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41,059 | 73cfa0a0b99b7c61a09d7d5c2a48872d6419bc56 | By . Ryan Lipman . A year to the day after shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius has written an online tribute claiming her death was a 'devastating accident'. Pistorius, 27, known as Blade Runner, posted the letter on his official Oscar Pistorious website. 'No words can adequately capture my feelings about the devastating accident that has caused such heartache for everyone who truly loved - and continues to love Reeva,' he said. One year on: New pictures have emerged of Pistorious and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, and have brought back back old memories for the athlete, known as the 'blade runner', who has posted a tribute to Steenkamp on his website . No members of Steenkamp's immediate family have attended any of Pistorius' previous court dates . One of the many hearings in the court case of Oscar Pistorious and the murder of his girlfriend . Oscar Pistorius has used the anniversary of his girlfriend's murder to pen an online tribute to her on his official website . 'The pain and sadness – especially for Reeva’s parents, family and friends consumes me with sorrow. 'The loss of Reeva and the complete trauma of that day, I will carry with me for the rest of my life - Oscar.' Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, was found lying on the bathroom floor with fatal gunshot wounds to her head, elbow and hip. Pistorius was charged with her murder and other fire-arm related charges. His trial starts on March 3 in the South African capital, Pretoria. Prosecutors say Pistorius killed Steenkamp in the pre-dawn hours of Valentine's Day after an argument. Peet Van Zyl, Pistorious' agent, who was keen to weigh in on the hearings . Pistorius was charged with Steenkamp's murder and other fire-arm related charges. Pistorius' trial for the murder of Steenkamp will start on March 3. Steenkamp's mother is planning to attend . Pistorius refutes this, saying he shot Steenkamp by mistake believing she was a nighttime intruder in his bathroom. Steenkamp's mother, June, plans to attend the trial. No members of Steenkamp's immediate family have attended any of Pistorius' previous court dates. Prior to the murder, Pistorius was a global sport star - the first double-amputee to run at the Olympics. His ascent to stardom climaxed when he competed at the 2012 London Olympics but following his murder charge, he has been unable to compete in athletic events and had lucrative endorsement deals cancelled including one with Nike. Pistorius in action at the start of his 400m semi final at the London 2012 Olympic Games . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Pistorius posts tribute to Steenkamp on his official website calling her death a 'devastating accident'
A year ago today Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day .
Pistorious was charged with Steenkamp's murder and other fire-arm related charges .
His trial starts on March 3 in South African capital, Pretoria . |
39,197 | 6ec37f8f5105702b8c1f041d7710ee34a3782175 | (CNN) -- When might someone who has been pummeled by round, after round, after round of snow wish for, of all things, more snow? When the alternative is ice. Granted, a huge swath of the United States didn't have that option Tuesday. The National Weather Service said a stretch from Wyoming east to Maine was getting socked with snow. Officials in Kansas blamed the weather for the deaths of two people in a car accident in Crawford County. The weather service's website cited winter storm warnings for much of the nation's midsection and into northern New England. CNN's weather unit estimates that 120 million people were in the system's path. Residents of Topeka, Kansas, should see 7 to 11 inches of flakes by the end of the day. Enterprise, 80 miles to the west, had already seen 13 inches of snow by Tuesday evening, CNN affiliate WIBW reported. A Southwest plane at Kansas City International Airport hit a snow bank as the airliner was taxing to the gate, according to airline spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger. Southwest said all customers were safe and at the terminal. But the ice is coming to other parts of the country. Freezing rain warnings have been issued for large parts of Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area, where trees, power lines and roads could be coated by early Wednesday. After enduring a recent record-breaking snow, New Yorkers could get a mix of snow and sleet beginning Tuesday night that could encrust the city with nearly half an inch of ice by Wednesday. On the New Jersey emergency management office's Twitter feed, meteorologist Gary Szatowski said the National Weather Service's "reasonable worst case scenario" for parts of that state and others nearby call for 0.75 inches of ice accumulation that could lead to as many as five days of power outages. As Szatowski said: "Some would call that catastrophic." Governors act . Such conditions are expected to cause a nightmare commute Wednesday morning in and around the New York metro area, among other places. But the nightmare may come sooner elsewhere. In Arkansas, the prospect of freezing rain spurred Gov. Mike Beebe to tell nonessential state employees to stay home Tuesday. CNN affiliate KATV reported that tens of thousands of people in the state would be without power through at least Wednesday morning. Most of those customers were with Entergy Arkansas, which reported 40,000 outages. Temperatures were going to reach a low of 28 degrees in Little Rock, the station reported. Arkansas is on the western edge of freezing rain forecast through Tuesday night -- a line that stretches east-northeastward into Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and points east. Generally, places north of that line will get snow and those south will get rain. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie each issued a state of emergency. Christie advised residents to drive carefully or stay home. Kansas City, Missouri, officials told business to stagger start times on Wednesday to make morning traffic easier, something the city has never done before, said a spokesman for the city's public works department. In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry renewed a waiver that makes it easier for trucks to transport propane through his state to others that have declared a propane emergency. Frozen night ahead . In Three Rivers, Michigan, CNN iReporter Diana Etman took pictures of mountains of snow in a Walmart parking lot. "I was very much surprised at how big they were," the 56-year-old registered nurse said. But it's what happens after whatever falls to the ground -- especially once temperatures dip below freezing in some areas after nightfall -- that has some especially concerned. And authorities are also telling people to be careful in places where only snow has fallen. The weather service, for instance, said that whatever snow may have melted from the storm that dumped a record 8 inches on New York's Central Park may have refrozen overnight. Ice could become even more of a problem after fresh snow begins early Wednesday in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. "Then the warm air comes in, and it rains -- and it's going to be 32," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. "It's going to be a mess." Up to a foot of snow . Not that snow itself won't make things plenty messy in some places. Residents of Kansas City, Missouri, could see up to a foot of snow by Tuesday's end. And more than a foot of snow is predicted through Wednesday for much of Upper New York state, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The weather will mean headaches not just for those hoping to hit the road, but also those trying to fly. More than 1,600 flights were canceled by late Tuesday evening, and more than 3,900 were delayed within, into or out of the United States, according to FlightAware.com. And the backlog will only grow Wednesday as more than 1,700 flights have already been called off for the day. The most affected airport Tuesday -- with more than 180 canceled departures -- was O'Hare International in Chicago, which just finished its third-snowiest January ever. This is due to the second wintry blast this year for the Northeast. Last month, extreme cold, strong winds and snow pummeled communities from New York to Maine. The third one may be the worst, forecasters said. Myers, the CNN meteorologist, said that a massive nor'easter could bear down early next week. "This is the starter," he said of the current blast of snow, "the appetizer to what's coming -- which is a major nor'easter coming on Monday." CNN's Tom Watkins, Ed Payne, Chandrika Narayan, Catherine E. Shoichet and Haimy Assefa contributed to this report. | NEW: One town in Kansas gets 13 inches of snow, CNN affiliate says .
NEW: Southwest plane hits snow bank on taxiway at Kansas City International Airport .
NEW: Kansas City tells business to stagger start times to help with rush hour traffic .
NEW: Tens of thousands without power in Arkansas . |
12,357 | 22ffe28fdc288571a78b12e64d0fcb3eeb7a085c | By . Associated Press . After going for a walk, a German shepherd puppy decided to go for a drive — straight into a pond. John Costello, from Massachusetts said that his 12-week-old puppy, Rosie, was so excited Sunday after going for a walk at Bolivar Pond in Canton that she jumped in his running car, hit the gear stick and shifted into drive. The pooch then fell onto the gas pedal and sending the car careening into the water. Scroll down for video... Puppy power! A three-month-old German shepherd puppy is being blamed for driving a family car into a Massachusetts pond . What did I do? Could you really shout at a puppy with a face like this? In the blink of an eye: Rosie's owner, John Costello says it all started after he'd taken his frisky puppy for a walk by Bolivar Pond in Canton. He hopped into his car, and started it up, but Rosie had her own ideas and knocked the car into drive . 'The dog just jumped into the car and . hit the gear shift ... when she slammed it into drive she fell on top of . the gas pedal,' Costello told local television station WFXT-TV. 'The car went for a swim. We all did.' A couple of passers-by saw the commotion and helped Costello rescue Rosie. Nobody was injured, but Costello says the Dodge Neon is a total loss. That sinking feeling: Both the Canton police and fire departments arrived at the pond to help out, and remove the car from the water . Write-off: The car can just be seen poking through the surface of the water in this police photo . Taking it easy: Rosie is okay but unaware of all the commotion she caused . The 911 call surprised even police. Officer Robert Quirk says he has never heard of a dog driving into a pond. The car was totaled after being completely submerged in the pond, but the dog and owner escaped unharmed. 'The perp says she was just going with the flow of traffic,' Quirk said in a Twitter post showing a picture of the puppy. Eric Hermann, who was working nearby, rushed to help. Friends again: Mr Costello leaped into the car, grabbed the dog and pulled her out. They both fell back into the water . Ready for more: The entire encounter provided quite a bit of drama and excitement for everyone involved . 'It was about 30 feet out the car,' Mr Hermann said. 'The puppy was scared and ran to the back seat. The front door was open, [we were] trying to get her out the front door.' 'I just leaped in and grabbed the dog and pulled her out and we both fell back into the water,' said Mr Costello. The water level soon rose to be over Hermann's head. 'By the time we got the puppy out, the car had slid and we had to do a little swimming,' he said. But they all made it safely to shore in the end. | Rosie, the puppy, was excited and accidentally knocked the shift stick from park into drive .
Car rolled forward into the pond with Rosie still scampering around inside .
