick judges for particular cases must stop. She added: 'That recommendation wasn't followed, and we've seen the results of that in this particular case where you had a handpicked panel led by a judge who is known for dispensing brutal verdicts.' The three Al Jazeera journalists represented by Mrs Clooney are Peter Greste, Baher Mohamed, and Mohamed Fahmy. The group was initially sentenced to between seven and ten years in prison last June by the controversial Egyptian judge Mohamed Nagy Shehata. Scroll down for video . Stuck in jail: The three Al Jazeera journalists represented by Mrs Clooney (L-R) Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste . 'Hope': Mohamed Fahmy (left), Peter Greste (centre) and Baher Mohamed (right) will face a retrial . Mr Shehata earned global notoriety during the journalists' trial after mocking Mr Fahmy's fiancee and rarely removing his sunglasses during proceedings. A few months later he gained further infamy after sentencing 188 people to death in one mass trial. The three journalists launched a new appeal yesterday - but Mrs Clooney suggested she fears the flaws highlighted in her report will prevent the group from receiving a fair trial. The men have been held since December 2013 - with their arrests coming after the overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood member. One of the defendants, Baher Mohamed, hold an Egyptian passport - and must pin his hopes on his sentence being overturned by the Egyptian courts. But Clooney's other clients, Mr Fahmy, a Canadian citizen, and his Australian colleague Mr Greste, are still hoping for deportation to their home countries. Both have applied to Egypt's chief prosecutor to demand they be sent to Canada and Australia under the terms of a new presidential decree that gives foreign prisoners such an option. Inside Egypt, Mr Fahmy's appeals team was led by an Egyptian lawyer with contributions from Clooney that related to international law - but outside the country she is the one leading the efforts to win deportation. Wedding of the year: Amal married George Clooney in Venice in September last year - seven months after her legal team produced a report exposing flaws in Egypt's judiciary system . | Human rights lawyer produced report before taking on Al Jazeera clients .
Egyptian officials warned she could be arrested for criticizing government .
She was prevented from presenting the report in Cairo on this basis .
Her team's findings suggested courts were not sufficiently independent . |
13,002 | 24dcc74fc82ca31d12787431d19af453cfa50c7c | Real Madrid will continue to monitor the progress of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane despite the 21-year-old just having signed a new contract that ties him to the club until 2020. The European Cup holders know Kane's new five-year deal, coupled with the difficulty they have had in the past negotiating with Daniel Levy, would make him a very difficult to get inside the next two years. But they also see Tottenham as a selling club having already taken Luka Modric and Gareth Bale from them and so they will continue to watch the development of the England Under 21 striker who is likely to move up to Roy Hodgson's senior squad next month. Tottenham's Harry Kane heads the ball to score his side's winning goal against Arsenal . Kane celebrates in front of the Tottenham fans during the north London derby victory over Arsenal . Kane is swamped by his Tottenham team-mates as they won the north London derby over rivals Arsenal . Kane lets rip a roar after scoring the winning goal during the 2-1 victory over fierce rivals Arsenal . 2009-NOW: Tottenham (31 lg apps, 15 gls) 2011-2011: Leyton Orient (loan) (18, 5) 2012-2012: Millwall (loan) (22, 7) 2012-2013: Norwich City (loan) (3, 0) 2013-2013: Leicester City (loan) (13, 2) 2010-2010: England U17 (3, 2) 2010-2012: England U19 (14, 6) 2013-2013: England U20 (3, 1) 2013-NOW: England U21 (10, 8) Kane is already big news in Madrid because of the way he has kept Spain international and former Real striker Roberto Soldadao out of the team. Representatives of the club's scouting network have watched him several times this season, including on New Year's day when he got the first and the fourth in Spurs' 5-3 win over Chelsea. His performance at the weekend has only toughened their resolve to be part of any future race to sign him. On the same day that Kane was single-handedly deciding the north London derby, Real were losing the Madrid derby and their famed front three of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo were failing to muster a single shot on target. On Monday, Madrid's Diario AS's front page headline read 'The BBC under suspicion' with a lack of intensity leveled at Bale, Benzema and Cristiano. Gareth Bale (right) and Luka Modric (centre) both went to Real Madrid from Tottenham previously . Modric and Bale hug to celebrate a goal during a Premier League match before their move to Madrid . Bale pictured during his unveiling at the Bernabeu in September 2013 when he joined Real Madrid . Former Spurs team-mates Bale and Modric pictured during a training session with the La Liga giants . Tottenham striker Kane has even been likened to Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski in Spain . With Benzema and Ronaldo, 27 and 30 respectively, and Real with only Jese Rodriguez coming through, the club are likely to sign a new forward this summer. That is likely to be too early for any move for Kane but the Tottenham forward is now firmly on their list of future targets. In Spain, the Tottenham centre-forward has even been likened to Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski who Real Madrid tried and failed to sign at the start of last season. Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, however, believes it will be hard for any club to turn Kane's head away from White Hart Lane. He told Catalan broadcaster RAC1 last week: 'He has just signed a new deal and there are no buy-out clauses in England so whatever any club offers they will have to negotiate with the club. The player was born here, he came through [the youth system] here and he wants to spend his career playing for this club.' Bale and Modric celebrate with the Copa del Rey trophy after beating Spanish rivals Barcelona . Modric and Bale pose with the Champions League trophy after winning it in May 2014 . | Real Madrid have been monitoring the progress of Spurs striker Harry Kane .
The 21-year-old signed a new contract that ties him to Tottenham until 2020 .
Real consider Spurs a selling club after Luka Modric and Gareth Bale left .
Kane scored twice against Arsenal to win the north London derby 2-1 .
READ: Kane is the man of the year after Spurs star stuns rivals Arsenal . |
192,495 | 8532c3d533a400b1d9e5ccb64c4febc921f2d9db | By . Sami Mokbel for MailOnline . On the move: Ignasi Miquel will join Norwich . Arsenal are set to accept a £1.5million offer from Norwich for defender Ignasi Miquel. The Spaniard has struggled to establish himself in the Gunners' first-team and has been told he can leave the Emirates Stadium ahead of Monday's transfer deadline. Manager Arsene Wenger has been forced into rethinking his plan to offload Miquel this summer following the departure of Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgian's exit has left Arsenal short of central-defensive cover, nevertheless the decision has been taken to allow the 21-year-old to leave. It was originally though Miquel's protracted move to Carrow Road would be on loan, but it is understood the Canaries want to take him on a permanent deal. The news means that Arsenal are almost certain to sign a new defender before the transfer window closes on Monday. They have seen attempts to sign Kostas Manolas fail after the Greek defender joined Roma. Arsenal are now weighing up a move for Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos. | Spanish defender set to join Championship side Norwich .
The defender has struggled to establish himself at Arsenal .
Arsenal are likely to sign a new defender before the window shuts . |
21,388 | 3cbb97a7e6e30d0c3f1f85f3ab319e8e7f7227c3 | By . Rachel Quigley . UPDATED: . 00:22 EST, 21 July 2011 . A Florida teenager told a friend that he stood behind his mother for about five minutes in contemplation before finally plunging a hammer into her head, according to police documents released on Wednesday. Police said Tyler Hadley, 17, described the attacks to an unidentified friend at the party he threw in his Port St Lucie home last Saturday night after the killings. By the friend's account, when Hadley struck his mother with the hammer, she screamed one final question to her son: 'Why?' Scroll down for video . Appearance: Hadley appeared via video link from county jail in front of a judge at the courthouse who denied him bail . Parents: Mary Jo and Blake Hadley who were bludgeoned to death in their homes by a hammer and hidden in a room while their son had a party . When his father walked into the room, . Hadley told the friend that they locked eyes before he started beating . his father with the hammer, too. The boy took his parents' cell phones . away ahead of the attack so they couldn't call for help, according to . his friend's account. When it was over, and the parents . were dead, Hadley spent three hours cleaning up the blood, before . hosting dozens of friends while the bodies were hidden inside a bedroom. Hadley told the friend he was surprised how . long the clean-up took. Hadley is charged with murder in the . deaths of Blake and Mary-Jo Hadley and is being held without bond. His . public defender, Mark Harllee, entered a written not guilty plea on his . client's behalf on Wednesday, but said he couldn't comment further. Best friend: Michael Mandell claims Hadley confessed to the crimes and told him he was possessed by the devil and had taken three ecstasy tablets . 'We're still looking at all the facts and all the paperwork,' he said. It was reported yesterday Hadley confessed to a friend he was possessed by the devil and had taken three ecstasy tablets . before the murders. The teenager allegedly told Michael Mandell that he did it because of a . combination of rap music, constant fights with his parents and the fact . they had financial problems. There have been no suggestions as to what his motive may have been for the brutal murders until now. Speaking to Treasure Coast . Newspapers, Michael, who lives only a few doors away from the Hadleys . and said he has known the 17-year-old his whole life, recounts the . moment Hadley confessed to the crimes. Normality: This picture was taken of Michael and Hadley at the party on Saturday night when he had already killed his parents . He said: 'He asked me to stay there . until after everyone left to see them and I didn't want to. I went in . there and checked for myself. 'I opened the door. I saw bloody . sheets piled everywhere. I saw broken pictures with blood on them and I . looked down and I saw his dad's leg there.' Michael said that Hadley also told him that the 'devil had possessed him' and said if he was caught he would commit suicide. He also said he believed drugs was the motive. 'I feel like this kid that I've known . all my life, I don't know him. His family was my family,' Michael said. 'They were very good people. I . really don't see any motive besides drugs. 'He took three ecstasy pills before he did this. He said he couldn't do it sober. Family: Hadley's mother Mary-Jo and father Blake were found beaten to death with a hammer, which was lying between their bodies . Hadley, seen here in his booking photo, has been charged as an adult for the killings . 'After he told me, I didn't believe him because he's been my best friend forever. I would never suspect anything like this. 'I was looking around, he told me if I look enough I could see signs. I looked on the floor and could see signs of blood.' Authorities believe Hadley killed his parents with a 22-inch framing hammer before . using books, files and towels to cover their bodies after he sent out . the Facebook invitation to the party earlier that day. Micahel said that he was 'having a fun time at the party and acting as if everything was normal'. He even took a photo with his best friend, saying he thought it would be the last time they would see each other. Scene: Hadley allegedly killed his parents before hosting a party at the family home . The police came to the Hadley home at 4.20am on Sunday morning after they received a tip off. Michael said it was not him who called police as he was 'too shocked' and 'just felt sick'. Morgan . Noel, Michael's girlfriend, said: 'I remember him making a weird . statement like a couple months ago, that the devil has possessed him, . and he was going crazy.' Hadley will not face the death . penalty due to the fact he is a minor despite the fact he has been tried . on two counts of first-degree murder as an adult. He is likely to serve a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty. Chief Assistant State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl said: 'It’s simply off the table, it’s not a viable option. Clues: Port St Lucie Police crime scene investigators collect evidence from the Hadley home on Sunday after the bodies were found . Weapon: Police issued a picture of a hammer similar to the one they believed was used to kill the Hadleys . 'Despite . the fact that the case may otherwise in all respects warrant the death . penalty, we are prohibited from seeking it as a result of Hadley being . approximately six months short of his 18th birthday.' Hadley . was wearing a sleeveless black jail uniform as he appeared via video . conference from the St Lucie County Jail in front of a judge at the . courthouse. He spoke only . three times during the hearing - once when he was asked to confirm his . name, then to answer whether or not he had an attorney and when asked if . he had any questions when told he was denied bail. Medical examiners are continuing to carry out tests on the bodies throughout today and tomorrow. State attorney Bakkedahl . said the injuries suffered by the two victims, suggest the killings were . premeditated or committed during an angry rage. He . said: 'In my personal opinion, any time you have a murder, you have . some degree or rage, so that is really meaningless to me, but it’s . certainly significant. I mean it’s just incredible, the injuries.' The party went on from around 9pm to 3am and the police arrived after an anonymous tip off around 4.20am. Hadley had been 'nervous and panicky,' they said and there were beer cans strewn all over the garden. He initially told police his parents were out of town. Police then found the bodies of Mr and Mrs Hadley in the master bedroom where the door had been locked. Mrs Hadley, 47, is believed to have been killed first and then Mr Hadley, 54, afterwards. They were not, authorities believe, killed in the bedroom where their bodies were found. While is not clear what the motive for . the alleged killing was, a resident told WSVN News he had heard Hadley's . parents had refused to let the teen have a party. Similarly . one of the teens attending the party said to WOKV that the 17-year-old . killed his parents because they 'wouldn't let him throw a party.' The teen had dropped out of his high . school and the family was being sued for $15,000 after Hadley hit and . injured a child while driving a car registered to his father in June . 2010, according to court documents. Hadley has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. 'I've known Mary-Jo since she was in high school in Fort Lauderdale,' family friend Charlene Moses told WPTV. 'They are a nice family. The kids are always nice.' Tyler reportedly has an older brother who recently moved out the house. Blake Hadley was an employee of Florida Power & Light Co. and wife Mary Jo worked for 24 years as an elementary school teacher with the St. Lucie County School District. | Unidentified friend told police mother screamed one final question as he bludgeoned her to death .
Tyler Hadley told his best friend he took three ecstasy tablets before he murdered his parents .
Claimed he was possessed by the devil .
Said he would commit suicide if he was caught .
Cited rap music and financial problems as motive .
Was having fun and acting like nothing happened at party . |
228,632 | b4098f06bad10ada5801a1ad0aab7fc7df2d47bf | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:59 EST, 12 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:22 EST, 12 December 2012 . Killed: Kayla Peterson, 22, with her daughter . Three teenagers allegedly gunned down a 22-year-old mother after she told them to 'get a job' after they tried to get a cigarette from her boyfriend. Kayla Peterson was shot at around 3pm on Saturday as she stood outside her home with her boyfriend, William Bailey. Police are still searching for Todavia Cleckley and Marcus Velasquez, both aged 14, who will be tried as adults for the murder in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon. A third boy, 13-year-old Kyle Goosby, is already in custody and has been charged with conspiracy to commit homicide. Two of teenagers posted pictures of themselves brandishing guns on Facebook hours after the crime. The . boys had followed Bailey from a nearby store asking for cigarettes and . got into an argument with him and Peterson, according to court . documents. One teen pulled out a gun and fired a single shot, Beaver County police Chief Charles R. Jones Jr. told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Ms Peterson, who had a young daughter, was flown to Allegheny General Hospital but died from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen two hours later. 'Words were exchanged and then gunfire,' Jones said. 'It's disheartening . juveniles this age were involved in an incident like this, and have . guns.' On the run: Todavia Cleckley, left, and Marcus Velasquez, right, brandish guns and signs on their Facebook pages. They have both been charged in the murder of Kayla Peterson on Saturday . Tragic: Kayla Peterson was shot at around 3pm on Saturday as she stood outside her home with her boyfriend, William Bailey, pictured holding their daughter . On Sunday, less than 12 hours after . the shooting, a blurry photograph of two boys pointing guns at the . camera was posted on Cleckley's Facebook page. The . page already showed him posing with two guns - a semi-automatic pistol . and a revolver - as the profile picture, which was uploaded last week. The page has now been taken down. Jones told the Times Online . that the boys were 'no strangers to us. We've dealt with them before'. He added that he was not aware of the teenagers having contact with . Peterson before the killing. Victim: Kayla Peterson was shot dead as she stood outside her home with boyfriend William Bailey . Killed: One of the teens allegedly shot Kayla, pictured left with her daughter, as they argued over cigarettes . The boys have all had previous run ins with the police. Velasquez, who has been involved with . at least five alleged incidents, is still awaiting a hearing for two . disorderly conduct citations from November, the Times Online reported. Cleckley pleaded guilty on November 8 . to . violation of compulsory school attendance and was fined, while Goosby . has been found guilty of disorderly conduct and also fined. Scene: The boys followed the couple home from this convenience store in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania . Investigation: Police cars surround the scene of the crime . Crime: The woman was then killed with a single shot to her abdomen outside her home, pictured . Velasquez is charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and conspiracy to commit homicide in this latest crime. Cleckley is charged with conspiracy to commit homicide. 'They're armed and dangerous,' Chief Jones said. 'I'd like to see them off the street.' Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh said he will prosecute both teens as adults. | Kayla Peterson was shot at around 3pm on Saturday in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania outside her home with her boyfriend, William Bailey .
Police are still searching for Todavia Cleckley and Marcus Velasquez, both aged 14, who will be tried as adults .
Two of teenagers posted pictures of themselves brandishing guns on Facebook hours after the crime . |
1,557 | 0479058a7fcccc748246015dfc8b829287266488 | This is the shocking moment a Spanish police officer fell to his death after he was apparently pushed into the path of an oncoming train. The officer, named as 28-year-old Francisco Javier Ortega, was talking to a group on the platform at Madrid's Embajadores station, when it is alleged he asked to see identification papers of one of the men. Bystanders waiting for the train were filming on their mobile phones as a minor scuffle broke out on the platform yesterday. Scroll down for video . The police officer can be seen talking to the group, left, when he allegedly asks one man to produce identification papers, and a small scuffle breaks out, right . Then one of the men appears to grab the officer and drags him on to the tracks, just before a train pulls into the station in the heart of the Spanish capital. Horrified onlookers in the station can then be heard screaming as the pair are both hit by the train. Mr Ortega was then rushed to a nearby hospital but later died from his injuries. The man who is alleged to have pushed him on to the tracks has been named by Spanish newspaper El Pais as 28-year-old Yode Ali Raba from the Ivory Coast. The man can then be seen pulling the officer towards the platform edge, left, before both men end up falling on to the tracks into the path of an oncoming train, right . The paper reports that he illegally entered Spain in 2011 and after surviving the impact of being struck by the train, he is in hospital, where he is being treated for a severe head injury. Today, the Director General of Police in Spain, Ignacio Cosidó described Mr Ortega's death as 'murder'. He told El Pais: 'It is clear that there is intent on taking the agent to the railway tracks and throwing him under when a train was approaching.' The train then strikes the pair, as horrified onlookers, some who had filmed the incident on their mobile phones, began screaming . His comments came after a ceremony took place to posthomously award Mr Ortega the gold medal of police merit. Officers had lined the streets forming a guard of honour as the police officers coffin was brought to an auditorium from a chapel for the medal ceremony to take place. His family were then presented with the national flag and the cap from his uniform, before a funeral mass was held in his honour. | Officer Francisco Javier Ortega was talking to a group at a Madrid station .
Asked one of the men on the platform to produce his identification papers .
Minor scuffle breaks out before one of the men appears to push the officer .
The two men then lose their balance and fall into the path of the train .
Mr Ortega later died in hospital after suffering from severe injuries .
The man who appeared to push him is in hospital with a head injury .
He has been named as Yode Ali Raba from the Ivory Coast who allegedly entered Spain illegally . |
196,767 | 8aa1e96b9d42ac37004cb55bf23d02b867ea6d2c | (EW.com) -- It's a casting "X"-gravaganza! Director Bryan Singer tweeted Tuesday that Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart will be reprising their respective roles as Magneto and Prof. X in "X-Men: Days of Future Past," and they'll be joined by "X-Men: First Class" stars Michael Fassbender as Magneto and James McAvoy as Prof. X. Wait, what? For the geek uninitiated, "Days of Future Past" is also the title of an X-Men comic book storyline from 1981, which alternated between a dystopian future in which mutants are living in internment camps, and the present day mutants working to prevent that future from happening. EW.com: Bryan Singer will direct 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' With this casting news, Singer has all but confirmed that the next X-Men film will reconstitute that storyline a bit, making the Fassbender/McAvoy mutants in the go-go 1960s the "present day" storyline, and the McKellen/Stewart mutants in the early 21st century the ones trapped in a bleak alternate future. This is likely a way back to the series for Stewart, given that his Prof. X was (more or less) killed off in 2006′s "X-Men: The Last Stand." Curiously, Singer also officially announced that "X-Men: First Class's" Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult are also returning as Mystique and Beast, respectively. Does this mean Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer will be playing their 21st century counterparts? All Singer would say in his final tweet: "More to come..." EW.com: All time great comic book movies . This also officially means that McKellen is set to go up against himself: Both "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" are scheduled to hit theaters on July 18, 2014. Geek brains are exploding everywhere. See the full story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart have been cast in "X-Men: Days of Future Past"
McKellen will reprise his role as Magneto and Stewart will be back as Prof. X .
Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy of "X-Men: First Class" will also portray Magneto and Prof. X .
The casting news hints that the next film will reconstitute a 1981 comic book storyline . |
211,611 | 9e0b37c6fb7da79bb05ab57a68494ae3e9e38e2b | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 10:59 EST, 29 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:51 EST, 29 April 2013 . It is one of the most touching scenes in movie history. The moment in ET that the silhouette of Elliott and his alien friend fly across the full moon on their way to the forest has been lauded the most magical moments in cinema. It was, of course, the result of clever use of special effects, but now one Swiss photographer has shown how the same picture could be almost replicated with no tricks. Just a lot of patience. Magical: Swiss photographer Philipp Schmidli waited four months to capture this breathtaking image of a cyclist dwarfed by the rising full moon . Iconic: The most famous image from SSteven Spielberg's 1982 film ET shows the alien flying across the face of the moon in a bicycle basket . Philipp Shmidli from Lucerne waited four months to capture this breathtaking photograph of a mountain biker's silhouette as a colossal moon rises on the horizon. After bad weather thwarted his attempts to take the picture in January, February and March, the persevering photographer finally took the photo last week. He was lucky enough for the weather to clear over his chosen scene just as the moon's cycle reached its April climax. That scene had been decided on following hours of exploration on Google Earth, searching for the perfect location on which to frame the image, and from which to shoot it. Since relative position of the moon . changes from month to month, it meant that for every attempt foiled by . the weather Mr Schmidli had to plan a new shoot for the next full moon . rise. And in order to have . the moon dwarf the photograph's subject, Mr Schmidli needed a large gap . between the camera and the hill with no trees, fences, telephone or . power lines in the way. 'Although I live in a hilly area and know it well the choice of photo position has given me hours of grief,' he said on his blog. 'I looked at possible locations for months on site or searched via Google Earth for locations in the region.' All good things: Bad weather thwarted Mr . Schmidli's attempts to capture the image in January, February and March. He finally got the photo as clouds cleared last week . Research: The scene had been decided on . following hours of exploration on Google Earth, searching for the . perfect location on which to frame the image . Technique: In order to have the moon dwarf the . cyclist, Mr Schmidli needed a large gap between the camera and the hill . and took the photo from nearly a mile away . Mr Schmidli shot the final set of photos from nearly a mile away using a professional-grade Canon 1D X digital SLR camera, fitted with a 600mm f/4 telephoto lens with an additional 2.0x extender cap. That means he was shooting at an effective focal length of 1200mm, PetaPixel explains. The camera was set to ISO 2500, with an aperture of f/25 and a shutter speed of 1/250s. He communicated with his subject, fellow photographer Roger Grütter, by walkie-talkie to get him into the perfect position. The results speak for themselves. Mr . Schmidli said: 'The aim was also to map the moon as sharp as possible, . so that you can see the crater and not just a white, round circle . behind.' More examples of Mr Schmidli's work can be found on his website www.philippschmidli.com . Mr Schmidli's set up: He shot the final set of . photos from nearly a mile away using a professional-grade Canon 1D X . digital SLR camera, fitted with a 600mm f/4 telephoto lens with an . additional 2.0x extender cap. The camera was set to ISO 2500, with an aperture of f/25 and a shutter speed of 1/250s . | Swiss photographer Philipp Schmidle took the picture during last week's full moon, after being thwarted by the cloudy weather in January, February and March .
To make the moon dwarf the cyclist he used a Canon 1D X digital SLR fitted with a 600mm telephoto lens and 2x extender cap to shoot the picture from nearly a mile away . |
964 | 02b56fb7ef2386c54451fd7db6f3ab386e20b897 | By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 04:17 EST, 5 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:50 EST, 5 March 2013 . A court had heard that 29-year-old Gillian Meagher (also know as Jill) was raped three times before she died. Adrian Bayley, who was initially charged with murder and one count of rape, now faces a further two rape charges in relation to Mrs Meagher . Irish journalist Jill Meagher, who moved to Australia to start a new life, was raped three times before she was murdered and left in a shallow grave, a court was told today. Her accused killer, 41-year-old Adrian Bayley, who had initially been charged with murder and one count of rape, had the two rape charges added when he applied to the Melbourne court for a delay in his committal hearing, due to start next week. The two new charges relating to Mrs Meagher followed three other unrelated charges of rape in three Melbourne suburbs. Mrs Meagher's husband, Tom Meagher, was in court today when Bayley appeared via a video-link from prison. Defence lawyer Helen Spowart told the magistrates’ court that on January 19 this year, when Bayley appeared in court and indicated he would be fighting the initial murder and rape charges, police had charged him with two further counts of raping Miss Meagher. Miss Spowart said the evidence of a police forensic scientist who analysed the accused man’s DNA sample would be relevant to the further two rape charges. Miss Meagher, 29, moved with her husband from her home in County Louth, Ireland, three years ago and started a job as a journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Melbourne. At 1.33am on September 23 last year she left a bar in Melbourne after drinking with ABC colleagues and planned to walk home to the apartment she shared with her husband. Accused: A Facebook picture of Adrian Bayley. He allegedly took police to the place where her body was found in a shallow grave . Adrian Bayley, 41, pictured just after Australian homicide detectives charged him with the rape and murder of Jill Meagher in September. He also faces three charges of rape unrelated to Mrs Meagher . She never arrived and after intensive police work Bayley was arrested and allegedly took police to the place where her body was found in a shallow grave some 35 miles from Melbourne. Deputy chief magistrate Felicity Broughton refused to delay next week’s committal hearing, saying she was satisfied the defence experts would have enough time to inspect reports and clothing they required. The laying of two extra rape charges against Bayley involving Miss Meagher, she said, did not ‘particularly add anything in terms of the specific issues’. The court has been told that Bayley intends to plead not guilty to the charges relating to Miss Meagher. Following the discovery of Miss Meagher’s body in September, thousands of people marched through Melbourne in her memory and demanding greater safety in the streets. Tom Meagher, husband of Jill Meagher, leaves Melbourne Magistrate's Court after an earlier court hearing in September . The coroner removes the body of Mrs Meagher, which was found in Gisborne South, north of Melbourne, in September . Floral tributes were placed outside of 'Duchess Boutique' in Sydney Road, the last place Jill Meagher was seen alive via CCTV footage . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | The 29-year-old's accused killer faces two more rape charges in the case .
Adrian Bayley set to deny murder and three counts of rape .
Mrs Meagher's husband was in court as charges were added . |
73,757 | d1225f54e576b950165a79fda81929a160c180dc | Fighter: Aimee Copeland, 24, has been upgraded to 'good' condition by doctors as her battle against the flesh-eating bacteria continues . The young woman who became the first . person to fall victim to a flesh-eating disease has been suffering the . worst pain of her entire ordeal, her father said. Aimee Copeland's agony has become so overwhelming that she has now started taking morphine after initially refusing medication. However in a Father's Day post on his blog, Andy Copeland said the painkillers were not enough to block his 24-year-old daughter's severe pain, which has spread beyond her amputation sites. Miss Copeland developed necrotizing fasciitis after cutting her leg in a fall on May 1 from a homemade zip line over a west Georgia river. Her left leg, other foot and both hands have been amputated at Doctors Hospital in Augusta. Despite her agony, Mr Copeland wrote on his blog that his daughter managed to wish him a happy Father's Day. Last week doctors upgraded her condition to serious from critical after Miss Copeland fought back from the brink of the death. On . June 17, Mr Copeland wrote on his blog: 'Over the past 48 hours, Aimee . has had the most difficult pain she’s experienced through her entire . ordeal.' He added: 'The surgery Aimee had on Friday is far more severe than any dressing change imaginable. Aimee is now taking pain medication in as liberal a dose as can be prescribed. 'If she even dared to refuse taking it, which she wouldn’t, then the doctors would most certainly administer it in an IV drip.' Agony: Aimee Copeland had hoped to be treated with only holistic medicine but the extent of her injuries were too severe . Her father said she occasionally cries from the pain but has to stop because the crying hurts her stomach. The . student had originally indicated that she felt a 'traitor to her . convictions' by using drugs to manage her pain, because she believed in . holistic medicine. Her father explained that his daughter had ‘struggled mightily’ with . pains shooting in her hands – even though they had been amputated. He . wrote: 'Although her condition had improved significantly, . her pain has been considerable. Phantom pain now plagues her ''hands''.' The . University of West Georgia student had to have her left leg amputated . at the hip, her right foot and both hands in order to save her life . after a cut to her leg became infected. The . pain has now spread from her amputation sites to a wound on her left . side and her right thigh where she has had skin grafts. Prayers: Aimee Copeland's father says he is amazed by his daughter's attitude as she progresses . Her father said she occasionally cries from the pain, but has to stop because the crying hurts her stomach. The student had originally indicated that she felt a 'traitor to her convictions' by using drugs to manage her pain, because she believed in holistic medicine. Last week her father wrote that his daughter had ‘struggled mightily’ with pains shooting in her hands – even though they had been amputated. He wrote last week: ‘Although her condition had improved significantly, her pain has been considerable. Phantom pain now plagues her ''hands''. The . University of West Georgia student had to have her left leg amputated . at the hip, her right foot and both hands in order to save her life . after a cut to her leg became infected. The pain has now spread from her amputation sites to a wound on her left side and her right thigh where she has had skin grafts. Much-loved: Aimee's friends and family are praying for her survival and eventual recovery (from left - Aimee, mother Donna, father Andy and sister Paige) The bacteria that attacked Miss Copeland's wound released a toxin that destroys skin, muscle and a layer of tissue below the skin known as fascia, her father said. Despite the painful skin grafts, the student has crossed several milestones in recent weeks. She can breathe on her own and no longer needs dialysis. She had been able to eat on her own but has trouble digesting solid food. Miss Copeland ate after her surgery on Friday but she ended up vomiting up everything during the night. This weekend, thousands of people took part in a fundraising event outside Atlanta to help the family with medical expenses. The two-day benefit concert in the family’s hometown of Snellville began at 5pm on Friday and ran through to Saturday night. Andy Copeland's blog has . been an inspiration to many all over the world who admire the strength . and courage of the 24-year-old and her family. Progress: Aimee Copeland's condition has now been changed from serious to good at the Georgia hospital . Describing his daughter's phantom pains on the blog on June 6, Mr Copeland wrote: 'Although she has no hands, her brain . is apparently still telling her body that the hands are there. 'I asked . her if she could describe the pain and she told me, "It feels like I . have been carrying bags of rocks". 'She said her ''fingers'' feel . contorted and twisted. Nothing really helps her pain much.' Aimee has been trying . to keep positive about the extent of her injuries, but her father . revealed she struggled to keep calm and accept what has . happened to her. He wrote: 'This past week the proverbial poopy hit the fan for Aimee. She was . lashing out at her care givers, she was in pain, she was sick to her . stomach, she was unable to tend to her own basic needs and she was very . unhappy. She had every right to be unhappy.' After praying, he said his daughter had gained a sense of clam and returned to her normal 'sweet self'. 'Prayer has changed and . will continue to change much over the coming days, weeks, months and . years,' he said. When the student was able to say her first words, which they called Aimee Day, she said to her sister: 'Hello. Whoa. Wow, my mind is blown.' Mr Copeland was in church at the time and had to wait until the next day to hear his daughter's voice. When . her father finally got into Copeland's room around 5pm, he asked her . how she felt. He said he was thrilled to hear her respond: ‘It feels . weird being able to talk.’ Andy . Copeland described his daughter’s newly regained voice as weak and . raspy, but said that she already has been joking with family, talking . about her life at the hospital and asking what everyone else has been up . to. Miss Copeland has . improved incredibly rapidly with the support of her family and . well-wishers who have made donations on the website Mr Copeland set up . for his brave daughter. She was able to ask for ice-cream, and let her family know when she was bored and wanted a book to read. Miss Copeland suffered a deep gash in her leg after falling from the zip line over a Georgia river, and the bacteria took hold in the wound. Doctors at the local emergency room in . Carrollton closed the wound with nearly two dozen staples, but it . became infected within days. Distraught: Paige Copeland, centre, cried as her parents Donna and Andy spoke about Aimee after she had her leg amputated . On . May 4, she was diagnosed with the rare infection and flown 200 miles to . Augusta for treatment by specialists at Doctors Hospital. The . flesh-eating bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophila, emit toxins that cut off . blood flow to parts of the body. The affliction can destroy muscle, fat . and skin tissue. Less than a month ago, doctors gave her . little chance of survival, but she became increasingly alert, despite . several major operations. Now she has spoken for the first time, . although she is likely to remain in hospital for several months. 'This . doctor can't fathom a reason for why she's improved the way she has,' Mr Copeland said. 'Her spirits are extraordinarily high. I am absolutely . amazed.' | Aimee Copeland, 24, had skin graft surgery at hospital in Augusta, Georgia . |
45,324 | 7fbf5738ef8d8ec0463e8d9ba1e4b603f8406deb | A magnified image of marine plankton has won a prestigious international photography contest for tiny works that exist, in the words of the winning photographer, in the "limbo between art and science." Wim van Egmond, a freelance photographer from the Netherlands, took the top prize in the annual Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, for his magnified image of marine plankton. It was the 11th year he had entered the contest, which draws entries from professional photographers as well as scientists, who generally produce the images in the course of their work. The winning entries are judged on their scientific and artistic merits. PHOTOS: See high-res gallery of Nikon contest winners . "For 20 years, I've been looking through a microscope, and every time I see things I haven't seen before," said van Egmond, who has had 19 images recognized as finalists in the competition over the past decade. "It's such an endless world -- there are so many species and so many different life stages of these organisms. It's all so strange and wonderful that it's become a bit of an addiction." The view through the microscope was like "exploring a different world, or exploring space, with these strange unknown organisms," he said. Recognized as one of the contest's top photomicrographers, Van Egmond runs a website devoted to photomicrography called the Micropolitan Museum. He said he approached his subjects as if he were producing a portrait, trying to "capture their personalities." "I don't invent things, I try to make it as naturalistic as possible, but these organisms are such a strange shape that it almost looks like an abstract painting," he said. "You don't have to make much of an effort to make something that is weird." He had long been intrigued by the Chaetoceros debilis, a plant-like plankton with a corkscrew form and bristles. "It's very hard to capture because it's so 3-dimensional and so fragile. It was a bit of a challenge to make a good portrait of the organism." The winning entry was created using software to combine various images focusing on different areas of the plankton. "The difficulty of microscopy is that when you have a ... magnification of an image, you have hardly any depth of field," he said. By combining images where some areas were in focus and others were blurred, he could create a 3-dimensional effect, he said. Previous entries in the contest, now in its 39th year, have included a mosquito's heart, a flea's head, and a pregnant aphid. See previous winners of the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition . | Magnified image of marine plankton wins Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition .
The annual contest draws entries from scientists and photographers alike .
View through the microscope is like "exploring space," says winning photographer .