Owner, John Costello, ran after his dog to pull her out . |
255,477 | d6af960808434527f5fe9db6469983efb80bf6d6 | The body of a woman has been found in the wreckage of ferry that sunk off the coast of South Korea six months ago. This is the first body to be found in three months, increasing the official death toll in the Sewol ferry disaster to 295, officials said. The Sewol ferry capsized and sank some 12 miles off the island of Byungpoongon, South Korea, during a routine voyage on April 16. Scroll down for video . The Sewol capsized and sank some 12 miles off the island of Byungpoongon, South Korea, during a routine voyage on April 16 . Searches of the ferry wreckage have been ongoing since the disaster, and nine people are still missing. The body found on Tuesday was discovered around a women's toilet on the sunken ship, a government taskforce said. The badly decayed body was being pulled up to the surface and DNA tests were planned to identify the victim, according to task force officials. South Korean . prosecutors on Monday sought the death penalty for the captain of the ferry, Lee Joon-seok, 68. Lee has been charged with homicide, should be . sentenced to death for failing to carry out his duty, which in . effect amounted to homicide, the prosecution told the court yesterday. Lee Joon-seok, the captain of the sunken South Korean ferry Sewol, second from right, arrives at Gwangju District Court in Gwangju, South Korea, on Monday . South Korean Coast Guard and rescue teams search for missing passengers on board the Sewol in April . The crew on trial have said they thought it was the coastguard's job to evacuate passengers . The trial has taken place amid intense public anger after evidence surfaced . that the mostly teenage passengers waited in their cabins, . obediently following orders, as the crew escaped. Lee was among 15 accused of abandoning the sharply listing . ferry. Four, including the captain, face homicide charges. The rest face lesser charges, including negligence. A . three-judge panel is expected to announce its verdicts in . November. No formal pleas have been made but Lee has denied . intent to kill. 'Lee supplied the cause of the sinking of the Sewol ... he . has the heaviest responsibility for the accident,' the lead . prosecutor in the case, Park Jae-eok, told the court in the . south of the country. 'We ask that the court sentence him to death.' The prosecutors sought life sentences for the other three . charged with homicide and prison terms ranging from 15 to 30 . years for the rest. Portraits of students who died in the mid-April Sewol ferry disaster, decorated by yellow ribbons dedicated to the victims, are pictured in central Seoul . An unidentified family member of passengers aboard the sunken ferry Sewol cries as she demands maximum punishment for the crew members of the ferry . The Sewol capsized and sank some 12 miles off the island of Byungpoongon, South Korea, during a routine voyage on April 16, . triggering an outpouring of nationwide grief and sharp criticism . of the government of President Park Geun-hye for its handling of . the rescue operation. The crew on trial have said they thought it was the coast . guard's job to evacuate passengers. Video footage of their . escape triggered outrage, especially after survivors testified . they repeatedly told passengers to stay put. After the prosecution rested its case, Lee apologised to the . families of the victims, saying he never intended to harm . anyone. 'I will repent until the day I die and ask for the victims' families' forgiveness,' he said. 'I swear with my hand over my . heart, I did not intend to kill anyone. I never even thought of . such a thing.' Most of the crew were represented by state-appointed . lawyers, who argued that the defendants were mostly too badly . trained to handle the disaster. Some family members of victims who attended Monday's hearing . had called for the death penalty, but Amnesty International said . death was not the answer. | Body of a woman found in sunken ferry off coast of South Korea .
It is the first body in three months to be recovered from the wreckage .
This takes death toll to 295, with nine passengers still missing at sea .
Captain of ferry has been charged with homicide, along with three others .
Survivors testified the crew told passengers to stay put as the Sewol sank .
The captain has denied that he deliberately tried to kill the passengers . |
195,875 | 8985b7d5fb8b796e7d7beb3421e03ad74cfdb91d | Washington (CNN) -- Senior Democrat John Conyers of Michigan criticized Barack Obama Monday, hoping, Conyers said, to "make him a better president." Citing the troubled job market, rising energy costs, and turmoil in the Middle East, Conyers told reporters at the National Press Club: "We keep getting a longer and longer list of things he wanted to do, wished he could do more about, and is of course having a big problem." "The only thing that saves him, of course, is that there doesn't seem to be anybody to run against him next year," Conyers said. After naming prospective challengers Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich, among others, Conyers said he still supports Obama because "the alternative is unthinkable. I just want to make him a better president." American foreign policy was among the areas the Michigan congressman criticized for what he consider an emphasis on military might over other ways to achieve U.S. goals. Conyers said, "It is kind of amazing to me that there is still adopted, even in this administration, the attitude that military prowess will settle things down. And they rarely, if ever, do." He also responded to a question about the recent departure of a ranking State Department official who was critical of how the Pentagon is reportedly treating U.S. Army Pvt. Bradley Manning, a soldier suspected of a role in the WikiLeaks scandal. "I was not in agreement again with the president saying that he's told Manning's been treated -- his confinement is okay, that he's told everything is alright. I don't think it's all right." State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley resigned in recent days after remarks indicating he agreed with criticism over Manning's conditions of confinement. Conyers Monday suggested Crowley's concerns might have a basis. "They may well be accurate, and probably are, but I think he was prepared for what happened." | Conyers says lack of a strong rival is the "only thing that saves" Obama .
Veteran congressman wants to "make him a better president"
The Michigan Democrat is critical of U.S. foreign policy . |
148,533 | 4c139597a47e4057964c5343f2583e05d803e2cb | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 07:19 EST, 15 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:25 EST, 15 January 2013 . Bank of England chief Sir Mervyn King said bankers had to realise they 'can¿t just exist on their own' Goldman Sachs has abandoned plans to delay paying out bonuses to help bankers avoid the 50p tax rate. The u-turn came hours after Bank of England boss Sir Mervyn King branded the idea 'depressing' and accused bankers of mis-judging public anger at the damage caused by the financial crash. The investment bank had considered waiting to . award equity bonuses deferred from previous years, due to pay out this . month, until after April 6. It would mean tax on the payouts would have been paid at the 45p . rate instead of the 50p rate for high earners. But people familiar with the bank's deliberations said the Comp Committee of the board met today and ruled out the idea. In a devastating attack on attitudes in the City, Sir Mervyn accused the super-rich of thinking it was 'exciting' to use a loophole which could cost the taxpayer millions. 'I find it a bit depressing that people who earn so much seem to think it's even more exciting to kind of adjust the timing of it to get the benefit of a lower tax rate which they will benefit from in the long run to a very great extent,' he told the Treasury Select Committee. Sir Mervyn, who will stand down as Bank of England Governor in June, said City firms had to consider the reputational damage the move would cause. 'I think it would be rather clumsy and rather lacking in care and attention to how other people might react and , in the long run, financial institutions, like all large institutions do depend on good will from the rest of society, they can’t just exist on their own.' British taxpayers could lose out on . millions of pounds if super-rich bankers press ahead with the idea of delaying their bonuses until after the 50p tax rate . is scrapped. Chancellor . George Osborne came under pressure to take action to close the loophole . which could lead to a massive shortfall in Treasury coffers. The revelation will . add to the sense of public fury after it emerged bankers at the firm are . expected to reward themselves £8.3 billion in bonuses tomorrow. Staggering: Bankers at Goldman Sachs are expected to share £8.3billion in bonuses . Shadow . treasury minister Chris Leslie said: 'Goldman Sachs has made the right decision, but the fact remains that from April thousands of bankers and millionaires will get a huge tax cut from David Cameron and George Osborne.' The . American investment bank, which employs 5,500 staff in the UK, will be . the first to unveil its telephone number-sized rewards – an average of . £250,000 a person – as part of the latest round of bonus updates. The . increase, up from £230,000 last year, comes as British families are . still struggling to make ends meet five years after banks brought the . economy to the brink of meltdown. About half of the top 20 banks in the City had considered delaying UK payouts, the Financial Times reported. In . 2010 bankers brought forward their bonuses by a few weeks ahead of the . introduction of the 50p rate for people earning more than £150,000, . costing the taxpayer £16billion. Chancellor George Osborne will be urged to act to stop bankers avoiding tax by delaying their big bonuses until after April 6 . By delaying a bonus until after April 6, a banker with a salary of £150,000 awarded a £100,000 bonus would save £5,000 in tax. Lib . Dem MP John Hemming said any bank caught dodging tax in this way should . be banned from being awarded lucrative government contracts. Calls for restraint by politicians, who have used taxpayers cash to bailout many of the banks, have fallen on deaf ears. At . taxpayer-backed Lloyds Banking Group, which is expected to make a loss . this year, its boss is likely to be entitled to a multimillion-pound . bonus. Some of the reward . for chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio is linked to the share price, . which has doubled, and customer satisfaction, which means he could be in . line for a £4.4 million fortune. But . most of the anger will be directed at Goldman Sachs whose vice chairman . said back in 2009 ‘inequality is a way of achieving greater opportunity . and prosperity for all’. The . comments by Lord Griffiths echoed those of fictional banker Gordon . Gekko in the film Wall Street - whose mantra ‘greed is good’ came to sum . up the excesses of the 1980s. Griffiths . was of the view that taxpayers should ‘tolerate the inequality’ and . insisted banks should not be ashamed of rewarding staff. True . to this ethos Goldman is likely to have boosted its salary and bonus . pot to £8.3 billion from £7.6 billion the previous year due to increased . profits. The last three months have been strong with share trading and bonds performing well. Global profit could top £3.79 billion up from £2.73 billion. The . lavish windfalls come as new research shows pay rewards are failing to . incentivise Britain’s big bosses to improve the long term success of . their businesses. 'Prosperity for all': The American bank (London offices pictured) employs 5,500 staff in the UK and will be the first to unveil its massive rewards . Executive pay packages across . Britain’s biggest firms are ‘overwhelmingly’ linked to short-term . financial measures such as earnings and share price movement, according . to research from the High Pay Centre lobby group. However . it shows chief executive pay has trebled to £4.8million, on average, in . ten years without any accompanying long-term increase in share values. At . Lloyds, the bank has experienced a short term stock rise, but given the . political tensions over banking bonuses, the Lloyds directors may . decide not to pay the full amount to the Portuguese banker, who last . year waived his bonus following a prolonged period of sick leave. Lloyds shares were the second best performing of Europe’s banks last year and closed last week at 54p, up from 25.5p in May. But . the bank is still expected to make a full year loss of about £1.4 . billion, as it continues to suffer from bad debts from corporate loans . and a big bill over the mis-selling of payment protection insurance. The . 40 per cent state-owned lender was pushed to a £144 million loss in the . three months to 30 September, as it took an additional £1 billion . charge for dealing with the scandal, taking its total to £5.3 billion. Lloyds froze basic pay for 500 senior staff for the third year in a row on Friday. | Bank governor accused bankers of thinking they 'exist on their own'
Warns the City of further reputational damage if bonuses are delayed .
Goldman Sachs will be first to unveil its rewards worth £8.3billion .
50p tax rate for anyone earning over £150,000 cut to 45p from April 6 .
Delaying bonus payouts until mid-April would cost the Treasury millions . |
78,842 | df6b6770b3b5060011b36a8697f49c5c609bd100 | A pair of sisters are celebrating after both giving birth to baby girls just hours apart in the same hospital. Inseparable siblings Kirsty and Mica Higham were delighted when they became pregnant at around the same time. And the pair joked that the ‘race was on' - but were stunned when they both went into labour on the same day. Scroll down for video . Kirsty (L) and Mica (R) Higham with their newborn baby girls Delilah and Pixie . They never imagined that their double deliveries would spark the ultimate family celebration with the arrival of their daughters within hours of each other at Salford Royal. Eldest sister Kirsty, 27, from Swinton, gave birth to baby Delilah, weighing in at 7lbs 1oz, at 1.58am last Tuesday. Then new mother Mica, 19, from Pendleton, followed suit with baby Pixie, weighing 5lbs 10oz, at 7.14pm. Kirsty, who was already a mother-of-two, beamed: 'We were both in a slow labour that lasted two days and we joked that the race was on to have our babies. 'We said we might end up in a birthing pool together but didn't imagine that we really would give birth on the same day. 'I ended up four days overdue and Mica was five days early so we met in the middle.' Delilah and Pixie were delivered just hours apart at Salford Royal hospital . And the sisters have definitely beat the odds, as bookmakers Ladbrokes put the odds of two sisters giving birth on the same day at 2,000-1. They both found out that they were expecting girls at a scan early in their pregnancies and both went into labour on Sunday, August 24. Kirsty, who also has two sons Caleb, seven, and five-year-old Nile, was admitted to hospital last Monday and gave birth in the early hours of Tuesday. Mica was admitted later on on Tuesday and gave birth on the same day. The sisters' paths didn't cross in hospital because Kirsty had been discharged by the time Mica gave birth. But mother Gillian Shaw, now a proud grandmother of 10, kept them informed via text message. Kirsty added: 'My mum joked that she wished she had put a bet on us having a baby the same day now. 'We are close and when we found out we were both pregnant we went for all our scans together.We both gave birth naturally using gas and air.' Mica said: 'It helped my sister being pregnant at the same time because we could support each other. 'And it's special that our daughters will grow up together and will the share the same birthday.' Kirsty went to hospital last Monday and Mica the following day after both going into labour on Sunday . | Kirsty, 27, from Swinton, and Mica, 19, from Pendleton, joked 'race was on'
But sisters were stunned when they went into labour on the same day .
Both had daughters within hours of each other at Salford Royal hospital . |
247,503 | cc4a59030bbb176fa48d12fc9897ab74d5ebfb4a | British shops should sell New Zealand . lamb rather than homegrown meat if they want to help protect the . environment, experts have claimed. The suggestion, likely to outrage . British farmers, comes after a study found the amount of man-made . greenhouse gases from food production is twice as much as previously . estimated. Growing food for sheep, cows and pigs . takes up far more land and emits more greenhouse gases than producing . crops for human consumption. Better option? A New Zealand Romney spring lamb standing with its mother . And some methods produce more harmful gases than others, they said. The study claims Britain, for . instance, would be better off importing lamb from New Zealand which has . been produced more efficiently than on its own farms. Countries can also not only reduce . emissions but make financial savings by being more careful with regards . to the way animals are reared. Costs: Emissions could be reduced and money saved by cutting down meat consumption . National Farmers Union representative . Nathan Alleyne said: ‘I don’t think we’d be coming out in support of . that measure, but we’d need to read the report before commenting on it.’ Resilient: Crops like barley could be used more . The study shows food production accounts for up to 29 percent of man-made greenhouse gases. Looking at emissions across the food . system - including forest clearance, fertiliser production and transport . - rather than just farming itself - agriculture research organisation . CGIAR said much more work was needed to cut climate change emissions . from food. Their report ‘Climate Change and Food . Systems’, estimated food production was responsible for a far greater . percentage than the United Nation’s 14 percent based on a narrower . definition of farming. ‘From a food point of view (the UN . approach) doesn’t make sense,’ said Bruce Campbell, who heads the CGIAR . research programme on climate change, agriculture and food security. Many countries could make big cost savings by cutting emissions, he said. ‘There are good economic reasons to improve efficiency in agriculture, not just to cut greenhouse gas emissions.’ | 29 per cent of man-made greenhouse gases come from food production instead of the UN's 14 per cent figure .
Emissions could be reduced and money saved by importing efficiently reared lamb from New Zealand . |
144,802 | 474c97bad4d9be411d54cf2e903c6ee79d6ced01 | Residents of a street in Stoke-on-Trent are bracing themselves after a wife from hell who was given an Asbo for repeatedly shouting at her husband moved in next door. Julie Griffiths and long suffering partner Norman caused those living near their former home not far from the city to complain to the local council. Mrs Griffiths, 45, has been taken to court on several occasions for launching loud rants at her other half - earning her the nickname 'nagsbo'. Julie Griffiths, who was given an Asbo for ranting at her husband, has moved into a new home . Those living near her former home in Talke, Staffordshire celebrated last month after it emerged the couple were moving out after more than a decade living in their pink terraced house. Mrs Griffiths was originally handed a five-year Asbo in December 2012 after noise monitoring equipment was installed to measure the volume of her shouting. But she has since been accused of breaching the order, landing her back in court. The Sun reported this morning that residents of another street have now discovered she is moving in. New neighbour James Clarke, 52, told the paper: 'I don't sleep too well as it is, so with them shouting all hours I'll never get a minute's peace. Why don't they get a caravan in some field? That's the best place for them.' Mrs Griffiths' former Staffordshire home, where neighbours complained about her noise . Mrs Griffiths' new neighbours have said they are worried she will keep them awake . Their fears came after former neighbours of Mrs Griffiths were said to be 'popping champagne corks' after she left her former home. Complaints had been made against her moaning since 1999, but it was around thirteen years before she received her Asbo. The ruling prohibited her from creating noise audible to neighbouring properties, shouting, screaming or banging on internal doors and communicating with certain neighbours. Earlier this year she was fined for the noise she made when berating 64-year-old Mr Griffiths for buying the wrong type of scratch card. This was before a third court appearance where she was accused laying into her partner's hygiene. Friends say the couple have been married for more than 20 years but Griffiths' nagging only became an issue three years ago. She has reportedly been banned from numerous family events because of her tantrums. | Julie Griffiths earned the nickname for loud rants at husband Norman .
She was given Asbo over the noise, but is accused of breaching the order .
Former neighbours were celebrating last month when she left their street .