Previous entries include a mosquito's heart, a flea's head and a pregnant aphid . |
186,930 | 7e1463281b6f99861ee81dfec4cef914553b7f53 | While Sam Warburton was watching his beloved Tottenham take on Arsenal at White Hart Lane, Rhys Webb was tearing through the Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes on his quad bike. The morning after last week’s defeat by England was, according to the Wales scrum half, not the time to lock oneself away in the house. Webb admitted that he faced questions about the result from passers-by and the 26-year-old is determined to provide answers with a backs-to-the-wall performance against Scotland on Sunday afternoon. Wales scrum-half Rhys Webb scored their a try in their Six Nations opening match at home to England . ‘Everyone is entitled to their opinion,’ said Webb. ‘But I don’t take too much notice. The Welsh public probably think we are no good any more, but there you are. We’ll be back.’ The dunes just outside Bridgend have a history with downbeat Welsh rugby players. Adam Jones carried out lone fitness training on ‘The Big Dipper’ - the highest dune in Europe - when he was without a club last summer, while JPR Williams and Steve Ovett also used to run along the sands in a previous era. ‘I took my quad bike and did a few doughnuts,’ said Webb. ‘I went out and about and I watched my local team play.' 'At the end of the day it is a game; it is a game of rugby. We’ve lost and obviously we’re bitterly disappointed with that, but personally I didn’t want to keep myself in the house, I wanted to get out. You take it on the chin.’ If previous results provide any indication, Wales should reverse their fortunes at Murrayfield on Sunday. Webb (front) was ultimately on the losing team though as England rallied from behind to win 21-16 . They have won their last seven meetings with Scotland, including a 51-3 thrashing at the Millennium Stadium last year. The Scots, however, are revitalised under new coach Vern Cotter. There were reasons for optimism after their attacking performance against France last week, while Wales courted criticism for their showing against England. Warren Gatland’s players failed to involve their strike runners and the Kiwi will be demanding more initiative on Sunday. ‘Some of the boys were probably a bit lazy at the weekend; not getting up off the floor quick enough and areas like that,’ said Webb. ‘We had six or seven guys - forwards - on the deck and international rugby is all about numbers on your feet; trying to create something. I just felt as a nine, and Dan Biggar was the same, that we didn’t have anything to work with. Webb (centre left) believes he and his team-mates will be back following their setback . 'Every time we got the ball we seemed to be trying to get out of danger. This week is about not being afraid to shift it and have a go. Focus has been about getting the boys up off the floor and working hard.’ Wales were nullified up front and struggled to provide a platform to attack from the set-piece against the English. Scotland do not offer the same levels of power in the scrum, however they will look to target Warren Gatland’s side at the line-out. Wales training has been at full-throttle at the Vale of Glamorgan and the breakdown is another area to improve. ‘England had a big pack and we didn’t deal with the threats coming over the ball,’ said Webb. ‘There was one passage of play where George Ford, who was probably the smallest guy on the pitch, disrupted our ruck when we had a big dent in the phase. Webb (centre) is hoping Wales put in a better display when they travel to Scotland in Sunday's match . 'He had no licence to slow that down. He should have been cleaned out. It’s about forwards scanning to see whether they need to go to these rucks or whether they can get on their bike and be a threat out wide.’ With the World Cup looming, the Welsh game plan will come under more scrutiny if it fails to fire this afternoon. But Gatland’s group have a tendency to perform when the chips are down, and Webb is hoping to be stopped for the right reasons on his next trip to Merthyr Mawr. ‘Everybody is against us having lost to England,’ said Webb. ‘We want to do well not just for ourselves and our families, but for the nation as well. We need to repay our fans this week.’ | Wales travel to Scotland in the Six Nations on Sunday afternoon .
Wales lost 21-16 at home to England in the Six Nations curtain-raiser .
Rhys Webb scored the opening try of the Millennium Stadium encounter . |
58,716 | a68bbc7339497e683d57ef551702a2d3e332dcf8 | Freddie Starr was last night forced to admit being ‘mistaken’ after footage from 1974 showed him alongside the teenage girl who now claims he abused her. Starr had strenuously denied ever meeting Karin Ward – who claims he tried to molest her in Sir Jimmy Savile’s BBC dressing room. The comic had also insisted he only met Savile twice in his life, and had never even been to the BBC. Scroll down for video . Together: Karin Ward in yellow, sitting behind Freddie Starr when he appeared on the BBC TV show hosted by Sir Jimmy Savile, 'Clunk Click', in 1974 . But last night he was proved wrong on all three counts after watching 1974 footage unearthed by Channel 4 News. It showed Starr appearing on one of . Savile’s BBC shows, Clunk Click – the very episode Miss Ward says was . being filmed the day she was abused. Standing next to him was a 14-year-old Miss Ward, in a yellow blouse and long brown hair. Last night Starr’s lawyers issued a . statement admitting the mistake, but still strenuously denying the . ‘awful allegation’ of abuse. The 69-year-old comedian was first . named by Miss Ward when she spoke to the BBC’s Newsnight reporters last . year for a report which was never broadcast. Then last week she told ITV News: ‘I . was horribly, horribly humiliated by Freddie Starr, who had a very bad . attack of wandering hands and had groped me, and I didn’t like him . because he smelled like my step-father and it frightened me and freaked . me out, and I rebuffed him.’ It prompted Starr to seek an injunction to prevent the claims being aired, but his High Court application was rejected. Allegations: The 69-year-old funnyman was first named by Karin Ward (pictured) when she spoke to the BBC's Newsnight reporters last year for a report which was never broadcast . On Friday, he invited reporters into . his home in Warwickshire, and told them the woman was ‘a nutter’ and . accused her of ‘picking my name out of a hat’. He said: ‘I’ve never . touched an under-age girl in my life. ‘I have never been in any situation with Jimmy Savile and Gary Glitter, and I have certainly never been with this woman. 'I was horribly, horribly humiliated by Freddie Starr, who had a very bad attack of wandering hands and had groped me, and I didn’t like him because he smelled like my step-father and it frightened me and freaked me out, and I rebuffed him' Karin Ward . ‘She’s claiming I made advances to her, it didn’t happen. I’ve only met Jimmy Savile maybe twice.’ He also said: ‘Don’t tar me with the same brush as a scumbag and a paedophile.’ Starr, whose fiancee Sophie Lea, 34, . became pregnant with his fifth child last November, made further claims . on Friday night when he went on stage in Wolverhampton on the first . night of a stand-up comedy tour. Branding Miss Ward a ‘liar’, he told his audience: ‘My brief is going to tear her to pieces. I’ve never been to the BBC.’ However, he changed his mind yesterday . after the footage obtained by Channel 4 News showed him appearing as a . ‘special guest’ of Savile during the BBC programme. Couple: Freddie Starr (left) is engaged to Sophie Lea (right), 34, who fell pregnant with his fifth child last year . Last night a spokesman for Starr said: . ‘Freddie is now 69 and cannot be expected to recollect every show that . he has appeared on and to remember every person that he has met. Presenter: Starr had denied ever meeting Ms Ward - who claims he tried to molest her in Sir Jimmy Savile's (pictured in 1982) BBC dressing room . 'It would . now appear from seeing footage of a Clunk Click show aired in 1974 that . in fact Freddie was mistaken and therefore that he had in fact been on a . Jimmy Savile show. ‘However this does not detract away . from the fact that Freddie vigorously denies the awful allegation that . has been made by Karin Ward, which despite this footage is still totally . unsupported and uncorroborated by any other evidence.’ Miss Ward – who also claimed to have . seen paedophile pop star Gary Glitter raping a 13-year-old girl in . Savile’s dressing room on a different occasion – was a pupil at the . now-defunct Duncroft School for girls. Savile used to prey on under-age girls at the school and invited his favourites to London to watch his shows being recorded. Yesterday, Biddy Baxter, the former editor of Blue Peter told Radio 5 Live how she was a victim of sexual harassment at the BBC. Miss Baxter, 79, who held the position . between 1965 and 1988, said she endured ‘several slightly hairy . encounters’ with overly-friendly male producers during her early career. She added: ‘There’s been such a change . of culture since then. Now, that sort of incident is taken notice of . whether that’s a good thing or not.’ A campaign was launched yesterday to . posthumously strip Sir Jimmy Savile of his knighthood. Victims of child . abuse are to lobby MPs for the honour to be removed. ■ Vanessa Feltz has claimed she was groped by a ‘married, avuncular, much-beloved national treasure’ while hosting a TV chat show in the mid-1990s. The presenter, who at the time was working on ITV chat show Vanessa, and Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, said that her guest put his hand up her skirt during a live interview, which left her feeling ‘humiliation and outrage’ even now. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Comic Freddie Starr, 69, had strenuously denied ever meeting Karin Ward .
She claimed he tried to molest her in Sir Jimmy Savile’s BBC dressing room .
He also insisted he had only met Savile twice and never been to the BBC .
He has been proven wrong after watching unearthed 1974 footage .
Vanessa Feltz says she was groped by a famous guest on her chat show .
A campaign was launched yesterday to posthumously strip Sir Jimmy Savile of his knighthood. Victims of child abuse are to lobby MPs for the honour to be removed. |
88,624 | fb893ec5e20b6d5e97e2abab4da18fd0ec6349fe | By . Sean Poulter and Rachel Rickard Straus . PUBLISHED: . 07:02 EST, 10 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:58 EST, 10 September 2013 . Three leading gyms have been forced to give their 1.4million members fairer and cheaper cancellation rights. LA Fitness, Dave Whelan Sports and the Harlands Group will change the smallprint in contracts to make it easier to quit without being hit with punishing penalty charges. The move follows pressure from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and concern that some members were being charged fees of more than £500 to pull out. Locked in? If you are no longer able to go to the gym it may be easier now to cancel your contract . Bannatyne Fitness, which is owned by . the Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne, David Lloyd Leisure and Fitness . First, were required to end the same rip-off earlier this year. Fears . were raised after many contracts carried clauses that locked members . into long-term deals of up to 24 months and made it difficult to quit. Those . who suffer an injury, fall ill, lose their job or has to move for work . reasons can be hit with a cancellation bill equivalent to a full year of . payments. The new contracts, agreed with the OFT, give members extended rights to cancel their contracts early with a small penalty. Sales staff will also have to spell out more clearly the length of the initial contract period and the cancellation rights. The OFT is now writing to 20 other fitness operators warning them to ensure membership contracts are fair and clear. Cavendish . Elithorn, OFT Executive Director, said: 'As a result of our . investigation, millions of eligible gym members now have better contract . terms, including improved cancellation rights that prevent them being . unfairly locked in if their circumstances change. ‘This . should be a warning to the rest of the industry that we will not . hesitate to take action where we find evidence of consumers being . treated unfairly.’ Getting in shape: The changes follow an OFT investigation into the gym industry . He added that anyone who is considering joining a gym or health club should read the terms of the contract carefully before signing. ‘Alarm bells should ring if gyms are not being clear and upfront about their terms and conditions, including the length of the contract and cancellation rights,’ he said. ‘If consumers are told something that is not in the terms and conditions, they should ask for written confirmation.' The OFT said it would continue to monitor compliance alongside Trading Standards. It launched its investigation after a High Court ruling against a gym management company found lengthy membership periods could be unfair when they locked people in without adequate cancellation rights if their circumstances changed. Gillian Guy, chief executive at national charity Citizens Advice said: 'There is just no excuse for dodgy gyms locking customers into unreasonable contracts. We helped with over 3,000 problems with gyms and health clubs over the last year. We regularly hear from customers who have been ripped off by deals that have a nasty surprise in the fine print. 'Gyms need to be up front with their customers about what is involved in their membership contracts. Those gyms that still haven’t done so should follow the example of those giving better cancellation rights or risk a consumer backlash.' 1. How long is the contract? Carefully . consider the length of the contract and whether you are sure you want . to sign up for a year or whether a rolling monthly contract or . pay-as-you go would be more suitable. Membership costing £50 a month . will add up to £600 a year. 2. Can you cancel the contract early if your circumstances change or if you change your mind? Find . out if you can cancel the contract if your circumstances change. Some . gym providers allow you to cancel the contract or put it on hold under . certain circumstances such as if you are injured and unable to use the . facilities or if you lose your job. If the salesperson makes verbal . promises such as 'you can cancel your membership at any time', ask them . where this is set out in their terms and conditions or, if it is not, to . confirm the point in writing before you sign up. 3. Ask if the gym has a cooling-off period. Normally you can't cancel if you change your mind or stop using the gym . and will have to pay every month until you can cancel at the end of the . minimum term.4. Will the contract be automatically extended after the initial membership period? Most contracts for gym membership automatically continue once the initial membership period has expired. Make a note of the date by which you should inform them. You . should ask for some form of proof that the gym has received your . cancellation notice. For example, if you hand it in at the gym reception . desk, get a receipt.5. Do you have the time to go to the gym and can you afford the monthly payments? Make . sure you understand the commitment you are signing up for and that you . are sure the contract you have signed up for suits your needs. | Gym chains promise to be more upfront about the contract terms .
Changes follow an OFT investigation into the industry .
Bannatyne Fitness and David Lloyd Leisure have already made improvements . |
203,288 | 932a29ef601f157fa6a4f561ed26e7121baa1024 | By . Lucy Buckland . Last updated at 12:20 PM on 2nd December 2011 . Footage has been unearthed which shows Science fiction author Sir Arthur C Clarke thought Russia would land the first man on the moon in 1968. The late 2001: A Space Odyssey author made his space race forecast in 1961, even predicting Russia would set foot on the moon on the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. Previously thought to be lost, the BBC interview shows Clarke chatting to friend TV astronomer Sir Patrick Moore in an episode of The Sky at Night, the world's longest running television science programme. Predictions: Arthur C Clarke, pictured here in 1974, said the Russians would win the space race . In the interview in 1963 it had been two years since the Russians got the first man into space, Yuri Gagarin, in April 1961, but it was the Americans who would disprove his theory and get to the moon first. It was thought the broadcast had vanished, but it has just been discovered in a television station archive in Africa by collectors looking for lost episodes of Doctor Who. The grainy footage shows Clarke predicted the Americans would lag behind the Russians and reach the moon just two years later. Landing: Although Arthur C Clarke predicted Russia would be first to land on the moon, he did get the date almost right as Neil Armstrong and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin (pictured) landed in 1969 . Flying the flag: Arthur C Clarke thought Russia would win the space race, he was proven wrong as Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin landed on the moon . And he wasn’t far wrong with his prediction of: 'Around 1970, if you want to pin me down.’ It was 1969 when Neil Armstrong put his left foot on to the surface of the moon. He said: 'The American moon project is a colossal thing, costing $10m a day. I believe they will succeed in getting a man on the moon – and back again, which is equally important – not before 1970, but it will not be much after that.' After seeing the film of the interview again after almost half a century, Moore told the Guardian: 'We got some right, some not so right. I don't think we did too badly.' The Sky at Night: Patrick Moore, pictured in 1961 presenting the show, said he was thrilled new footage had been unearthed . The film was discovered in an African television archive by one of an eccentric gang of collectors. Their prime target is lost episodes of Doctor Who, but they recognised the exceptional rarity of the 1963 The Sky at Night interview. The collector, who bought it from the archive sent it back, still in its original film can, as a gift to the current The Sky at Night production team. Footage from the reel will be shown in December's The Sky at Night programme next week. Discovering the footage was incredibly moving for Moore as it is the only record of the only programme which he and friend Clarke made live together in a studio. Although he did interview Clarke again, it was through filmed inserts or taped phone interviews. The British science fiction author, inventor and futurist died in his adoptive homeland of Sri Lanka in 2008 aged 90. Lost interview: Arthur C Clarke, who died aged 90 in Sri Lanka, is interviewed by friend Sir Patrick Moore in the footage from 1963 . | He forecast landing on 50th anniversary of the October Revolution in interview with friend Sir Patrick Moore .
Rare interview found in Africa and returned to UK .
Footage will now be shown on The Sky At Night . |
212,784 | 9f87f11e254e07f5665f9f8904c05fd8b8bc2b4b | By . Andy Dolan . PUBLISHED: . 13:46 EST, 6 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:13 EST, 7 June 2013 . A former airline pilot murdered his estranged wife by deliberately crashing his car into a tree at more than 50mph after the passenger airbag had been disabled, a court heard yesterday. Iain Lawrence purposely careered off a bend on a quiet country road in order to kill his 47-year-old wife in a ‘most cunning way’, it was claimed. Despite being ‘fanatical’ about wearing a seatbelt, Sally Lawrence was not strapped in, jurors were told yesterday. Her husband, however, was wearing his seatbelt. 'Cunning': A court sketch shows Iain Lawrence in the dock at Leicester Crown Court where he stands accused of murdering his wife Sally, right, by deliberately crashing his car into a tree as she rode in the passenger seat . Mrs Lawrence, the managing director of . a business that specialised in cleaning up chemical spills, was said to . have been terrified of her husband in the months before her death, even . telling one friend: ‘One day he will kill me.’ Leicester Crown Court heard that she would never have got into his car unless forced or tricked. Prosecutor Nirmal Shant QC said . Lawrence, who ran a car trailer business, had been unable to accept that . his wife wanted a divorce and had started a new relationship. He killed her, the barrister said, ‘out of greed, anger and possibly jealousy’. Miss Shant told the jury: ‘The car was . driven into a tree and the deceased died almost instantaneously because . the airbag didn’t detonate – and the reason the airbag didn’t detonate . was because it had been switched off. ‘The question for you is, “Who . switched the airbag off?” His airbag was on, hers off. He was wearing . his seatbelt, she wasn’t. Him in the brace position, her dead. 'She was fearful he might do something . to her, and that is exactly what he did, in the most cunning way, in a . plan that was not likely, he thought, to raise suspicion.’ The couple had a ten-year-old son, who was away on a school trip at the time of the crash. Gartree Road near Leicester, where Mrs Lawrrence died: An examination of her husband's car's data recording system found that 'someone' had turned the passenger side airbag off 'six cycles' before the crash . Mrs Lawrence, who also had two adult daughters from a previous marriage, suffered no injuries consistent with wearing a belt. The Crown claims she was either not . wearing one, or did not have it clipped in. Miss Shant told jurors: ‘If . she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, you have to ask yourself who unclipped . it.’ She said accident investigators found . no evidence that Lawrence, 53, had attempted an emergency stop, and that . the passenger side of his Peugeot 406 received the ‘brunt’ of the . collision. He escaped the crash with minor . injuries – and bruising consistent with being in the ‘brace’ position at . the time he crashed into the tree at an estimated 52.3mph. A police officer who examined the . scene concluded that the vehicle had partly negotiated a bend and then . taken a ‘different and deliberate’ course that led to the tree. Miss Shant said it was a mystery what . Mrs Lawrence was doing in her husband’s car. She had her own Jaguar and . would ‘never willingly’ travel in his vehicle. When police examined the Jaguar, which . was at the estranged couple’s home in Oadby, near Leicester, last . October, they found it contained Mrs Lawrence’s purse, phone, laptop and . overnight bag. She had been planning to spend the night with her new . partner, Martin Smith, the court heard. Splitting the assets: The Lawrences' £300,000 family home in Oadby, which the couple still shared. The court heard they had an 'acrimonious' discussion about the division of their assets the day before the crash . Mr Lawrence's Peugeot 406: The 'brunt' of the damage, pictured here before the collision, was received by the passenger side, and there was no evidence the suspect had attempted an emergency stop, the court heard . Mrs Lawrence suffered multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near their home village. The prosecutor added that Lawrence . claimed to have no recollection of the crash but a number of witnesses . at the scene believed he was ‘faking’ unconsciousness. Miss Shant said ‘matters had been . brought to a head’ a day before the crash when Mrs Lawrence had an . ‘acrimonious’ discussion with her husband about the division of assets, . particularly the £300,000 home they still shared despite living . ‘separate lives’. In text messages to one of her . daughters that night, she said the conversation had gone badly because . Lawrence wanted ‘more than half’ of the house, and that she planned to . lock herself in her bedroom because she was so scared of him. Miss Shant said Lawrence had previously told his wife in a ‘menacing’ way: ‘You’ll get your feelings back for me.’ She also told a work colleague her husband ‘had evil in his eyes’ when they spoke, and that she feared being alone with him. The couple had married in 2000, but the marriage ran into difficulties and Mrs Lawrence began divorce proceedings last year. The decree absolute was issued the month following her death. Lawrence denies murder. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Iain Lawrence accused of killing his wife Sally in a 'most cunning way'
She had told friends she feared her husband would kill her 'one day'
Examination of car showed 'someone' had turned the passenger airbag off .
Police say there is no evidence Lawrence attempted an emergency stop .
Court hears the couple had rowed over division of their £300,000 home . |
47,081 | 84aba5be0c07d36c8c246a9f5bc64ea7ff74d00e | Southampton maintain they have 'no need to accept any offers' for their star players this summer, after England forward Rickie Lambert was allowed to leave for Liverpool. Following the departure of manager Mauricio Pochettino to take up the Tottenham job, there has been mounting speculation the likes of World Cup duo Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw would follow the Argentine out of St Mary's Stadium. However, the Barclays Premier League club on Monday issued a statement insisting there was not about to be a mass exodus, despite confirming a number of offers had been received, with the likes of Manchester United said to be trailing full-back Shaw and Liverpool determined to land midfield playmaker Lallana ahead of the World Cup finals. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Southampton youngsters Lallana and Shaw with England . Not for sale: Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger and owner Katharina Liebherr insist star names will stay . Departure: Rickie Lambert has left Southampton for Liverpool and could be the first of many to exit . 'Southampton Football Club can confirm . that we have received multiple offers for some of our players in the . past weeks. 'This is a confirmation of the depth of the development that . is ongoing in our academy and of the present standing of our first team . within the Premier League. We are staying true to our plan and vision . and, as a result, we have no need to accept any offers." a . statement on the club's official website read. 'We . are deep in the process of appointing a new manager who will continue . to move our club forward. It remains our preference not to partake in . any transfers until the new manager is in place. 'Our . scouting & recruitment department continues to monitor targets we . have identified to improve our squad, and the new manager will have . final input into our recruitment process.' Saints paid tribute to Lambert, who helped the south coast club return to the top flight from League One. The . 32-year-old, currently out in Miami with England's World Cup squad, . underwent a medical on Saturday after a fee of £4million was agreed. Lambert is understood to have signed a two-year deal with the club who . released him as a 15-year-old. 'There . may be circumstances under which the club will feel it is right for a . player to move on. Those circumstances have to be right for the club and . the player. This is the case with Rickie's move to Liverpool," Southampton's statement continued. 'When . Rickie Lambert requested to leave for Liverpool, the club felt it could . not stand in the way of having him fulfil his boyhood dream of playing . at home. 'It will be a big . challenge to replace him and our intention is to source a quality . replacement who will fill his shoes now, but also for many years to . come.' Moving up: Mauricio Pochettino swapped Southampton for Tottenham . Highly-rated: Jay Rodriguez scored 15 Premier League goals for Southampton last season . On the move: Tottenham may look to sign Victor Wanyama . Rock: Arsenal and Liverpool have reportedly been impressed by defender Dejan Lovren . Costly: Adam Lallana's transfer fee may hinder a move to Liverpool . Chairman Ralph . Krueger added: 'On behalf of the club, I would like to thank Rickie. He . served with distinction and helped to take Saints from League 1 to the . Premier League. 'Rickie has . been a shining light in Saints' growth and will forever remain an icon . in the history of the club. He leaves with the best wishes of everyone . at Southampton and will always be welcome back at St Mary's.' Last . week, Krueger claimed Southampton had been inundated with calls from . some of the 'highest quality managers in Europe' and that the club are . in their best ever position despite Pochettino's exit, having finished . eighth last season. Former . FC Basel coach Murat Yakin and Dutchman Ronald Koeman are the current . bookmakers' favourites to take the St Mary's hotseat, while former . Swansea manager Michael Laudrup is also said to be in the running. Wanted: Ronald Koeman has been linked to the Southampton manager's job . Shortlisted: Former Basel boss Murat Yakin is another name linked to Saints . | Southampton have received interest from in best players .
Claim process to replace manager Mauricio Pochettino is well underway .
Sale of striker Rickie Lambert to Liverpool confirmed .
Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren and Victor Wanyama all linked away . |
205,275 | 95bb9210203da217eb57a6e9fbaa8c7b0999557c | By . Julian Robinson . A paddle boarder risked his life - and thousands of pounds - by edging within feet of at least two huge humpback whales. Photographer Jodi Frediani captured the dramatic encounter while she was whale watching in Monterey Bay, California. The man was seen repeatedly moving his paddle board towards the giant mammals, which can weigh up to 36 tonnes. Close encounter: The paddle boarder risks his life by moving within metres of two giant humpbacks off the coast of California . Too close for comfort: The man was also risking a fine of more than £6,500 by approaching the mammals in Monterey Bay, California . As well as putting his own life in danger, he was risking more than £6,500 because getting too close to the whales in the wild carries a massive fine. The paddle boarder waited to see where the whales - which can measure up to 16 metres - were feeding and then tried to approach them on 'multiple' occasions. Huge numbers of the creatures have come close to the shore to feed on the summer anchovy crop giving whale watchers the chance to see them up close. With its food source near the surface, wildlife enthusiasts have been able to watch incredible surface lunges that allow the whales to scoop up large numbers of fish. The paddle boarder waited to see where the whales - which can measure up to 16 metres - were feeding and then tried to approach them on 'multiple' occasions . The paddle boarder moves ever closer to a humpbank whale as it surfaces in Monterey Bay during a feeding session . Jodi said: 'This paddle boarder deliberately approached the whales multiple times but this can break the National Marine Fisheries Service guidelines. 'Fortunately for him, none of the whales got irritated enough to lash out with a large tail throw, something we saw them do to a sailboat which sailed right through a group of feeding whales. 'He could have been knocked off his board or seriously hurt if the whales were to come up where he was standing or do a tail lob. Huge numbers of the creatures have come close to the shore in Monterey Bay, California, to feed on the summer anchovy crop . With its food source near the surface, wildlife enthusiasts have been able to watch incredible surface lunges that allow the whales to scoop up large numbers of fish . 'They wouldn't deliberately attempt to hurt a person but they can weigh a huge amount. 'However I've been out to see them several times since this incident and people have been far more respectful. 'They've had amazing encounters with the whales approaching them. 'This year has been an exceptionally wonderful and rare occurrence to have so many humpback whales surface lunge-feeding on anchovies so close to shore. Pure magic.' | Paddle boarder risks his life by moving to within metres of humpback whale .
Getting too close to whales in the wild can attract fine of more than £6,500 .
Encounter was captured by photographer at Monterey Bay in California . |
185,934 | 7cc80c658472d20b6bd1284ee47d9c70c2fd9c5a | Young people have no idea about the country’s war history – with many unaware of the meaning of events such as D-Day or VE Day, a study has found. Research revealed that younger generations only know about certain conflicts and military events due to watching programmes or films about them. So can you do any better? Take our quiz below to see if your knowledge of history is British military history is better than many 18-35 year olds. 1. What year was the Battle of Britain? 2. The Falklands War was between which countries? 3. During which century was the English Civil War? 4. The Battle of the Somme took place during which conflict? 5. The term Blitz comes from the German word Blitzkreig. But what does it translate to? 6. What year did the First World War start? 7. Who was Prime Minister at the start of the Second World War? 8. When did the Second World War come to an end? 9. Why is there a statue of Nelson in Trafalgar Square? 10. Which decade did the Korean War take place? Scroll down for answers . D-Day: British troops landed on beaches in Normandy as part of the allied invasion of France on June 6, 1944 . Winston Churchill waves to crowds gathered in Whitehall on VE Day, May 8 1945 . While the vast majority had heard of the First and Second World Wars, youngsters were stumped at more recent conflicts such as the War on Terror and the troubles in Northern Ireland. The statistics emerged in a study by Universal Pictures to mark the release of a special range of DVDs in support of The Royal British Legion. Charles Byrne, The Royal British Legion’s Director of Fundraising, said: ‘With this year’s 70th commemorations of D-Day and the 100th Anniversary of the start of the First World War, we hope more young people will be engaged by key events in military history. ‘Encouragingly, a lot of young people . say their knowledge of military history comes from school, and we know . the Legion’s free school’s pack on Remembrance and History reaches 2 . million young people in the UK every year. The Bloody Sunday killings in 1972 took place during a civil rights march in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Thirteen civilians were killed while the 14th victim died from his wounds five months later . ‘We . can also see that conflicts shown in TV and films make a big impact so . would encourage everyone to pick up a DVD in this special range.’ The study of 2,000 18-35-year-olds found . that almost half of those polled didn't know that D-Day marks the Normandy Landings during the Second . World War, with more than one in five mistakenly believing it marks the . end of the First World War. Half . were also unaware VE Day (Victory in Europe Day), which took place last . week, is celebrated to mark the end of the Second World War in Europe. The survey found that young people knew about conflicts from television and films including the 2008 film The Hurt Locker (pictured) with Jeremy Renner as Sergeant First Class William James . Still celebrated to this day, VE day, as well as D-Day, mark significant moments in British history. D-Day, or the day of the Normandy Landings on June 6, 1944, marked the start of the European invasion during the Second World War. Thousands of allied troops landed on the beaches in Northern France initiating the effort to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi occupation. In total 75,215 British and Canadian troops and 57,500 US troops were landed by sea on D-Day. Another 23,400 were landed by air – it was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) was the public holiday, celebrated on May 8, 1945, to mark the formal acceptance of Germany’s surrender in the Second World War. People gathered on the streets - many dressed in red, white and blue - to celebrate the fact the war was over. One in four also struggled to name 1914 . to 1918 as the dates of the First World War, while one in five had no . idea the Second World War took place from 1939 to 1945. More than a quarter of those surveyed were totally unaware of the war in Afghanistan, with even fewer admitting they knew about the Iraq war. And despite it taking place in living memory for all those polled, just 40 per cent knew that the Iraq war started in 2003. Instead, one in ten thought it was the day the Blitz came to an end. There was also a large number who admitted to knowing little or even to have never heard of the Cold War and Vietnam. The study also found that while 45 per cent say most of the knowledge they do have on the nation’s military history comes from their time at school, almost one in five, or 18 per cent, picked up what they do know from TV programmes or Hollywood films. Less than one in twenty got their knowledge from talking to older grandparents or relatives. And surprisingly almost four in ten said they have never spoken to older relatives or friends about their experiences living through military events in our past. Universal Pictures charity DVDs are available here. 1. 1940 . 2. Britain and Argentina . 3. The 17th Century . 4. First World War . 5. Lightning war . 6. 1914 . 7. Neville Chamberlain . 8. 1945 . 9. To commentate his service during the Napoleonic Wars . 10. The 1950s . | Some unaware of conflicts like Iraq War or the troubles in Northern Ireland .
One in five only know about certain military events due to TV or films .
Almost 40 per cent have never spoken to older relatives about past wars .
Take our quiz to see if you can can do better than most 18-35-year-olds . |
107,951 | 172b3b1f6b02585e1c4df953b1e44c16d13c9748 | Washington (CNN) -- The federal government filed suit Tuesday against Wyndham Hotels after sensitive customer data, including credit card numbers and personal information, allegedly were stolen three times in less than two years. In court documents, the Federal Trade Commission alleges Wyndham Hotels' lax security policies allowed Russian hackers to access more than 500,000 customer accounts on three separate occasions between 2008 and 2010. Hackers used the data to rack up more than $10.6 million in fraudulent credit card transactions, according to the suit filed in the U.S. District Court of Arizona. The security breaches involved Wyndham's Phoenix, Arizona, data center, the main hub where the company stores and transfers data between its corporate headquarters and affiliates. By gaining access to the Arizona data center, hackers were able to install "phishing" software on numerous Wyndham servers around the world and gain access to customer data, the FTC's lawsuit alleges. "At the time of these incidents, we made prompt efforts to notify the hotel customers whose information may have been compromised, and offered them credit monitoring services," Michael Valentino, Wyndham's worldwide director of communications, said in a statement to CNN. But Wyndham failed to take proper security measures even after the company was aware of a security breach, according to the FTC's complaint. The FTC said Wyndham should have instituted complex user IDs and passwords, and fixed software that stored the company's customer credit card data in clear readable text. Wyndham didn't make the fixes, the government alleges, and the hackers were able to gain access to servers on two more occasions. "Even after faulty security led to one breach ... Wyndham still failed to remedy known security vulnerabilities; failed to employ reasonable measures to detect unauthorized access; failed to follow proper incident response procedures," the FTC said in a statement announcing the suit. There is no penalty for first-time violators of the FTC's Consumer Privacy Act, and this is the first time Wyndham has been charged with violating the act. But according to Kristen Cohen, an attorney in the FTC's privacy and identity protection division, the agency is seeking a permanent injunction that would force Wyndham to implement what the agency considers reasonable and appropriate security measures for customer information. Wyndham Hotel Group claims to be the world's largest hotel company with more than 7,000 hotels worldwide. The company operates hotels and resorts under the Wyndham brand, and includes Ramada, Super 8, Days Inn and Howard Johnson and several other hotel companies among its affiliates. | The FTC alleges lax computer security policies by Wyndham Hotels .
Russian hackers accessed more than 500,000 customer accounts, the FTC says .
Wyndham says it made prompt efforts to notify customers and offered credit monitoring .
The FTC suit wants Wyndham to improve its security measures for customer information . |
170,718 | 68f902e83e82dc371d82756dca37dfafc779fc1c | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 13:24 EST, 28 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:00 EST, 28 January 2013 . Jailed: History teacher David Timmins, 41, was jailed today for three counts of sexual activity with a child aged under 16 . A teacher has been jailed for more than two and a half years after repeatedly groping a 15-year-old girl in his office. David Timmins, 41, who was in charge of child protection at Ercall Wood Technology College in Telford, Shropshire, bombarded the schoolgirl with emails and showered her with gifts. The history teacher even offered to give her money for hair dye and talked about eloping with her before luring her into his office at break times where he kissed her and touched her inappropriately. Timmins even turned up at the girl's work experience placement where he kissed and hugged her. When he was caught and arrested on child sex charges, Timmins initially tried to blame the school for 'over promoting' him. He was jailed for two years and eight months at Shrewsbury Crown Court after admitting three counts of sexual activity with a child under 16. Sentencing him, Judge Robin Onions told Timmins: 'You will know that as a teacher you were in a position of trust. 'In your particular case the position of trust was particularly important because you were also the pastoral manager. 'The victim in this case was only 15-years-old. She was vulnerable because you were in a pupil-teacher relationship where all the power lay with you. 'You claim you were over-promoted as pastoral manager but that's no reason, no excuse for you to turn your feelings into an emotional response to this pupil. 'You were in fact the one who was making all the running, it was cloud cuckoo land because you were talking of a future that you could never have together. 'The victim was vulnerable due to her age, due to the fact that she had been bullied and she had little sexual and emotional experience. 'It's perfectly clear as a teacher you had talent and you had a career until you threw it all away with this particular behaviour.' The court heard Timmins had worked at the school - which caters for 660 pupils aged 11-16 - for 14 years before he was put in charge of child protection. The court heard he initially spoke to the victim about their shared interest in history, music and being bullied at school but soon the relationship developed. Position of responsibility: Ercall Wood Technology College in Telford where David Timmons worked . Timmins began seeing the girl before and after school as well as at break times where he would kiss her on the lips. When . she was questioned, the victim told police that Timmins had touched . her, both over and under her clothing, while they were in his office at . the school. He was eventually caught after he accidentally emailed a former pupil instead of the girl in May last year. He was arrested when the woman, who was at university, contacted the headteacher in September after discussing rumours about the teacher with her friends during the summer. Prosecutor Robert Edwards said: 'This matter first came to light when she received two emails from the defendant. It was immediately obvious to her there had been a mistake. 'Later that day she received an email asking her to delete the emails. 'She was away at university at the time and when she returned she met up with some friends and these friends discussed a rumour about the defendant and a pupil. 'On . September 10 she contacted the headteacher, she disclosed to him the . existence of the emails and he realised they related to this defendant . and a pupil at the school. 'The . defendant was working as a history teacher and perhaps more worryingly . he was also the school's pastoral manager dealing with students' personal problems. 'Later that day the girl, who was aged 15 at that time, was spoken to by police. 'Things had progressed to exchanging emails out of school hours and from there things developed to the defendant and the young lady seeing each other before school, at break times and after school. 'Things first became physical when the girl was on work experience. 'The defendant visited her placement and during that visit he hugged her and he instigated them kissing each other on the lips. 'She said they talked about eloping together, what sort of house they would live in when she left school and that they loved each other.' Timmins was arrested and initially given bail but was re-arrested and remanded in custody after officers discovered he was trying to contact the girl via Facebook. Mr Edwards added: 'During a second interview the complainant made further disclosures. 'She began by saying it was very much the defendant who was the driving force behind the relationship. 'She said it was the defendant who had instigated the first physical contact between them and he had discussed moving away together on more than one occasion.' Michael Sherwood-Smith, defending, said: 'Mr Timmins accepts total responsibility for this relationship. 'He has great respect for her intellectual and emotional responsibility but clearly he's over estimated the latter.' Timmins was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register and barred from working with children for life. | David Timmins, 41, was jailed for two years and eight months today .
He was Pupil Progress Manager at Ercall Wood technology College in Telford .
He admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child under 16 . |
262,075 | df715b175a1abd1e8b83ad1056187c44a56b5d16 | Duncan Edwards was my idol in the fifties... I was devastated after the Munich air disaster . George Best, Bobby Moore and Sir Bobby Charlton all make my team of the sixties . Duncan Edwards joins Billy Wright and Danny Blanchflower in my team of the fifties . Harry Redknapp is one of the game’s most colourful and outspoken characters. Here, in the final part of his brilliant book, he reflects on a footballing world before pilates, ice baths and prima donnas. ........................................................................... Lionel Messi reminds me of George Best, the way he would run with the ball tight to his foot. Tap, tap, tap. He would take the ball up to defenders like that, and then swivel and go past them. There were so many great players in that Manchester United team but, even then, George stood tall. He was fresh off the boat and straight into the first team. He didn’t really bother with youth football. I can remember reading the account by Harry Gregg, Manchester United’s goalkeeper, of the first time he met George. VIDEO Scroll down to watch one of George Best's greatest Manchester United goals . Manchester United legend George Best enjoys the attention on a beach in Majorca in 1968 . Great man, Harry — pulled semi-conscious injured team-mates out of a burning plane on the runway at Munich. That’s bravery. These days a midfielder receives the ball with a man marking him and we say he’s brave. Harry was also a hard man who almost used to bully opponents. Not the sort of chap that a young kid fresh over from Belfast should be messing with. The first training session George had at United, he got the ball, ripped through the defence and made to shoot. Gregg went one way, and George casually took the ball past him and rolled it into the net. Next attack, the same thing happened. ‘Do that to me again, son,’ Harry warned, from his position on the seat of his pants, ‘and you won’t be playing tomorrow.’ Yet George just laughed it off. That was what made him so magnificent. There is a fantastic clip of George playing against Chelsea. He is going through the defence, the mud is ankle deep, when Ron Harris comes across and tries to cut him in half. George rides it, carries on and slots the ball in. Best shoots for goal under pressure from former Chelsea hard man Ron 'Chopper' Harris . Best - pictured with his Lotus Europa car in 1969 - changed football forever . George went out every game knowing there were players whose job was to hurt him, who actively tried to break his legs. Yet they never stopped him demanding the ball, never stopped him running with it. I haven’t seen anybody as brave as George. He was the best; he had a style, a swagger when he played, that I don’t think I’ve seen since. And he changed football. Girls screaming at him, boys trying to dress like him. There were other good players and good teams but also a pub mentality that didn’t really leave English football until the influx of foreign players. From the great Liverpool team to the World Cup-winning England side and the King’s Road lot at Chelsea, just about every club liked a night out. Most of the teams were made up of local boys and they all got on great. At West Ham we mucked in together and roughed it when we had to. Again on holiday in Majorca, this time in 1967, Best enjoys a drink with boxer Johnny Prescott . I remember the terrible winter in 1963, clearing the snow off the forecourt at Upton Park with the rest of the players so we could train. Job done, we’d play on it for two hours in silly little plimsolls, sliding everywhere. These days, the medical staff would have conniptions about the damage you could do to your calf muscles. But nobody knew, or cared, about that side of the game. These days, if a training pitch isn’t like Wembley, the players complain. Modern players moan about everything. They’ll walk into a room with £200,000 of equipment and find some fault — no bananas in the fruit bowl or the temperature isn’t right. We used to spend a month running through forests, dodging cars on the Epping New Road. That was our pre-season. Get back on the coach with everybody cramping up. Nobody had heard of stretching exercises. We didn’t even warm up. Bobby Moore talks to young fans during a break in a West Ham training session in 1962 . The first time we saw the pitch was when the bell went to signal two minutes before kick-off. We might take the odd shot against the goalkeeper if we were feeling adventurous. There was no such thing as a warm-up. We thought a warm-up was standing by the radiator. Once the game started, if you went down, a bloke would come out, put a sponge on your leg and that was the extent of his knowledge done. No one complained. We didn’t know any different, we just got on with it. There were no agents to stir up a fuss. Contract negotiation was non-existent. The manager called you into his office and gave you another £2 a week and you went home delighted. Duncan Edwards was my idol in the fifties... I was devastated after the Munich air disaster . George Best, Bobby Moore and Sir Bobby Charlton all make my team of the sixties . Duncan Edwards joins Billy Wright and Danny Blanchflower in my team of the fifties . Where are poor Paul Gascoigne's friends now he needs their help? Dalglish had West Ham stars standing and applauding at 15... then he signed for Celtic! Alan Hansen reminded me of Bobby Moore, that's why he's in my team of the Eighties . John Robertson, Kevin Keegan and Phil Neal make my team of the Seventies . Giggs would have solved England's problems... he was born to play left wing . Wenger heralded a change... he introduced Prozone and scouting reports to England . Ravel Morrison has the class of Bale but his attitude is holding back his talent . Vieira and Keane are warriors... they were even prepared to do battle while on TV! Why Redknapp fears that the English manager is in danger of becoming extinct . Vieira nearly crossed North London to join Spurs... and Suarez was close to signing too . Pies in the canteen and throwing teacups at players... the Premier League killed all that! Sportsmail's Head of Sport Lee Clayton interviews Redknapp about his new book . I was fortunate to spend the Sixties working for one of the greatest football minds this country has ever produced: Ron Greenwood. It is no exaggeration to say that Ron changed the game in England. I remember watching the 1966 World Cup and I was able to pinpoint the moves and tactics that were straight from West Ham’s training ground. Former West Ham manager Ron Greenwood oversees England training in 1970 as Kevin Keegan stretches . West Ham players train at the Essex health centre on a dry pitch . People talk about master coaches in football and I’ll be frank and say I haven’t seen too many; but Ron was among the few. The way England got Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters to get across defenders at the near post — I would credit Ron for that. The goals that England scored in 1966 were no accident. I used to watch Ron work for hours with the pair of them — when to pull away, how to time the return run. A lot of what Ron did stands up today. I’m not ashamed to admit that I still use lessons from Ron. The front cover of Redknapp's new book, A Man Walks On To a Pitch, which is released on Thursday . 'A Man Walks On To A Pitch' by Harry Redknapp is published by Ebury Press, priced £20. Offer price £16 until October 21. Order at mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0808-272-0808 — p&p is free for a limited time only. | Harry Redknapp's latest book, A Man Walks On To a Pitch, is being serialised by Sportsmail this week .
In the final excerpt, Harry discusses the enigmatic talents of George Best .
Training and preparation has changed vastly since the 1960s and 1970s .
The methods of Ron Greenwood, Redknapp insists, still hold true today . |
192,856 | 85aee676746d59895458ae83133d65b3239530c0 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 02:40 EST, 15 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:01 EST, 15 January 2013 . John Smith's Extra Smooth is to be watered down from 3.8 per cent alcohol to 3.6 per cent next month . The brewer of one of Britain's best known beers is watering down its famous drink in a move which could see it make savings of £6.6million in duty annually. John Smith's Extra Smooth is to be reduced from 3.8 per cent alcohol to 3.6 per cent, but its manufacturers say research suggests the reduction does not compromise on the taste. Dutch brewer Heineken, which owns the John Smith's brand, is to bring the reduction into effect next month, along with a price increase of about 2.5p a pint. It has said the 'no nonsense beer' will be brought more in line with the smooth ales of competitors which are already at or below the 3.6 per cent mark. With UK beer duty rising at two per cent above inflation annually, since the introduction of the beer escalator introduced in 2008, beers with weaker alcohol content pay a lower rate of duty than higher strength rivals, The Financial Times has reported. A Heineken UK spokesman said the savings would be invested into the brewing and marketing of the beer. The spokesman said: 'Extensive research conducted with retailers and consumers consistently confirmed that a 0.2 per cent reduction in [alcohol content] does not compromise on the taste and quality.' Heineken has blamed the increase on the rising cost of energy and ingredients, along with the higher beer duty. Meanwhile, members of a working men's club in Grimethorpe, a mining village 25 miles from John Smith's brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorshire, have warned the move to raise the price and weaken the beer has not gone down well. Club secretary Philip Evans said: 'We are going to sit the rep down and tell him it either goes down or it goes out.' The Treasury raises £9.2bn annually from the production and sale of beer, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. The association has said while British drinkers were developing a liking for ales at a weaker strength, it did not expect many brewers to alter the alcohol percentage of its products as they had to be sure it wouldn't affect the flavour. The British Beer and Pub Association has said the Treasury raises £9.2bn annually from the production and sale of beer (file picture) | Brewer Heineken to reduce alcohol content while raising the price of a pint .
The move could help the Dutch brewer save £6.6million in duty annually .
Beers with weaker alcohol content pay a lower rate of duty than higher strength rivals . |
231,216 | b75931f3238b33aa4e5a5185050bf361465046f5 | The friend and mentor of Bali Nine drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran says the 33-year-old is no longer sleeping as he waits with dread for a final knock on his door to take him to his execution by firing squad. Artist Ben Quilty, who said goodbye to Sukumaran at Kerobokan prison in Bali for the last time on Thursday, explained the process has begun for Sukumaran and Andrew Chan's imminent execution. 'He knows someone will knock on his door in the middle of the night. I offered to bring him valium but he said "no". He is completely free from drugs and won't even take sleeping pills,' Quilty told ABC radio. The Australian artist, who in 2011 won the Archibald Prize, has been Sukumaran's mentor since 2012, helping him develop a talent for painting. Chan and Sukumaran were leaders of the so-called Bali Nine, who were found guilty of attempting to smuggle more than 8 kg of heroin valued at about $4 million from Indonesia to Australia in 2005. Scroll down for video . Mr Sukumaran is passionate painter who has been conducting art classes to other inmates while in Kerobokan jail. The classes have been his way of showing he has rehabilitated . Sukumaran's friend and mentor, artist Ben Quilty, said goodbye to him at Kerobokan prison in Bali for the last time on Thursday . A general view shows the death island of Nusa Kambangan island, upon which Indonesia's maximum security prison is located and prisoners on death row are executed . They were arrested at Bali's Denpasar airport and their case has taken on enormous resonance as a domestic political issue in Australia. Sukumaran has begun what may well be his final painting after finding a photo of the Indonesian island where he will likely be shot and killed. 'He's found an image of the island where his execution will take place and wants to make a painting. I hope it's not the last he makes but it's the beginnings of a great painting,' Quilty said. Sukumaran has been on death row for almost ten years but Quilty, who has been leading the Mercy Campaign for the Bali Nine pair, said on Thursday his spirits were high after Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek pleaded for their lives to be spared in parliament. Australian death-row prisoners Andrew Chan (left) and Myuran Sukumaran have been moved for execution . Nusa Kambangan is deceiving, it's pristine waters and white sandy beaches look like a place of haven . Nusa Kambangan is known as the island where condemned men and women come to die . Bali Nine ringleaders Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are expected to be taken to Nusa Kambangan, where they will take their final breaths . Indonesian police tighten security at the main gate of maximum security prison Nusa Kambangan . But later in the day, events took a turn for the worse and their moods plummeted when it was confirmed permission had been granted to move them from Kerobokan prison, setting the wheels in motion for their death. 'By the afternoon things had gone dark, it was very bleak leaving them there,' Quilty said. 'We thought he'd be fine. I said one day we'd be sat on a veranda out in the bush smoking a pipe and drinking vodka together, now that looks like it will never happen.' Quilty explained yesterday was the first time Sukumaran let out a tear when he said goodbye to his friend. 'The inevitability of it is brutal. He handled it better than I did.' A meeting on Thursday granted permission to move the Bali Nine drug smugglers on a date which will be determined on Friday. Australia's efforts to stop the executions have so far failed, along with desperate legal bids. Mr Sukumaran stands in front of his paintings at a prisoners' studio in Kerobokan prison . Self-portraits painted by Australian Bali 9 member Myuran Sukumaran in Kerobokan jail . A man displays a painting of Myuran Sukumaran, a Australian convicted of drug smuggling on Indonesia's death row, outside Kerobokan jail where Sukumaran is held . Barrister Julian McMahon says for now, his clients are still alive, so efforts to keep it that way continue. On Wednesday, the Indonesian Administrative Court received a challenge of President Joko Widodo's decision to refuse clemency to all 64 drug offenders on death row. His decrees state the decision comes 'after thoroughly considering the clemency application'. But Mr McMahon says this is untrue. 'All of the public statements from the Indonesian government made it clear that the applications would be refused because they were drug offenders,' he said. 'That policy prevented careful consideration, indeed any consideration of the particular cases.' The lawyers argue it would be a grave miscarriage of justice for the executions to proceed before the court determines whether the decision to refuse clemency is in accordance with the law. Death-row prisoner Myuran Sukumaran's sister Brintha Sukumaran, left, and his mother Raji Sukumaran, right, have been visiting him every day . Ben Quilty greets Myuran Sukumaran's family at the I Stand For Mercy concert and vigil for Bali Nine death row inmates Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, at Martin Place in Sydney, on January 29 . Andrew Chan mother's Helen Chan arrives to visit her son at Kerobokan prison on Thursday . Officials have been granted permission to transfer the two men from Kerobokan jail in Bali . However, Indonesia's Attorney-General HM Prasetyo, who hasn't shied away from commenting on the men's cases before the courts, says he won't delay with his execution plans. Chan and Sukumaran are expected to be moved to Nusakambangan, a prison island off central Java known as 'Indonesia's Alcatraz'. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that it understood officials have been speaking to airport authorities and Garuda - the national carrier - which has apparently agreed to fly the men to the place where the executions will take place. They will be given 72 hours notice of their execution by firing squad. Their Sydney families are in Bali, where they have spent the past three weeks paying daily visits to the men in Kerobokan jail. Over the past decade they've been imprisoned there, Chan and Sukumaran have transformed into model inmates, who have helped scores of others rehabilitate and get drug-free. In this photo taken on August 17, 2010, convicted Australian drug smugglers Myuran Sukumaran (L) and Andrew Chan (R) gesture as they sit inside Kerobokan prison in Denpasar, Bali . Mr Chan has been in jail in Bali since 2005 after his arrest at at Bali's Denpasar airport . The execution process awaiting Chan and Sukumaran has been described as cruel by a witness to a previous one. In the dead of night in 2008, in a remote clearing on the Indonesian island of Nusakambangan, Nigerian nationals Samuel Iwuchukwu Okoye and Hansen Antonious Nwaolisa were executed by firing squad after being sentenced to death for smuggling more than 3kg of heroin each. It took seven minutes before the two condemned men strapped to wooden crosses bled out on the jungle floor. . An account given in 2008 by Irish Catholic priest Charlie Burrows, who was at the executions of Okoye and Nwaolisa, says their deaths were neither quick nor painless; they were tortured, 'moaning again and again for seven minutes', as they slowly died. 'I think it is cruel, the torture,' he said at the time in testimony before Indonesia's Constitutional Court. Okoye and Nwaolisa had been strapped to crucifixes with inner-tubes. Black hoods were placed over their heads. 'It was simple: one, two, three, then bang,' Father Burrows said. Both men have vowed that their time in jail has rehabilitated them and they deserve a reprieve . 'The blood came out slowly; they were in pain. After 10 minutes, a doctor came to inspect them and pronounced them dead.' If executed like Okoye and Nwaolisa, the two Australians will have their hands and feet shackled before being taken from their cells before midnight and driven to a remote execution site. They will be given stark choices: die standing, sitting or kneeling. If necessary, they will be tied to a pole and will have the choice of being blindfolded. Twelve executioners with rifles - three of them with live rounds - will be told to aim at targets over their hearts. 'Executions are not clean killings,' their Australian lawyer, Julian McMahon, told AAP in January. 'What, in fact, happens is that the prisoner is taken out into the bush. It's usually at night. If necessary, they are tied to a plank. 'If the prisoner isn't dead straight away, the commanding officer is meant to walk up and then put a bullet in the head.' Sukumaran and Chan will be executed together. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made a last-ditch plea for the two men to be taken off death row . Australia's Deputy leader of the Opposition Tanya Plibersek has made a passionate plea for the lives of the Bali Nine ringleaders . | Artist Ben Quilty said goodbye to Sukumaran on Thursday .
Andrew Chan and Sukumaran have reportedly been moved out of prison for execution .
They are expected to be moved to Nusakambangan, a prison island off central Java known as 'Indonesia's Alcatraz'
Authorities confirmed the Australians will be executed outside Bali .
'We ask it to be as soon as possible,' Bali Prosecutor's Office says .
Men shocked to learn that they will be transferred to 'execution island'
Their families will be given the required 72 hours notice of their executions .
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says executions a grave injustice . |
16,590 | 2f0c85898590cc95011edd835a826187f9d3ff57 | By . Sean Poulter . Stringent: The tough line on punishing parents who take their children out of school during term time has been championed by Michael Gove . Parents are being turned into cheats, liars and criminals because they are taking children out of school during term time to try to cut the cost of a family holiday. More than one in three are risking fines and prosecution because they will not or cannot afford to pay the inflated holiday prices that kick in the day that the schools break-up. At the same time, some one in five of these parents are telling lies and trying to hide what they are doing by putting their child’s absence down to an invented illness. The vast majority of people breaking the rules -72 per cent – say the sole reason is because of the high cost of holidays during the official school summer break. The figures come from research by the Nationwide building society, which also found the current system means a family can expect to pay an extra £1,347 for a foreign break in Spain. This compares to the current penalty of £60 for an unauthorised absence which can be increased to £2,500 if the case ends up in the courts. The tough line on punishing parents who take children out of school has been championed by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, who said they could not afford to miss lessons if they were to achieve the results expected. He has turned the screw on parents and schools by ending a policy that allowed schools to grant up to 10 days holiday a year to families in ‘special circumstances’. The policy has caused enormous anger among parents, while a London banker has recently lodged a legal test case to challenge the law. James Haymore was summonsed to court after he refused to pay a £120 fine for taking his children to America for six days at the start of the spring term for a memorial service for their great-grandfather. Mr Haymore, who works for JP Morgan, will argue that the decision to prosecute him for taking his three children out of school is a breach of the Human Rights Act. A spokesman for the Nationwide said: ‘Given the fact that the premium for a typical holiday in Spain for a family of four could be as much as £1,347 more during school holidays compared with term-time, it’s no wonder that parents are still tempted to face the ire of their children’s head teacher, plus the threat of a fine, in order to save some significant cash.’ It looked at the cost of a holiday for a family of four with two children aged seven and nine for the first week in July, which is in term time, versus the first week in August. The cost of the same one week holiday in Spain rose from £1,508 to £2,855, which is an increase of £1,347. The price of a holiday at CenterParc in Wiltshire rose by £860 to £2,448, while the figure for Disneyland Paris went up by £369 to £2,827. Price hike: A survey by Nationwide found that a holiday to Disneyland Paris for a family of four, with two children aged seven and nine, went from £369 in July to £2,827 in August . The research suggests that parents try to take children out of school at a time when it least affects their education. Some 57 per cent took them out at the end of term, compared with 18 per cent who chose the start of term and 17 per cent who went for a mid-term break. The vast majority of parents – 72per cent – said the sole reason for doing so was because of the cost. Some 62per cent of the children taken out of lessons were at primary school, compared to 32per cent at secondary school. Nationwide’s Director of Banking, Graham Pilkington, said: ‘People are used to tightening their belts now, so even though the economic recovery is well underway, families baulk at paying a premium for vacationing during school holidays. 'However, schools and local authorities are getting tougher on parents who take their children away during school time, with the threats of fines and even prosecution.’ | One in five are telling lies by saying their child's absence is due to illness .
More than 70% say holidays cost too much during the summer break .
Tough line on punishing parents has been brought in by Michael Gove .
Current penalty for parent if their child's absence is not authorised is £70 .
However this can be increased to £2,500 if the case reaches the courts . |
117,921 | 24455828b3aa5df5702868a1101034540ccc3d32 | The children who escaped last month's massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut are returning to classes on Thursday at a refurbished school renamed after their old one, school officials said Wednesday. Newtown Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson announced that the students' new school, the former Chalk Hill Middle School in Monroe, has been renamed after a decision was taken by staff from the previous Sandy Hook school. ‘That's who they are. They're the Sandy Hook family,’ Robinson said after a news conference at a park in Monroe a few miles from the school, which opens for classes on Thursday morning. An open house was held for parents and students on Wednesday. Scroll down for video . Keeping them close: A woman hugs a young boy, who had attended Sandy Hook school, before he boards a bus to a newly set-up school in neighboring Monroe, Connecticut . School superintendent Janet Robinson said the decision to re-name the new school as Sandy Hook Elementary School was taken by the teachers from the previous school . Robinson added that renaming the Chalk Hill school will allow staff and students to keep ‘their identity and a comfort level.’ The school where the shootings occurred remains closed and guarded by police. Newtown officials haven't decided yet on the building's future. It's been nearly three weeks since the Dec. 14 massacre, when gunman Adam Lanza killed 20 students and six educators. Lanza also killed his mother at the home they shared in Newtown before the school shootings, which ended when Lanza fatally shot himself as police arrived. Police haven't released any details about a motive. One parent took the opportunity during Wednesday's open house to thank a teacher for helping protect his son. Vinny Alvarez said the teacher, Courtney Martin, locked her classroom door and kept the children in a corner until it was safe to leave the building. Numerous police officers on Wednesday guarded the outside of the Monroe school, which is about seven miles from the old school. Asked about the level of security at the new school, Monroe police Lt. Keith White said, ‘I think right now it has to be the safest school in America.’ Anxious: Parents wave goodbye as they see their children on to the bus for school for the first time since the shooting on December 14 in Newtown . Sensitive: Sandy Hook students were invited to attend Chalk Hill middle school Wednesday ahead of classes on Thursday. The building has been re-purposed for them as they return to school for the first time since last month's shooting . Robinson said Chalk Hill School has been transformed into a ‘cheerful’ place for the surviving students to resume normal school routines. She said mental health counselors continue to be available for anyone who needs them. ‘They're so excited to see the teachers,’ Robinson said about the open house attendees. Several signs welcoming the Sandy Hook students to their new school were posted along the road leading to the school in a rural, mostly residential neighborhood. One said ‘Welcome Sandy Hook Elementary Kids,’ while a similar sign added ‘You are in our prayers.’ Teams of workers, many of them volunteers, prepared the Chalk Hill school with fresh paint and new furniture and even raised bathroom floors so the smaller elementary school students can reach the toilets. The students' desks, backpacks and other belongings that were left behind following the shooting were taken to the new school to make them feel at home. Support: A sign is seen along the route to the Chalk Hill School where the Sandy Hook Elementary School children will attend classes in Monroe, Connecticut . Early days: Teachers and volunteers have worked to remodel the middle school to appear as close as possible to Sandy Hook in order to reassure the children . Counselors say it's important for children to get back to a normal routine and for teachers and parents to offer sensitive reassurances. When classes start, Robinson said teachers will try to make it as normal a school day as possible for the children. ‘We want to get back to teaching and learning,’ she said. ‘We will obviously take time out from the academics for any conversations that need to take place, and there will be a lot of support there. All in all, we want the kids to reconnect with their friends and classroom teachers, and I think that's going to be the healthiest thing.’ Acting Sandy Hook principal Donna Page wrote on the school's website: 'Be assured that the towns of Monroe and Newtown are working night and day to ensure the facility is safe, secure and fully operational for our return.' Watchful: Children are seen on a school bus driving toward Chalk Hill School as they return to class for the first time since the December 14 tragedy . In remembrance: A green and white ribbon, the colors of Sandy Hook Elementary School, is seen attached to a bus on the first day that students returned . Friendly town: A sign is seen along the route to the Chalk Hill School in Monroe which has been turned over to Sandy Hook survivors . Familiarity: Classes will resume at a re-purposed school in the neighboring town of Monroe, where measures have been put in place to make as many things as possible familiar to the children . Memorial: Local volunteers installed 26 stars on the roof of the Newtown fire house on January 1st in honor of the victims of the shooting . Ms Page took on the role after the elementary school's principal Dawn Hochsprung was killed in the attack. She added that parents who wanted to come with their children to the first day of classes on Thursday would be made welcome. Sandy Hook school in Newtown remains closed and has no date scheduled for reopening. It remains a crime scene following the December massacre. Father David Connors said his eight-year-old triplets have suffered nightmares, jumped at noises and clung to their parents since they escaped the shooting. Mr Connors said: 'I'm nervous about it. It's unchartered waters for us. I know it's going to be difficult.' Connors, a 40-year-old engineer, said he felt reassured after recently visiting the new setup. He said his children were excited to see their backpacks and coats, and that the family was greeted by a police officer at the door and grief counselors in the hallways. Never forget: One of the many memorials for the 20 Sandy Hook students killed in Newtown on December 14 along with six teaching staff . Devastation: Sandy Hook Elementary School, home . to 700 students, was attacked by a crazed gunman on Friday, December 14, . and changed the course of history . Teachers will try to make it as normal a school day as possible for the children, schools Superintendent Robinson said. 'We want to get back to teaching and learning,' she said. 'We will obviously take time out from the academics for any conversations that need to take place, and there will be a lot of support there. All in all, we want the kids to reconnect with their friends and classroom teachers, and I think that's going to be the healthiest thing.' Teachers are returning as well, and . some have already been working on their classrooms. At some point, all . those will be honored, but officials are still working out how and when . to do so, Robinson said. 'Everyone was part and parcel of getting as many kids out of there safely as they could,' she said. 'Almost everybody did something to . save kids. One art teacher locked her kids in the kiln room, and I got a . message from her on my cellphone saying she wouldn't come out until she . saw a police badge.' After the evacuation, teachers . grouped their children at a nearby fire station, Robinson said. One sang . songs, while others read to the students, she said. Julian Ford, a clinical psychologist . at the University of Connecticut who helped counsel families in the days . immediately following the shooting, recommended addressing it as . questions come up but otherwise focusing on regular school work. Back to class: Superintendent Janet Robinson said they will try to make everything as normal as possible for the children and welcome them to the new school . Fear: Parents are apprehensive about their children returning to school following the Sandy Hook shooting . Victims: . Top row- (L-R) Ana Marquez-Greene, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, . Emilie Parker, Noah Pozner. Second row: (L-R) Jesse Lewis, Olivia Engel, . Josephine Gay, Charlotte Bacon, Chase Kowalski. Third row: (L-R) Daniel . Barden, Jack Pinto, Catherine Hubbard, Dylan Hockley, Benjamin Wheeler. Fourth row: (L-R) Grace McDonnell, James Mattioli, Avielle Richman, . Rachel Davino, Anne Marie Murphy. Fifth row: (L-R) Lauren Rousseau, Mary . Sherlach, Victoria Soto, Dawn Hochsprung, Nancy Lanza . 'Kids just spontaneously make associations and will start talking about something that reminds them of someone, or that reminds them of some of the scary parts of the experience,' Ford said. 'They don't need a lot of words; they need a few selective words that are thoughtful and sensitive, like, ''We're going to be OK,'' and ''We really miss this person, but we'll always be able to think about her or him in ways that are really nice.''' It will be important for parents and teachers to listen and be observant, Ford said. 'Each of the boys and girls are going to have different reactions to different aspects of the environment, different little things that will be reminders to them,' he said. Parents might have a harder time with fear than children, Ford said. Before the shooting, a babysitter would take Mr Connors' children to the bus stop. But Connors said he'll probably take the third-graders to the bus the first few days. 'I think that they need to get back into a normal routine as quickly as possible,' Connors said. 'If you're hovering over them at all times, it almost intensifies the fear for them.' | Chalk Hill middle school in Monroe altered for elementary school pupils .
Children have not attended school since a .
gunman killed 20 classmates and six adults in a December 14 .
rampage in Newtown, Connecticut . |
139,147 | 3ff1075c20dc83139befa4f42ca39338770e11e4 | (CNN) -- If you're dreaming of a white Christmas -- much like the one Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen used to know at the Columbia Inn in Pine Tree, Vermont -- the humbug of the matter is: Neither the inn nor the town exist. You better not pout, though. There are still a few of the season's favorite film locales that you can visit in real life: . The Parker family's house in "A Christmas Story" If you find yourself in the vicinity of Cleveland and a fanatic of the 1983 cult holiday classic "A Christmas Story," make a pit stop at the Parker family's house, which is open for public tours complete with a museum and gift shop directly across the street. If fawning over the "I-can't-put-my-arms-down" snowsuit and the "Oh fuuuuuudge!" family Oldsmobile isn't quite enough movie magic, visitors can buy leg lamps at the gift shop for their very own "soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window." Or if you're feeling extra rebellious, Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot range model air rifles are also available. Bedford Falls from "It's a Wonderful Life" The town of Bedford Falls in the 1946 classic "It's a Wonderful Life" may have been fictional and created on soundstages for filming in Encino, California, but the folks in Seneca Falls, New York, claim their tiny mill town was director Frank Capra's inspiration for the cinematic community. (He is believed to have visited the town in 1945.) Visitors are encouraged to celebrate the film's ties each December by taking part in a movie-themed walking tour and judging the similarities for themselves. Stand on the steel Bridge Street Bridge, similar to the one that Jimmy Stewart's character, George Bailey, leapt from in the movie to "save" his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, or stroll down the streetlamp-lined main street. If you feel like making a weekend in New York's Finger Lakes region, opt to stay in one of the 48 rooms in the newly opened Hotel Clarence, named after Bailey's guardian angel. The McCallister residence from "Home Alone" While you can't go through all Buzz's private stuff (or inside the house for that matter, unless you're in the market for a new home), you can do a drive-by like your favorite Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv, of the McCallister residence approximately 15 miles north of downtown Chicago in the Winnetka suburb. The home, built in the 1920s, is listed for sale at $1,950,000, and still features the recognizable staircase just inside the front door in case indoor sledding is one of your favorite pastimes. Serendipity restaurant from "Serendipity" Part holiday movie, part romantic comedy, this 2001 film starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale opens during the peak of the holiday shopping rush with the then-strangers attempting to buy the last pair of black cashmere gloves at Bloomingdale's. After initial sparks, the smitten characters, both in relationships, spend the rest of the evening together in New York. The title of the movie itself is equal parts definition of serendipity -- Merriam-Webster lists it as "the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for" -- and the New York restaurant where the two fated lovers partake in frozen hot chocolate and eventually part ways (only to be reunited by a series of fortunate accidents by the end of the film). If you've got a sweet tooth and an even sweeter romantic side, the cafe, Serendipity 3, is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday, 1 a.m. on Fridays and 2 a.m. on Saturdays. After all, you never know who you may be waiting with in the line that stretches down East 60th Street. Macy's from "Miracle on 34th Street" The actual miracle on 34th Street in the 1947 movie, as well as the 1994 remake, takes place at 151 West 34th Street to be exact, Macy's flagship store in New York's Herald Square. Since 1924, the department store kicks off the Christmas shopping season with its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, culminating with the arrival of Santa Claus at the parade's finale. After the parade and until Christmas Eve, children can visit the "nice man with the white beard" like Susan Walker and tell Santa what they'd like for Christmas. If you can't make it to New York, every Macy's across the country has a letterbox for stamped letters to the North Pole. As a bonus, each letter received will generate a $1 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. | There's "A Christmas Story" museum in Ohio near the house featured in the film .