Residents in her new road worried they'll now have to put up with noise . |
79,209 | e08374da0f9e74d8c3f2ebea7821a961c762d6b2 | Marc Jacbos closed New York Fashion Week yesterday with an unprecedented move: sending his supermodels down the runway wearing no make-up whatsoever, or so it is claimed. Heavyweights including Karlie Kloss, Joan Smalls, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Jessica Stam, Jessica Hart and Hilary Rhoda stomped down the runway indistinguishable from each other with choppy dark wigs and uncharacteristically washed out faces. 'It’s probably the only show in New York where we’re not going to apply any make-up,' backstage make-up chief Francois Nars told Fashionista. 'Absolutely no makeup whatsoever. Not one gram of makeup. Only moisturizing lotion and that’s it.' Scroll down for video . Spot the supermodel: Marc Jacobs hired fashion's biggest supermodels for his Spring 2015 ready-to-wear-show, led by Joan Smalls (left) and sent them down the runway with 'absolutely no make-up whatsoever' Make-up free: Hilary Rhoda shared this to her Instagram with the caption 'Bad girls do it well.' Pictured from left, Ms Rhoda, Caroline Trentini, Karlie Kloss, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid . While the normcore trend for laid back beauty has held strong with many designers this past week, it's still the sort of look that requires a lick of foundation and a sweep of mascara, at the very least. Especially since Marc Jacobs' star models were turning up backstage with faces of inevitable exhaustion following their non-stop week of dashing from show to show, and party to party. 'We love the undereye circles!' Mr Nars exclaimed, mentioning that 'most' of his models naturally had 'very good skin.' He did, however, confess to New York Magazine: 'If there is a little problem, we will touch it up but in a very minimal way.' Au naturel: Ms Rhoda beams through her no make-up camera assault . Hilarious: Victoria's Secret Angel Adriana Lima (left) and Kardashian descendant Miss Jenner (right) appeared to be in high spirits as they geared up for the show . Tired? 'We love the undereye circles!' Backstage make-up chief Francoise Nars claimed, mentioning that 'most' of his models naturally had 'very good skin.' Pictured, Jessica Hart (left) and Ms Rhoda (right) Smooches: 'It’s probably the only show in New York where we’re not going to apply any make-up,' Mr Nars declared. ' Pictured, Miss Kloss (left) and Ms Smalls (right) Selfie mania: He added, 'Absolutely no makeup whatsoever. Not one gram of makeup. Only moisturizing lotion and that’s it.' Pictured from left, Cat McNeil, AndreeaDdiddy, Cameron Russell, Amanda Jean Murphy . Marching orders: 'I think Marc sees these girls as an army,' Mr Nars said. 'The colors in the collection are kind of military. Pictured from left, Jessica Hart, Ms Rhoda, Jessica Stam, unidentified . And while the likes of Karlie Kloss and Jessica Hart posted #Iwokeuplikethis-style selfies to their Instagram accounts in which they do indeed appear to be bare-faced, backstage snaps show make-up stations cluttered with Nars concealers and foundations. Still, Mr Nars insists his team's only pre-show concerns, other than covering the odd zit here or there, were with keeping the models 'moisturized.' According to the beauty guru, it was Mr Jacobs who initially raised the idea, suggesting his models 'maybe shouldn't have much make-up,' but it was Mr Nars who proposed they strip them of all of it. Blue steel: Pictured from left: Candice Swanepoel, Miss Hadid and Ms Lima take to the runway . Face nudes: Pictured from left, Ms Smalls, Miss Jenner and Miss Kloss . Bare-faced lie? An image from backstage (pictured) shows make-up stations littered with Nars cosmetics . Radical: Miss Swanepoel is almost unrecognizable as a Victoria's Secret Angel best . What are you up to then? Mr Nars insists his team's only pre-show concerns, other than covering the odd zit here or there, were with keeping the models 'moisturized' Won the genetic lottery: Despite her hectic week of working and playing hard, model Miss Kloss (pictured) looked remarkably fresh-faced . Hairy business: Ms Lima has her long dark locks scraped back and replaced with a choppy wig (pictured) Buddies: Miss Hadid (left) and Miss Jenner (right) rub shoulders in their matching wigs . Recording every second: Miss Hadid (right) throws the camera a cheeky wink as she partakes in yet another selfie . Inspired: It was Mr Jacobs (pictured at his show) who initially raised the idea, suggesting his models 'maybe shouldn't have much make-up,' but it was Mr Nars who proposed they strip them of all of it . Andre Talley (pictured) hangs lose on the pink carpeting seating, listening to the Beats by Dre headphones provided for every guest at the show . Go big or go home: The catwalk was built around a large, doorless and windowless construction in lurid pink . 'I think Marc sees these girls as an army. The colors in the collection are kind of military, with beige, khaki, caramel, and chocolate,' Mr Nars said. 'But we're not locked into having to apply make-up or blush or lip gloss. Sometimes I see women journalists... wearing nothing, and I love that, it's just a part of life.' Speaking to ELLE, he concluded: 'In 2014, it’s great that we are doing this. 'In the '60s, '50s, and '40s, women had to wear make-up. It was a rule. Today there are no rules: You can do anything you want.' | Joan Smalls, Candice Swanepoel, Jessica Hart and Hilary Rhoda also appeared completely bare-faced for the designer's Fashion Week show .
Make-up director Francois Nars claims to 'love' undereye circles and applied 'absolutely no make-up whatsoever'
But he admitted that 'little problems' were 'touched up' |
209,713 | 9b9551feddbcb27f06544696699b8a73e430c6ab | Newport Gwent Dragons claimed just their second away win over Cardiff since the start of regional rugby at a packed Arms Park. Two tries from line-out drives brought them their fourth victory on the trot in all competitions, although a final-quarter rally did earn the hosts a losing bonus point. Both Dragons tries came from Elliott Dee, who played only because No1 hooker Rhys Thomas suffered a groin injury in the warm-up. Newport's Tom Prydie kicked 13 points while Elliott Dee scored two tries in their win over Cardiff . In the end, though, the place kicking of 13-point Dragons full-back Tom Prydie that proved the difference. Dragons captain Rynard Landman said: ‘The boys showed real guts out there. We haven’t won here for a long time. 'I’m very proud of the boys for believing in themselves. We can start building momentum now with four wins in a row. Games like this are why we play the game.’ | Newport Gwent Dragons won for the second time at Cardiff Arms Park .
Elliott Dee scored two tries from line-out drives for the Dragons .
Newport's win was their fourth in a row in all competitions . |
96,972 | 08c9220d1b4c29c11a1d58490cd23db56695c20a | (CNN) -- When it comes to taking spirited vacations, wandering a vineyard falls flat in the face of handcrafted brew. With more than 1,500 breweries across the United States, beer is not just a drink -- it's a destination. Wooden barrels of beer are just part of the draw at The Lost Abbey Brewery in San Diego, California. "What's happened is that the old world has influenced the new world; the U.S. is now a travel destination for beer, [even] for people from outside of the country," said Julia Herz, craft beer program director at the Brewers Association. "What's so great about beer is that you have this range," said Randy Mosher, author of "Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Best Drink." "It's from 3 percent alcohol to 20 percent, from super malty to very hoppy, and then you throw in stuff like fruit, spices -- you have an enormous range of possibilities." With such a wide flavor profile, said Stephen Beaumont, author of "Premium Drinker's Beer Guide," beer travel is less about hanging out at the brewery and more about the tasting. In other words, don't look just for an incredible brewer, but also for an incredible city in which to drink beer. Although it's a highly contested question that Herz calls "fodder for late-night philosophical conversations," there are a few brew towns that these beer aficionados identify as the cream of the hops. Eat, drink and brew local . If you didn't know that Portland, Oregon, is synonymous with "Beervana," then you clearly need an introduction to the beer scene. "In a lot of ways, [it's] a very highly developed town for craft beer," Mosher said. The city has a reputation for going local, and Portland thoroughly applies that philosophy to brewing. "When you live in Portland, you become entrenched in the whole hops and malts [thing] because you're living right where it's being produced," said Portland resident Angelo De Ieso of beer site Brewpublic.com. Thirty percent of the world's hops come from the Pacific Northwest and Idaho, De Ieso said. The other major pull is the "high concentration of breweries," Beaumont said. "Portland is a fairly small compact area, [but] they've got a free transit system, and they've got brewpubs chockablock." Higgins Restaurant and Bar is a great place to get advice on navigating the local beer scene, according to Beaumont. And while you're there, you can sample their impressive beer list including Oregon-bottled Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner and The Bruery's "Trade Winds" Triple out of California, a brewer that Beaumont notes is "up-and-coming, doing phenomenal stuff." As for breweries, De Ieso said "the one that really stands out is Upright Brewery with their Belgian farmhouse style beers." Another stop has to be Hopworks Urban Brewery, an all-organic brewpub fully powered with renewable energy. "They do a lot of the standard styles of Northwest beers, like the IPA, which is our flagship beer," De Ieso said. Try the signature Hopworks IPA for a taste of Pacific Northwest flavor. SoCal brew style . Much further south, in San Diego, California, you'll find what Beaumont calls "a hotbed of innovation," where the beer tends "to be a little stronger, with more alcohol." And while "all of California could be considered the state from which the innovators of craft beer came, San Diego specifically grabbed the golden ring from the merry go round and ran with it," said Matt Simpson, a craft beer consultant. So when you're talking San Diego-style beer, for most beer geeks you're talking about The Lost Abbey. "The most notable guy right now is Tomme Arthur at Lost Abbey. He was one of the early adventurous brewers in Southern California," beer tasting expert Mosher said. Known for Belgian-style beers and a "flavor first" philosophy, beer expert Beaumont said "they're doing some really innovative, interesting stuff in terms of barrel aging and unusual fermentations, beyond basic brewers yeast." Beer experts also fawn over AleSmith, a microbrewery that has been pumping out diverse, high quality ales since 1995. "The special beers that they do are astounding, if not sublime," Simpson said. "They do a barrel-aged series, and those beers are limited to 250 bottles or less, so you can imagine the supply and demand market for them." Flavors of the South . Although other beer lovers often skip over the South because of restrictive brewing laws in some areas, Simpson insisted that some of the best brew can be found below the Mason-Dixon line. "One of my top three is North Carolina, with Asheville being the center of that. Not only is it a really fun place to visit, they make amazing beers," he said. "There's Foothills, a brewpub that has a breakout hit called Sexual Chocolate, an imperial stout that put them on the map of craft beer." Simpson also touts his home stomping grounds, Atlanta, Georgia. "We have one of the top five beer bars in the world in the Brick Store Pub, across the board," Simpson said. "You can go to Greatbeers.com, Ratebeer.com, Beeradvocate.com -- they're rating the Brick Store Pub as one of the top beer bars in the world. And if you're here for a few days you can hit breweries like Sweetwater, 5 Seasons, and Twain's." Whether your drink town of choice is San Diego or Philadelphia, San Francisco or Boston, Beaumont recommends chatting up locals for clues on the local beer scene. "Beer is a social drink, and beer people love to talk about the beer," he said. "You can find a local or savvy visitor who can tell you about something you've never heard of, and that makes it a phenomenal experience." | Craft beer has turned popular brewing towns into travel destinations .
Experts say Oregon, California and North Carolina offer some great brews .