Seneca Falls, New York, believes it's the town in "It's a Wonderful Life"
Romance your sweetie over desserts at the cafe featured in "Serendipity" |
228,941 | b46f54c4fd23a258b9d66d81eedf02716c0b1678 | As parents rush to fill their children's stocking ahead of Christmas, a list featuring toys from both the past and present that Brits thought were simply unforgettable has been released. Retro favourites Space Hoppers, My Little Pony and Mr Potato Head join more recent classics such as Buzz Lightyear figures, Furbies and Tamagotchis in being named some of the most iconic children’s toys ever. Entries from the Toy Story franchise proved popular after the release of the first movie in 1995 and were remembered for their appearance again in 2010 after Toy Story 3 was made. Iconic: A new list features toys from both the past and present that Brits thought were simply unforgettable, from Space Hoppers, Connect 4 and Cluedo to Furbies, Sylvanian families, Game Boy and My Little Pony . Other blasts from the pasts included the 1966 Viewmaster, the 1982 Glo Worm that lit up when squeezed, slinkies and Care Bears that are still stocked today. In the Nineties, electronic talking Furbies and handheld digital pets, more commonly known as Tamagotchis, were the must-have toys. Modern day entries included the Xbox One, the Elsa doll from Frozen and Nerf guns. One respondent said: 'The most iconic toy ever has to be the Viewmaster, it’s an absolute classic. It’s weird to think how simple the concept actually was but they were such a big hit. It’s a shame my children will never understand the appeal.' Another said: 'I remember getting a Tamagotchi for Christmas and being absolutely delighted. I think it was the best present I ever got. 'If I could still walk around now with my handheld Tamagotchi and not be looked at weirdly then I definitely would.' Famous toys: The list of popular toys included Care Bears, left, which are still on sale today, and Furbies, right, which are still a hit among children and come in a range of patterns, colours and prints . Tamagotchi, left, were an international craze but now X Box has won the affection of children worldwide . Another added said: 'I have to say that the Toy Story merchandise will always be the most iconic. I remember struggling to get my son the Buzz Lightyear figure back in 1995, it was sold out literally everywhere. Buzz is such an icon.' A spokesperson for MobileSlots.com, which commissioned the research, said: 'There have been a lot of amazing toys over the years, it’s interesting to see how something so simple like a Viewmaster was once seen as iconic and nowadays they’ve been replaced by games consoles and gadgets. 'Toys have also become more iconic off the back of popular animated films like with Toy Story and currently with the Frozen frenzy. Merchandise is a big part of the toy scene.' Then and now: Rubik's Cube baffled children in the Eighties but now it's all about the Frozen Elsa doll, right . Remember them? Sylvanian families were the biggest seller of 1987. The Lilliputian animal characters included a meerkat, bear and bunny families who lived in dolls' houses stuffed with collectable furniture . But if you're looking to snap up an Elsa doll, a nightmare looms this Christmas with evidence there is a desperate shortage of Britain’s best-selling doll. Stores are unable to keep up with demand for Frozen Snow Glow Elsa, an interactive doll that sings, speaks and lights up, with an official price of £34.99. Many household chains and websites, such as Tesco, Toys R Us and Argos, list it as being ‘unavailable’, while any new stock is being snapped up as soon as it arrives on shelves. A girl's best friend: Cabbage patch dolls were a hit in the Eighties and made a resurgence in 2004 . Etch A sketch . Tamagotchi . Furbies . Rubik's cube . Cabbage patch dolls . Space Hopper . Sylvanian Families . Beanie babies . Barbie beetle car . Buzz Lightyear figure . Slinkies . Mr Potato Head figure . Battleships . Gameboys . Viewmaster . Teletubbies figures . Glo Worm . Elsa doll . Care bears . Such is the demand from parents desperate to avoid tears on Christmas morning that eBay entrepreneurs are cashing in by charging as much as £79.99 - a mark-up of almost 130 per cent. Elsa, the lead character from Disney’s Frozen film, is driving a phenomenal surge in sales in a wide range of merchandise linked to the inspirational animated fairy tale. Sales of dolls and merchandise linked to the Disney film are on course to hit an all-time high for any movie franchise – overtaking the phenomenally successful Toy Story. | Top 50 favourite toys from the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties revealed .
Includes Buzz Lightyear, Furbies, Speak & Spell and Cabbage Patch Dolls .
Interactive talking Elsa doll from Frozen is this year's sell-out toy . |
90,620 | 0091192b336f7e3ce5378aeb055aeaccff8cc243 | By . Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 09:46 EST, 25 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:44 EST, 25 October 2013 . A North Texas woman has been handcuffed, strip-searched and booked into jail - because of an overdue driving ticket. Sarah Boaz was issued a ticket in Richland Hills after an officer saw her drive through a stop sign in August. Boaz lost the ticket and imagined that the worst consequence would be a late fee. Instead, she was arrested outside her home as she left for work Wednesday morning. Jailed for a ticket: Sarah Boaz never made it to work Wednesday morning after she was arrested outside her home for an unpaid ticket . A Richland Hills city marshal was waiting for her as she walked out her front door. 'No one puts out a bench warrant after 60 days,' she told CBS 11. 'Why would you do that?' Boaz was handcuffed and taken to the jail. She listened in disbelief as a female officer instructed her to undress. Disbelief: It wasn't until a female officer instructed Boaz to strip that she realized she was going to prison . Richland Hills is a small town that has only one marshal, meaning warrants for unpaid tickets get processed more quickly than they would in a larger city. However, Attorney Jason Smith told CBS 11, there’s nothing requiring the city to put people in jail. 'The constitution doesn’t keep the government or government officials from using common sense,' he said. 'Unfortunately, some police officers, some governments get overly aggressive because they want that ticket revenue.' Overzealous: Richland Hills officials insist Boaz was sent notices in the mail about her unpaid fine . Boaz was in jail only a short time before her family came to bail her out. She told CBS 11 she expected to at least receive a notice in the mail before such extreme action. Richland Municipal Court officials said notices had been sent to Boaz. CBS 11 reports that shortly after Boaz was freed from prison, her husband received a ticket - for rolling through a stop sign. | Sarah Boaz was arrested as she left her home for work Wednesday .
The arrest was over an unpaid traffic fine, issued in August .
Boaz lost the ticket and expected, at worst, a late fee .
Instead, she was handcuffed, strip-searched and placed in a cell . |
256,206 | d7a337c8b283b83bd456958b9dc0def61f9e0eff | Alastair Cook has quelled fears that England could be without Matt Prior for tomorrow’s first Test against India at Trent Bridge, saying his wicketkeeper is ‘99% certain’ to take part after recovering well from a thigh niggle. England had summoned Lancashire’s Jos Buttler – their limited-overs gloveman – to Nottingham for a possible Test debut as cover, but Prior emerged unscathed from Tuesday’s training session, and looks set to take his place in the starting XI. ‘There was a bit of concern yesterday with his thigh,’ said Cook. ‘But he’s done everything that was asked of him today and he looks good. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Strauss backs England . Diving in: Matt Prior acrobatically takes one during his fitness test at Trent Bridge . He'd jump at the chance: Jos Buttler showed he was ready to play should Prior not be fit . Doubt: Prior (left), pictured chatting with head coach Peter Moores, is fighting to be fit to face India . VIDEO Strauss backs England . 'Fingers crossed he should be alright. We’re 99% certain that he’ll be fine. We’ll have a little check in the . morning just to make sure.’ Earlier, . the ECB said on Twitter: "Jos Buttler called into the England squad as . cover for Matt Prior, who experienced some mild tightness in his right . thigh yesterday. "... will continue to be assessed during training before a decision is made about his fitness for the 1st Investec Test." Predictably, Kevin Pietersen got involved on Twitter, posting: 'I thought Buttler wasn't ready for Test cricket 3 weeks ago...what's changed?' in reference to the Lancashire keeper's exclusion from the squad against Sri Lanka. | Prior hurt himself in training and was given a fitness test on Tuesday .
Buttler called up despite missing out against Sri Lanka .
Pietersen tweeted about keeper's inclusion, asking 'What's changed?' |
130,417 | 34a2c338a998ac152d4508ad508c5d936764d2af | Defense attorneys are set to strongly suggest that the real killers of a toddler brutally shot to death in his stroller were his parents, who had a financial interest in his death - and that their 18-year-old defendant who goes on trial this week is not guilty. Antonio Santiago had learned to walk, but not yet talk, when he was killed March 21, six weeks after his first birthday. He was strapped in his stroller, out for a walk with his mother a few blocks from their apartment near the Georgia coast, when someone shot the boy between the eyes with a .22-caliber bullet the size of a garden pea. On trial for murder: De'Marquise Elkins, 17, appears in court on Monday over the death of a 13-month-old baby who was shot dead in Brunswick, Georgia . Murdered: Baby Antonio was shot in the head as he slept by two boys who attempted to rob his mother . De'Marquise Elkin, 18, who has been . charged as the shooter, is scheduled to stand trial next week in a . courthouse far from the scene of the crime. Kevin . Gough, a public defender who is Elkins' lead attorney, has strongly . suggested in pretrial motions that the real killers are the child's own . parents. ‘Other . evidence of record suggests Sherry West is mentally unstable, gave . several inconsistent accounts of how the crime transpired, and had a . financial interest in the death of her son in the form of an insurance . policy,’ Gough said in a court motion filed August 5. Defense . attorneys have said in court filings they have audio recordings and . documents showing the child's mother had dealings with Gerber Life . Insurance Co. According . to its website, Gerber Life sells life insurance policies for children . starting as early as infancy. Coverage runs from $5,000 to $50,000. Ashley . Glassey, West's 21-year-old daughter, told television station WTLV of . Jacksonville, Florida, soon after the shooting that her mother called . her after Antonio was killed and asked, ‘How soon do you think the life . insurance policy will send me a check?’ One . of Elkins' lawyers interviewed Glassey July 30 in Woodstown, New . Jersey, where she was in jail for failing to appear in court in an . unrelated case. According to a transcript, Glassey declined to confirm the story, only saying that she does not want ‘to incriminate anyone.’ Because . of public outrage and news coverage, a judge has moved Elkins' trial 325 . miles away, to the suburbs outside Atlanta. Jury selection starts Monday . at the Cobb County courthouse in Marietta. Superior Court Judge Stephen . Kelley has set aside two weeks for the trial. Conspiracy: The defense has suggested that the baby's parents killed him to collect his life insurance . Incriminating: West's 21-year-old daughter told a TV . station that her mother called her after Antonio's murder wondering how . long it would take to receive a check from the life insurance company . Elkins . faces life in prison if convicted of murder. His youth spared him a . possible death sentence. At the time of the shooting he was 17, too . young to face capital charges in Georgia. Investigators . concluded that Antonio was killed during an attempted street robbery as . his mother, Sherry West, was strolling home with the child from the . post office. Miss West said a gunman demanding cash shot her baby in the face after she told him she had no money. ‘He . kept asking, and I just said “I don't have it,"’ West told The . Associated Press the day after the slaying. ‘And he said, “Do you want . me to kill your baby?” And I said, “No, don't kill my baby!”’ West . was shot in the leg, and another bullet grazed her ear. Witnesses . called 911 and rushed to her aid. None saw the shooting, but they . watched as West tried to revive her son using CPR. ‘No, the baby's not breathing,’ one caller told a 911 operator. Police said Elkins had an accomplice, 15-year-old Dominique Lang, who has told investigators Elkins fired the gun. Lang also is charged with murder but will be tried later. He's expected to be a key witness against Elkins. Spared: Because of his youth, Elkins will not be facing capital punishment, if convicted . Evidence: Lab tests found traces of gunshot residue on swabs taken from the hands of West (left) and the boy's father, Louis Santiago (right) The 15-year-old was in the eighth grade at Glynn Middle School before his arrest, said Jim Weidhaas, a school spokesman. Elkins was last a student in the . system in October 2011 when he left Ombudsman, an outsourced alternative . school program, Weidhaas said. Both . prosecutors and Elkins' defense attorneys declined to comment before . the trial, citing a gag order by the judge. The boy's mother also . declined to talk. In 2008, West's 18-year-old son was . stabbed to death in an altercation in New Jersey. Prosecutors said the . stabbing was self-defense and did not file charges. History of violence: Prosecutors said Elkins shot somebody else 10 days before the toddler was killed . Family: Elkins' mother and sister provided information that led police to a pond where they found a .22 caliber revolver . Defense . attorneys also pointed to lab tests by the Georgia Bureau of . Investigation that found traces of gunshot residue on swabs taken from . the hands of West and the boy's father, Louis Santiago. Reports . filed in court stated the GBI found a single microscopic particle of . gunshot residue swabbed from the father's hands, while more than five . particles showed up in swabs from West's hands. The . GBI report cautioned that gunshot victims can end up with residue on . them. During a preliminary court hearing, Santiago said he touched the . bullet wound on West's leg before his hands were swabbed. In . a court filing Wednesday, District Attorney Jackie Johnson argued that . Elkins' defense lawyers have made ‘false, inflammatory and misleading . statements’ about the case. While . the toddler's mother identified Elkins as the shooter in a photo . lineup, police said much of their evidence against the teenager came . from his own family and the younger teen charged as his accomplice. Grief: Antonio's father Luis Santiago tries to comfort Ms West at her apartment on Friday . Horror: Demarquis Elkins, 17, allegedly threatened Sherry West then shot her infant son when she didn't give him any money . Investigators . have testified that Lang told police he and Elkins were trying to rob a . woman pushing a baby in a stroller when Elkins pulled a gun and shot . them both. Lang's aunt, . Debra Obey, told police her nephew and Elkins came to her for a ride . the day of the slaying. She said Elkins ducked down in the back seat of . her car, as if he was hiding. Four . days after the shooting, police said information from Elkins' mother . and sister helped lead investigators to a pond where they found a . .22-caliber revolver. Both . women were charged with evidence tampering. Elkins' mother, Karimah . Elkins, also was charged with lying to police. Prosecutors say Elkins' mother and an aunt gave police conflicting alibis for his whereabouts at . the time of the shooting. Karimah Elkins is scheduled to stand trial . alongside her son. Tragedy: Little Antonio Santiago's stroller stands empty after the 13-month-old was shot in the head during a botched robbery . Tearful: West is devastated that she will never see her son grow up - or even learn to speak her name . Meanwhile, prosecutors said Elkins shot somebody else 10 days before the toddler was killed. Wilfredo . Calix Flores has identified Elkins as the man who shot him in the arm . during an attempted stickup March 11. Police said Flores was shot with a . .22-caliber bullet. The judge has ruled that jurors can hear about a statement police say Elkins made the day after the killing. Police . investigator Roderic Nohilly testified at a pretrial hearing that he . and officer Cody Blades were escorting a handcuffed Elkins when the . suspect said, ‘Y'all ain't got no gun. Y'all ain't got no fingerprints.’ He then referenced an acquittal. The investigator said Blades just smiled at Elkins, who responded: ‘Oh, y'all got the gun?’ Scene of the shooting: Antonio's upturned stroller still lies on its side in the residential area of Brunswick . | De'Marquise Elkins, 18, and Dominique Lang, 15, accused of shooting the son of Sherry West in the head .
Defense insinuated that Miss West and little Antonio Santiago's father killed their son for his life insurance policy .
Ms West also lost a 17-year-old son to a street stabbing in 2008 . |
266,390 | e509cdf624fbc724e2b3f80bc615342902fc31b0 | Air pollution inside the home is putting people at risk of developing heart disease, cancer and breathing problems, experts have today warned. Toxic Home Syndrome, which affects around 15.3 million houses in the UK, is where a person's health deteriorates because of the air circulating in their home. Scientists have warned simple day-today tasks, such as doing the washing or cooking dinner, could be putting families at risk of cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and asthma. Air circulating inside contains more than 900 chemicals, particles and biological materials with potential health effects. Mould spores, pollen, radon, carbon monoxide and dander all lurk within homes, seeping through cracks in walls and floorboards, brought in on clothing or produced by wood burners, gas hobs and detergents used in cleaning. Scroll down for video . Air circulating in the home contains more than 900 chemicals, including mould, which can increase a person's risk of developing heart disease, cancer and asthma . Experts at the My Health My Home website warned failing to ventilate your home properly can increase the risk of falling ill. Simple day-to-day tasks including drying washing inside and heating the home with wood burners can cause symptoms including coughing, headaches, rashes, nose bleeds and lung disease . Coughing, watery eyes, dizziness, sneezing, feeling tired and suffering headaches can be common signs of poor indoor air quality. While more severe symptoms include eye irritation, rashes, muscle pain, respiratory problems, asthma, fever or chills, hearing loss, nose bleeds, wheezing and lung disease. The My Health, My Home infographic reveals from top to bottom, the key danger points in every home. The World Health Organisation states everyone has an uncompromised right to a healthy living environment. But air pollution is estimated to be the leading cause of environmental burden of disease in Europe. Experts have called for people to ensure their homes are properly ventilated and urged the authorities to make it mandatory for new builds to come with a 'Healthy Home Mark', indicating a good ventilation system is installed. Is where a person's health deteriorates as a result of the air circulating in their home. The condition affects more than 15.3 million homes across the UK, experts believe. Professor Peter Howarth, who specialises in allergy and respiratory medicine at Southampton University, called for increased awareness of what is being termed 'Toxic Home Syndrome'. 'Toxic Home Syndrome occurs when individuals and families are exposed to a potent mix of airborne pollutants within the home arising from poor ventilation, causing respiratory and skin diseases to occur more frequently,' he said. A pan-European study, carried out by the National Institute for Health and Welfare, revealed the impact indoor allergens has on disease and life expectancy. Researchers confirmed a link between indoor exposure to pollutants and cardiovascular disease. The annual burden of disease caused by inadequate indoor air quality is estimated to correspond a loss of more than two million healthy life years in the EU. The researchers found pollutants in the home increase the burden of disease. More than 15.3 million homes in the UK are at risk of Toxic Home Syndrome, where a person's health deteriorates because of the air circulating in their home . Fifty-seven per cent of the total burden relates to cardiovascular diseases, 23 per cent to lung cancer, 12 per cent to asthma and the remaining eight per cent is linked to other respiratory conditions. 1. Ventilate . Make sure you have effective ventilation throughout your home. 2. Use eco friendly products . Less toxins and pollutants are found in eco-friendly products, making the air fresher and cleaner . 3. Roll with it . Opt for roll on deodorant and beauty products rather than aerosol cans . 4. Choose wood flooring . Carpets harbour dust, dust mites, pet hair, fungus and other harmful particles . 5. Unplug . Switch off your technology when you've finished using them . 6. Take your shoes off . Shoes can carry pollen, dirt and soil from outside, spreading it through your home . 7. Get it tested . You can make sure your home is radon free by getting a test . 8. Watch paint dry . Ensure paint has dried compleletly before using a newly painted room . 9 Crack it open . Dry your washing outside, if possible. If not, make sure you open the windows . 10. Time for a change . Ensure shower curtains are changed regularly and avoid ones made from vinyl, because the material harbours water and creates mould . The researchers suggest a change in the way homes in Europe are ventilated could reduce the overall burden of disease, by around 38 per cent. Professor Howarth, said: 'Many people associate indoor air quality with more innocuous conditions such as eczema or asthma, however, I have seen many patients with serious health conditions due to pollutants within the home and the risk of cardiovascular disease should not be dismissed. 'With respect to asthma, mould allergy is recognised to be associated with worse asthma and poorer asthma control. 'The presence of moulds within the home is a reflection of poor ventilation and increased humidity. 'Homes with mould are also likely to have higher house dust mite allergen levels and this may worsen both respiratory and skin conditions. 'The lack of adequate ventilation within the home can also be associated with the build up of non-allergenic noxious fumes which are detrimental to health.' He urged people to assess the systems they have in their homes, and called for new homes to come with a 'Healthy Home Mark', as an indication of good ventilation. 'I advise my patients to prioritise good household ventilation – assess the systems your home has in place and look to update them if they are faulty or out of date,' he told MailOnline. 'I would also like to see a 'Healthy Home Mark' on new homes to confirm that they have mechanical ventilation systems with effective heat exchange installed – to help reduce the health risks for future generations.' Currently, just two per cent of the UK has mechanical ventilation systems installed throughout their home; which is concerning given this data, Professor Howarth added. 'If people are exposed to high concentrations of pollutants over long periods of time, even non-chemically sensitive individuals can be susceptible to the associated serious health risks,' he said. For more information and advice on the best way to ventilate your home, visit www.myhealthmyhome.com . Video courtesy of Envirovent . Mould spores increase a persons susceptibility to asthma and allergies . Homes with poor ventilation can become a breeding ground for a number of different pollutants that increase the burden of disease. Around 81 per cent of people are at risk of suffering a respiratory or dermatological condition because of poor indoor air quality. Fifty-eight per cent of people have experienced mould or condensation in their homes, increasing to 70 per cent among 25 to 34 year olds. Mould spores, released in the atmosphere by damp spots on the walls, window frames and decaying foods are among the most common biological pollutants. The increasing prevalence of dampness in homes has caused a rise in mould levels, which in turn increase people's susceptibility to asthma and allergies. Pollen can also be a pollutant in the home, usually brought inside when windows are left open or people walk through the house with shoes they have worn outside. Meanwhile dander are tiny particles, which come from feathers, skin or hair and can also cause allergies. Volatile organic compounds, found in everyday cleaning products, can trigger asthma. They are commonly found in air fresheners, carpet cleaners, polish and oven cleaners. As well as biological pollutants and VOCs, there are a number of different gases, which are common within the home. Radon is a natural radioactive gas, that comes from the soil. It can seep into the home through cracks in solid floors, construction joints, cracks in walls, gaps around pipes and the water supply. Pollen, a common allergen, is often brought into the home on people's clothes and shoes, aggravating respiratory problems . Carbon monoxide is another gas common in the home. It has no odour or colour and can have serious effects on health. It is highly toxic and is thought to cause around 50 accidental deaths a year in England and Wales. Carbon monoxide can enter the home through cooking, heating, from outside, clogged chimneys, wood burning, incense burning, cigarette smoke and burning candles. Building materials stored in the home, paint for example, can contain chemicals including lead and formaldehyde, which are known to cause breathing difficulties, increased blood pressure and joint pain. | Toxic Home Syndrome is where a person's health deteriorates because of the air in their home - increasing the risk of cancer and heart disease .
Air inside contains more than 900 potentially harmful chemicals .
Mould spores, pollen, radon, carbon monoxide and dander are to blame .
Experts warn people must ensure their homes are properly ventilated . |
189,673 | 819f67dc0aa5224f90c116bcfa845a903a4290a2 | By . James Tozer . PUBLISHED: . 10:50 EST, 30 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:39 EST, 30 May 2012 . Shafilea Ahmed, died at the age of 17 . The sister of a schoolgirl allegedly murdered by her strict Muslim parents yesterday denied that her account of witnessing the killing was a ‘wicked’ lie made up to ‘save her skin’. Alesha Ahmed told police she had seen their parents suffocating 17-year-old Shafilea with a plastic bag. She claims her sister’s desire to live a westernised lifestyle had brought ‘shame’ on family in the eyes of their Pakistani-born parents, Iftikhar Ahmed, 52, and his 49-year-old wife Farzana. But she did not accuse her parents of the killing until she was arrested for organising an armed robbery at the family home seven years after the alleged murder. Yesterday Alesha denied making up her version of events out of desperation after police saw through her lie that she hadn’t set up the robbery. And while she admitted she had initially accused her family of framing her over the break-in, she insisted she was now telling the truth. Cross-examining Alesha, her father’s barrister, Tom Bayliss QC, said: ‘You knew you could buy yourself out of trouble by making up a wicked story about your parents.’ She answered: ‘I don’t think the police are stupid enough to go on a story if they haven’t got any evidence.’ Mr Bayliss suggested her account was based on reading about the inquest into Shafilea’s death ‘and you used that knowledge to save your skin’. She denied this, adding: ‘It hasn’t saved my skin at all.’ Mr Bayliss also challenged her claim that she spoke out after being ‘haunted’ for years by the memory of Shafilea’s murder. He suggested she made her claims because ‘you’d just been caught red-handed committing a robbery at your parents’ house’. Alesha answered: ‘That’s not true.’ A group of men burst into the family home in Warrington, Cheshire in August 2010 while Mr Ahmed was out, tying up Alesha’s mother, brother and surviving sisters. Accused of murder: Shafilea's mother Farzana Ahmed, left, and Iftikhar Ahmed, right, deny murder . But Alesha wasn’t tied up. After the robbers escaped with cash and jewellery her family, who had heard them say her name, told police she had organised the raid. She was arrested and a mobile phone Sim card containing text messages she had exchanged with the robbers was recovered from a toilet down which she had attempted to flush it. Alesha, now 23, has pleaded guilty to involvement in the robbery but has not yet been sentenced. Jurors at Chester Crown Court have been told by the prosecution that she received no ‘inducements’ over her punishment in exchange for testifying against her parents. Speaking from behind a curtain shielding her from her parents in the dock, Alesha insisted she didn’t know the gang’s identities or how they got in. But she admitted that after police discovered the Sim card, she claimed her phone had been taken off her by her mother and younger sister Mevish the previous evening. Mr Bayliss said she had been trying to suggest any ‘incriminating text messages’ had been put there in order to frame her. Family home: The Ahmeds lived in this house in Warrington, Cheshire . Alesha admitted she had been trying to get herself out of trouble. ‘And the way you were doing that was to tell lies about your family,’ said Mr Bayliss. ‘Yes,’ she answered. He put it to her: ‘That’s you, Alesha Ahmed – you tell lies to get yourself out of trouble and you tell lies about your family.’ She answered: ‘On that occasion, yes.’ But she insisted she had been ‘open and honest’ in her evidence to the court. Mr Bayliss said tapes show that officers interviewing Alesha after the robbery told her ‘we can only help you if you help us’. They also told her ‘we are aware of how girls in Muslim families can be trapped, we know the price of not doing what you’re told’. He suggested she then asked for the recording to be stopped so she could play her ‘trump card’. ‘You decided to tell the police it was your parents who killed your sister and you did it to get yourself out of trouble,’ the barrister added. On . trial: Iftikhar Ahmed, left, and Farzana Ahmed, right, are said to have . killed their 17-year-old daughter because she refused to obey them . Denying his account, she sobbed as she answered that she had been ‘feeling really torn’ at the time. ‘I’ve got my sister who died on one side and my parents who I care about on the other,’ she added. Alesha claims her parents pushed Shafilea onto the settee at the family home in September 2003 following a row over the clothes she had worn to work. Their mother said: ‘Just finish it here.’ They then stuffed a plastic bag into her mouth and held it there until she stopped breathing, Alesha alleged. Five months later Shafilea’s decomposing body was found dumped beside a river in Cumbria. Mr and Mrs Ahmed both deny murder. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Alesha Ahmed, who claims she witnessed murder of 'Westernised' sister, accused in court of trying to 'buy herself out of trouble'
She was arrested after 'arranging robbery at her family home in 2010'
Alesha insists she was 'torn' between sister and her parents .
Parents Iftikhar and Farzana deny murdering their daughter in 2003 . |
77,894 | dcd60a85e1e17ec0163a925c9412d480fd08072f | Gareth Southgate has insisted players such as Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers should not view coming back into the England Under 21 fold following senior honours as a ‘punishment’. The two full-backs, who moved from Southampton to Manchester United and Arsenal for a combined £46million, have both been named in Southgate’s squad for their Euro 2015 play-off against Croatia. Shaw was part of Roy Hodgson’s squad for the World Cup while Chambers earned his first England cap in last month’s friendly against Norway. Luke Shaw, in action for Manchester United, has been called up to play for the England U21s . Calum Chambers lined up for Arsenal in their 4-1 Champions League victory over Galatasaray on Wednesday . Luke Shaw has three previous caps for the England Under 21s, but has pulled out of the squad on four occasions. But Southagte, who also named Saido Berahino, Harry Kane and Eric Dier in his squad, said there should be more movement between youth groups and the senior team to aid players’ development. ‘It shouldn’t be seen as players coming back down, like that’s some sort of punishment,’ Southgate said. ‘It should be seen as part of their development. ‘We’ve got to make that movement between squads more fluid. Because we haven’t done it so often in past it’s viewed slightly negatively at times. ‘We feel it is the right thing to do. It's a positive message, to show they are prepared to come and join in with the rest of the group is important. Gareth Southgate has also named West Brom forward Saido Berahino in his 23-man squad . ‘Roy and myself work very closely every time there's a squad announced and clearly Luke and Calum have been around the senior squad already. ‘The fact it's a play-off game Roy was keen that those who he didn't think would start for him were with us. That's the joined-up thinking we're trying to put in place. ‘The boys have to come and have the desire to come and do that. They understand the situation because getting to the finals is important.’ The first match in the play-off takes place on October 10 at Molineux, with the return leg in Vinkovci four days later. More than 10,000 supporters have already secured their seats for the game at Wolves’ home stadium, with tickets priced at just £10 for adults and £5 for children. Goalkeepers: Jonathan Bond (Watford), Jack Butland (Stoke City), Sam Johnstone (Manchester United). Defenders: Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Luke Garbutt (Everton), Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough), Carl Jenkinson (West Ham United, on loan from Arsenal), Michael Keane (Burnley, on loan from Manchester United), Jamaal Lascelles (Nottingham Forest, on loan from Newcastle United), Liam Moore (Leicester City), Luke Shaw (Manchester United). Midfielders: Lewis Baker (Chelsea), Tom Carroll (Swansea City, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Jake Forster-Caskey (Brighton & Hove Albion), Will Hughes (Derby County), Thomas Ince (Hull City), Alex Pritchard (Brentford, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Nathan Redmond (Norwich City). Forwards: Patrick Bamford (Middlesbrough, on loan from Chelsea), Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Cauley Woodrow (Fulham). A family of four ticket is just £20. Tickets available via the Wolves Ticketline on 0871 222 1877 or via the official Wolverhampton Wanderers club website www.wolves.co.uk/tickets . | Shaw and Chambers in Southgate's squad for Euro play-off against Croatia .
Roy Hodgson omitted the pair from his team to face San Marino and Estonia .
Southgate has also named Saido Berahino, Harry Kane and Eric Dier .
England Under 21s host Croatia at Molineux on October 10 before travelling to Vinkovci four days later . |
21,733 | 3dc36d35ad8cbc26883deca5a461946c179db80a | By . Adrian Durham . Follow @@talkSPORTDrive . GIGGS WAS A JOY TO WATCH BUT HIS PLACE AMONG THE VERY BEST IS UNCERTAIN . ARSENAL DON'T DESERVE RAMSEY... HE SHOULD PLAY ALONGSIDE BALE . Listening to FA chairman Greg Dyke struggle to pronounce Luis Suarez’s name as he spoke at the Football Writers’ Association Awards last week, it struck me that he might actually not know what he’s talking about. His passionate belief that we need to find a way to get more English players into Premier League first teams is sound enough: but the logic behind his solution is shambolic at best. I interviewed Connor Wickham this week, the Sunderland striker who was thrown into the first team by Gus Poyet, and who subsequently rewarded the manager’s faith with the goals that produced the miracle of the great escape at The Stadium of Light. Faith repaid: English striker Connor Wickham contributed crucial goals as Sunderland escaped the Premier League relegation zone . Right choice: Sunderland manager Gus Poyet opted for Wickham over Jozy Altidore . It might seem like a no-brainer – do you select Wickham or Jozy Altidore? The American had a spell at Hull City but scored just one Premier League goal and he was sent off in a crucial defeat which virtually sealed the club’s relegation. Undeterred, Sunderland decided to bring Altidore back to this country on a whopping four-year contract and he has scored one Premier League goal this season. Some would say Wickham was overpriced at £8.1m - it fits with the myth that English players are too expensive. Well Erik Lamela cost £30m, Roberto Soldado £26m – how have they been getting on? Joe Hart cost Manchester City £600,000 and Leighton Baines cost Everton just £5.9m from Wigan. These two would get into most top European sides. English players don’t have to cost a fortune, not if you look hard enough. But even when they do they can be worth it. Wayne Rooney has provided Manchester United with value for money in terms of the transfer fee in the 10 years since his £27m switch from Everton. Sound investment: England left-back Leighton Baines cost Everton £5.9m when they signed him from Wigan . Value for money: Wayne Rooney cost Manchester United £27m a decade ago but has repaid them in full . There have been some young English players put into Premier League teams this season who have flourished: Jon Flanagan at Liverpool is a great example – he didn’t let anyone down. Ross Barkley at Everton, Dwight Gayle and Joel Ward at Crystal Palace, Jack Colback and Wickham at Sunderland, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at Arsenal, Ravel Morrison at West Ham, and numerous examples at Southampton. The answer is not to send these players to a new League 3, risking the robust health of the lower divisions. The answer is to put them into the first teams in the Premier League. It has happened right in front of Dyke’s eyes this season and yet somehow it seems to have passed him by. Outstanding: Ross Barkley has enjoyed an excellent season with Everton and has subsequently been called up to the England squad for the World Cup . Class: Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, seen here taking on the Bayern Munich defence, has also impressed in a number of matches . Controversial: Greg Dyke's plans to introduce a League 3 between the Football League and the Conference to help foster young English talent was met with widespread criticism . Wickham scored the winning goal for England Under 17s to win the European Championship in 2010 and he was excellent throughout the whole tournament. In the course of our conversation, Wickham told me he was surprised that more players from that England squad in 2010 hadn’t made the breakthrough. Last season only Wickham (at the end of the season), Barkley and West Brom’s Saido Berahino played regularly in the Premier League. Others from that squad have talent and should make the breakthrough next season after serving their time on loan at a lower level: West Brom’s George Thorne is a superb passer of the ball; it’s about time we saw Jack Butland in regular action in the top flight; and I am certain that had Josh McEachran come through at Liverpool or Arsenal he would be a first team regular by now. The current England Under 17s have made the final again this year – superb goals from Chelsea’s Dominic Solanke and Fulham’s Patrick Roberts won the semi against Portugal. Bright young thing: Chelsea's Dominic Solanke scored a delightful chip against Portugal as England reached the final of the European Under-17 Championship . Individual brilliance: Patrick Roberts celebrates after doubling England's lead in the semi-final match in Malta . And the England Under 21s controlled the ball superbly against Wales with Nathan Redmond starring, as he has for Norwich for most of the season. Clubs like Chelsea need a change in mentality which I think the fans would welcome – watching their most talented teenager Ruben Loftus-Cheek in recent weeks, it’s clear he is surely too good to be ignored. I hope Mourinho shows some bravery and picks him. And I sincerely hope the fact that Loftus-Cheek is on course to be a millionaire before he even kicks a ball for Chelsea’s first team doesn’t rob him of the hunger to succeed. Hat-trick hero: Nathan Redmond scored all three goals as England Under 21s beat Wales 3-1 in their latest European Championship qualifier . First team chance? Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been outstanding for their Under-21 and youth teams this season . The answer is right in front of Dyke’s eyes – he doesn’t need Danny Mills’ ludicrous ramblings to help with this one. Dispel this appalling stereotype that English players have no technique, enforce a rule making clubs put the better homegrown youngsters in the first team, and sit back and enjoy the results. As Everton have shown with Barkley this season, with the right coaching, the talent will emerge. The talent is there, it needs the right guidance and coaching - and the stage for it to flourish. | English young guns have lit up the Premier League this season .
Shaw, Barkley and Sterling among those rewarded with World Cup place .
Their place is in Premier League first teams, not League 3 .
Under 21s and Under 17 success suggest bright future . |
189,970 | 81f4e9eee7d046992f4091cd2d82a6a82981b354 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 13:15 EST, 17 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:02 EST, 18 December 2012 . A social worker left papers containing sexual abuse allegations in a plastic bag on a train in one of a series of data breaches at councils that have cost £1.9million in fines. The London Borough of Lewisham was fined £70,000 after the employee mislaid documents, which included GP and police reports and allegations of abuse and neglect, when taking them home. Leeds City Council was fined almost £100,000 . after trying to save money by reusing envelopes - and then sending personal information about a child in care to the wrong person. Careless: The employee left documents including GP and police reports and allegations of neglect on the train when taking them home . Mistakes: An investigation found two councils had sent sensitive details about criminal allegations and health reports to the wrong people. Pictured is Plymouth County Council's Civic Centre . Plymouth City Council was hit with a . £60,000 penalty for another incident in which reports on two families . were mixed up after they were sent to a shared printer - bringing the total number of councils charged for Data Protection Act breaches to 19. A Devon County Council worker revealed the details of the alleged criminal offences and health problems of 22 people while compiling a report for an adoption panel. The council was fined £90,000 penalty for the mistake. Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said: 'It would be far too easy to consider these breaches as simple human error. 'The reality is that they are caused by councils treating sensitive personal data in the same routine way they would deal with more general correspondence.' Blunder: Child neglect allegations against parents of four were sent to a different family. File picture . The case in Leeds saw sensitive personal details about a child in care sent to the wrong person, disclosing details of a criminal offence, school attendance, the level of contact agreed with siblings and information about the child's relationship with their mother. The document was delivered to the wrong place because the council were re-using envelopes internally after they had been used for external mail, and the original address had not been crossed out. Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan said: 'We take our data protection responsibilities seriously and regard any breach as unacceptable. 'We accept the findings of the Information Commissioner and although we have already apologised to the individual affected we would like to take this opportunity to do so again.' The breach at Plymouth City Council saw the wrong person receive information including highly sensitive personal details about two parents and four children. The breach occurred when two reports about separate child neglect cases were sent to the same shared printer. In Devon, a social worker used a previous case as a template for an adoption panel report they were writing, but a copy of the old report was sent out instead of the new one. The mistake disclosed personal data of 22 people, including details of alleged criminal offences and mental and physical health. Mr Graham added: 'Far too often in these cases, the councils do not appear to have acknowledged that the data they are handling is about real people, and often the more vulnerable members of society. 'The distress that these incidents would have caused to the people involved is obvious.' The Information Commissioner's Office said it was pressing the Ministry of Justice for stronger powers to audit local councils' data protection compliance, if necessary without consent. | Borough of Lewisham fined £70,000 after papers were left on train .
Leeds Council fined for misdirecting letter after reusing envelope .
It brings the number of councils fined for leaking sensitive data to 19 .
Bungling authorities released personal data such as GP and police reports . |
275,811 | f149f0dfd80dd3c604b3c610bd718bc40399e40d | Makhachkala, Russia (CNN) -- The building, No. 50, that members of the Tsarnaev family call home sits on a seemingly quiet street in Makhachkala. The capital of Dagestan, a semi-autonomous republic in southern Russia, borders the Caspian Sea on one side and on the other overlooks the Caucasus Mountains. For a time in 2012, Tamerlan Tsarnaev stayed here with his parents. He shopped at stores in Makhachkala, prayed at a local mosque. What authorities want to know is whether it was here that Tamerlan learned, or perhaps was inspired, to kill. The 26-year-old can't give an answer: He was killed after a shootout with U.S. authorities in Watertown, Massachusetts -- 5,500 miles from Makhachkala -- early Friday. Days earlier, authorities say, he and his 19-year-old brother, Dzhokhar -- who is in a Boston hospital -- blew up two bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three people died and scores were wounded in that attack. FBI agents spent Wednesday in the Dagestani capital talking with Tamerlan and Dzhokhar's parents, according to an official in U.S. President Barack Obama's administration. The U.S. investigators were joined by members of Russia's Federal Security Service, human rights activist Kheda Saratova said. That "conversation" ended Wednesday evening, the suspects' mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaev, told Saratova. It's unclear what came of the parents' talk with U.S. and Russian authorities, though both parents had publicly insisted that their sons are innocent. But information has come out suggesting how Tamerlan Tsarnaev might have been influenced by his trip half a world from his Cambridge, Massachusetts, home. While Dagestan may be picturesque in many respects, it's also been home to violence and civil unrest. That includes gun and bomb attacks targeting security services, including a suicide bombing at a police checkpoint that left 12 dead and dozens wounded while Tsarnaev was believed to be here. After returning from his months-long visit to Russia, Tsarnaev created a YouTube channel that included two videos (since deleted) under a category labeled "Terrorists." Analysis by CNN and the SITE Intelligence Group has uncovered a screen grab from one of those videos featuring members of Imarat Kavkaz, a potent militant Islamist group in the north Caucasus, which includes Chechnya and Dagestan. Tsarnaev also appears to have posted and removed a video of a militant named Abu Dujan, a jihadist leader who was later killed by Russian troops. Did Tsarnaev interact with Abu Dujan during his time in southern Russia? Authorities haven't publicly said anything on that point, either way. Videos linked to his group show how to prepare homemade explosives from almost anywhere. Askhabali Saurbekov, the police chief in the Dagestani town of Kizilyurt, said Abu Dujan met with foreigners before his death. This group included men, like Tsarnaev, who were of Chechen origin. "They met to exchange their bandit experience," Saurbekov said. CNN's Nic Robertson and Nick Paton Walsh reported from Makhachkala; Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta. | U.S. and Russian authorities interview Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's parents .
The two brothers are accused of staging deadly Boston Marathon bombings .
The parents live in Dagestan, a part of Russia where Tamerlan visited .
Tamerlan posted videos linked to jihadist militants after going to the region in 2012 . |
229,193 | b4c4210496bc7c5c1456b1ccf927e97e006bcb00 | The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday approved a resolution calling the Crimean referendum to secede from Ukraine invalid. The vote on the nonbinding resolution was 100-11, with 58 countries abstaining. It's the latest indication of Russia's isolation within the international community over its actions in Ukraine. Moscow formally annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea region last week, days after the controversial referendum in which a majority of Crimeans voted to leave Ukraine for Russia. Adding to tensions, Russia now may have as many as 40,000 troops near its border with Ukraine, two U.S. officials told CNN on Thursday. The officials said that this estimate was largely based on satellite imagery and that a firm number is difficult to assess. However, a spokesman for Ukraine's Council of National Security and Defense told CNN his government estimates 88,000 Russian troops are at the Ukrainian border. U.S. officials said they believe the higher estimates may reflect Russian troops on alert farther to the east. Earlier Thursday, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, released from jail last month, said she intends to run for president in May elections. After more than two years in prison, she was released in February after the ouster of her archrival, President Viktor Yanukovych. She has already been Prime Minister twice before and ran for President in 2010. "Yes, I am planning to run," she said at a news conference at her Kiev office. Tymoshenko said she intended to ask delegates at her Batkivshchyna Party congress on Saturday to nominate her as a presidential candidate. Ukraine's elections are taking place against a backdrop of poor economic conditions, Moscow's annexation of Crimea and rumblings of discontent in the mainly Russian-speaking eastern regions. Tymoshenko's announcement came as the International Monetary Fund announced a $14 billion to $18 billion bailout for Ukraine to avoid bankruptcy. The bailout is tied to painful reforms as the country faces an escalating standoff with Russia. U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday praised the loan agreement between the IMF and Ukraine, and said the United States will do its part to help, too. Speaking with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in Rome, Obama said he is calling on Congress to make sure the United States does its part with an economic assistance package to "support the Ukrainian people as they move forward." The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved $1 billion in loan guarantees for Ukraine, along with sanctions against Russia for its intervention in Ukraine. Obama said he hopes that Russia will walk through the "door of diplomacy" but that its annexation of Crimea means the United States and European Union will increase their sanctions. Earlier this month the House of Representatives approved Ukraine loan guarantees and is now voting on sanctions. Symbol of 'Orange Revolution' With her trademark hair braid, Tymoshenko came to international prominence during the 2004 "Orange Revolution" that toppled Yanukovych's first administration. A rerun of the election handed the presidency to her political ally, Viktor Yushchenko, under whom she was Prime Minister. Amid broad disappointment with that government's performance, Yanukovych was again elected in 2010. Tymoshenko was imprisoned in 2011 in a corruption case linked to a gas deal she brokered with Russia in 2009. She served two years of a seven-year term, mainly under prison guard in a hospital in Kharkiv. Many demonstrators carried her picture during mass anti-government protests that began in November and eventually ousted Yanukovych. Upon her release from prison, Tymoshenko, in a wheelchair, addressed crowds in Kiev's Independence Square, the epicenter of the rallies that began when Yanukovych spurned a deal with the EU in favor of closer ties with Moscow. Early presidential elections in Ukraine are scheduled for May 25. Former boxer Vitaliy Klitschko and billionaire businessman Petro Poroshenko are also expected to take part in the elections. | U.N. General Assembly's nonbinding resolution indicates Russia's isolation over Crimea .
Ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko says she plans to run in Ukraine's May elections .
Presidential elections are scheduled for May 25 .
The International Monetary Fund announces a bailout deal worth billions for Ukraine . |
214,317 | a18989c84e604e5541401d71726d2b2db61170bc | As controversy grows over the regrading of SAT examinations, thousands of people have started sharing their own scores on social networks to put future generations at ease. Well-known figures have been conspicuously quiet about their results, however, but with the likes of Ke$ha, James Woods and Natalie Portman reportedly getting close to a perfect 1600, perhaps they felt they'd only add pressure rather than ease it. Famous faces with far lower SAT scores include Bill Cosby, who got a score lower than 500, Sopranos actress Drea De Matteo, believed to have scored around 800, and even former US President Bill Clinton, whose 1020 puts him a few hundred points below successor George W Bush. Brains: Scarlett Johansson (left) admitted to 'feeling like a big dummy' with her score of 1080, but that result actually puts her above the US average. Natalie Portman (right) reportedly got close to a perfect 1600 . Awkward: Even former US President Bill Clinton scored fairly low - with results of 1020 puts him more than 200 points below successor George W Bush's 1206 . Scarlett Johansson admitted to 'feeling like a big dummy' when she confirmed her score of 1080, but that result actually puts her above the US average. With rumoured scores of 1579, 1500 and 1150, actor James Woods, singer Ke$ha and actress Courtney Cox would also be placed far above average. As you'd probably expect, Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen got sky-high 1590 and a perfect 1600 respectively, with Apple's Steve Wozniak also scoring a perfect 800 on the maths section of the examination. Will Smith and James Franco have both admitted getting 'very high' SAT scores in the past but neither has revealed the exact number, while the New York Times has previously reported that actor Ben Affleck 'had near perfect SAT scores in high school'. Talent: Will Smith has admitted getting 'very high' SAT scores in the past but hasn't revealed the exact number. It has previously been reported that actor Ben Affleck 'had near perfect SAT scores in high school' Numbers: With 1100, actress Courtney Cox (left) would also be placed far above average. Sadly for Sopranos star Drea De Matteo (right), her rumoured score of only 800 would see her fall short of that mark . Star: Singer and songwriter Ke$ha is believed to have received a score of around 1500 on her SAT exams . Meanwhile talk show host Rush Limbaugh, political commentator Bill O'Reilly and actor and economist Ben Stein picked up near-perfect scores of 1530, 1585 and 1573 respectively. It's not just conservatives with high scores though: Al Gore kept the tally high for the Democrat camp with a score of 1355. US president Barack Obama, on the other hand, has repeatedly refused to release his education records. Not all celebrities fared brilliantly however, with presenter Howard Stern rumoured to have picked up a low 870, and baseball star Alex Rodriguez reaching just 910. Meanwhile stand-up comedian Janeane Garofalo is thought to have scored around 950. As part of the sweeping changes with the SAT examinations, essays will become optional and there will no longer be penalties for wrong answers.. Changes in the annual test that millions of students take will also do away with some vocabulary words such as 'prevaricator' and 'sagacious' in favor of words more commonly used in school and on the job. College Board officials said Wednesday the update — the first since 2005 — is needed to make the exam better representative of what students study in high school and the skills they need to succeed in college and afterward. The test should offer 'worthy challenges, not artificial obstacles,' said College Board President David Coleman at an announcement event in Austin, Texas. Smart: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak scored a perfect 800 on the maths section of the examination . Intelligent: As you'd probably expect, Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen got sky-high 1590 and a perfect 1600 respectively . The new exam will be rolled out in 2016, so this year's ninth graders will be the first to take it, in their junior year. The new SAT will continue to test reading, writing and math skills, with an emphasis on analysis. Scoring will return to a 1,600-point scale last used in 2004, with a separate score for the optional essay. For the first time, students will have the option of taking the test on computers. One of the biggest changes is that the extra penalty for wrong answers, which discouraged guessing, will be eliminated. And some vocabulary words will be replaced with words such as 'synthesis' and 'empirical' that are used more widely in classrooms and in work settings. Coleman said many students who are terrified they will be tested on lots of SAT words currently have one recourse: drilling with flashcards. He said educators know that flashcards are not the best way to build real word knowledge that lasts, but 'when the SAT rolls around they become the royal road. Students stop reading and start flipping.' The essay will be changed in other ways, too. It will measure students' ability to analyze and explain how an author builds an argument, instead of measuring the coherence of the writing but not the quality or accuracy of the reasoning. It will be up to school districts and colleges the students apply to as to whether the essay will be required. Each exam will include a passage drawn from 'founding documents' such as the Declaration of Independence or from discussions they've inspired. New measurement: Essays will no longer be compulsory and wrong answers will not be penalized in the exams . Instead of testing a wide range of math concepts, the new exam will focus on a few areas, like algebra, deemed most needed for college and life afterward. A calculator will be allowed only on certain math questions, instead of on the entire math portion. A longstanding criticism of the SAT is that students from wealthier households do better on the exam because they can afford expensive test preparation classes. The College Board seeks to defuse that by saying it will partner with the nonprofit Khan Academy to provide free test preparation materials for the redesigned SAT. It also says every income-eligible student who takes the SAT will receive four fee waivers to apply for college, which continues an effort the College Board has had to assist low-income students. These are the first SAT upgrades since 2005 when the essay portion was added and analogy questions were removed. There have been other notable changes to the test, such as in 1994 when antonym questions were removed and calculators were allowed for the first time. The test was first used in 1926. The SAT was taken last year by 1.7 million students. It has historically been more popular on the coasts, while the other popular standardized college entrance exam, the ACT, dominated the central U.S. But the ACT overtook the SAT in overall use in 2012, in part because it is taken by almost every junior in 13 states as part of the states' testing regimen. Last year, the ACT said it would begin offering computer-based testing in 2015. | Celebrities' SAT scores revealed as anger grows over exam changes .
Ke$ha, James Woods and Natalie Portman scored close to a perfect 1600 .
Scarlett Johansson said she 'felt like a big dummy' with a score of 1080 .
Meanwhile Bill Clinton scored 200 less than George W Bush .
Certain words are to removed from the SAT test in a bid to make it more focused on phrases and expressions people use in the working world .
Essays are also to become optional in the first SAT changes since 2005 . |
130,118 | 343442832d87613bb0d78109e5e2c993acdb7a5e | Killeen, Texas (CNN) -- The U.S. Army private who authorities say admitted to planning to bomb a restaurant popular with soldiers from Fort Hood is to be held without bond, a federal magistrate ordered Friday. Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo was formally charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device. Additional charges are likely, said Daryl Fields, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in San Antonio, Texas. Abdo, who refused to stand when Judge Jeffrey C. Manske entered the courtroom, shouted an apparent reference to the 2006 rape of an Iraqi girl by U.S. soldiers and the 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood by Army Maj. Nidal Hasan before being hustled out of the courtroom by marshals. Abdo, a Muslim American soldier who had been granted conscientious objector status before going AWOL, was being held Friday in federal custody at an undisclosed location. According to the criminal complaint unsealed after his appearance Friday, Abdo admitted he planned to turn two pressure cookers found in his Killeen hotel room into gunpowder- and shrapnel-filled bombs to detonate inside an unnamed restaurant popular with soldiers from Fort Hood. Among other things, police and FBI investigators who searched the room found six bottles of gunpowder, shotgun shells and pellets and ammunition cartridges. Police who arrested him found wire, a handgun, ammunition and an article titled, "Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom" in the backpack he was carrying, according to the complaint. The backpack also contained a notebook with a hand-written list for many of the components police recovered. The public defender appointed to represent Abdo, attorney Keith Dorsett of Waco, did not immediately respond to e-mails and telephone messages seeking comment. Killeen police arrested Abdo, 21, on Wednesday after a gun store employee tipped them that Abdo's behavior had raised red flags when he purchased six pounds of smokeless gunpowder and other supplies. The tip came from Greg Ebert, a retired police officer who works at the Guns Galore gun store. He said the young man appeared suspicious as soon as he pulled up in a taxi cab. "How many people go shopping at gun stores in a taxi cab?" Ebert asked. He described Abdo as being guarded and asking odd questions. Abdo browsed for about 20 minutes, Ebert said, choosing six pounds of gunpowder, shotgun ammunition and a magazine for a semiautomatic handgun. He asked Ebert what smokeless gunpowder was before finishing the purchase. "Well, hello! Why are you buying this if you don't know what it's for?" Ebert said later. "That is a red flag for me. He should know. Why is he buying that much?" Ebert said he called police after discussing the transaction at length with the owner of the store, which is the same place where Hasan bought supplies for his shooting spree. Abdo joined the infantry in 2009 and was assigned to Company E of the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team when he refused to deploy to Afghanistan on religious grounds. The Army approved his request to be discharged as a conscientious objector. But on May 13, he was charged with possession of child pornography on his computer, according to the statement. After a June 15 hearing, at which Abdo was recommended for court-martial, he went AWOL. In media interviews last year, Abdo talked about seeking conscientious objector status, saying he felt compelled to remain true to his faith. "We have two things that I believe make us American, and that's freedom of religion and freedom of choice," he said. When he signed up for the military, Abdo said, he had not thought that his religious beliefs would be an issue. "I was under the impression that I could serve both the U.S. Army and my God simultaneously," he said. But as his deployment neared, he began to rethink things and eventually worked up the courage to approach his unit and tell them how he felt, he said. "Islam is a much more peaceful and tolerant religion than it is an aggressive religion," he said. "I don't believe that Islam allows me to operate in any kind of warfare at all, including the U.S. military and any war it partakes in. I believe that our first duty as a Muslim is to serve God." In court Friday, Abdo mentioned "Iraq 2006," an apparent reference to an incident in which U.S. Army soldiers were accused of killing three members of an Iraqi family, including a 6-year-old girl, and raping the family's 14-year-old girl before also killing her and setting the bodies on fire in an attempt to cover up the killings. Four soldiers were convicted and imprisoned for their roles in the shootings, rape and subsequent cover-up. After Abdo's arrest, Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued a statement calling it "a sobering reminder of the importance of remaining vigilant in the ongoing efforts to protect our communities from those that would do us harm." Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, the House Army Caucus chairman, praised the gun-shop employee who tipped police to Abdo, as well as the police themselves, for interrupting what could have been a deadly plot. "Thanks to quick action by a Texas gun dealer in alerting local police to a suspicious character, and a prompt and vigorous response by the Killeen Police Department, we may well have averted a repeat of the tragic 2009 radical Islamic terror attack on our nation's largest military installation," he said. "We now have an example of what works to prevent these type attacks, and as the coming days reveal more details about this attempt, we can determine better ways to thwart similar efforts in the future," Carter said. In addition to being the site of the Fort Hood shootings, Killeen is also where, in 1991, George Hennard crashed his pickup into a Luby's cafeteria, fatally shot 23 people and wounded another 20 before killing himself. "We've been through a lot in this community," Killeen Police Chief Dennis Baldwin said. "But I can tell you that's when the character of the community is more obvious." CNN's Tracy Sabo, Barbara Starr, Marylynn Ryan and Carol Cratty contributed to this report. | NEW: Naser Jason Abdo makes a reference to the 2006 rape and murder of an Iraqi girl .
Additional charges are likely against Abdo, a U.S. attorney's spokesman says .
Abdo is being held without bond by federal authorities .
He is a "very dangerous individual," the police chief says . |
11,610 | 20fee5149384213eb1ae8abdb68b1cecf44272e2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:11 EST, 12 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:12 EST, 12 October 2012 . An ex-soldier who accidentally punched a girl he had a crush on in the face died after jumping from the taxi in which they were travelling. Former Welsh guardsman, Anthony Kelly, 18, became angry with childhood friend Damien Wrigley following a night out and went to hit him in the back of the minibus in Rhyl, North Wales. However he struck Amy Butler, 18, in the face instead. An inquest heard Mr Kelly was so . mortified at what he had done he opened the sliding door of the moving . taxi and leapt out - smashing his skull on the road. Tragedy: Former soldier Anthony Kelly, 18, died after he jumped out of a moving taxi and hit his head on the road . 'Such a waste': Anthony Kelly never regained consciousness and died two days later at Glan Clwyd Hospital in North Wales (pictured) He died two days later from his head injuries at Glan Clwyd hospital in North Wales. The tragedy occurred in March after Anthony had been out in Rhyl, North Wales, drinking lager and shots with friends. The inquest in Prestatyn was told the teenager's mood was was 'happy to begin with' but as the night went on he started to act 'different' after Miss Butler began kissing Mr Wrigley. The group decided to get a taxi home but an argument broke out between Mr Kelly and his friend Mr Wrigley inside the six-seater vehicle. Miss Butler said: 'Anthony started going a bit mad and Damien restrained him. Anthony leant forward to swing for Damien but instead he hit me. 'He said: "Did I just hit you?" and I said: "Yes". He had a look on his face as if to say: "Oh my God" and that’s when he jumped out of the taxi.' Inquest: Friends told a hearing in Prestatyn that Anthony Kelly jumped out of the moving taxi just moments after he accidentally punched a girl he liked during a drunken row in the back seat . Another member of the group, Lee-Anna Shires, said Mr Kelly and Mr Wrigley both 'had a thing' for Miss Butler and that it 'all kicked off' after Mr Wrigley and Miss Butler had kissed that night. In a statement read out at the inquest, Mr Wrigley said: 'When Anthony realised that he’d hit Amy, his face just went blank. He just flopped out of the door and disappeared really quickly.' He added: 'I can’t help feeling that Anthony’s death could’ve been my fault, that if I hadn’t have gone out that night, it wouldn’t have happened. 'I don’t know why Anthony did what he did - I can’t explain it at all.' Pathologist Dr Andrew Dalton found that 6ft 6ins Anthony had suffered a fracture to his skull and there was bleeding on his brain. He was three times over the legal drink drive limit at the time of the incident. Collision investigators found that the taxi did not contribute in any way to Mr Kelly’s death. The teenager’s mother Becky Kelly said her son never regained consciousness before he passed away. 'Happy teenager': Anthony Kelly had been out drinking with friends in Rhyl, North Wales, pictured, before getting a taxi home . She described him as a 'great lad with loads of personality' and said he was 'lovely, friendly, honest and sincere'. The teenager had spent five months on the front line before leaving the Army and was preparing to join the Traders Guild. Ms Kelly said what her son did was 'really stupid' but she has since taken comfort in donating his organs to help other people. She said: 'Anthony’s wish was that if anything happened to him that as many of his organs as possible should go to help other people - no matter how painful or difficult the decision was. 'If there is a small crumb of comfort at this difficult time it is that his wish has been granted.' After leaving high school, Mr Kelly from Prestatyn, spent five months at Bangor Military Preparation College. He served briefly with the Welsh Guards and was said to be a 'popular and fun-loving young man'. Recording a verdict of accidental death, acting coroner for North East Wales, John Gittins said: 'I accept that Anthony did what he did deliberately, but I do not believe his intention was to bring his life to an end. 'This was a spur of the moment act on his part and I believe Mrs Kelly hit the nail on the head when she said it was a stupid act. He acted spontaneously with very tragic consequences, it is such a waste.' | Former Welsh guardsman Anthony Kelly, 18, hit his head on the road when he jumped out of a moving taxi near Rhyl, North Wales .
The teenager never regained consciousness and died two days later .
Inquest hears he leapt out of the taxi after accidentally hitting a girl he liked . |
31,307 | 58fa4cf0bf86c3b284264fbcacf9582ca2fcabd9 | (CNN) -- Remember earlier this year when Wikipedia went black in protest of anti-piracy legislation moving through the U.S. Congress? Yeah, well, that may be nothing compared to this. A group called the Internet Defense League, borrowing a page from Batman, is trying to create a "bat signal" for mobilizing open-Internet activists against similar legislation. The group's tagline: "Make sure the Internet never loses. Ever." Technically, it's more of a "cat signal," since the group's website, which launched a couple weeks ago, features a picture of a cat's face being broadcast into the sky. "It's a cat signal because we see the cat as the symbol of the Internet," said Tiffiniy Cheng, co-director of the nonprofit Fight for the Future, which helped organize recent piracy legislation protests and is behind the new site. "There's this academic theory ... that talks about if you ban the ability of people to share cat photos, they'll start protesting en masse." She added: "The idea is we're building the infrastructure to put up this cat signal or this bat signal all over the Internet at a moment's notice, with the click of a button." The Internet went haywire in January when Congress was considering two pieces of legislation -- nicknamed SOPA and PIPA -- that aimed to help the government crack down on the online distribution of pirated content. The English-language version of Wikipedia shut down for 24 hours in protest of the proposed legislation, which died after the digitally based protests. Time Warner, the parent company of CNN, supported the legislation, along with several movie and music industry groups. The Internet Defense League says it is targeting two upcoming pieces of legislation, ACTA and CISPA, which take different approaches to regulating pirated content. The group also will seek promises from U.S. presidential candidates on the subject of Internet openness and legislation, according to Cheng. "For the past 10 years at least, tech policy has not been based on what's good for the public interest," she said. The group says it has the support of some big names on the Web, including WordPress, craigslist founder Craig Newmark, Reddit, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Cheezburger Network, which owns several humor blogs. Cheng declined to comment on whether larger commercial websites like Google and Facebook would consider supporting the effort. Pundits have wondered whether this is the dawn of a new era for Internet activism, especially from tech and Web companies that, in the past, have been less political. "This is the first real test of the political strength of the Web, and regardless of how things go, they are no longer a pushover," Tim Wu, from Columbia Law School, told the New York Times during the Web protests in January. "The Web taking a stand against one of the most powerful lobbyers and seeming to get somewhere is definitely a first." The Internet Defense League aims to expand on that energy, alerting supporters to new threats to "Internet freedom" when they arise. A co-founder of the group, Reddit's Alexis Ohanian, explained the idea to Forbes this way: . "You can only cry 'Oh my gosh, they're going to shut down the Internet' so often. We've scared (Congress) from doing anything as egregious as SOPA and PIPA again. But the new challenge is this endless series of smaller bills that try to unravel Internet rights." On its site, the group pitches its battle against anti-Internet legislation as a sort of duel between all-knowing geeks and uneducated or "confused" public officials: . "Internet freedom and individual power are changing the course of history. But entrenched institutions and monopolies want this to stop. Elected leaders often don't understand the Internet, so they're easily confused or corrupted." It adds: "With the combined reach of our websites and social networks, we can be massively more effective than any one organization." The Internet Defense League site lets people donate money to the cause and, perhaps more powerfully, rally people for or against certain pieces of legislation. When there's an Internet "emergency," the group says it will send out snippets of code that will help websites participate in the protests. Cheng said participating companies or bloggers can choose to have messages displayed on their sites automatically or to field the messages on a case-by-case basis. By creating the code for Web developers to use, Cheng said it become much faster to mobilize people online. That's what made the anti-SOPA Web blackouts so effective, she said. "The tool was easy to use. It was a low bar to being used," she said. "That was a turning point because the form of protest was very stark and clear and was an example of what Internet censorship could look like. "And these tools allowed us to reach millions of people very quickly." | Internet Defense League aims to mobilize Web activists .
The group says it is a "bat signal" for the Internet .
Web companies helped defeat anti-piracy legislation earlier this year .
A group called Fight for the Future is behind the campaign . |
211,986 | 9e88b50d15e61ff3a11bf75cad1f81554341cd2a | Nazi hunter: Hanns Alexander, a Jewish refugee serving in the British Army, captured Rudolph Hoss . A German-born Jewish refugee who . served in the British Army during World War II has been unveiled as one . of the leading investigators responsible for the capture of one of the . worst Nazi criminals of the Holocaust. Throughout his life in Britain, Hanns Alexander never spoke of his involvement in the hunt for Auschwitz commander Rudolph Höss, and the truth was not unveiled until after his death. In 1946 he played a crucial role in . bringing Höss to justice, a man responsible . for killing millions of Jewish men, women and children. Rudolph Höss was not only in charge . of the deadliest of the Holocaust concentration camps, he was also the . mastermind behind the use of Zyklon B to commit mass killings of, mainly Jewish, prisoners. Mr Alexander’s story was uncovered by . his great-nephew at the war hero’s funeral in 2006. During a eulogy, Mr . Alexander’s nephews spoke of his past as a Nazi hunter and Thomas . Harding, whose grandmother was Mr Alexander’s sister, began to . investigate his past. Hanns Alexander fled from Berlin to . London in 1936 after his father, already in England, heard rumours of . what was about to take place in their native Germany. When Britain declared war on Germany . in 1939, 22-year-old Hanns and his twin brother Paul volunteer for the . British Army and were placed with the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps, a . unit of refugees who wanted to fight the Nazis. In 1945, having taken part in the . D-Day landings in Normandy and witnessing the liberation of Bergen . Belsen concentration camp, Hanns Alexander was chosen to take part in a . 12-strong team, tasked with tracking down Nazi war criminals. As the team rounded up the Bergen Belsen . guards and administrators, interpreter Hanns became central in the . interrogations and uncovers Rudolph Höss’s role in the Holocaust. Hanns Alexander then began his hunt for . Höss, knowing that the former Auschwitz Kommendant would hold the key . information to the workings of the Nazi atrocities committed against his . people. The fall of a Nazi criminal: Rudolf Höss, pictured with Heinrich Himmler during an inspection of Auschwitz , left, and battered and bruised following his arrested by the British, in March 1946 . Justice for a killer: Rudolph Hoss's sentence being carried out at Auschwitz, on April 16, 1947 . After the fall of Auschwitz, Höss and . his family had fled towards the Danish border. British intelligence . had tracked them down to the Flensburg area, where Höss’s wife Hedwig and . their children lived in an old sugar factory. Having managed to intercept a letter from . Hedwig proving that she knew where her husband was hiding, she had been . taken in for questioning. Hanns arrived on March 7, 1946 and begin to interrogate Mrs Höss. She would not budge. But neither would Hanns Alexander. Hanns and members of his team brought in Höss’s oldest son Klaus and threatened Hedwig with deporting him to Siberia. Ignorance is bliss: Rudolf Höss' with children on a slide at the Auschwitz villa a few yards from the camp, 1940-1943 . Ten minutes later, Hedwig had written . down the location and new alias of her husband, who was living at a farm . under the name Franz Lang. Rudolf Höss was arrested on March 11, . 1946. Hanns Alexander and his men dragged him out of hiding and beat him . until he gave up his true identity. Höss stood trial at Nuremberg in April . and was subsequently handed over to Polish authorities on 25 May 1946, . where he stood trial accused of murdering three million people. Höss was sentenced to death on 2 April . 1947 and was hanged immediately adjacent to the crematorium of the . former Auschwitz I concentration camp on April 16. Captain Hanns Alexander never returned to Germany, and died in London in 2006, aged 89. Hanns And Rudolf: The German Jew And The Hunt For The Kommandant Of Auschwitz by Thomas Harding is out now . | Hanns Alexander fled Germany shortly before Kristallnacht .
He joined the British Army and part of a team hunting senior Nazis .
Mr Alexander helped capture Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss . |
10,627 | 1e314886eba775827ff6cb5d8c2d06e9885abde9 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . David Cameron today faced claims he was ‘stuck-up', after boasting he likes shopping in Waitrose because the customers are nicer. The political battle over the weekly shop erupted after the Prime Minister shared his views on ‘supermarket sociology’. After claiming there was ‘something about’ Waitrose customers who are more ‘engaged people’, Labour accused Mr Cameron of making a ‘bizarre and empty-headed intervention’ at a time when many families were struggling to make ends meet. David Cameron set out his 'supermarket sociology' while on a visit to a store run by Waitrose¿s parent company John Lewis in Cheadle, near Manchester . Mr Cameron gave an insight into his weekly shop while on a visit to a store run by Waitrose’s parent company John Lewis in Cheadle, near Manchester. Waitrose has faced criticism for a new scheme offering free coffee to people with loyalty cards, with some customers complaining it has attracted a different clientele. Mr Cameron told staff yesterday: ‘I have got a piece of supermarket sociology, which is that there is something about Waitrose customers ... they are the most talkative. ‘I found that if I shop in Waitrose it takes me about twice as long as everyone wants to stop you and have a chat. Whereas in other supermarkets I find I can dart round very quickly and get everything. ‘It is something about your customers, they are very talkative, engaged people.' Mr Cameron revealed that he shops at Waitrose - regarded as a favourite of the middle classes - whenever possible. He uses Ocado - another firm catering to the higher end of the market - to deliver goods to Downing Street. However, . he said he went to Sainsbury's near his constituency home in Chipping . Norton, Oxfordshire, ‘because there isn't a Waitrose’. The Prime Minister said he found customers in Waitrose more talkative when doing his shopping . But Labour said the remarks showed he was out of touch. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Michael Dugher said: ‘Families are on average 1,600 a year worse off since David Cameron became Prime Minister. ‘Most families understandably have to shop around and watch every penny because of the cost-of-living crisis, plus very many people increasingly have to rely on food banks. ‘This is a world away from that of David Cameron. There's nothing wrong enjoying shopping at Waitrose. 'But Cameron seems to be saying that at Waitrose you get a better class of shopper. ‘This is a bizarre and empty-headed intervention from a Prime Minister who increasingly gives the impression of being stuck-up and out of touch.’ Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also case doubt on the claims. In the last few weeks I’ve shopped in Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Tesco’s, so there you go. 'I’ve done the full spread and at the moment - I will do further market research - I haven’t discerned any great difference,' he told LBC radio. In 2012 Mr Cameron had to give Waitrose a miss when he went shopping in a Morrisons branch in Plymouth . Labour has had its own problems with Waitrose. Last month frontbencher Andy Sawford wrote to every MP complaining that the free coffee deal was having a 'stark effect' on other coffee shops and should be scrapped. Last year the Prime Minister was ridiculed for admitting he does not know how much a supermarket loaf costs – because he bakes his own using a bread-making machine. The Prime Minister was asked the price of a ‘value’ range loaf after claiming he is not out of touch with ordinary people over the rising cost of living. He guessed it was more than £1 – in fact it is 47p – then by way of explanation got himself into a deeper hole by saying he does not eat ‘the value stuff’. Instead he uses a £100 breadmaker and a brand of Cotswolds artisan flour which costs around £4.40 a bag. In comparison a 1.5kg bag of Tesco’s own brand flour costs only 65p. | Prime Minister reveals his 'supermarket sociology' theory to staff .
Claims he can shop in other stores without being pestered by people .
But Waitrose customers are more 'engaged people', Cameron claims .
Labour says the remarks are 'bizarre and empty-headed' |
153,657 | 5291e4f236f75884375c23c4e9e97d725a3392a2 | Managerless Manchester United have agreed a deal with FK Vojvodina to sign Serbia youth goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic. The 17-year-old will stay with the Serbian side next season before moving to Old Trafford to provide competition for first choice number one David de Gea. The Spaniard has undoubtedly been United's standout player this season, winning both the Players' Player of the Year and the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards at the end of season awards. Signed: Man Utd have acquired 17-year-old Serbian goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic . Milinkovic is a youth international, making six appearances for Serbia Under-17s in the recent UEFA Championship qualifying. His transfer is the first by the 20-times English champions since they sacked manager David Moyes, who replaced legendary predecessor Alex Ferguson, in April after a disappointing first campaign. Dutch coach Louis van Gaal is widely expected to be announced as the new head coach of United, who finished seventh in the league last term. Award winner: David de Gea being presented with the Players' Player of the Season award by Juan Mata . Stopper: Milinkovic will be competing with De Gea for the number one jersey . | Milinkovic is currently a Serbian Under-17 international .