Wherever you go, make sure to talk to locals to get insider brewpub suggestions . |
76,846 | d9f5d5884b63060b28564bb9be3b4027f3f8782f | BEIJING, China (CNN) -- China's worst winter in more than half a century showed no signs of abating Wednesday as forecasters warned of three more days of snow and sleet. Stranded passengers wait to get into the railway station at Wuhan in central China's Hubei province . The weather has paralyzed transportation, frozen the power grid and delivered a $4.5 billion hit to the economy, according to figures released Wednesday by the Civil Affairs Ministry. The situation is compounding economic problems for China. Destroyed crops have resulted in increased food prices, while the inability to transport goods has further inflated prices and led to shortages at stores. China's railways and roads are the lifeblood for its manufacturing sector, one of the fastest growing in the world. "Being a manufacturer, we are so worried," said marketing manager Calvina Chan, who works for a Hong Kong-based firm that relies on a factory in mainland China to produce luggage for brands such as Samsonite. "Because of the snowstorm, the transportation isn't very good and so there might be a late delivery." Automakers Toyota and Ford halted their China-based production this week. The transportation stoppage has had a domino effect, preventing the delivery of coal, which is vital to China's power plants. That is amplifying China's energy problems. "Most of the coal is produced in the north and northeast, (while) the users are along the coast," said economist Nicholas Kwan. "This time the snowstorm's problem is not so much freezing the production but freezing the transportation line which makes transportation of coal to those power plants more difficult." Kwan said some of the power plants have already depleted their coal reserves. All this comes during the Lunar New Year holiday, the country's busiest shopping season. In Guangzhou, hundreds of factory workers who had saved money all year to visit their families during China's Lunar New Year filled the city's train station, waiting for trains that were not expected to arrive for days. Up to half a million people have camped out in the southern city for nearly a week, hoping to get home for the holiday. Factories in the province of Guangzhou shut down Wednesday ahead of the February 7 holiday with workers joining the masses around the train station -- hoping the government would deliver on its promise of quick action and immediate relief for those trying to make it home. "I have been sleeping out here for six days. I have spent all my money. I don't know how I will get home," one man said. Another man told CNN's Hugh Riminton he had tried to get out of Guangzhou every way possible -- by airplane, bus and his own car -- but could not make it because of the weather conditions. "Now he's in the queue with everyone else trying to get on a train," Riminton said. "And the trains simply aren't going at the moment and it's unlikely they'll be going really in sufficient numbers for days to come" Security is tight at the railway station as people occasionally stampeded the barricade in an attempt to get closer to the train platforms, to no avail. Armed riot police entered the station on Wednesday to regain control of the situation. So far, Chinese authorities have managed to persuade nearly 470,000 people to abandon their travel plans and accept a refund for their train tickets. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao apologized Tuesday to the hundreds of thousands of people stranded in train stations across his country -- a rare move by a Chinese politician. "First we'll fix the electric grid. After that, the trains will run again. ... Then all of you can go home for the Chinese New Year," the premier said. President Hu Jintao called an emergency meeting of the policy-making politburo and vowed a quick government response. More than 177 million Chinese were expected to travel by train, and 22 million more by plane, for Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. "Going home every year is an obligation," one Chinese woman explained. "It is family reunion, and no matter how difficult it is, we have to do it." Brian Blackwell of Chicago was stranded for two days at Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport. "There were thousands of people there and they were pushing toward the counter. You had no idea what the status of your flight was." Brutal winter weather has pounded China's central, eastern and southern sections. In its 10-day forecast, the China Meteorological Administration said Wednesday that southwestern, eastern and southern China can expect more snow and sleet with freezing temperatures, while northern China will stay clear but windy. The winter precipitation had caused at least 49 deaths due to collapsed roofs and treacherous travel conditions, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and local officials said. Nearly a million police have been dispatched to help keep roadways open as thousands of vehicles have become stranded in the snow and ice, according to Chinese Ministry of Public Safety spokesman Wu Heping. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Toyota, Ford halt Chinese production; power plants not getting coal deliveries .
Forecasters expect three more days of bad weather in China .
Millions heading home for the Chinese New Year holiday are stranded .
Economic cost of winter storms reaches $4.5 billion, ministry says . |
134,000 | 393ed6ac584f7d996d0d42d4dd7ec77d245b97ad | This is the moment a brazen thief stole Christmas presents from a stranger's doorstep in broad daylight after chatting to the delivery driver while the homeowner was inside. In the shocking footage - recorded days before Christmas - the man is seen lurking on Troy Hall's doorstep for several minutes before sparking up a conversation with a UPS driver as he delivers the parcels. The thief even allegedly tells the employee to leave the parcels on the homeowner's doorstep, before shamelessly walking off with the goods under his arm. Scroll down for video . This is the moment a brazen thief stole Christmas presents from a stranger's doorstep in broad daylight after chatting to the delivery driver while the homeowner was inside . The disturbing incident was only revealed when homeowner Mr Hall wondered why his delivery had not turned up and checked his surveillance camera. It was then that he saw the stranger walking down his driveway as the UPS delivery truck pulled up outside. He then realised that his wife had been inside the couple's home throughout the 'disturbing' incident. He told KCPG news: 'It's disturbing. Because he seems to know where the cameras are, he’s hiding his face. 'I think what he says is, ‘Would these be safe here?’ The thief says, ‘Yes, sir.’' In the shocking footage, recorded days before Christmas, the man is seen lurking on Troy Hall's doorstep for several minutes before having a chat to the driver as he delivers the parcels . The thief even allegedly tells the driver to leave the parcels on the doorstep - before shamelessly walking off with the goods under his arm. Mr Hall says he is furious that the driver trusted the 'suspicious' stranger and left the parcels on the doorstep without a note, despite his wife being inside at the time. He told KCPQ: 'I think I would have left a note or come back later or something different than just slide it right next to the person who's looking very suspicious.' Mr Hall complained to UPS about the incident, but the company insisted the driver had followed company policy. On the company's website, it says drivers will leave deliveries at the front door unless a signature is required. Homeowner Troy Hall (pictured) said the incident was 'disturbing' and that the driver should have left a note or come back to finish the delivery later . In that case, a note will be left saying an attempt was made to deliver the package and when the next attempt will be made. Mr Hall's package did not require a signature but he said the driver did not leave a note. According to a post office spokesman, thieves are no longer opportunistically coming across packages outside houses. Gus Ruiz told KMAX: 'These parcel pirates are following these trucks and as soon as they drop off a parcel on a doorstep or whatever and they see that it's unattended, they will swoop in and off they go.' | Thief seen walking up Washington driveway as UPS delivery van arrives .
He then waits on the doorstep until driver approaches carrying the gifts .
Thief allegedly tells driver to leave presents on the porch before walking off .
Homeowner Troy Hall said wife was inside at time of 'disturbing' incident . |
146,685 | 49b194d9c4c3c2a3e7dc066cc5c5ca1722a4aa85 | (CNN) -- Two pirates in Somalia vowed revenge Monday, after the U.S. military killed three pirates and freed a U.S. ship captain who had been held hostage for several days. Crew members of the Maersk Alabama celebrate after hearing the Navy had rescued their captain from pirates. The pirates told a Somali journalist that they were angered by the U.S. action, as well as a French raid Friday that killed two pirates and one hostage and freed four hostages. "We have decided to kill U.S. and French sailors if they happen to be among our future hostages," said Abdullahi Ahmed, a member of a pirate group based at Harardhere, a coastal town in central Somalia. President Obama said Monday the United States will confront pirates and hold them "accountable for their crimes." Obama added that he is proud of the military's actions in rescuing Capt. Richard Phillips from his pirate captors. Members of the U.S. Navy shot and killed three pirates who had been holding Phillips hostage in a lifeboat on Sunday evening, a military official said. The pirates seized Phillips after a failed attempt to hijack his ship, the Maersk Alabama. For five days the pirates held Phillips in the lifeboat as U.S. Navy ships closed in and lingered nearby. On Sunday, U.S. Navy snipers opened fire on the lifeboat after seeing one pirate point an AK-47 at the captain's back, the U.S. military said. The shootings occurred as one pirate was aboard the USS Bainbridge negotiating over Phillips' fate. Watch how SEALs shot three pirates » . Three pirates in the lifeboat were killed. Phillips was not hurt. He was taken to another U.S. Navy vessel, the U.S. military said, where he received a medical checkup and spoke by phone with his wife in the United States. Watch admiral tell how rescue went down » . Pirates in Somalia identified the slain men as Mohamed Ahmed Adawe, Nur Dalabey and Khalif Guled. Two of them -- Dalabey and Guled -- were among the "most experienced men" in a group that has hijacked seagoing vessels for money, Ahmed said. They were killed two days after the French military freed four hostages, including a child, who had been held by pirates for nearly a week on the yacht, Tanit, off Somalia's coast. In that operation, a hostage and two pirates were killed, the French Defense Ministry said, while three pirates were captured. Watch how pirates roam a vast area of ocean » . The military actions angered Ali Nur, a pirate who is based in Gara'ad, a coastal village in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, in northern Somalia. "From now on, after the killings by the U.S. and France, we will add some harsher steps in our dealings with hostages, particularly American and French hostages," Nur told a journalist. The U.S. military acknowledged Sunday that its actions to rescue Phillips could increase the risk of violence. "This could escalate violence in this part of the world. No question about it," U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Bill Gortney told reporters. Nur issued a warning to the United States. "The killing of our boys was aggression, and the U.S. will see what they get from their operation," he said. | NEW: Obama promises U.S. will confront piracy .
Pirates vow to kill U.S., French mariners if they become hostages .
U.S. Navy killed three pirates in rescue of cargo ship captain .