He will stay at current club FK Vojvodina for next season .
Expected to challenge David de Gea for number one spot in coming years . |
96,970 | 08c7d94add2693bdcd4d459ccf58d84ce13abcb2 | For the first time, prosecutors in the Boston Marathon bombing case confirmed that deceased suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was accused of participating in a gruesome 2011 triple homicide outside Boston. A federal law enforcement official told CNN back in May that Tsarnaev's involvement in the killings was revealed in an interview between police and Ibragim Todashev, a Chechen known to him. But the detail was not confirmed until this week, when prosecutors in the case against Tamerlan Tsarnaev's brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, made reference to it in a court document filed Monday. In the document, prosecutors argue against a defense request for all documents related to Tamerlan Tsarnaev's participation in the triple slaying. "In any event, the government has already disclosed to (Dzhokhar) Tsarnaev that, according to Todashev, Tamerlan Tsarnaev participated in the Waltham triple homicide," the document states. Todashev died during the interview with authorities, which occurred at Todashev's house. Todashev attacked an FBI agent, who shot him dead, a federal law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the case told CNN. Lawyers of Boston suspect: Lift his harsh prison restrictions . 3 friends of suspect plead not guilty . Tsarnaev's in-laws answer questions from grand jury . Documents detail Dzhokhar's injuries . | A source told CNN in May that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was fingered in triple slaying .
Prosecutors publicly confirm this in a court document .
The allegation came from Ibragim Todashev, who was killed during questioning . |
247,318 | cc0f837a445d1407d4a311216e063fa4a509c9e9 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 10:02 EST, 7 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:38 EST, 7 January 2013 . Innocent: Khyra Ishaq, 7, was starved to death by her mother and stepfather - and now her surviving siblings are suing Birmingham City Council for breach of care . The five surviving siblings of Khyra Ishaq, who died after being starved to death by her mother and stepfather, are suing their local council for failing to protect them and save their sister's life. The brothers and sisters have filed a claim against Birmingham City Council because they were told of their and Khyra's plight four months before she died. All six children suffered horrific abuse at the hands of their mother Angela Gordon and her partner Junaid Abuhamza. Gordon and Abuhamza admitted . manslaughter of Khyra, who died aged seven after suffering starvation and abuse at . their home in May 2008. The pair also admitted five counts of child cruelty at Birmingham Crown Court in March 2010. Khyra weighed just 2st 9lb, had 60 external injuries and lay dying . with pneumonia and meningitis for two days while her mother was . downstairs eating a takeaway with her partner. Two of her siblings nearly died in hospital because of ‘re-feeding . syndrome’, a phenomenon first seen in the Nazi concentration camps where . the shock of eating food causes the body to shut down. Khyra and the other children were all starved as well as being subjected . to a harrowing punishment regime and a five-month detention, involving . beatings with a cane. If the children were caught taking any food the vile pair made them stand outside in the cold and forced them to over-eat until they threw up as part of a 'chilling' punishment regime. As a result of the appalling abuse . emaciated Khyra was reduced to scavenging bread from a neighbour’s bird . table and lost 40 per cent of her body weight. Lawyers acting for the five surviving children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have filed a ‘substantial’ claim against the city for allegedly breaching duty of care to them. Killers: Khyra's mother Angela Gordon (left) and stepfather Junaid Abuhamza admitted the manslaughter of the seven-year-old in 2010 and five counts of child abuse . Savage: Khyra Ishaq was whipped by Junaid Abuhamza with a bamboo cane whenever he thought that she had eaten too much . Hell: The family home in Handsworth, Birmingham, where Khyra was found starving to death by police in May 2008. The child was taken to hospital where she later died. The claim alleges that it’s ‘very likely’ that Khyra’s death would have been prevented if the council had taken all of the children into care when teachers first raised the alarm. Chilling: Khyra died weighing less that 3st and her remaining siblings believe she and they could have been saved from torment by the authorities . 'We allege that you owed a duty of care to our clients and were in breach of that duty of care as a result of the negligent failure of Birmingham City Council’s social services department to remove them from the family home,' the claim letter says. 'It is the case of all the living claimants and the case brought on behalf of the estate of Khyra Ishaq that your social services department ought reasonably to have removed all six children from the family home and placed them in local authority care on a date no later than January 9, 2008, which creates an alleged breach period of four months and eight days. 'It would appear that the children’s teachers had done everything in their power to assist the children. But the efforts of the teachers to engage the social services department were ignored. 'Had the single visit they requested your social services department make to the family home been undertaken in December 2007, and factoring in the reasonable period of approximately three weeks to obtain a care order thereafter, the children would have been removed into local authority care no later than January 9, 2008. It is very likely that the death of Khyra Ishaq would have been prevented.' The claim against the council relies on a liability report of a social work expert that was written in April 2012. Their mother withdrew all of her children from the breakfast club in January 2007 and she wrote to the schools in March 2007, asking staff to not give second helpings to the children. This well-equipped kitchen was as at the centre of the abuse, where children were starved or forced to over-eat . Well stocked: Despite there being plenty of food . to eat the children were starved in a campaign of abuse that cost Khyra . her life . In September 2007 she sent another letter to the schools which told staff to stop overfeeding the children and she added that they should not be given chocolate milk. The letter said: 'Please do not give my son too much food. He does not know his limits. He is skinny simply because it is hereditary, not because he is starved at home, so please stop excessive feeding.' Summing up at the end of a year-long case Justice Eleanor King said: 'Khyra was desperately ill, from when she had been beaten and made to stand for at least an hour in front of a cold fan. 'She died without medical treatment, without love, without comfort, or reassurance on a dirty mattress shared with her brothers and sisters in a room that she had scarcely left for five months.' Abuser: Mother Angela Gordon serving food to children at a family wedding in 2007 . Squalor: Khyra was forced to eat scraps on the floor of the family home's back yard or next door as she was desperate to eat . She said expert witnesses had testified that Khyra would have suffered a very painful and unpleasant death. The children’s biological father Ishaq Abuzaire is also pursuing proceedings on behalf of himself for the psychological injuries he has suffered since Khyra’s death and the abuse of the surviving children. Tony Hall, a partner at Birmingham-based Anthony Collins solicitors confirmed that Ishaq and the children were granted legal aid to pursue the substantial claims against the city. Accusations: The children's school tried to warn social services in Birmingham (pictured), but the family say they failed to act . Mr Hall said: 'We have sent a letter of claim on behalf of our clients. The council has until the end of January to respond by making admissions or denying the allegations. 'Any settlement that is approved for any of our clients will have to approved in court by a judge.' A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said: 'We can confirm that we have received a letter of claim in this case. 'It would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.' | The seven-year-old died in 2008 weighing less than 3st and suffering from pneumonia and meningitis .
Angela Gordon and her partner Junaid Abuhamza admitted her manslaughter in 2010 .
They starved the six children and made them stand in the cold if they stole food .
Some of the siblings were force fed until they vomited and were also beaten with canes .
Khyra's five brothers and sisters are suing Birmingham City Council claiming they could have saved her and taken them into care . |
185,170 | 7bdf472928960b52ffec813cc29f503dceb5a2dc | David Cameron should be replaced with an 'empty chair' if he refuses to take part in TV election debates, Ed Miliband said today. The Labour leader accused the Prime Minister of 'running scared' of taking him on in a live show down alongside Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage. It comes after Mr Cameron ruled out taking part if Green Party leader Natalie Bennett is left out. Mr Cameron has insisted that the format being suggested by broadcasters was unfair because it includes Mr Farage but excludes the Greens. Scroll down for video . Labour leader Ed Miliband, appearing on the Andrew Marr Show this morning, said David Cameron was 'ducking and weaving' Former Conservative chairman Lord Tebbit has warned voters will think Mr Cameron is 'frit' - scared - if he dodges the live TV debates with his election rivals. The Labour leader this morning ramped up the rhetoric, calling on broadcasts to go ahead with the debates with or without the Conservative leader. Mr Miliband told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: 'I think it is pretty disreputable that David Cameron went into the 2010 election saying that these debates were the most important thing that we could possibly have and people shouldn't make feeble excuses to get out of them, and he is doing precisely that. 'He is running scared of these debates. I want these debates to happen, I think they should happen with David Cameron or without David Cameron.' Mr Miliband told Andrew Marr David Cameron was 'running scared of these debates', adding: 'I want these debates to happen, I think they should happen with David Cameron or without David Cameron' David Cameron (left), Nick Clegg (centre) and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown (right) took part in the final live leaders' election debate, hosted by the BBC in the Great Hall of Birmingham University on April 29, 2010 . The Labour leader added: 'In the end that's a matter for the broadcasters, but I don't think any one political leader should be able to stop these debates happen, should be able to veto these debates, block these debates. 'If an empty chair represents David Cameron in these debates, so be it. I think these debates need to happen. They are owned by the British people, not owned by David Cameron or anybody else. I think, frankly, the Prime Minister should stop ducking and weaving, trying to avoid these debates.' Under plans put forward by the major broadcasters in October, the Prime Minister would take on Mr Miliband alone in one debate, with another featuring the three mainstream party leaders and a third also including Mr Farage. Ex Conservative Party Chairman Lord Tebbit has said voters will think that David Cameron is 'frit' if he dodges live TV debates with other party leaders . Lord Tebbit's comment that Mr Cameron risks looking 'frit' is a clear reference to Margaret Thatcher's 1983 taunt to then Labour deputy leader Denis Healey that he was scared of a general election. The Tory peer told The Observer: 'I don't think it is going to improve his image. I think the public will take the view that he is frit. 'And anyway, the public enjoy these confrontations. It is obviously going to be the most awful election campaign that anyone can remember, so to rob it even of this little bit of show, I think, would not be particularly pleasing to the public. 'It would certainly provide the opportunity for the other parties to say, 'What is wrong with him? Why doesn't he want to do it?' And for the more sophisticated audience, they will whisper quietly that the reason is that he bungled it in 2010.' Mr Cameron took on Nick Clegg and Labour prime minister Gordon Brown in the UK's first ever general election leaders' debates in 2010, which the Liberal Democrat leader was widely regarded to have won. Some Conservatives have blamed the debates for denying the party an overall majority. Mr Miliband and Mr Farage have also mocked the Prime Minister after it emerged he would not take part in an online question and answer session with young voters - something that the Labour and Ukip leaders, the Deputy Prime Minister and Ms Bennett have all done. Conservative backbencher David Davis, who challenged Mr Cameron for the leadership in 2005, said that attempting to avoid TV debates 'may be right tactically' but was not realistic. Mr Davis told BBC1's Sunday Politics: 'It's unavoidable. They've got to have the debate. It will happen, in an internet age. The broadcasters are controlled, the newspapers aren't. 'We've seen the Telegraph proposing a debate. It will happen. The broadcasters will then be able to cover that, just as they did with Farage versus Clegg which was on LBC and then it was on the national news that evening. That's what will happen. It will get covered.' | Labour leader says the Prime Minister of 'running scared' of taking him on .
The PM has ruled out taking part if Green leader Natalie Bennett is left out .
Former Tory chair Lord Tebbit says voters will think Mr Cameron is 'frit' |
185,470 | 7c3e930675d8e26f92b820b36f088d388f840093 | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 12:29 EST, 12 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:37 EST, 12 December 2013 . A mother’s life has been saved by doctors who completely drained her of blood. Natasha Bigby, 36, from Birmingham, suffered a rare condition which caused her arteries to fill with deadly blood clots. Surgeons had to drain her body of blood to allow them to remove the tiny clots which could have killed her. Natasha Bigly's life was saved by doctors who cleared her pulmonary arteries of blood clots after draining the blood from her body and reducing her core body temperature to just 18 degrees . They also had to reduce Ms Bigby’s body temperature from a normal 37 degrees to an incredibly low 18. Amazingly, she has now made a full recovery and is looking forward to Christmas with her daughter. Ms Bigby said: ‘When the doctors told me about the operation I was amazed. ‘Having my blood drained out of me sounded like something out of a horror film. I have a little girl and when I thought about the risks it was just awful. ‘I just had to remember that it was going to save my life.’ Ms Bigby was diagnosed with a condition called pulmonary hypertension. Ms Bigly had high blood pressure in her pulmonary artery because it was partially blocked by blood clots. This meant the blood could not easily flow through it and caused her to suffer breathlessness and chest pains . The condition occurs when the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery increases. As in Ms Bigby’s case, it can be caused by blood clots blocking the artery and making it difficult for blood to flow through it. This can cause breathlessness, fatigue, faintness and heart problems. Pulmonary endarterectomy is a surgical procedure that removes chronic blood clots from the arteries in the lungs. It involves the patient being connected to a heart-lung machine that takes over from the heart and lungs during the procedure. The patient's body is then cooled to 18 degrees - down from the normal 37 degrees - to prevent damage while the machine is switched off and the blood is removed from the body. While the arteries are briefly emptied of blood, surgeons can remove the clots. Once this has been done, the patient is warmed up to a normal body temperature and taken off the bypass machine. The operation usually takes eight to ten hours. She said: ‘I’ve always been perfectly healthy but last November I went to Jamaica to visit my grandfather. ‘He lives on the top of a hill - which I’ve always been able to walk up - but I was finding it really difficult. ‘I could hardly breathe and it just took me ages - it was then that I knew something was wrong. ‘Back . at home, I was getting really bad chest pains and swelling - my feet . were getting enormous - by the summer I could hardly breathe.’ Initially . doctors diagnosed Ms Bigby with a blood clot, but after collapsing at . her home, and suffering from chest pains, she was rushed to hospital. She said: ‘At the hospital a cardiologist told me that they needed to contact another hospital to get some advice. ‘I was getting really worried because no one seemed to know what was wrong with me and I just didn’t know what was going on. ‘They put me in the intensive care . unit and I just couldn’t understand why - everyone else in there was . really ill and I was awake and chatting away.’ Ms . Bigby was transferred to Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire where her . condition worsened and she became dependent on breathing support. Doctors had to use a heart-lung bypass machine to take over the work of her Ms Bigby's heart and lungs. The machine drained her arteries of blood meaning the surgeons could remove the clots while the arteries were emptied of blood. Image (left) shows the scar on her chest and (right) shows how swollen her feet became . She said: ‘It was at Papworth where they revealed the true extent of my condition. ‘They . explained that I’d been rushed down there because they were the only . hospital in the country that could perform the procedure. ‘I felt relieved to know that I was . in safe hands but I was so scared. I was almost inconsolable in the days . leading up to the surgery, I was scared I’d never see my daughter . again. ‘But the doctors and nurses were fantastic - they did everything they could to make me feel at ease. ‘When . the day of the operation came on August 14 I was so nervous, but I just . had to focus on the bigger picture - I needed this to save my life.’ Before her life-saving surgery, Ms Bigly's legs became very swollen because of her condition . The procedure - known as a pulmonary endarterectomy - involves the patient being put on a heart-lung bypass machine which temporarily takes over the work of the heart and lungs. The body is then cooled to a temperature of just 18 degrees to prevent damage caused by the lack of oxygenated blood flowing around the body. The surgeons then have just 20 minutes to remove the clots while the arteries are emptied of blood. Ms Bibgy said: ‘When I came round I felt better straight away. My recovery has gone swimmingly and I’m finally starting to feel like me again. ‘Getting to go home, after everything I’d been through was incredible - it’s all I’d wanted all along. Ms Bigby said: 'When the doctors told me about the operation I was amazed. Having my blood drained out of me sounded like something out of a horror film' ‘I’m truly amazed at what the surgeons at Papworth did for me, they saved my life.’ Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon David Jenkins, who leads the national PEA programme, said: ‘The pulmonary endarterectomy procedure is one of the longest and more complex cardiothoracic operations we perform. ‘Despite the technical difficulty, this procedure is very satisfying as it transforms lives, improving both quality of life and prognosis. ‘It is very rewarding to see patients, like Natasha, with a new lease of life, after struggling to breathe and do the simplest of things, like walking down the street.’ | Natasha Bigby had high blood pressure in her pulmonary artery as it was blocked with clots - meaning blood struggled to flow through it .
She needed breathing support, struggled to walk and suffered chest pain .
Surgeons at Papworth Hospital carried out a pioneering operation called pulmonary endarterectomy to remove the clots .
They had to put her on a heart-lung machine which drained the blood from her body, and then they cooled her body temperature to 18 degrees .
This gave them the chance to clear her artery while no blood was in it .
Cooling her body prevented damage being caused by the lack of blood . |
245,855 | ca359af1732d50586ee931b1e8516ab1b03ebabf | (CNN) -- Roger Federer had to work a little harder than he did Friday but the 17-time grand slam champion rallied past Tommy Haas at a Wimbledon warm-up in Germany to move one match away from winning his first title of the season. In a battle of players over 30 -- Federer turns 32 in August and Haas is 35 -- the Swiss came through 3-6 6-3 6-4 in Halle. Mikhail Youzhny awaits in the final. In the quarterfinals, Federer dispatched Haas' fellow German, Mischa Zverev, 6-0 6-0 in under 40 minutes to register only the second 'double bagel' of his glittering career. Zverev was a wildcard ranked 156th and so Federer knew he would be tested more in the last four against Haas, who beat him in the 2012 Halle finale. "Clearly I wasn't sure how well I was really playing coming into the semis," Federer said. "Happily I was able to maintain a really high level of play. "After losing the first set there is not much margin for error anymore." Federer has endured a difficult campaign -- by his standards. His only other final came at May's Rome Masters on clay, where he was beaten by Rafael Nadal in straight sets. Then at the French Open he was upset by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals. His last grand slam final came a year ago at Wimbledon when he downed home favorite Andy Murray for a seventh title at the All England Club. "Honestly I'm playing pretty good for a long period of time," he said. "Clearly I'm very happy to play the final tomorrow. It is a big final for me. After this we'll focus on Wimbledon." If Federer defeats Russia's Youzhny on Sunday -- Youzhny, too, is a veteran who turns 31 this month -- he would capture his sixth title in Halle but first since 2008. Their head-to-head record suggests Federer should be the heavy favorite. He leads Youzhny, a 6-3 6-2 winner over second-seed Richard Gasquet on Saturday, 14-0. Murray in London final . Center Court in Halle benefits from a roof but it's not the case at the Queen's Club in London, and the other men's Wimbledon warm-up this week has been affected by adverse weather. More rain Saturday led to both semifinals being delayed, with organizers eventually shifting one to an outer court. Eventually Murray, like Federer, came from a set down to progress to the final. He beat fourth-seed Tsonga 4-6 6-3 6-2 in his first event since returning from a back injury, saving two break points at 3-3 in the second set. "I managed to turn that match around against a top player," Murray told the BBC. "He's one of the best grass-court players in the world." At almost the same time, defending champion Marin Cilic ousted four-time tournament winner Lleyton Hewitt 6-4 4-6 6-2. With rain expected Sunday, organizers moved the final to 12 p.m. local time, two hours earlier than originally scheduled. | Roger Federer beats Tommy Haas in three sets to reach the final in Halle, Germany .
Federer meets Mikhail Youzhny on Sunday after the Russian eased past Richard Gasquet .
Federer is bidding to win his sixth title in Halle, a grass-court warm-up for Wimbledon .
Andy Murray advances to Queen's final and will face defending champion Marin Cilic . |
20,017 | 38d30ae4a8073277626204cd21299d325404387a | (CNN) -- Edward Dolman is Christie's first chief executive officer to have been a specialist, who understands the pressure and the nature of valuing art. Part of his mission is attracting other highly motivated specialists into their business. A Christie's employee stands beside a painting at Christie's auction house in London on July 4. Dolman was born in London in 1960 and attended Dulwich College from 1971-1978, before studying History of Art at Southampton University. He later completed a degree at the Study Centre for Fine and Decorative Arts, which had a close relationship with the Victoria and Albert Museum. Not being of blue-blood birth, he joined Christie's because of the link with Christie's South Kensington, starting out as a porter in the furniture department. After a year he assumed the role of specialist in the furniture department of South Kensington, where he would see everything from European to Chinese furniture in the high-volume saleroom over the next 10 years. Meanwhile he became an auctioneer, doing a number of off-site sales at country estates and traveling to France and Belgium to generate business in the middle market of furniture. At that time he was on the Management Committee, and South Kensington began to do great sales. Finally in 1995, he decided he wanted to become a manager and took a course at the Institute of Directors in the Mall to learn the language of business and the motivation of people. Dolman was subsequently made Managing Director of Christie's Amsterdam, applying new techniques and marketing to enhance interest in high-quality art. Twenty months later he returned to Christie's London on King Street as the Commercial Director to run Christie's Europe. As he attempted to develop new categories to win business, he was made Managing Director. In 1999 Dolman moved to New York as the International Managing Director and later as Chief Executive. Together with Christie's International Management Group, they developed an intensive five-year business plan, and Dolman took over from Christopher Davidge, as approved by Francois Pinault. | Dolman was specialist in furniture department of South Kensington for 10 years .
In 1996 he was made Managing Director of Christie's Amsterdam .
Developed five-year business plan with Christie's International Management Group . |
7,794 | 1615740f41c5d4ee72daa775638c50e8b5a4f1aa | CERN's Large Hadron Collider will be restarted in March after a £97 million upgrade that could help solve some of the universe’s greatest remaining mysteries. The world's biggest particle collider, located near Geneva in Switzerland, has been undergoing a two-year refit. Its two proton beams — each with a diameter less than a third that of a human hair — will now contain energy equivalent to the detonation of 154 tons of TNT. Scroll down for video . Upgrade: The LHC's computer screens are dark, but behind the scenes, work gave the vast machine a mighty upgrade, which will enable the collider to advance the frontiers of knowledge even farther . CERN: A worker stands below the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), a general-purpose detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, during maintenance works . It was shut down in February 2013, and will be turned back on in March 2015 - at double power, scientists revealed. Experts believe that the souped-up power will allow them to explore aspects of high-energy physics — such as dark matter, the suspected existence of new fundamental particles and gravity. It may even be possible to produce microscopic black holes. In 2012, a less powerful version of the collider confirmed existence of the Higgs boson particle, 'the God particle' which explains how fundamental matter took on the mass to form stars and planets. It led to worldwide fame for Peter Higgs, an emeritus professor of physics at Edinburgh university, who first suggested it existed and shed tears as he was awarded the Nobel prize for physics. That discovery was a landmark in physics but there are still plenty of other mysteries to be unraveled, including the nature of 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'. Mystery: How the LHC could delve into the universe's deepest secrets and reveal the hidden mysteries that have baffled scientists . New frontier: When experiments resume in 2015, scientists at CERN will use its enhanced power to probe dark matter, dark energy and supersymmetry . Scientists: A year ago, the world's largest particle collider made one of the greatest discoveries in the history of science, identifying what is believed to be the Higgs Boson -- the long-sought maker of mass . Work is now 'in full swing' to start circulating proton beams again in March, with the first collisions due by May, the European Organization for Nuclear Research said. 'With this new energy level, the (collider) will open new horizons for physics and for future discoveries,' CERN Director General Rolf Heuer said in a statement. 'I'm looking forward to seeing what nature has in store for us.' CERN's collider is buried in a 27-km (17-mile) tunnel straddling the Franco-Swiss border at the foot of the Jura mountains. The entire machine is already almost cooled to 1.9 degrees above absolute zero in preparation for the next three-year run. The old machine had several drawbacks. However, there are many other unsolved questions that could now be answered. DARK MATTER . Mysterious dark matter is one of the greatest mysteries in modern astrophysics. It cannot be seen directly with telescopes; and it does not emit or absorb light. The total mass–energy of the known universe contains 4.9 per cent ordinary matter and 27 per cent dark matter and 68.3 per cent dark energy. Experts believe that the souped up power of the collider will allow them to make dark matter. HIGGS BOSON . The existence of the Higgs boson was put forward in the 1960s to explain why the tiny particles that make up atoms have mass. Theory has it that as the universe cooled after the Big Bang, an invisible force known as the Higgs field formed. This field permeates the cosmos and is made up of countless numbers of tiny particles – or Higgs bosons. As other particles pass through it, they pick up mass. In 2012, a less powerful version of the collider confirmed existence of the Higgs boson particle, which explains how fundamental matter took on the mass to form stars and planets. ANTI MATTER - Antimatter is material composed of antiparticles, which have the same mass as particles of ordinary matter but have opposite charge and other particle properties such as lepton and baryon number, quantum spin, etc. There should be as much anti matter as matter but it has disappeared. Now scientists hope that the LHC could locate it. Energy: The LHC's particle collisions transform energy into mass, the goal being to find fundamental particles in the sub-atomic debris that help us to understand the universe . As engineers focus on the technical mission, physicists are sifting through data that the mighty atom smasher has churned out since 2010 . These include the relative lack of antimatter in the universe, when equal amounts of matter and antimatter were created in the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, and the possible existence of other new kinds of particles. Tara Shears, a physics professor at the University of Liverpool said: 'We have unfinished business with understanding the universe.' Shears works on one of the four main experiments at the collider. CERN's work can baffle non-scientists, but researchers want to find ways to make it simple to understand the work done by the large Hadron collider. The new collider uses magnets to accelerate subatomic particles called protons to near light speed. Each proton has similar energy to that of a small fly, but each bunch contains 115 billion protons and has as much energy as a 330 pound motorbike travelling at over 90 mph. There are 22,208 bunches in each beam and two beams travel in opposite directions through the tunnel and have the equivalent energy of the Eurostar train at maximum speed. Scientists aim to smash the beams together inside detectors to recreate conditions similar to the conditions existing after billionths of a second after the Big Bang. The latest Large Hadron Collider (LHC) replaced the Large Electron-Positron Collider (LEP), which ran from 1989 to 2000. It came online in 2008, but ran into problems, forcing a year-long refit. | The world's biggest particle collider is located near Geneva, Switzerland .
It has been undergoing a two-year refit at a cost of £97 million .
It was shut down in February 2013, but will be switched on in March 2015 .
A year ago, the Large Hadron Collider identified the Higgs boson .
Physicists are sifting through data that it has churned out since 2010 . |
230,378 | b6540b185c83526225eb66fa7d7eb6285dec7bdd | By . Marcus Townend, Racing Correspondent . Trainer Mick Channon will be looking for a longer race for Daily Mail colt First Class Mail after he failed to beat a rival home in his fourth career start at Leicester. Hopes were high that our chestnut, who started at 7-1, would run respectably in the six-furlong Bulmer Cider Nursery. But having lost ground at the start, First Class Mail was unable to launch any sort of challenge as he trailed in 18½ lengths behind winner and 9-2 favourite White Vin Jan. It was the worst performance of First Class Mail’s embryonic career and illustrated the ups and frequent downs of racehorse ownership. Fourth start: First Class Mail (second left) failed to beat a rival home at Leicester on Tuesday . Leicester tester: First Class Mail trails in the six-furlong Bulmer Cider Nursery in the East Midlands . Lack of a suitable opportunity meant he had to run at six furlongs and jockey Charlie Bishop said: ‘It is disappointing but we know he is better than that. We definitely have to go seven furlongs now.’ ‘He jumped at the start and lost three lengths and then was never going. He was flat out all the way. The visor he wore didn’t seem to make any difference. ‘He was racing on his own and never had any other horse around him to help him.’ It will also be hoped that the official handicapper will reassess the rating he has given the colt in the light of this latest run. Supporters: Daily mail readers (left to right) Andrew Bailey, Paul, Jockey Charles Bishop and Alan Paige . Ready to race: First Class Mail in the parade ring before entering the gates . | Daily Mail colt started the race in Leicester at 7-1 on Tuesday afternoon .
He trailed in 18 and a half lengths behind 9-2 favourite White Vin Jan .
Trainer Mick Channon will now be looking for a longer race . |
267,180 | e60e5d684e34b1ac7dd6d0a3058c56956af7e72e | (CNN) -- A San Francisco man accused of possessing bomb-making materials in his apartment also bought lethal toxins online, the FBI said in documents unsealed Friday. Ryan Kelly Chamberlain II was charged this week with possession of an illegal destructive device. Bomb technicians found a series of items in his house, leading to a manhunt that ended with his arrest Monday. Items included a powdery, green explosive substance, a model rocket motor, ball bearings and an igniter for home-made bombs, according to a different affidavit unsealed earlier this week. It did not list deadly toxins at the time. But the latest documents detail lethal poisons bought anonymously in dark, encrypted corners of the Web. "The investigation has revealed that Chamberlain has utilized an anonymous, Internet-based market place known as Black Market Reloaded to facility the unlawful acquisition and possession of biological agents and lethal toxins in California and Florida," FBI agent Michael Eldridge wrote in the latest documents. Chamberlain bought abrin from a seller in Sacramento in December, the documents allege. He said he planned to use the poison to "ease the suffering" of cancer patients, according to the documents. Abrin is a natural poison found in the rosary pea plant. It's similar to ricin, but has never been used in terrorist attacks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, he allegedly bought ground rosary peas and pure nicotine in December and June of last year, respectively. Nicotine can be used to poison food and water, according to the CDC. Chamberlain, 42, was arrested near the Golden Gate Bridge after a three-day manhunt. It's unclear if he's entered a plea. Authorities had been looking for him after searching his neighborhood on a tip that he had "items of great concern" at his home, FBI Special Agent in Charge David Johnson said. He declined to say what Chamberlain planned to do, if anything, or what motivated him. If convicted of the illegal destructive device possession charge, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. | He was charged this week with possession of an illegal destructive device .
FBI: He bought lethal poisons in dark, encrypted corners of the Web .
They included abrin, a poison similar to ricin . |
19,165 | 3648fd67ee2a827e4bed4f9ba96544b1d7ce83be | By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 20:19 EST, 24 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:06 EST, 26 March 2013 . A brave nine-year-old girl who pulled . herself from a mangled SUV, climbed out of a canyon and walked a . mile in the middle of the night to find help told relatives that she was devastated her father died in the horrific crash. Alejandro Renteria, 35, was killed around 1am on Sunday on a semi-rural stretch of the Sierra Highway in Acton, California as the pair were returning home from a party. His daughter Celia told family members in the hospital that she was cold and hurt following the accident. She walked through rugged terrain and eventually wandered into a commuter rail station and told a security guard what had happened. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Distraught: Nine-year-old Celia's father Alejandro Renteria was killed when their SUV plunged over a cliff in California in the early hours of Sunday. She survived and pulled herself out of the vehicle to find help . Terror: The girl and her father were traveling home from a family party in their SUV when it swerved off the highway into a canyon . California Highway Patrol is investigating whether alcohol played a role in the crash, according to the Associated Press. The vehicle overturned several times, said CHP Officer Cheyenne Quesada. Celia managed to crawl out of the . car and, after noticing a light about 1,000 feet in the distance, she . walked in nearly pitch-black surroundings through rugged terrain to a . nearby home, but nobody answered the door, the CHP said. She then back-tracked to check on her . father. When she saw he was still unconscious, she told authorities she . hiked up the steep embankment and along the road to a commuter rail . station where she flagged down a passing motorist at about 2.30am. Brave: Celia climbed out of the ravine to try to save her father's life but tragically he died . Death valley: A tow truck pulls the crumpled SUV out of the ravine after a 35-year-old man died . CHP Sgt. Tom Lackey told KABC-TV the girl showed commitment and courage searching for help extremely dangerous conditions. 'She walked quite a distance in a very, very threatening environment. It's very black out there, very dark,' Lackey told the TV station, adding that he'd never seen anything like it in his 28-year career. 'It's very steep and it's brushy and there's also coyotes in the background.' Responding . officers arrived to find the 35-year-old from Los Angelese had been killed, Quesada said. Tragedy: The 2010 Ford Escape, pictured, was launched about 200 feet down the embankment along a semi-rural stretch of the Sierra Highway in Acton, Southern California, about 1 a.m. on Sunday . A helicopter transported Celia to Children's Hospital Los Angeles where she was treated for minor injuries including bumps and bruises and a cut on her face. According to KABC, the girl told authorities that she and her dad were on their way back home from a party when he started having trouble maneuvering the curvy roads. | Alejandro Renteria, 35, was killed on Sierra Highway, California .
His daughter Celia suffered minor injuries in the accident . |
209,798 | 9bb926735c32f7b6ff7cb4e26a57befb9b38cc66 | (RollingStone.com) -- She's brassy, hilarious and just about the only comedian around who can almost single-handedly carry a movie to a $35 million opening: "Tammy" star Melissa McCarthy is on the cover of our Summer Double issue (on stands now), flexing her muscles for a revealing story that details her long rise to stardom and her (sometimes unusual) acting techniques. McCarthy may be known for swearing onscreen, but hanging out with contributing editor Erik Hedegaard, she offers more "holy smokies!" than f***s as she explains how she spent a decade kicking around comedy clubs in New York and Los Angeles, then gave herself a deadline: If she didn't catch a break by the time she turned 30, she'd consider giving up the dream. A week before her birthday, she got a call about an audition for "Gilmore Girls," and 14 years later, she's become one of the most reliable comedy actors in Hollywood, stealing the spotlight in movies like "Bridesmaids," "The Heat" and "Identity Thief" and chilling with Brad and Angelina at the Golden Globes. Rated XX: A brief history of female comedies . Here are five revelations from the story: . She started her career in comedy doing stand-up as a drag queen named Miss Y. When McCarthy moved to New York at age 20, her roommate, Brian Atwood, a friend from home who would go on to become a popular shoe designer, suggested she try stand-up. "I really dressed to rival a drag queen, for sure," she recalls. ("It was the time of Lady Miss Kier, RuPaul and Lady Bunny," says Atwood.) "I had a gold lamé swing coat on, a huge wig, big eyelashes," McCarthy recalls. "I talked about being incredibly wealthy and beautiful and living extravagantly." She got cast in "Bridesmaids" despite slipping into one of her "fugue states" during the audition — and rambling about dolphin sex. Doing improv with Kristen Wiig in front of Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, McCarthy blacked out and began rambling about inter-species dolphin sex. "There's not one thing you could have done to seem any stranger," she said to herself in the car home. "Sex with a dolphin? Handplay with a dolphin! You just could not have been any weirder." A year or so later, she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film. 'Saturday Night' specials: 15 great female 'SNL' hosts . She also blacks out during many of her best curse-filled tirades. When McCarthy was a kid, she'd flatten herself against dining room chairs and scare her father by grabbing his leg when he finally walked by. These days, she brings that commitment to her acting roles, getting so deep into character that she almost loses consciousness. During the end credits of "This Is 40," for instance, McCarthy tells Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, "I would like to rear up and jackknife my legs and kick you both in the f*****g jaw with my foot bone. That's what I would f*****g love. I wish my f*****g foot would go right through your skull." Now, she laughs, "When I saw that scene, I really truly didn't remember saying most of it." She was a bit of an angsty teenage goth. Early in high school, McCarthy was a preppy jock: a cheerleader and a student-council member. But when puberty hit, she dyed her hair blue-black, wore weirdo fishnets on her arms and snuck out to Chicago, where she'd frequent a club called Medusa's and dance on scaffolding. "I turned slightly nuts," she admits of the years she drank wine coolers and cheap beer — and did a little shoplifting. "We'd wrap sweaters around ourselves and walk out." (She also owns up to stealing a Chunky when she was five.) Melissa McCarthy: The runaway bridesmaid . She's actually quite happy now. Less the tortured comic genius of cliché than a married-with-kids success story, McCarthy seems almost content. When Hedegaard asks what she might be running from, the star can't come up with an answer, offering only, "I don't know." Her self-destructive habits? "I could eat healthier, I could drink less," she says. "I should be learning another language and working out more, but I'm just always saying, 'Ah, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.'" See the original story on RollingStone.com. See more comedy news at CNN Comedy. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | Melissa McCarthy covers Rolling Stone's June 21 issue .