French forces killed two pirates in rescue raid Friday . |
274,540 | ef9f48abdcb7d683d8e715db5602bee9155e38b4 | On the 20th anniversary of the brutal murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, the voices of two victims are conspicuously silent - those of Nicole's children. Justin and Sydney Simpson were just five and eight respectively when their mother was found brutally murdered alongside her friend at her Los Angeles home on June 12, 1994. Days later, their father OJ Simpson was charged with the murders then later acquitted following a televised, eight-month trial which gripped the nation. Their aunt Tanya Brown, Nicole's youngest sister, has spoken this week about the close bond she shares with her niece and nephew and how despite the tragedy they have endured, the pair have grown into happy, well-adjusted adults. Scroll down for video . OJ Simpson, pictured in 1995, with his son Justin and daughter Sydney, they year after their mother, Nicole Brown Simpson was brutally murdered . The aunt has said that Justin, now . 25, and Sydney, 28, are both in the restaurant business in the . Southeast. Ms Brown, 44, told RadarOnline: 'They’re in their late 20s. They’re professional. They’ve gone to college. They’re in relationships. They’re happy. They’re just like us. Quote unquote.' The aunt said that following their father's 1995 murder trial it was difficult for the children to experience a normal life. However Ms Brown and the children's grandmother forced themselves to face OJ, who they believe killed Nicole and Ron Goldman, for the sake of the children. Tanya Brown, the sister of Nicole Brown Simpson, revealed last month that her niece and nephew are well-adjusted and happy people . Ms Brown said: 'They will always love their dad. I choose to respect that.' OJ Simpson and Nicole Brown married in 1985 and . had two children Sydney and Justin. In 1989, the former football player . pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge against Simpson. The couple . divorced in 1992. Tanya Brown also revealed that she has never discussed their mother's murder or OJ Simpson with her niece and nephew. 'They’ve probably talked about it on their own,' she said. 'But when they come to our house we have fun. We don’t need to rehash everything.' Ms Brown, a life coach and mental-health . advocate, recently wrote a memoir about the loss of her . older sister Nicole, entitled Finding Peace Amid The Chaos. In the emotional book, she revealed the moment she knew that the man she once called 'Uncle OJ' was responsible for her death. She also described how her family's lives were forever shattered on the morning of June 13, 1994, when they found out that Nicole, recently divorced from OJ Simpson, had been stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home along with her friend Ronald Goldman. She said the grief-stricken family watched on TV as her sister's bloodied corpse was loaded into a van to be taken to the morgue. Ms Brown said she held her mother's shaking hands as she wept: 'That's my kid.' O.J. Simpson accompanying his children, Sydney, nine and Justin, six, as they leave the funeral services for his ex-wife, Nicole Simpson, June 16, 1994. A day later, he was charged with their mother's murder . Ms . Brown said that at first she did not suspect Simpson, the former . football player turned actor, whom she knew as a beloved brother-in-law. After her sister's death, Ms Brown said she was exposed to the . harrowing truth - that Simpson was a violent man who had mentally and physically abused her sister . for years. In the days following the murders, the net began to close on Simpson, considered the prime suspect. On June 17, the day that Simpson was supposed to turn himself over to police on murder charges, the . former football player led officers on an infamous low-speed pursuit . in a white Ford Bronco SUV in California. Simpson finally surrendered to police and was jailed awaiting trial. OJ Simpson and his wife Nicole Brown Simpson, pictured in October 1993, eight months before she was stabbed to death outside her LA home along with friend Ronald Goldman . The internationally publicized trial . of O.J. Simpson lasted one year and was dubbed the 'trial of the . century'. In 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the 1994 murders of his . ex-wife and Mr Goldman. The . anguish for the victims' families did not end there. For Tanya Brown, . her sister's brutal death unleashed years of depression and drug and . alcohol abuse that culminated in her almost taking her own life in 2004. Following psychiatric treatment and therapy, Ms Brown now says she has turned 'this ugly thing into something good'. In . 2008, Simpson was found guilty of kidnapping, armed robbery and other . charges in what he said was an attempt to retrieve memorabilia and . personal items from two sports collectibles dealers in a casino hotel . room. Simpson was sentenced . to between nine to 33 years in Nevada state prison but was granted . parole on some convictions last July. However he must serve at least . four more years. Simpson's conviction came 13 years to the day after he was acquitted of his ex-wife and Mr Goldman's murders. The body of Nicole Brown Simpson is removed from the scene of her brutal murder in June 199 - 20 years ago today . Nicole Brown, 35, was stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home 20 years ago along with friend Ronald Goldman who was visiting her . Blood on the paved walkway outside of the gate leading to Nicole Brown Simpson's home in June 1994 . | Justin and Sydney Simpson were just five .
and eight respectively, when their mother was murdered at her Los Angeles home on June 12, 1994 - 20 years ago today .
Her sister Tanya Brown said her niece and nephew are 'happy, in relationships and just like us'
The aunt, 44, has never discussed their mother's murder with the pair .
Ms Brown said: 'They will always love their dad. I choose to respect that' |
7,255 | 1490c0a25af0fa96770e3394e3721a89422d7ad7 | New York (CNN) -- Mourners gathered Thursday for the funeral service of a New York police detective, who died nearly a decade after being exposed to toxic debris while transporting victims in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Kevin Czartyoryski died Sunday after a months-long battle with lung cancer, according to the head of the city's detectives union, Michael Palladino. "In May, he was cancer free," Palladino said. "Now here we are seven months later and he's passed away." Czartyoryski developed cancer after years suffering from pulmonary fibrosis, a condition in which the lung tissue becomes thick and scarred. The New York Police Department medical board presumed his condition was caused by the toxic air he breathed while working at ground zero, according to police spokesman Carlos Nieves. Czartoryski joined the police force in 1988 and had most recently been working in its public information office before he retired on disability in 2008. He received a lung transplant in May 2010, just before cancer was discovered in his remaining lung, Palladino said. For months after the collapse of the World Trade Center, he had worked at ground zero, searching for victims' remains and organizing a temporary morgue. "He loved the NYPD and the work he was doing," Palladino said. The 46-year-old Queens native is remembered by friends and colleagues as a respected man with "a magnificent personality," he added. "On behalf of the entire Police Department I convey my condolences to family and friends of retired Detective Kevin Czartoryski," Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said in a written statement on Thursday. "He was a consummate professional and a cheerful bridge for understanding who will be missed terribly." Czartoryski had worked as a public affairs officer to the city's gay and transgender community, working as a part of the department's Hate Crime Task Force. Meanwhile in Washington, Senate Republicans derailed a procedural vote on a bill that would provide $7.4 billion in aid and medical coverage to those exposed to toxins following the attacks of September 11, 2001. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called Thursday's vote "a tragic example of partisan politics trumping patriotism." But the James Zadroga 9/11 Health Bill is not the only plan intended to support ground zero workers. Last month a settlement set to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars to ground zero workers concluded a seven-year fight between the city of New York and first responders, who said they were not properly outfitted for search-and-rescue efforts following the attack. | New York police officer, a 9-11 responder, died after battling lung cancer .
NYPD medical board presumed his condition was caused by toxic air from ground zero .
Czartoryski's funeral occurred on the same day 9/11 bill was derailed in Senate . |
34,306 | 6177ac1d59291f1aedb4940c6a6aa912e042d7be | By . Snejana Farberov . PUBLISHED: . 20:36 EST, 30 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:52 EST, 31 July 2012 . A devout Catholic mother, her 11-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter have been found shot dead in their home in what police suspect was a murder-suicide - while her businessman husband read downstairs. Officers arrived at the large house in the affluent suburb of Glendale, Missouri after 11 a.m on Monday and found the bodies of Cathy Murch and her children in different parts of the home. Investigators believe Mrs Murch shot her children before turning the gun on herself, Glendale police Sgt. Bob Catlett said. Torn apart: Mitch Murch II, right, told police he heard a gunshot and found his wife, second right, and their two children dead . The victims’ husband and father, Mitch Murch II, had alerted authorities after finding the bodies. He said he thought the gunfire was 'coming from outside, so he ran to his front door and saw that his wife was laying in the kitchen, his son was laying in a side room and his daughter was on a bed in the second story of the home,' Catlett told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Yellow crime tape cordoned off the family's $520,000 four-bedroom home, which is located on what one neighbor described to Fox2Now as the 'primo street in Glendale' – an affluent community about 10 miles from St. Louis. People close to the family said the parents were devoted to their children and the Catholic Church, and that the mother never showed signs of mental illness. Site of tragedy: The Murches lived in a well-appointed two-story brick house situated on a tree-lined street in the suburb of Glendale . Devastating scene: The body of Cathy Murch was discovered on the floor in the kitchen, while her children's bodies were found in a side room and in a second-floor bedroom . Sad sight: When first responders arrived at the house, they found Mr Murch performing CPR on his fatally wounded son . According to police, the father called and reported one gunshot at 10:57 a.m. He then called back sometime later and told a dispatcher that his wife was dead and he thought it was a murder-suicide. When EMS arrived on the scene, they found Mr Murch performing CPR on his 11-year-old son, Mitch Murch III. The boy and his sister, Mary Claire, were taken to area hospitals where they were pronounced dead. Cathy Murch was pronounced dead at the scene. Police recovered a weapon from inside the home, but said no apparent suicide note was found. Mitch Murch II has been taken to police headquarters, where he is being questioned. However, he was not named a suspect. Neighbors who gathered outside the . family's home surrounded by a manicured lawn and nestled in lush . shrubbery and flowers were shocked by the scene. Happier times: People who knew the Murches described them as devoted to their two children and their church . Hidden problems? The Murches' acquaintances described them as devout Catholics who seemed happy, although one person said the mother appeared distraught just days before the tragedy . 'We . have a very nice neighborhood; no problems at all, but then you hear . this and it hurts that this close it happened,' Phillip Henderson told . the station KMOV. Henderson . and his wife, Pat, said their neighbor talked to Mrs Murch just days . before the incident and something seemed not right. 'She . did say she recently talked to the mother and asked well how are things . going, she said, "Ugh, well you know",' said Henderson. 'So maybe . something's going on there she didn't know.' The family was involved at Mary Queen of Peace Church in nearby Webster Groves, where the mother helped parents of incoming students in the parish elementary school where her two children went. The father also headed an anti-abortion initiative called the Respect Life Apostolate at the church, and the pastor said the family appeared to be a happy one. Killed: Young Mitch was found shot in a downstairs room while Mary Claire was found dead upstairs . Picture perfect: Friends and relatives flocked to an impromptu prayer service for the family on Monday night where they expressed their shock at the deaths of Cathy, left, Mary Claire, right, and young Mitch . Rev. Bob Reiker added: 'We’re just trying to piece it together and come to grips.' Following the tragedy, the church staff . said in a statement: ‘We are shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic . loss of life involving a family in one of our parish communities. 'Mary Queen of Peace Pastor Fr. Bob . Reiker and Associate Pastor Fr. Craig Holway are working with grieving . family members and the MQP parish family to cope with the aftermath of . this tragedy.' Since December, Mr Murch has worked . in business development for a St Louis building services and cleaning . firm, Centaur Building Services; his LinkedIn page names him the 'Growth . Guy'. He has also previously worked as vice president to facilities management firms, and for Mitch Murch's Maintenance Management - a facilities company founded by his father and run by his brother. Mrs Murch trained as a nurse and . aided with clinical trial research. She was working as a Treatment . Educator at Special Design Healthcare, according to her LinkedIn page. Religious: The Murches were involved in Mary Queen of Peace Church, where the husband headed a pro-life initiative . Strong connection: Both Murch children attended the Mary Queen of Peace parish school where their mother helped parents of new students . Hundreds turned out for an impromptu hour-long prayer service at Mary Queen of Peace in Webster Groves held for the family on Monday night. Rev. Bob Reiker thanked the crowd during the service, adding: I thought we'd have maybe a dozen people or so. 'But this is proof how much people in our community care. May the Lord be with Mitch and his family and all those who are grieving.' Craig Avery and his children attended the service and knew the family; Avery said his children attended camp with Mary Claire last week. 'I'm going to miss her so much,' one of his daughters told the Webster Groves Patch. | Mitch Murch II called police and said his wife and two children were dead .