She talks about her unusual audition for "Bridesmaids"
The actress was an angsty teen .
But now, she's quite content . |
263,011 | e0a9630ea033e882b0fe109aab6b0034785228f8 | By . Mark Nicol . PUBLISHED: . 01:09 EST, 25 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:32 EST, 27 October 2012 . Two British soldiers shot dead last week in Afghanistan may have been the victims of a revenge attack by local police. Corporal Channing Day, 25, of 3 Medical Regiment and Corporal David O’Connor, 27, of 40 Com-mando, Royal Marines, were previously thought to have been caught up in a so-called ‘friendly fire’ incident. But after interviewing witnesses and recovering fragments of ammunition, Royal Military Police investigators have ruled out the theory that the pair were shot by British Forces. Killed: Female medic Channing Day, 25, from Comber in County Down, Northern Ireland, has been shot dead while on patrol in in Afghanistan . Tragic: Miss Day (centre) smiling with friends in a photo posted on Facebook . Last night a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman confirmed that the deaths were caused by ‘a third party... not UK personnel’. Military detectives are exploring whether the soldiers were killed after British troops shot dead an Afghan policeman. And Defence Secretary Philip Hammond – . asked whether the British personnel had been killed in a ‘green on . blue’ attack, when Afghan personnel turn on their British partners – . said: ‘There is a possibility that that is what has happened but it is . not clear at this stage.’ Corporal Channing Day (left), 25, and Corporal . David O'Connor (right), 27, are believed to have been shot dead by an . Afghan policeman . Sporty: Channing Day dreamed of joining the army since she was a schoolgirl . On Wednesday morning, Cpl Day and Cpl O’Connor were patrolling through the district of Nahr-e Saraj in Helmand Province. Military sources say that when the . patrol reached the village of Char Kutsa they saw an Afghan male . crouching on the bank of a stream. The man was shot dead and later . identified as a local police officer. An Army source said: ‘The man wasn’t wearing a uniform, so there was no way of knowing he was an off-duty policeman. ‘It now seems that he was washing, a . ritual before conducting daily prayers. If the soldiers saw him with a . weapon he might have been mistaken for Taliban. Misson: Investigators were today interviewing survivors of the firefight amid the conflicting claims about what happened . At work: Channing Day was killed alongside a Royal Marine in the attack . ‘The investigation is focusing on the reasons for the decision to open fire and what happened next. ‘Other Afghan police or villagers . reacted badly to this mistaken shooting, believing they were all under . attack. The situation was messy and confusing.’ The Ministry spokeswoman added: ‘Further investigation into the involvement or otherwise of the dead Afghan male is on-going. ‘Analysis of the events surrounding . this complex incident continues and is likely to take some time while . forensic and other tests are carried out.’ Tragic: The family of Channing Day, pictured with her mother Rosemary, have been informed of her death . Loss: British Soldier Channing Day (centre) who was killed in Afghanistanypctured with friends on her Facebook page . Channing Day harboured a schoolgirl dream of joining the Army, a teacher at her former school said. As a bubbly and sporty teenager in Northern Ireland she completed work experience with the forces in 2002 and worked well with everybody there, Strangford College acting principal Paul Maxwell added. She was always physically fit and achieved top grades in PE, excelling at gymnastics, trampolining and netball. Mr Maxwell said: 'She always said she wanted to join the Army, she was pretty much focused on wanting to join the Army.' He said her sporting prowess revealed her gritty determination to succeed. 'It was not just that she was good but that she always showed commitment, she stayed after school and did all the practice,' he added. Ms Day left school at 16 and Mr Maxwell said he believed she went straight into the Army. The acting principal added: 'Every pupil is dear to us and I can remember Channing as if it was yesterday, somebody we remember as being young, and still so young, is suddenly killed in such a tragic way.' Cpl Day, from County Down, Northern . Ireland, was the third female member of British Forces to be killed on . operations in Afghanistan. Colleagues considered her a rising star and . she was an outstanding sportswoman. She joined the Army in 2005 and . deployed to Helmand Province at the beginning of October. She had completed previous tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cpl O’Connor, from Havant, Hampshire, was on his third tour of Afghanistan having joined the Royal Marines in 2002. He had deployed to Helmand at the end of September. A total of 435 British military personnel have been killed in Afghanistan since operations started in 2001. Yesterday Cpl Day’s sister, Lauren, said there were no words to describe the sadness felt by her family in Comber, County Down. She said: ‘We are an extremely close family and this has hit us all hard. ‘Channing loved the Army. If there . was one thing she knew growing up, it was that she wanted to be a . soldier – she would march around the living room and never missed . cadets. ‘Channing grew up into the bravest, beautiful, determined woman. ‘She has done more in her 25 years than most women her age and we are so very proud of everything she has achieved. | Medic Channing Day and Corporal David O'Connor have both been killed .
Conflicting reports on what caused the death of the British soldiers .
But Afghan source claimed the deaths .
were from 'green on blue' attack .
Claims Afghan policeman who was washing in a stream in civilian clothes was mistaken for Taliban and shot by the British troops .
This type of attack is where coalition troops are killed .
by their Afghan allies .
435 UK .
service members have died since operations began in Afghanistan . |
184,230 | 7aa247607780175e8201aa1590d593436fbaba3f | The City of Los Angeles has grown more than any major metropolitan city in America since the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1900, the city Angels had little over 100,000 people but it wasn't until people moved west, especially after World War II, the population in the Los Angeles area really exploded. In the late 1880s several small independent electric companies worked to bring power to Southern California. In 1897, West Side Lighting Co. and Los Angeles Electric Co. merged to form Edison Electric Co. of Los Angeles, . As electricity expanded it also played a vital role in creating and expanding the infrastructure. Edison Company photographers also documented the process, leaving a vast archive of photos that reveal the interiors of businesses, restaurants, nightclubs,hotels and other architectural gems of early Los Angeles. Organised by William . Deverell, history professor at University of Southern California and Greg Hise, professor of history at the University of Nevada, the pictures show . life in LA in the 1940s and how the introduction of electricity impacted daily life around the home and the outside world. It's . part of an online exhibition entitled ' Form and Landscape: Southern California Edison and the Los Angeles Basin, 1940–1990' and features 70,000 digitized photos from the . Southern California Edison archive of The Huntington Library, Art . Collections, and Botanical Gardens. 'I’ve been fascinated with the Edison archive since it arrived here,' said Deverell of the tremendous trove of images. 'It’s . such a gold mine of history—from the late 19th century to the late 20th . century Edison had photographers out in the field documenting . everything from the installation of telephone poles to various other . electrical applications. Now we get to have some fun, dig more deeply, . and look for what else is in these pictures—behind the telephone poles . and switching stations. And there’s a lot there.' Shopping Bag Market, (Doug White): The neon lighting on this supermarket was ' as effective during daylight hours as it was at night' Hemet: Main Street, circa 1940: A quiet streetscape in LA - how common might such a scene be these days? The Famous Merle's Drive-in (Visalia), ca. 1950: The pictures provide a comprehensive glimpse into a post-war society remaking cultural and social history . Expanding electrics: This is part of nearly one hundred mile power line (then the world¿s longest) Midnight swim: As Los Angeles became electrified, lifestyles began to change . Men at work: The Southern California Edison archive holds a jaw-dropping array of 70,000 images; these date from the late nineteenth century through the early 1970s . Artist unknown, Safety First, 1915: A quiet LA road - above powerlines can be seen as electrification takes hold across Southern California . Gas power and electrics: Though not the first electrical utility company on the regional scene, Edison had grown to be the biggest and most important by the early twentieth century . I'll wash up: This must be one of the early dishwashers in perhaps the clearest example of how electricity was altering people's lifestyles and making things altogether more convenient . Home comforts: The pictures tell a story of better living, improvement, and uplift all made possible through the power of electricity or 'white gold,' the company¿s term of art for its product . Evening meal at Pokeys: The collection of 70,000 photographs offers a twentieth century vision of better living through electrification . Then and now: Electricity, specifically electric lighting, extended the given hours in a day when commercial or leisure activities could occur . | Pictures show how electricity altered life forever in Southern California .
More than 70,000 photos were taken by workers of the electric company, Edison .
A snapshot of life from homes and businesses, work and play . |
90,914 | 00ed02b883afcc19969e2148693189dca865e7ba | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 06:10 EST, 21 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:32 EST, 21 May 2013 . Snuggling tenderly on the sofa, Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp could not seem more in love as they share a laugh over their pet monkey - in their final photograph together before he shot her dead. The photo provides a moving insight into the life of the lovers, who friends claim appeared every inch South Africa's golden couple. But four days after it was taken, Reeva would be dead and Pistorius in court accused of murder. Golden couple: The photo provides a moving insight into the life of the lovers, who friends claim appeared every inch South Africa's perfect couple . 'He was tickling her,' Pistorius' best friend Christo Menelaou, who took the picture, told South Africa's You magazine. 'They were lovers and also real friends.' Christo, 34, who said Pistorius had grown a thick beard since his girlfriend's death, added: 'He cries a lot and says over and over, "I’m sorry".' Pistorius denies murder, claiming he shot his model girlfriend by accident because he believed a burglar had entered their home while they slept. It comes as it was today reported detectives investigating Reeva's death have questioned a blonde socialite over her relationship with the Blade Runner amid claims the two shared flirty text messages and canoodled at a party. Junior PR executive Erin Stear, 25, gave a statement to police under oath in which she denied having an affair with Pistorius, according to The Sun. A source told the paper: 'Erin met Oscar when Reeva was his girlfriend. They hit it off and met up again after messaging each other. She was really excited about getting to know him.' Also today, Pistorius' brother Carl appeared in court . charged with killing a woman with his 4x4 in a road . accident in 2008. The brother: The picture was revealed by You magazine today - the same day Pistorius' brother Carl appeared in court charged with killing a woman on a motorbike with his 4x4 in a road accident 2008 . Prosecutors say Carl Pistorius was . driving an SUV in March 2008 when he collided with a female . motorcyclist. The woman, Marietjie Barnard, died in a hospital. Although . the culpable homicide charge against Carl was initially dropped, it was . reinstated this year after forensic evidence and reports from the . accident scene became available, according to prosecutors. The Pistorius family said last month that Carl deeply regretted the incident, but insisted it was a 'tragic accident.' He was not under the influence of alcohol, the family said. In the dock: Pistorius denies murder, claiming he shot his model girlfriend, believing a burglar had entered their home while they slept . Tragedy: Reeva Steenkamp died after being shot in the bathroom at Pistorius' home . Blade Runner: Pistorius' coach claims the South African is not ready to head back into action . It comes days after Oscar Pistorius revealed he will not return to the track for the rest of the year so he can focus on his looming court case. Pistorius . stands accused of premeditated murder after the death of his girlfriend . Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot dead on Valentine's Day at his Pretoria . home. The 'Blade Runner', . who was released on bail in February, will be back in court on June 4 . and is likely to stand trial before the end of 2013. But the Paralympian’s coach Ampie Louw . revealed Pistorius has turned down invitations to take part in major . international athletic events and will stay away from the track. Louw said: 'We have decided as a team we are not talking [about] any training or athletics. 'We have postponed [races] for the whole year.' | Four days later, Reeva would be dead and Pistorius accused of her murder .
Friend Christo Menelaou said: 'He was tickling her. They were best friends'
Says the Paralympian has grown thick beard and cries a lot saying 'I'm sorry'
Comes as Pistorius' brother Carl appears in court charged with homicide . |
123,349 | 2b728e9e2b3ee0a725e68852269fb2401b7eecff | At the last race in Barcelona, I was out there to win, but unfortunately it didn't quite work out for me. I narrowly missed out on pole position to Lewis in qualifying, so my next chance was at the start of the race, but I didn't get away well and that is a weakness of our team at the moment. From then on, I was quicker than my team-mate during the race which was positive, once again, but in Barcelona it is very, very tough to follow the car ahead and not only that, but to pass the car ahead, too. You also have to factor in that we both have the same cars and identical machinery. Chasing: Nico Rosberg was faster than Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona but it's a very tough track to overtake on . In the lead: Hamilton has now won four races in a row - but Rosberg hopes to break his dominance . So, we tried everything with the strategy, and the team gave me the best-possible chance to have a good chance of winning at the end of the race. The only way for the guy behind - which was me in this case - to have a chance of overtaking is to get a big speed differential at the end of the grand prix. So, you do that by taking on the hard Pirelli compound in a longer middle stint, and then finish the race on the soft, option tyre with a shorter stint. Whereas the other guy - which was Lewis - would have the hard compound tyre in the final stint. . This strategy is slower on total race time, but if you are quicker but stuck behind - as I was - it gives you the best possibility to overtake. I said after the race that I needed one more lap to give it a shot at overtaking Lewis and that was definitely the case because it was so close. The race was just one lap too short for me. . Too short: One more lap and the German driver would have had a shot at overtaking Hamilton . It was amazing to see that not only did we retain our dominance in Spain, but maybe we even extended it, and that was spectacular from a team point of view and really showed that we have come of age and that we are really are becoming a serious force in F1 which is great and hugely impressive. I don't believe that our dominance however, is having a negative impact on the sport. Of course, I like having a quick car, but even at the races where Mercedes have been faster than the rest we have seen exciting races, like in Bahrain and Barcelona where Lewis and I are battling each other. It is a fresh start for the sport and a change from the dominance of Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel, and I think that is a good thing for Formula One. Dominance: Mercedes have now won the opening five races - but that is not a negative thing for the sport . Of course it is important to stop Lewis because, at this moment in time, he has the result momentum and I need to try and break that this weekend. The Monaco Grand Prix is very different to any other race. It is just that little bit more intense, and more spectacular with the track, the atmosphere - it is right in the city - and the fact that it is just amazing to drive. There is always loads happening, especially for the team and the sponsors and I also have my friends coming down for the weekend. I have a friend's birthday party on the Thursday, so I will be spending time with my mates, and with the race team doing numerous sponsor events. Monaco is my home town, too, and I have great memories of winning there last year, so I am looking forward to racing there again. It is just the ultimate driving challenge. To get it right on a Monaco lap is so difficult, so in my opinion, there is no tougher track on the calendar. Winner: Rosberg celebrates his brilliant win at Monaco last year - the race is his favourite on the calendar . Victory: The Monaco race was one of two wins for the 28-year-old last season . As a team we are really thinking about the sport and we want to make it better. At last week's test in Barcelona, we trialled this 'trumpet' exhaust but unfortunately it did not have the effect on the sound when we took to the track as it did when we tested it back at the factory. So, everybody needs to keep working on it. The noise is an important part of the sport, and I understand that the fans want more sound so the sport has to find a solution. Trumpet: The 'trumpet' exhaust did not produce the desired noise, and everyone will keep working on it . I spent last weekend at the Le Mans MotoGP which was really cool. It was the first time that I have been to a MotoGP event and it is very exciting to watch. The racing is spectacular and the machines are unbelievable; they are so fast! But it is not something I would ever like to have a go at. The risk, for me, is just one step beyond what I would be willing to take to have fun, so I think I'll stick to my race car. It was amazing to meet Valentino Rossi and some other drivers and to watch their starting procedure. Spectacular: Rosberg spent last weekend at the Le Mans MotoGP with the likes of Valentino Rossi . On the grid: Rosberg poses with Oxford-born rider Bradley Smith, who eventually finished 9th . I also managed to watch Bayern Munich's cup triumph over Borussia Dortmund. We won 2-0, and I saw the game with my whole family on the television. We had a bit of a lucky break to be honest, because Dortmund scored - the ball was well over the line - but it didn't count because the referee didn't think it had gone in. It was still great to get the victory, because winning is all that matters, but that said, they are not at their best, and they need to turn things round again. Bayern's manager Pep Guardiola has done a great job, but somehow the team has lost its touch. Double: Nico was also at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin to watch Bayern Munich win the DFB-Pokal Cup . Over in England, you also had the FA Cup last weekend, and three Germans, Lukas Podolski, Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil, were part of the winning team for Arsenal which is fantastic for the World Cup because it will give them a huge confidence boost ahead of this summer's tournament. I will meet our boys in the training camp next Tuesday to do some photo shoots and marketing activities with Mercedes-Benz. I always look forward to joining them before a big tournament. It’s nice to exchange thoughts and get some impressions of how their training is going. 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 started badly in Barcelona, which is a weakness of our team right now .
Despite being quicker than Lewis during the race it is very tough to follow and pass the car ahead on that track .
Because of our tyre strategy, one more lap in the race and I could well have overtaken Lewis .
Mercedes' dominance is not having a negative impact on the sport .
The Monaco Grand Prix is an amazing race to drive - there is no tougher track on the calendar . |
8,239 | 17531b5e8468d5b4755d9b57e6e8b2c1e79e4c74 | New York (CNN) -- Evelyn Lauder, a member of the Estee Lauder cosmetic company who helped create the pink ribbon symbol for breast cancer awareness, died Saturday in New York City. She was 75. Lauder died from complications of ovarian cancer at her home with her family by her side, the company said. The Vienna, Austria, native fled Nazi-occupied Europe with her parents, eventually settling in New York City. As a college freshman, she was introduced to the man she would marry, Leonard A. Lauder, the son of Estee and Joseph Lauder, who co-founded the cosmetics company. Lauder joined the family business and rose to be senior corporate vice president and head of fragrance development worldwide. Perhaps best known as an advocate for women's health, Lauder helped to create the pink ribbon, the now ubiquitous symbol for breast cancer awareness. She is survived by her husband, two sons and five grandchildren. "My mother carried the torch of our company heritage and the values that were passed to her by my grandmother, Mrs. Estee Lauder," her son, William Lauder, said in a statement. "My mother and father were life partners as well as business partners. They nurtured the culture and growth of the Estee Lauder companies, and as we grew, my mother was our creative compass and pillar of strength. Together my family and the company celebrate the beautiful person she was." | Evelyn Lauder dies from complications of ovarian cancer .
Lauder helped create the pink ribbon as a symbol of breast cancer awareness .
She is survived by her husband, two sons and five grandchildren . |
265,566 | e3f023af6dad50123446309e77689e98cba4defa | Iran's footballers have been warned they could face punishment if they take selfies with female fans who have turned out in droves to see their idols play at the Asian Cup. The head of the Iranian Football Federation's moral committee said players risked being used as a 'political tool' if snapped with female fans. Women are banned from attending men's sports events in the Islamic republic but they have flocked to see Iran's games hosted by Australia where no such rule applies. Alireza Haghighi (left) could be punished by Iranian Football Federation's moral committee for taking selfies with fans during the Asian Cup in Australia . Women are banned from attending men's sports events in the Islamic republic of Iran . But female fans have flocked to see the Iranian team's games in Australia where no such rule appplies . Head of Iranian Football Federation's moral committee, Ali Akbar Mohamedzade, issued the warning last week as photos of players with female fans circulated on social media. 'National team players should be aware that they won't be used as a political tool so that those who take pictures with them don't use these photos against the players,' Iran's Shahrvand newspaper quoted him as saying. 'So according to this they should not take photos with everyone. If the players don't respect this, we will be obliged to take action.' However, there has not been any details on what punishment the players might face. Enthusiastic male and female fans of Iran, many wearing the team shirt, have been a prominent feature throughout the Asian Cup. A female fan holding an Iranian flag inscribed with a marriage proposal to Haghighi emblazoned across it . Iranian players were warned that they risk being used as a 'political tool' if snapped with female fans . The scenes are a stark contrast with the situation in Iran, where women are banned from men's sports events on moral grounds. Iran's Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz has carefully steered clear of any controversy, giving a firm 'no comment' when asked about the presence of women fans. One female fan tweeted pictures of goalkeeper Ali Reza Haghighi and midfielder Karim Ansari Fard posing with women. While another photo shows a woman holding an Iranian flag inscribed with a marriage proposal to Haghighi: 'Will Alireza marry me?' emblazoned across it. The three-time champions are already through to the quarter-finals and their games have been vocally supported by thousands of fans with some banging drugs and blowing trumpets. 'We are monitoring what is happening in Australia, we haven't sent any representative to Australia,' Mohamedzade was quoted as saying. Enthusiastic male and female fans of Iran, many wearing the team shirt, have been a prominent feature throughout the Asian Cup . | Iran players could face punishment if they take selfies with female fans .
Women are banned from attending men's sports events in Islamic republic .
But flocked to see Iran's games hosted by Australia where no rule applies .
Players warned they risked being used as 'political tools' with selfies .
There hasn't been any details on what punishment the players might face . |
171,187 | 698e66bac597e3f506af3920b09dcfa03bdbb0fd | The Earth's outermost shell is constantly moving, dragging continents apart and pushing them together. But exactly what caused this colossal movement three billion years ago has been a mystery. Now, researchers in Australia believe they have the answer: the motion, they claim, started because of gravity. This animation shows an early buoyant continent slowly spreading toward the still plate (blue). After 45 million years, a short-lived area develops, where the plate goes under. This allows the continent to surge toward the ocean, leading to the detachment of a continental block and triggering modern-day plate tectonics . Scientists at Sydney University suggest that whole continents flattened out under their own weight, and this eventually became a self-sustaining process. The team has created computer models to explain how layered rocks can appear on a young, hot Earth, even without modern plate tectonics . There are eight major tectonic plates that move above the Earth's mantle at rates up to 150 millimetres every year. The process involves plates being dragged into the mantle at certain points and moving away from each other at others, in what has been dubbed 'the conveyor belt'. University of Sydney's cmputer models suggest that these spreading early continents would have imposed an horizontal stress strong enough to force adaject plates to be pushed under their edges . As plates spread out under their own weight, they would begin to melt on the bottom, due to the heat below . This would trigger a subduction - the process that takes place at boundaries by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate and sinks into the mantle as the plates converge . When plates smash together, they make mountains, and when they spread apart, molten rock comes to the surface and makes new crust. Scientists at suggest that whole continents flattened out under their own weight. This is because early continents could have placed major stress on the surrounding plates. Because they were buoyant they spread horizontally, forcing adjacent plates to be pushed under at their edges. This spreading of the early continents could have produced intermittent episodes of plate tectonics until, as the Earth's interior cooled and its crust and plate mantle became heavier. Plate tectonics became a self-sustaining process which has never ceased and has shaped the face of our modern planet. The movement depends on the relationship between density of rocks and temperature. For instance, at mid-oceanic ridges, rocks are hot and their density is low, making them buoyant or more able to float. As they move away from those ridges they cool down and their density increases until, where they become denser than the underlying hot mantle, they sink and are 'dragged' under. But three to four billion years ago, the Earth's interior was hotter, volcanic activity was more prominent and tectonic plates did not become cold and dense enough to spontaneously sink. 'So the driving engine for plate tectonics didn't exist,' explained Associate Professor Patrice Rey, from the University of Sydney's School of Geosciences. 'Instead, thick and buoyant early continents erupted in the middle of immobile plates. When plates smash together, they make mountains such as the Himalayas (pictured), and when they spread apart, molten rock comes makes new crust. But what triggered this process had been a mystery . 'Our modelling shows that these early continents could have placed major stress on the surrounding plates. 'Because they were buoyant they spread horizontally, forcing adjacent plates to be pushed under at their edges.' 'This spreading of the early continents could have produced intermittent episodes of plate tectonics until, as the Earth's interior cooled and its crust and plate mantle became heavier. 'Plate tectonics became a self-sustaining process which has never ceased and has shaped the face of our modern planet.' The Earth's outermost shell is constantly moving, dragging continents apart and pushing them together. Pictured is the fault in the landscape caused by continental drift between North American and Eurasian tectonic plates at Thingvellir National Park near Reykjavik, Iceland . | Computer models show how continents placed stress on surroundings .
Because they were buoyant, the early continents spread horizontally .
This forced the adjacent plates to be pushed under at their edges .
The whole process triggered movement in Earth's eight major plates . |
95,442 | 06abb0a37927a78da4688cf340cc8851101baa76 | Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has launched his new trainer with Nike, the LeBron 12, which will be released to the public next month. Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James, who rejoined the Cavaliers this summer after four years with the Miami Heat, posed with the footwear at the launch on Tuesday in Portland, Oregon. The double NBA Championship winner will wear the shoes, which have been tailored to suit his game with their new hexagonal Nike Zoom Air bags, throughout next season. LeBron James poses with the new LEBRON 12 which has been designed by Nike to suit his game . Cleveland Cavalier star Lebron James kisses his new LEBRON 12 traines at the product's launch . The trainers will come in six colorways, each inspired by James' game, and released between Octover 11 and December 20. The colorways are NSRL (Nike Sport Research Lab), Heart of a Lion, Dunk Force, Six Meridians, Trillion Dollar Man and Data. Kelly Hibler, Nike Basketball VP of Footwear, said: 'We've combined the art and science of engineering in the LEBRON 12 to advance the game of basketball's best player.' Lebron James was enthusiastic about the new footwear which features Hexagonal-shaped Zoom Air bags . The LEBRON 12s will be available in six colourways, to be released by Nike between now and Christmas . | LeBron James launches new Nike LEBRON 12 brand .
Trainers have hexagonal Nike Zoom Air bags .
Nike say the footwear has been engineered to suit James' game .
LeBron will wear the trainers throughout next season . |
162,663 | 5e4eab28385828f04c1bbf39017640c160547d25 | By . Katie Nicholl . and Jonathan Petre . The Queen has risked an international outcry by inviting the King of Bahrain to a Diamond Jubilee banquet despite widespread criticism of his bloody and repressive regime. The English-educated Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is on the guest list for a lunch hosted by the Queen in May at Windsor Castle. He is also thought to be among those invited to a champagne dinner given by Prince Charles the same evening at Buckingham Palace. The invitations will infuriate human rights campaigners and MPs angry at the Gulf state’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations. Royal guest: The Queen receives the King of Bahrain at Buckingham Palace in 2004 . The country’s despotic rulers were accused of using brute force and torture to crush the protests last year, which saw more than 50 civilians killed and thousands arrested. The Bahrain royal family has direct control of the police, army and security services. The king’s son, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, was last year invited to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton but pulled out at the last minute in a move that spared the couple from potential embarrassment. Human rights activists had threatened to disrupt Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s stay in London, insisting he was the chief architect of the crackdown. In January, the Countess of Wessex came under pressure to return lavish jewels given to her by the Bahrain royal family during a pre-Christmas visit to the country. Despot: The English-educated King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa, leaves Number 10 Downing Street in December last year . One set of jewels came from the king and another from the prime minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the king’s uncle. The crown prince gave her a silver and pearl cup and her husband, the Earl of Wessex, received a silk rug. Continuing unrest on the streets of Bahrain has also led to calls for this month’s Formula 1 race there to be cancelled, with critics including ex-world champion Damon Hill. One protester was shot dead last week when riot police used tear gas and live bullets against demonstrators. Buckingham Palace aides said yesterday that the King of Bahrain had not yet confirmed that he will attend the Diamond Jubilee lunch, which will take place at Windsor on May 18 and which will be a historic and intimate gathering of crowned heads. During the Golden Jubilee the Queen hosted a party for the sovereigns of Europe, but this is a much wider gathering of reigning monarchs from around the world. Palace aides said the luncheon would tie in with the ‘Big Lunch’ theme of the Jubilee celebrations which encourages the British public to organise street meals around the country to celebrate. Prince Charles has organised a dinner on the same evening at Buckingham Palace as a personal ‘thank you’ to his mother, who will celebrate her 60 years on the Throne with a weekend of celebrations in June. While the Prince’s dinner is expected to be an elaborate affair, and is likely to be organised by his former valet Michael Fawcett, who now runs a catering business, the Queen’s lunch will be catered ‘in house’ and may be staged in the gardens of Windsor Castle. Aides said it was the Queen’s idea to host the lunch and she was ‘delighted’ when Prince Charles offered to throw a dinner. It is understood that the reigning heads of Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands and Norway will all attend the lunch. Crowned heads from further afield are expected to include the Emperor of Japan, the King of Tonga and rulers from the Middle Eastern kingdoms including President Khalifa bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, the Sultan of Brunei, Sheikh Ahmad Hmoud Al-Sabah of Kuwait and the Emir of Qatar. Crackdown: Bahraini riot police take cover from petrol bombs hurled by protesters during clashes in Sanabis village, near Manama, after they broke up a march in support of a jailed human rights activist on Wednesday . Dissent: Graffiti in Barbar, Bahrain, depicts the King in a race car, calling for a boycott of this year's Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for April 22 . Bloodied: Protesters carry an injured man during a clash with police in the suburbs of Manama last month. The King of Bahrain declared a state of emergency for three months to deal with unrest which swept the country . It is believed the elderly King of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, has declined the invitation but is sending the crown prince in his place. The Saudi Arabian royal family has also been criticised for human-rights abuses, as has another invitee, the King of Swaziland, Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch. A Palace source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It was the Queen’s decision to host the lunch and her decision to invite every world sovereign. It would have been very rude to have left anyone off the list and the Queen would never want to offend anyone.’ The source added: ‘Charles can’t make the Queen’s luncheon as he and Camilla are on official engagements, but he will be hosting the evening celebrations and he is sparing no expense on the meal, which will all be organic, and the champagne, which will flow all night.’ Bahrain has been battling to restore its international reputation since last year’s violent clashes between security forces and anti-government demonstrators. Trading gifts: Prince Charles is presented with an ornate sword by the King of Bahrain during a tour of the gulf in 2007. The two will meet again when the Prince hosts a champagne dinner at Buckingham Palace in May . In February 2011, 35 people were killed and hundreds wounded in Pearl Square in Bahrain’s capital Manama when security forces used rubber bullets, tear gas, batons and then live ammunition to disperse protesters. Inspired by revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets demanding greater freedom and democratic reforms. Protesters wanted political prisoners released, more jobs and housing and the removal of the prime minister, who has been in office for 40 years. Tensions between the country’s Sunni elite and the less affluent Shia majority have intensified since Bahrain’s independence from the UK in 1971. Shia groups say they are marginalised, repressed and subjected to unfair laws. According to reports, since February 2011 scores of demonstrators have been killed and hundreds tortured, while thousands have been dismissed or suspended from their jobs. Cosy: David Cameron meets the King of Bahrain at 10 Downing Street in December last year. The Coalition is said to have authorised the sale of £2.2million worth of arms to the oppressive Bahraini regime last summer . At the height of the killings, David Cameron greeted the crown prince at No 10, and between July and September 2011 the Coalition reportedly authorised the sale of £2.2million of arms to the regime. Bahrain’s rulers have promised to introduce reforms to increase democracy, but campaigners say they have yet to implement them. Buckingham Palace refused to comment on the guest list last night. A spokesman said: ‘We can’t confirm who has been invited or who has accepted.’ A spokesman for Prince Charles said: ‘We can’t comment on the dinner or any of the guests who may or may not have been invited because we haven’t announced anything yet.’ | Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's regime is accused of killing and torturing civilians during last year's pro-democracy demonstrations .
The King of Bahrain is also set to attend a champagne dinner hosted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace .
Outcry expected from human rights campaigners and MPs .
Pressure mounts for this month's Bahrain Formula 1 race to be cancelled after police using tear gas and live bullets shot a protester dead last week . |
110,907 | 1b02f01803afee835acd29632af059040f7d02e4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:33 EST, 3 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:01 EST, 3 September 2012 . A man has walked for the first time in 26 years after a road accident left him in a wheelchair at the age of 21. Mark Hornby sustained serious head injuries in 1986 and doctors warned his parent he could be a 'vegetable' for the rest of his life. But Mr Hornby proved them wrong and thanks to martial arts classes he can now stand unaided and move a few steps. Scroll down for video . Mark Hornby stands with the aid of martial arts instructor John Turner . Mark started attending John Turner's academy in Brigg, Lincolnshire when it first opened in 2000. He said the classes gave him the confidence to start stretching himself. 'I like coming here,' said Mark. 'It’s made me much more flexible. John has made me stand and I’ve been breaking wooden boards. 'When I’m warming up and John tells me to stand for 10 seconds, I always increase my targets and I say make it 20. 'He gets me to recite about how I am calm, I am positive, I am confident in order to control my breathing.' Now there is hope Mark will eventually be able to walk again properly. Speaking about Mark’s remarkable journey, Mr Turner said: 'We are now on the brink of something phenomenal. 'I really believe Mark will be walking . in the not too distant future. He has the determination, perseverance . and spirit to make it happen. 'When he first came into the academy, he . didn’t know if he could do anything, so I taught him some hand . techniques. He eventually moved on to hand hitting, using nunchucks - a . type of martial arts fighting sticks - and board breaking.' 'I got him a new tripod frame and he’s now standing with that. 'He’s got strength . in his body to stand - the challenge now is overcoming his mind, so . that’s why we’re using the ancient martial arts methods of mind, body . and spirit. 'I know he . can do it - he’s not giving up.' Mark Hornby with proud parents Liz and Bob. The couple didn't think their son would live after the car accident . Mark was hit by a car when he was a student at the University of Bradford in 1986, which left him in a coma for nine months. He spent almost a year in Hull Royal Infirmary and was later transferred to Castle Hill Hospital to start his rehabilitation. Mark’s father, Bob Hornby, 79, said: 'We . didn’t think he would live, to be honest. He had massive head and . internal injuries and he broke his legs so has been in a wheelchair and . we were told he always would be.' Mark's parents said martial arts has given their son 'everything to live for' after it dramatically increased his mobility. His father added: 'Mark has a fantastic sense of humour and that’s what’s kept him alive and going forward - he’s got his own house now and we have carers going in 24/7.' Mark's mother Liz, 76, said: 'When he first came home from hospital he could do very little. They more or less told us to put him in a home because they said he would be like a vegetable and we wouldn’t be able to look after him, but I wanted to give it a try. 'His body has built new brain cells over the years. He’s had to build up the repetition of sending the signal that he wants to stand until it clicks into place. 'It’s been a very long and slow process. Every year he can do something that he couldn’t do the last, but it’s small progress all the same.' | Martial arts classes helped to strengthen Mark's body .
He can now stand unaided and move a few steps . |
91,536 | 01c187adea04c1cf9dcfb1afeadc4c4b3f2b16b8 | It has given Mary Berry’s career a big boost - and it seems that the Great British Bake Off may have done wonders for another old favourite, too. Industry figures show sales of butter are soaring as margarine falls out of favour. The amount of block butter sold last year was up 8.7 per cent, with a 6 per cent boost for spreadable tubs. Mary Berry has helped boost the popularity of baking, which has contributed to soaring butter sales . Experts suggested that a boom in home baking was behind the improved figures, as well as a narrowing of the price gap between butter and margarine. Stuart Ibberson of Arla Foods, whose butters Anchor and Lurpak reported the strongest growth, also suggested that shoppers ‘are moving towards more natural products, away from products such as margarine that are often packed full of additives’. The baking boom has helped sales of block butter soar 8.7 per cent last year . Indeed, sales of other spreads and margarine have fallen – with Flora among the hardest hit. Its sales dropped 7.4 per cent, partly due to a change in its recipe. Analysts claim it lost more than £24million in sales due to tweaking the spread’s formula. Last month, its makers Unilever announced that it was ditching the new-style Flora after 17 months. The company had spent £29million on improving the taste and health benefits of the spread – but is reverting to the old recipe. Shoppers said the lower fat version of . the popular margarine brand was ‘disgusting,’ complaining of an oily . consistency, artificial taste and ‘rancid’ smell, with many shoppers . saying they threw full tubs away and would not be buying it again. Magazine The Grocer says that deals . have also been important to the growth of butter and industry experts . say that price has played a key role in butter’s gains over the past . year. ‘A narrowing price gap between butter . and margarine, as well as evolving consumer habits, are key drivers . behind the margarine decline,' it was reported. Tim . Eales, strategic insight director at market analysts IRI, told the . magazine: ‘The declining sales of margarine must be a concern for the . industry.’ | Sales of block butter rose 8.7% last year and spreadable was up 6% .
Flora among hardest hit by switch from margarine with sales dropping 7.4% . |
44,769 | 7e38808cb5c170f39a4cbc6abbc45c00e73eef34 | This is the incredible moment a baby elephant was flown in the back of a four-seater plane to escape from poachers who slaughtered its entire family. The young orphan, named Max, was rescued after 100 other elephants, including its relatives, were killed by poachers between Chad and Cameroon in Central Africa. It was squeezed into the back of the small aircraft alongside Gary Roberts, an American nurse and missionary, before being flown to Mr Roberts's house for medical treatment. Scroll down for video . Incredible rescue: This baby elephant was flown in the back of a four-seater plane to escape from poachers . Taking a back seat: The orphan, named Max, was rescued after 100 other elephants, including its relatives, were killed by poachers between Chad and Cameroon in Central Africa. Above, it sits in the back of the plane . Footage shows the 353lb elephant waving its trunk around as it sits in the plane, before gripping a bottle of water in its jaws. At one point, the animal can even be seen repeatedly throwing its trunk over Mr Roberts's shoulder as he strokes it affectionately on the head. 'With an animal that size, you can feel its weight shifting in the aircraft,' Mr Roberts later told BBC News. Unfortunately, Max died just a few days after his ordeal in March 2013 as a result of his traumatic experience and the cow's milk he was fed in a village before being rescued. Can't sit still: Footage shows the 353lb baby elephant waving its trunk around as it sits in the small aircraft . Weighty: 'With an animal that size, you can feel its weight shifting in the aircraft,' Mr Roberts told BBC News . 'Massacre': The poachers killed 100 elephants between Chad and Cameroon (pictured) in Central Africa . Although the footage was captured at the time of the rescue last year, it has only recently surfaced online. Social media users have deemed the video 'heartbreaking' with many condemning the poachers for their 'massacre' of the baby elephants' family. One wrote: 'A sad story of genuine humans giving it all to try and save the only survivor of poachers' massacre.' Another added: 'How sad that the elephant died after all that effort.' Captured on video: Although the footage was captured in March 2013, it has only recently surfaced online . Squeezed in: Social media users have deemed the video 'heartbreaking' with many condemning the poachers' 'massacre' of the baby elephants' family. One wrote: 'How sad that the elephant died after all that effort' | Orphan, named Max, was rescued by Gary Roberts and other missionaries .
Poachers had slaughtered its family between Chad and Cameroon in Africa .
It was squeezed into back of small plane, before being flown for treatment .
Despite its rescue, it died just days later as result of traumatic experience . |
163,610 | 5f8f8e92bab77a09dc29cf1b45dc8ee796195ddb | (CNN) -- If you're traveling abroad, your laptop could be attacked. That much, is certain, according to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, which warned this week that hackers are "targeting travelers abroad through pop-up windows while establishing an internet connection in their hotel rooms." The warning comes from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, or the IC3. But it lacks so many key details that security experts wonder if it's of any use. It doesn't say where these attacks have occurred, how prevalent they are, or how exactly they work. Graham Cluely, a blogger with antivirus vendor Sophos, found the lack of details peculiar. "What's fascinating about the advisory is what it doesn't say," he wrote on his blog Thursday. "And without more information it's hard to know how computer users are supposed to take meaningful action to protect themselves." Bloomberg reported late last year of a widespread hacking effort that hit ISPs, including at least one hotel network service provider. Networks were hit in "more than a dozen countries, including Canada, Switzerland, Bangladesh, Venezuela and Russia," Bloomberg said. The IC3 report comes months after the Bloomberg story, but then the FBI isn't exactly known for being ahead of the curve when it comes to security warnings. Here's the key passage: . Recently, there have been instances of travelers' laptops being infected with malicious software while using hotel internet connections. In these instances, the traveler was attempting to setup the hotel room internet connection and was presented with a pop-up window notifying the user to update a widely-used software product. If the user clicked to accept and install the update, malicious software was installed on the laptop. The pop-up window appeared to be offering a routine update to a legitimate software product for which updates are frequently available. But pop-up windows that instruct users to do bad things -- installing adware or fake antivirus products or malicious Trojan horse programs, for example -- have been around for years. They happen everywhere in the internet, not just in untrustworthy hotel and public Wi-Fi networks. "Nobody has cited evidence specifically tying this to hotel rooms," says Robert Graham, CEO of security consultancy Errata Security. "My advice for travelers is that there is nothing you need to do for traveling that you shouldn't already be doing anyway." Reached Thursday, FBI spokeswoman Jenny Shearer couldn't cite any public reports detailing these attacks. "We don't' have much more guidance to offer the public beyond what was shared in the alert," she said. Security experts generally acknowledge that hotel networks — especially open Wi-Fi networks — are untrustworthy minefields. Jonathan Kine, a technology consultant based in Jakarta, says he's seen this type of attack described in the IC3 report in hotel and public Wi-Fi networks in China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. "The user gets a pop up or a browser window that states in order to login please allow us to update your browser, then they download the payload and are infected," he says. In some cases, the update looks like it's from Adobe Systems, Kine says. It isn't. For corporate users, or those who are technically savvy, a virtual private network is often the best way to boost security. Another option: use your mobile carrier's network. That's what Searl Tate did recently on a trip to Las Vegas. Instead of paying for a hotel network, he simply grabbed his iPad and connected to his carrier's 4G network. "There are other performance reasons too," he says, "but security drives a portion of my concern." For Graham, that means full disk encryption, to make your laptop unreadable in case it gets stolen. He also says that travelers should be up-to-date with their software patches and use secure SSL connections whenever they're on the Web. "And stop clicking on Trojans," he adds "If you don't do this already, then there's really no hope for you anyway. Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2011 Wired.com. | FBI says overseas travelers at risk to attacks through pop-up windows .
Security analysts note warning is short on details .
Attack is a pop-up asking users to update a popular piece of software .
It has happened on hotel Wi-Fi systems, FBI says . |
153,398 | 52313073b9d959074a7fa51f7c0cf994ec44adef | There is one vote of immense significance going on in Scotland on Thursday where nearly all of us can surely agree it would be best to hear a ‘yes’ verdict. Here’s one area where Alex Salmond and the politicians based in London are in total agreement. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has been holding its autumn meeting on September 18 since 1783 but there might never have been a gathering as momentous as this. At this meeting, the result of the ballot on whether to allow women members will be declared. Annika Sorenstam speaks during her induction ceremony as the 2014 Memorial honoree prior to the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club . Annika Sorenstam of Sweden tees off on the 18th hole during the Pro-Am prior to the 2007 Ricoh Women's British Open held on the Old Course at St Andrews . Since the alternative is worldwide ridicule — and the 2,400 men who make up the R&A membership are hardly fools — it is expected they will vote in large numbers for women to be allowed to join the club. Thereafter, expect 15 or so women holding prominent positions within the golfing community to be sounded out and fast-tracked. In addition to high-ranking officials, let us hope the list includes popular ex-players such as former world No 1 Annika Sorenstam. Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, has spoken about a ‘direction of travel’ on this subject and it finally looks like the organisation has swapped a glacier as the preferred mode of transport for a speedboat. If the vote goes as expected, the next thing will be for other courses on The Open rota with men-only membership to note that times have changed and act accordingly. Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, has spoken about a ‘direction of travel’ on the subject . For the R&A, the manner in which The Open at men-only Muirfield last year was overshadowed by the issue and the uneasiness felt all week by influential sponsors such as HSBC appears to have been the tipping point. There is only one more Open scheduled for a men-only club — Royal Troon in 2016 — and it is hard to envisage the privilege being granted again unless the clubs in question change. Royal St George’s is the other men-only club on the rota and the noises emanating from all three over the past six months indicate they are ready to follow the lead of the governing body. It took long enough, it’s true, but thankfully it truly looks as if this great stain that has blighted the game for so long is about to be finally washed away. The FedEx Cup play-offs are horribly contrived and dreadfully unfair on the men who play well all season long. But, like the Championship play-off game in football that decides the final promotion spot to the Premier League, there is no denying the format ensures an exciting end to the PGA Tour season. The outcome was in doubt almost to the end at East Lake on Sunday before Billy Horschel got to the 16th and closed out the Tour Championship with the greatest putt for par he will ever hole to deny the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jim Furyk and claim his $11.44million payday. The $10m FedEx bonus he received, in addition to the $1.44m first prize for the Tour Championship, is the headline figure but the rest didn’t exactly go home empty-handed. McIlroy pocketed $2m for finishing third in the FedEx standings. Justin Rose earned $300,000 for being placed 11th. And on it went. Paul Casey was busy winning the KLM Open in Holland on Sunday, but was still shipped another $75,000 by the sponsor for finishing 95th, after his participation in the first two play-off events. A wonderful life when you get to that level in golf, isn’t it? Bill Horschel poses with both trophies after winning the Tour Championship and The FedEX Cup . QUOTE OF THE WEEK . ‘I’m about ready to cry right now because, honestly, Jack Nicklaus is a hero. I can’t really explain how good it feels to beat his record.’ Will Jon Rahm prove to be the next great Spanish golfer? The 19-year-old has been making a name for himself in the American college scene and, at the World Amateur Team Championship in Japan last week, broke a 72-hole individual scoring record set by the Golden Bear that had stood for 54 years. No wonder he was so emotional. The event itself was won by the United States. New parent Graeme McDowell and enigmatic Frenchman Victor Dubuisson might have had a late change of heart but the ISPS Handa Wales Open this week will still boast its strongest line-up since Celtic Manor hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010. True, there will be no one remotely as famous and powerful as the avid golfing leftie who showed up at Celtic Manor earlier this month. But, while United States President Barack Obama has moved on, Lee Westwood, Jamie Donaldson, Stephen Gallacher and Thomas Bjorn, plus Europe captain Paul McGinley, have all decided the best way of tuning up for the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles is by revisiting the scene of the last home triumph. It’s a welcome change of fortune for an event that has been neglected for too long by too many. New parent Graeme McDowell had a late change of heart about the ISPS Handa Wales Open . | The result of the ballot on whether to allow women members at the R&A will be declared this week .
The FedEx Cup play-off format ensures exciting end to PGA Tour season .
ISPS Handa Wales Open this week will still boast its strongest line-up since Celtic Manor hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010 . |
139,760 | 40b6abc81b19efa41fdc7f70ae1c0896a1a2c260 | By . Martin Robinson . Last updated at 12:22 PM on 2nd November 2011 . Billions of pounds of investment in Britain's mobile phone network seems to have been wasted as one in four people still have very poor or no access to 3G services. Half of the population now owns a smartphone, which rely on faster services for internet and e-mail, but a study by communications watchdog Ofcom has found that vast swathes of the UK lack adequate coverage to make them work properly. A new study also reveals only 13 per cent of Britain is covered by all the major networks, which means 7.7million UK homes or businesses do not have a choice of all five 3G mobile companies. In a matching map, areas with best coverage are shaded green, while those with the worst are red, and the fact that large parts of the UK are scarlet shows the poor services many receive. 3G coverage by premises: Ofcom has revealed the level of poor service British mobile users are receiving despite billions in investment. Green denotes the best coverage while red shows the worst . Mobile phone companies like Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, O2 and 3 have to provide coverage in 80 per cent of the UK, but it seems that they are concentrating on profitable urban areas and pushing aside rural Britain. 'Mobile providers tend to prioritise investment in network infrastructure where the maximum number of consumers and businesses can be served,' an Ofcom spokesman said. Last year, T-Mobile and 3 together invested £400million in upgrading their 3G capability, and both spent millions more this year. Figures show that by 2009, O2 had already spent more than £500million on network upgrades - and then announced it would invest 'hundreds of millions of pounds' more in the coming years increasing speeds and coverage. Meanwhile, Orange has claimed it spends £1.5million a day on upgrading its network, which is around £500million per year since at least 2008. They have also reportedly invested huge sums in developing smartphone technology themselves. Using data supplied by communications companies, the regulator split the UK into 200 areas and ranked them according to how well they were served. Struggle: Around half of Britons now have a smartphone like the iPhone, pictured, but millions do not have the coverage needed to use it properly . The worst-hit areas are mid-Wales and the Highlands of Scotland while London comes out best. The measurements were taken outside and critics think that the situation indoors could be even worse. Bob Warner, chairman of the Communications Consumer Panel, said 'Ofcom quotes figures for outdoor mobile coverage of buildings and UK geography, but what also matters to most mobile users is the coverage that they get when they're at home or at work. 'Consumers do not want to have to go outside to make and receive calls. 'Although the Ofcom report explains that actual consumer experience will differ from the outdoor figures, in reality consumers indoors will experience much worse coverage. 'The Panel would like to see Ofcom and the industry develop a better measure that reflects how and where consumers and small businesses really use their mobile phones.' Ofcom is working with the Government on how to invest £150million to help fill gaps in mobile coverage. The findings will now be used as a base against which future performance can be measured. Ofcom chief technology officer Steve Unger said: 'This is our first report to the Government on the UK's communications infrastructure. 'We hope it will be a useful reference point for interested parties, particularly in the light of the recent Government funding package of £150 million to help address mobile not-spots.' The study, part of the regulator's . first Infrastructure Report, also found internet traffic in the UK has . increased seven-fold in the past five years. Domestic . broadband use now averages at 17 Gigabytes per month, enough to . download 11 films, stream 12 hours on the BBC iPlayer or listen to 12 . days of audio over the net. According . to Ofcom, 'data from the London Internet Exchange shows that traffic . over its network, which connects UK internet service providers, has . increased seven-fold in the past five years'. Mixed: Broadband coverage in the UK has improved markedly but some areas still have very poor services . | Ofcom study finds 7.7m UK homes or businesses do not have a choice of all five 3G mobile companies .
The worst-hit areas are mid-Wales and the Highlands of Scotland while London comes out best .
Experts say results are for coverage outside so it could be even worse inside homes and offices .
Study also shows marked increase in quality of broadband coverage . |
155,909 | 558a097360e8f323916a6d72d387adbec434c1f8 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Former "Desperate Housewives" actress Nicollette Sheridan slapped her lawyer in court Thursday to demonstrate how she claims show creator Marc Cherry hit her during a rehearsal. Sheridan, 48, returns to the stand Friday after testifying all day Thursday in her legal battle with Cherry and ABC over the TV killing of a character she played on the hit comedy series for five seasons. Her wrongful termination lawsuit contends Cherry killed off Edie Britt, the sassy, blond woman Sheridan played, in retaliation for her complaints about being hit. Several of Sheridan's former cast mates -- including Eva Longoria, Marcia Cross, James Denton, Felicity Huffman and Neal McDonough -- are on the list of witnesses expected to defend Cherry during the two week Los Angeles trial. Cherry's lawyers argue show writers began planning Britt's demise in May 2008, four months before the alleged battery, as a way to shock viewers and raise ratings. The hit was just "a light tap on the head" intended to demonstrate "a piece of physical humor" Cherry wanted Sheridan to perform, the defense said in opening statements Wednesday. Sheridan's dissatisfaction with her lack of lines in a scene preceded the alleged hitting incident, she testified. She wanted to recite line from a Beatles song -- "She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah" -- but Cherry said the music royalties would be too expensive. Without it, her exit from the scene "wasn't funny anymore," Sheridan testified. Sheridan testified that while she explained her concerns to Cherry, the producer asked "What is it that you want?" Then he hit her his open right hand, she said. "It was a nice wallop to my head." "It was shocking, humiliating, it was demeaning," she said. Sheridan demonstrated the hit in slow motion on her lawyer, Patrick Maloney, but then he asked her to "hit me as hard as you were hit." "I don't want to hurt you," Sheridan told her lawyer. The actress finally agreed to show jurors the hit in full force, sending a loud thump across the courtroom and turning Maloney's head. "I'm fine," he assured her as she apologized. Cherry apologized to her soon after the hitting incident, telling her "I am on bended knee begging for your forgiveness," Sheridan testified. But she did not accept it. The next day, she told show producer George Perkins she wanted a second apology and flowers from Cherry. "I thought he could at least apologize again and send me flowers," she said. But Cherry's reply, delivered by Perkins, was no second apology or flowers. "He felt the incident had been resolved," Sheridan said he told her. Five months and 11 episodes later, Cherry informed Sheridan that Britt would die during a show taping the next day, ending her five years run on "Desperate Housewives." Jurors must decide if the death of Sheridan's character and the end of her employment was illegal workplace retaliation or just a creative decision unconnected to the alleged battery incident. Cherry's defense is expected to present notes made by show writers in May 2008 that document the various scenarios they were considering then for killing off Britt. Sheridan lawyers Mark Baute, in his opening statement Wednesday, challenge the authenticity of those writers notes, accusing Cherry's defense of an "effort to backdate the decision" with a fake story that the character's death was planned months before the hitting incident. Britt is "a very colorful character, sassy, overt, audacious," Sheridan said. "She has a heart, but people loved to hate her." She made it clear to jurors she was not like the character she played. "I think honesty is about the only thing we shared." Jurors appeared to enjoy several clips of the show, featuring her character seducing a series of men. They laughed several times during the playing of the clips. They were also shown Britt's death scene, in which she crashed a car into a tree and was electrocuted by a fallen power line. Cherry lawyer defense lawyer Adam Levin told jurors that TV writers must "shock and surprise" viewers with pregnancies, affairs, marriages, divorces and deaths to "keep them on the edge of their seats." "The unanticipated death of a prominent character can shock the viewing audience and energize the show," which Levin said can "lead to water cooler talk and media buzz," increasing ratings. The demise of Sheridan's character was first considered at the end of the third season, which ended with Britt's head in a hangman's noose, but a senior executive decided it was too soon for her to go, Levin said. Sheridan testified that the hangman's noose scene was Cherry's idea, prompted by ABC's request that the season end with something "more spectacular." Cherry assured her that her character would "be saved" in the next episode at the start of season four, she said. She said Cherry even told the whole cast when they gathered to start the next season's production that "We know one character we won't be killing off is Edie Britt," because people were "up in arms" over the possibility. The character was not initially intended to be on the show beyond the pilot episode, but Cherry decided to make her the "blond bombshell who would sleep with the husbands of all of the wives," he said. After five seasons, "writers could only do so much with the character," Levin said. "There were only so many husbands she could sleep with." ABC Entertainment is a defendant in the lawsuit because its executives allegedly failed to properly investigate Sheridan's accusation that Cherry hit her and then agreed with his decision to fire her. Although a line producer reported the incident to the studio's human resources department, there was no investigation until an ABC senior executive saw a National Inquirer story about it at a grocery store two months later, Baute said. What followed was a "fake" investigation designed "to protect the money machine known as 'Desperate Housewives,'" he said. "Nobody wants the 'Desperate Housewives' applecart turned upside down." The human resources investigator never interviewed Cherry or Sheridan about the incident, only three people who worked for Cherry, Baute said. Contracts introduced during Sheridan's testimony revealed that she is still getting royalties from the show, even for the last three seasons after her termination. | NEW: Nicollette Sheridan returns to the witness stand Friday in her case against producer Marc Cherry .
NEW: Her lawyer asks Sheridan to show on him in full force how she says Marc Cherry hit her on "Desperate Housewives" set .
NEW: "It was shocking, humiliating, it was demeaning," she said.
It was "a light tap on the head" to demonstrate "physical humor," Cherry's lawyer says . |
220,234 | a90ba5b4b7d910109e9c914eb3700afc18eb1203 | By . William Turvill . PUBLISHED: . 13:57 EST, 25 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:42 EST, 26 October 2013 . These pictures show Free Syrian Army fighters firing homemade rockets towards forces loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad. Taken today, the photographs show rockets being fired from the back of a tractor in Ashrafieh, Aleppo. They were taken on the same day Syrian troops killed at least 40 opposition fighters in an ambush near Damascus. Free Syrian Army fighters fire home-made rockets towards forces loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad . The rockets were fired from the back of a tractor today in Ashrafieh, Aleppo . The bloodied bodies were strewn on rocks near a dried-out lake along with scattered rifles and ammunition. President Bashar Assad's forces, backed by Lebanese Hezbollah gunmen, also seized control of a rebel ammunition supply route on a highway linking the capital to its eastern suburbs. Assad's forces have been gaining ground in rebel-held areas around the capital, the seat of his power, and have made progress against outgunned and fragmented fighters in several areas. Today, the state-run news agency SANA said 40 rebels died in the ambush near Otaiba, adding that soldiers seized a large arms cache, including anti-tank rockets. The area is part of a region known as Eastern Ghouta, which was the scene of a horrific chemical weapons attack in August believed to have killed hundreds. The state-run Al-Ikhbariya television station broadcast footage showing more than a dozen bodies near the largely dried-out Otaiba lake, some wearing flak jackets strapped with ammunition. Automatic rifles and hand grenades lay nearby. A top UN humanitarian official implored the Security Council to exert more pressure of Syria's warring sides . Free Syrian Army fighters gather around a laptop in Ashrafieh, Aleppo . An unidentified Syrian army officer in the area told Al-Ikhbariya there were foreign fighters among the dead and that the ambush followed an intelligence tip. 'It was a highly accurate operation,' the officer said. 'We will be moving from one victory to another.' The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that tracks Syria's crisis, said at least 24 fighters, some of them foreign, were killed in the ambush. It gave no further details. It comes on the same day a top UN humanitarian official implored the Security Council to exert more pressure of Syria’s warring sides. Valerie Amos said the UN’s urgent appeal for more access to delivery desperately needed aid has made little difference. She . said that ‘as we deliberate, people continue to die unnecessarily’ and . called on the council ‘to exert influence and take the necessary action . to stop this brutality and violence’. The . statement came after the council unanimously approved its first binding . resolution on Syria, ordering the elimination of its chemical weapons. But Amos told the council that its appeal has made little difference on the ground. | Photographs show rebels firing makeshift rockets in Ashrafieh, Aleppo .
Comes on the same day at least 40 opposition were killed by Assad forces .
Top UN humanitarian official today called for more pressure on warring sides . |
204,737 | 950ff439d82e21695c7f5e0b58f2733a1d886424 | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 16:28 EST, 5 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:52 EST, 6 December 2012 . An innocent commuter was strangled with a scarf until he passed out by a fellow bus passenger in an unprovoked attack. CCTV footage released by police shows a man using his scarf to choke the 37-year-old victim, who was making his way to work in the Earls Court area of London. It shows the passenger, who police say has been left 'highly traumatised' by the incident, losing consciousness briefly before coming around, at which point the suspect can be seen trying to strangle him once again. Unprovoked: The man, seen wearing a hat and sitting behind the victim, was captured on camera removing his scarf . Violent: The suspect then launched at the commuter sitting in front of him, wrapping the scarf around his neck and strangling him . The assault took place as the commuter was en route to work on a single decker C1 bus in broad daylight in London at around 1.50pm on Saturday afternoon. CCTV footage released by the Met Police shows the attacker boarding the bus, which was travelling to White City, at Cresswell Gardens and sitting down immediately behind the victim. It shows the pair exchanging words briefly, before the suspect launches at his fellow passenger from behind, choking him with a scarf until he passes out. When the victim regained consciousness a few seconds later, the assailant again tried to strangle him. In all the attack lasted around 30 seconds. Attacker: The suspect, who got off the bus at Shepherds Bush, is described as a black male in his early to mid 20s . After being assisted by passengers, the victim got off the bus at Earls Court and told nearby police officers what had happened. The suspect, a black male believed to be in his early to mid 20s, was captured on camera getting off the bus at Shepherds Bush at 1.57pm. He was wearing a grey beanie hat, a sleeveless puffa-style jacket over a beige sweatshirt, dark jeans and boots. Detective Constable Thomas Norman, of Notting Hill CID, said: 'This was an unprovoked attack on an innocent passenger who was on his way to work. 'The victim has been left highly traumatised. It was so violent that he passed out and this could have been far worse. 'I would urge anyone with information or anyone who recognises this man to contact us as soon as possible. This man is a danger to the public.' Anyone with information can contact Notting Hill CID on 0208 246 0217, the non-emergency police line on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. VIDEO: Watch CCTV footage of the unprovoked attack on a London bus . | CCTV footage shows a man using his scarf to choke a fellow bus passenger .
The victim, who was going to work, blacked out for several seconds .
The 37-year-old commuter has been left 'highly traumatised' |
177,498 | 71c226f831a77b99bb0380c7da8f6e1987248f08 | By . Mark Duell . and Eleanor Harding . This time last year we were struggling through blizzards… but today Britain is expected to be hotter than Spain. Temperatures climbed to a summery 20.9C (69.6F) in the South East yesterday and today is expected to be almost as hot. That is compared to Madrid, where it is set to be a mere 14C (57F) and 18C (64F) in Ibiza. There will be sunshine nationwide for most of the day, although some areas will have a shower or two. Looking happy: Harvey Wheeler-Bevan (left) and Hayden Hamlin enjoy an ice cream on the beach in Southsea, Hampshire, yesterday . Rising levels: Water floods the promenade including an ice cream van on the River Thames in Richmond, south-west London . Wading in the water: Children play along the flooded paths after the high tide on the River Thames caused flooding in Richmond yesterday afternoon . People leave and arrive at The White Cross pub in Richmond (left), while a boat glides over the tranquil waters of Lake Windermere in Cumbria (right) Having fun: Children dressed up for a superheroes fourth birthday party run along the beach at Bournemouth in Dorset . Life's a beach: Three-year-old Izzy Leadbetter from Christchurch enjoys the warm spring weather in Bournemouth . Warm: Pooja Bijoor enjoys the sunshine in Salford, Greater Manchester, as Britain is due to be warmer than mainland Spain and Ibiza next week . Jogging along: Runners in Salford, Greater Manchester, with temperatures in Britain reaching 20C (68F) yesterday, forecasters said . Sunny scene: A family go for a walk around Hollow Ponds in Leytonstone, east London . The balmy spell is driven by tropical winds arriving from Africa, making temperatures across the UK higher than average for this time of year. The sun is set to last all week, but if you are already imagining hitting the beach this weekend, dispel that daydream. It is expected to cool down before Saturday. John Lee, Meteogroup forecaster, said: ‘It’s looking fairly mild over the next week.’ As the clocks moved forward an hour for British Summer Time yesterday, temperatures exceeded 20C (68F) in many areas. Steady as you go: A young boy learning to ride a bike at Lowndes Park in Chesham, Buckinghamshire . Safety first: Twins, Ollie and Louis, aged four and a half, enjoy ice lollies at Lowndes Park in Chesham . Going for a splash: Hollow Ponds in East London was busy as a dog cooled off in the water . All yellow: Glorious daffodil fields in Whitegate, a village in Cheshire, near Northwich . On a journey: A duck in the water in Salford, Greater Manchester. The weather is being driven by hot air currently over the Low Countries . St James’s Park in London and Santon Downham in Norfolk were the hottest parts of Britain, reaching 20.9C (69.6F), according to MeteoGroup. The previous highest temperature so far this year was 20.5C (68.9F) in Gravesend, Kent, on March 9. In the Balearic Islands yesterday it was 18C (64F) and 16C (60F) in the French Riviera. In Bournemouth, a sea breeze brought the thermometer down to 16C (60F) but that did not stop thousands of sunseekers from flocking to the coast. Fog on the Tyne: As the rest of the country basked in glorious sunshine this weekend, a thick fog made the iconic Tyne Bridge barely visible to onlookers in Newcastle . Barely visible: The Angel of the North can hardly be seen in Gateshead. Eastern Scotland and the North East of England saw misty spells . Pretty: The River Thames glows lightly golden as the sun rises behind Tower Bridge in Central London yesterday, with HMS Belfast pictured to the right . Sarah Gorment, 43, from Southampton, was on the beach with her family. She said: ‘The roads were very busy getting here today but the rewards have been worth it because it is beautiful and sunny. ‘I remember what last March was like and how cold it was but this year it feels more like summer.’ In late March last year, Britain was shivering in snow and temperatures fell to minus10C (14F). There were drifts as high as 4ft in the North and 20,000 homes lost power. | London hit 20C (68F) yesterday and 21C (70F) today, making it hotter than Madrid (17C/63F)
Plenty of time in sun as clocks went forward an hour for start of British Summer Time .
But Eastern Scotland and North East will see misty spells, and Edinburgh will be 12C today . |
230,514 | b683a1dd605d2cda2ae0e58a327db293017b7fae | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:00 EST, 12 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:57 EST, 13 December 2012 . A woman who was trapped in a snowstorm for six days left a tearful video for her twin 11-year-old sons, whom she feared she would never see again. 'I’m so sorry this has happened,' a shaking, shivering 46-year-old Paula Lane said into the camera as she sat huddled in her boyfriend's stranded Jeep on a secluded forest road in Nevada. 'I just want to come home. As soon as the sun comes out, I’m going to have to try to make it. It’s seven miles in six feet of snow. Nobody’s ever going to find me here at Burnside Lake.' After surviving six days in the freezing wilderness, Lane was saved by her brother, Gary Lane. Her boyfriend, Roderick Clifton, died on his way to get help. Scroll down for video . Paula Lane, 46, of Nevada, left a tearful video for her twin 11-year-old sons, whom she feared she would never see again, while she was trapped in a snowstorm for six days . Saved: Paula Lane, 46, was found by her brother but her boyfriend Roderick Clifton, 44, died days earlier . Family: Lane's twin 11-year-old boys visit her in the hospital as she recovers from the ordeal . Lane watched the video she recorded during the ordeal on the TODAY Show Wednesday alongside her brother and his friend, Brian Roff. 'It’s really hard,' Lane said about . watching the video. 'That’s only the fourth time that I’ve seen it. When . I first made the tape, I wanted it to be more of a happy goodbye. I . knew it was going to be a goodbye, I felt. Once I started talking, I . almost felt like somebody else was there with me, and I’m getting to . release to somebody. It was the first time I cried since the ordeal had . begun, and to watch it now, it’s surreal.' Lane recalled the emotional moment . when her boyfriend, Roderick Clifton left their car to get help, saying . that she warned him not to head out into the storm but he dismissed her . pleas. 'It's 9.09 in the morning, I remember . looking at my watch and I said please just wait, let's ride this out . together. It's the smarter (thing), and he just went like this with his hand I . that's the last time I saw him,' she said during an appearance on The Today Show, gesturing as Clifton did when . he headed out for help. 'I knew I was never going to see him again.' Key tool: Paula's brother Gary and his friend borrowed this front loader to help them search for her when the roads were blocked due to a snowstorm . Gone: Roderick Clifton, 44, was found dead miles from his Jeep after he and his girlfriend went off-roading inthe Sierra Nevada mountains and were trapped by a snowstorm . Paula . remained in the vehicle for two more days, surviving on a package of . green tomatoes and snow. She was not dressed for cold weather and had to . use tissues and tape to make socks. Her doctor said that she survived by eating tomatoes and snow and huddling in a hollow tree for warmth at night. Lane was finally discovered by her brother when he heard her whistling loudly . as she was crawling towards the highway for help. 'I'd seen her in many different looks in her life and that look right there, that's the best one I'd ever seen,' her brother Gary Lane said of when he finally found his younger sister. Gary and his friend borrowed a front loader that is typically used on construction sites, and they searched throughout the wooded Sierra Nevadas near a campground that Paula used to frequent. Though she is currently recovering from frostbite and malnutrition in a local hospital, much of her recovery will be emotional after her boyfriend died when he was trying to save them. The couple spent the first stranded night together in their car, but Clifton insisted on leaving for help the next morning. Lucky to be alive: Paula Lane was missing for six days before she was found crawling along a road in the Sierra Nevada Mountains . Mystery: Authorities are still unsure of Clifton's cause of death . It is believed the couple took their Jeep off-roading when they became stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains somewhere off Highway 88/89 on November 29. Because of limited cell service in the high altitudes, authorities were unable to track their phones. 'We were told they were off four-wheel driving up that road and got . stuck,' said Citrus Heights spokesman Officer Bryan G. Fritsch. Clifton left the jeep on November 30 in an effort to seek help but he never returned. His body was discovered on Wednesday, several miles away from the highway. He is survived by three daughters. Survivor: It was Paula Lane's brother Gary, left, who found her. She is being treated at a nearby hospital but is expected to survive without injury . When her boyfriend failed to return, Lane waited in the vehicle until Monday when she decided to set out to look for him. She told rescuers she found his body as she tried to make her way to the highway. A massive manhunt had been launched on December 1 to search for the pair and her brother, Gary Lane, had rented a front loader and was patrolling the roadway. 'It's been a rough haul, waiting all those days, trying to know if she'd made it or not,' Lane's older sister, Linda Hathaway, said at a news conference on Thursday at Carson Tahoe Regional Hospital, where Lane was admitted for first-degree frostbite and malnourishment, according to ABC News. Hathaway said they had prepared the boys for the worst. 'She is mighty and she's a survivor and loves life,' Hathaway said about her sister's strength amidst the terrifying ordeal. Location: Mr Clifton and Ms Lane were traveling to their Gardnerville, Nevada, home from Mr Clifton's mother's house in Citrus Heights, California . Searching: After spending a day in the Jeep, Clifton went off on his own to find help . VIDEO: 'I'm so sorry this has happened': Paula Lane's heartbreaking message to her sons . | Paula Lane, 46, of Nevada told her twin sons she was sorry and talked about her plan to seek help in the video .
Lane was discovered by her brother after spending six days in the wilderness .
Her family said they had prepared Lane's 11-year-old twin sons for the worst .
Lane is being treated for first-degree frostbite and malnourishment .
Her boyfriend, 44-year-old Roderick Clifton, father to three daughters, died trying to seek help .
'She is mighty and she's a survivor,' Lane's sister said . |
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