Daughter found in a second-floor bedroom while son was shot downstairs .
Police recovered weapon from the scene, but no suicide note .
The family lived in $520,000 house in an affluent suburb of St. Louis .
The Murches were devout Catholics and heavily involved with their church . |
118,704 | 254712418c356643cd0303062d8154eb04608ee6 | By . Wills Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 12:59 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:00 EST, 5 September 2013 . Squeaky clean Richard Tipper has staked his claim as Britain’s most prolific car washer after tending to more than 25,000 supercars at up to £1,200-a-time. Dedicated Mr Tipper started cleaning motors as a 14-year-old charging £2-a-go to wash his neighbours’ vehicles. Twenty-eight years later, he has become a professional cleaner, or car ‘detailer’, travelling around the UK polishing supercars and classics worth in excess of £20 million. Machine: Richard Tipper, 41 from London, claims his 30-year career with a bucket and sponge has seen him clean 25,000 cars . Dedication: He will spend a whole day to make sure his customers' vehicles are spotless and sometimes will polish the motors for up to a week . He will typically spend a whole day making each car look shinier than when it left the showroom and once spent a whole week cleaning a Ferrari F50. Mr Tipper believes he has now washed upwards of 25,000 cars and used 2.5 million litres of water - enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool.He has gone through 1,800 lambswool wash mitts, 1,200 drying towels, ten litres of pure wax and 100 litres of polish. The valeter’s big step came in 1989 when he saved up enough money to buy a Vauxhall Rascal van and went full-time with his company, Perfection Valet. He started working on fleet cars, cleaning up to 300 per week and, by the mid-1990s, was moving onto more exotic motors such as Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches. Today, Mr Tipper is the go to man for a number of magazines, high-end dealers and classic car enthusiasts. A conventional valet costs £350 while his top notch ‘concours’ detail has a £1,200 price-tag, with the owner getting a hardback photo book to accompany the completed service. Record: Mr Tipper believes he has now washed upwards of 25,000 cars and used 2.5 million litres of water - enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool . Despite the eye-opening price-tag, Richard’s skills are something customers are willing to pay for, particularly if the car is worth upwards of £20 million like the Ferrari 250 GTO he has worked on. Mr Tipper, from North London, said: 'Strict instructions were handed down to us by the owner clearly stating ‘she’ must not be enhanced in anyway, but must be merely maintained in her current condition. 'With such a significant history, a transformation of her "patina" could have had a dramatic and detrimental effect on the value. Success: The professional 'detailer' once spent a whole week tirelessly cleaning a Ferrari F50 . 'The car was an original Series 1 from 1963 and the hairs still stand up on the back of my neck when I think of how lucky I was to have looked after her. 'It was certainly a career high for me. I often wonder if I’ll ever get the chance to work on another. I live in hope.' Mr Tipper arrives at his clients’ properties in a customised van packed full of specialist cleaning products, waxes and polishes with one setting him back a staggering £3,000. He has now ‘detailed’ everything from standard family cars to vintage vehicles from as far back as 1905. Career: Since the age of 14 he has perfected the art of making the paint job look as if it has just come out of the show room . The meticulous valeter has worked on 52 different models of Ferrari and has also detailed the Le Mans-winning Jaguar XJR-9 and a Ferrari 312 T4 F1 car driven by the legendary Gilles Villeneuve. Away from the world of cleaning supercars, the married father-of-two drives a Vauxhall Zafira people carrier. He added: 'It is a tremendously tiring and physical job and my body and mind has had to adapt to the long hours, harsh weather conditions and general anxiety felt by a conscientious person trying to provide a service to his clients. Commitment: Mr Tipper works day and night working on his customers' cars, including this Porsche . 'But I’ve had few interesting experiences over the years. On one occasion, I was cleaning a client’s car when I removed the boot mats to find a stash of pornographic magazines. 'I was also working on a lady’s Porsche and when I found a bag containing 2,000 pound coins. 'She had hidden the money when moving home and, a year later, had completely forgotten about them.' | Richard Tipper, 41, has made a career out of making cars shinier than when they came out of the showroom .
Father-of-two spends a day polishing the cars and once spent an entire week making sure a Ferrari was spotless . |
31,461 | 597e19dbd4dd29fca04505899f2528dfee7d6691 | Alicia Blagg and Rebecca Gallantree won England's second gold of the opening day of the Commonwealth Games diving competition by stealing first place on their final dive. After Jack Laugher won gold in the men's 1m springboard event in Edinburgh, Blagg and Gallantree followed suit in the women's synchronised 3m springboard. It took England's medal tally at the Royal Commonwealth Pool - which also hosted Commonwealth Games events in 1970 and 1986 - to three from three events. All smiles: Blagg and Gallantree pose with their gold medals after winning the synchronised 3m springboard . Disbelief: Blagg puts her hands to her mouth after realising that she and Gallantree had won gold . England's Sarah Barrow and Tonia Couch claimed silver in the women's synchronised 10m platform on Wednesday afternoon. Blagg and Gallantree scored a high of 72.54 for their fifth and final dive - a forward 3 1/2 somersault - to take gold with a total of 300.24. Canada's Jennifer Abel and Pamela Ware (295.65) claimed silver and bronze went to Australia's Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith (294.72). The English success comes before Tom Daley has taken to the boards. Daley's competition begins on Friday with the men's synchronised 10m platform before the individual event he won in Delhi in 2010 takes place on Saturday. In sync: The English pair won their event with their last dive of the day . Great start: Team England won three medals from the opening three events on the first day of diving . For Blagg and Gallantree it was an unexpected triumph, with both enduring injury-plagued 2014 seasons to date. 'I just can't believe it,' Blagg said. 'That last dive it was either a medal or no medal. We had no idea. We thought we were in fourth or fifth. 'To do that dive and then see the scoreboard ranked first it was the best moment of my life. Just disbelief.' Gallantree added: 'We knew we could do a good one (last dive). We have been struggling with it a little bit in training; the timing's been a bit off. 'We've worked really hard on it over the last couple of days. 'To do it in that situation, last dive, when it really mattered, and to do that to get the gold is just amazing.' | Their win made it three medals for England on the opening day of diving .
Jack Laugher had earlier won gold in the men's 1m springboard .
Sarah Barrow and Tonia Couch claimed silver in the women's synchronised 10m platform .
Blagg and Gallantree sealed gold with their final dive of the competition . |
255,321 | d67bcdb8f5da5606c93335f9f52a28f7f4135175 | Died: Thomas Ross died while on a golfing holiday in Spain . A British golfer drowned in a Spanish lake after he fell in trying to find a lost ball. Thomas Ross, 73, who could not swim, slipped and tumbled into the water as he played the fifth hole at Dunas de Donana golf course in Almonte, Huelva, Andalucia, at midday on Sunday. He was pulled out of the lake but died shortly afterwards. Local media suggest the pensioner could have suffered a fatal heart attack as the water was 'not deep'. His body was taken to the Forensic Anatomical Institute in Huelva and an autopsy was expected to take place today. The 18-hole course - which boasts a . driving range, putting green and tennis school - is located near . Matalascanas beach, which is popular with British tourists. Local news site HuelvaYa reports that . Mr Ross had been staying with a group of friends at the nearby . four-star Carabela Beach & Golf Hotel. Police sources believe he was from Scotland and was in Spain on holiday. Tragedy: British golfer Thomas Ross drowned in a lake at the Dunas de Donana golf course (above) after he fell in trying to find a lost ball . It is not known who he was playing golf with at the time of the tragedy. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We . can confirm the death of a British national in the Huelva area of . Andalucia and are offering consular advice to their family.' Representatives from both the 291-room hotel and the golf course have declined to comment on the death. A Civil Guard spokesman confirmed Mr Ross as the deceased man and that he was from Scotland. Resort: Mr Ross was pulled from the water at the Dunas de Donana golf course, but died soon afterwards . Popular: The golf club is near the Matalascanas beach resort which is popular with British holidaymakers . | Thomas Ross fell into lake at Dunas de Donana golf course in Andalucia .
Mr Ross, 73, from Scotland, was playing the fifth hole when he slipped .
Course located near Matalascanas which is popular with British tourists . |
14,243 | 286971291afb05c0d975862cb7c9fca84236d8d1 | (CNN) -- Robin van Persie atoned for an embarrassing second half penalty miss to complete a hat-trick and give Manchester United a dramatic 3-2 win at Southampton Sunday in the English Premier League. United had to come from behind twice to claim the three points at St Mary's but it was tough on the newly promoted home side, who played a full part in a pulsating early season encounter. They went ahead after 16 minutes when Rickie Lambert headed home at the far post after a fine cross by Jason Puncheon. The lead did not last long as van Persie, signed from Arsenal in close season, chested home a cross and fired across Kelvin Davis in the Southampton goal. The visitors looked uneasy in defense throughout -- despite Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic being re-united in the center -- and in the second half a slip by Patrice Evra allowed Morgan Schneiderlin to head Southampton ahead again. Alex Ferguson's men looked set to level for the second time after Jos Hooiveld had fouled van Persie to earn a penalty. The Dutchman got up to take the spot kick but appeared to change his mind halfway through his effort and could only chip a weak effort which Davis tipped away. "I don't know what I was thinking of with the penalty," van Persie told Sky Sports at the end of the match. "I was going to blast it but at the last second I just changed, that wasn't good enough." But it did not take long for him to make amends, reacting quickly after a Ferdinand header came off the home woodwork. Then in injury time he met Nani's near post cross with a perfect header to win the match and score his 100th EPL goal. Ferguson was delighted with the three points and gave particular credit to second half substitute Paul Scholes, who turned the match their way. "He changed the game completely, his vision and consistency of passing gave us complete control," said the United boss, who was winning his 599th out of 1,000 league games. In the earlier kick off, Arsenal showed they could do without van Persie's goals with a 2-0 win at Liverpool, who have made their worst start to a top flight season since 1963-63 with one point from three games. Arsene Wenger's men had failed to score in their first two EPL games, but two of his summer signings came good at Anfield. Germany striker Lukas Podolski scored his first goal for the club in the first half while Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla grabbed the second for the Gunners in the second half. Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina was at fault for the goal to complete a lackluster display by new manager Brendan Rogers' team. The other game Sunday saw Newcastle held 1-1 at home by Aston Villa, needing a superb equalizer from French star Hatem Ben Arfa on the hour mark to salvage a point. Ciaran Clark's first-half opener had given Villa the lead and Tim Krul had to produce good saves to deny Darren Bent and Andreas Weimann as the visitors pressed for a second. | Manchester United win 3-2 at promoted Southampton in EPL .
Robin van Persie grabs hat-trick but misses second half penalty .
Arsenal score first goals of season in 2-0 win at Liverpool .
Newcastle held 1-1 at home by Aston Villa . |
60,497 | abf188c8ef781ee8bc09c41a9f1e6777afc297fd | Chelsea have seen an opening bid of £16million rejected for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Douglas Costa, according to the player himself. Brazilian star Costa confirmed on Thursday night that the Barclays Premier League leaders had been in touch about a move to Stamford Bridge – one that the 24-year-old describes as a ‘dream’. But with Chelsea seeking a cheaper option to Fiorentina’s £27m-rated Juan Cuadrado, Costa’s Ukrainian employers are not keen on letting one of their top players go on the cheap. Shakhtar Donetsk's Douglas Costa says it would be a 'dream' to play for Premier League leaders Chelsea . The Blues have had a £16m bid for the 24-year-old (right) already rejected by the Ukrainian club . Costa confirmed to local press on Shakhtar’s South American tour that Chelsea’s initial offer had been rejected – but said he would speak to his club to try to push a move through. ‘It’s a dream to play for Chelsea, a unique chance. I will try to negotiate,’ he told Brazil’s Globo Esporte. Ukrainian champions Shakhtar are known to difficult to negotiate with, making it perhaps unsurprising that Chelsea’s bid, understood to be £16m, was rejected. They face Internacional in Beira-Rio on Friday night in Costa’s homeland, with the Brazilian expected to play some part despite the speculation over his future. Costa attracted the interest of Chelsea and Manchester United as a teenager at Brazilian side Gremio before moving to Shakhtar in a £4.5m deal. Talks regarding the futures of Costa, Cuadrado and Chelsea’s Mohamed Salah and Andre Schurrle are expected to continue on Friday. Chelsea are also interested in Fiorentina's £27m-rated star Juan Cuadrado (right) | Chelsea launched a £16million bid for Shakhtar Donetsk's Douglas Costa .
Costa is expected to play in Shakhtar's friendly vs Internacional on Friday .
Blues are also interested in Fiorentina's £27m-rated Juan Cuadrado .
Click here for all the latest transfer news . |
260,283 | dd0ed010965c4411ba84aa0885ef3f2e187cdc1f | By . Paul Donnelley . Paedophiles will be given the same treatment as terrorists under a crackdown on child abuse to be included in the Queen's Speech. David Cameron said that he wanted to close a loophole that allows sexual predators to create and possess ‘manuals’ giving tips on how to identify victims, groom them and evade capture. In future, they will face the same kind of sanctions as extremists who download guides to bomb-making. The Government wants to crack down on paedophiles owning or creating 'manuals' that teach them how to groom children (Picture posed by model) The issue came to light after GCHQ and the National Crime Agency found online examples of the guides in the chaotic part of cyberspace known as the ‘dark web’ or 'deep web'. This is where tens of trillions of pages that most people have never seen are stored. They include everything from statistics to the illegal sale of human body parts. The Prime Minister told The Sunday Times: ‘It's completely unacceptable that there is a loophole in the law which allows paedophiles to write and distribute these disgusting documents. ‘I want to ensure we do everything we can to protect children – and that's why I am making them illegal.’ The new law is expected to be in force by the time of next year’s General Election, and could be implemented in an amendment to the Obscene Publications Act 1959, according to the newspaper. The Terrorism Act 2000 outlawed terrorist training manuals. The move was announced after it emerged that a paedophile teacher drugged and abused up to 60 boys as young as 10 at a British private school. William Vahey, who taught history and geography at Southbank International School in London between 2009 and 2013, committed suicide last month as FBI agents closed in. Paedophiles: Robert Buckley, 54 (left), was found guilty of indecent assaults on children; William Vahey (right), who taught history and geography at Southbank International School in London between 2009 and 2013, committed suicide last month . Showbiz: Chris Lanhgam (left) was jailed for six months for downloading and possessing level 5 child pornography; Jimmy Savile (right) has been exposed as a predatory paedophile . | It will be illegal to produce or own 'manuals' that give tips on grooming .
GCHQ and the National Crime Agency found online guides in the ‘dark web’
New laws expected to be in place by 2015 General Election .
The laws mirror similar ones in the Terrorism Act which ban equivalent guides . |
152,665 | 5147fc6e0e7b3f18c354df6fd0cbcc98224788fd | By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 09:12 EST, 13 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:38 EST, 13 April 2012 . A suspected sex trafficking ring in which girls as young as 11 were allegedly targeted was far larger than previously feared, according to police. As many as 50 young girls have come forward claiming to have been sold for sex in Oxford, detective confirmed today. It was originally thought that 24 girls, aged between 11 and 16 years, were the only victims but more youngsters have since contacted the police alleging they were also victims. Last-minute preparations: Police prepare to . carry out the raid in connection with the sex abuse ring, over which 13 . men have been questioned . Oxford police commander, Acting Superintendent Chris Sharp, said more ‘potential victims’ had come forward as a result of the publicity the case had received. A total of 13 men were arrested when more than 100 police swooped in the raids across Oxford, codenamed Operation Bullfinch. A group of six Asian men - including two sets of brothers - have been charged by police in connection with allegedly running the sex trafficking ring in the university city known for its dreaming spires. Since the initial dawn raids last month, officers had made a further two arrests as part of the probe, a police spokesman said. A 39-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman were detained on suspicion of 'grooming' this week. Ready . to move in: Police vans lined up ahead of Operation Bullfinch, . which investigated the alleged sexual exploitation of girls . The man has been freed on police bail to return to a police station in May, pending further inquiries and the woman was released without charge. Police arrested 13 men in raids across Oxford on Thursday, March 22, after investigating the suspected ring since May last year. Six men were charged and appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court, sitting at Amersham on Friday, March 30, for a preliminary hearing and were all remanded in custody. Father of two Kamar Jamil, aged 26 years, of Summertown, Oxford, who is charged with four counts of rape, two . counts of arranging the prostitution of a child, one count of making a . threat to kill and one count of possession with intent to supply class A . drugs, has since been granted conditional bail by the court. Seven men returned to a police station to answer bail on Thursday and had their bail extended for a further eight weeks. The men all made their first appearances in connection with the abuse ring at High Wycombe Magistrates Court . High Wycombe Magistrates Court heard during . the first hearing last month how the accused men are believed to have . groomed 24 girls for sex between May 2004 and March, this year. Four girls, who cannot be named for . legal reasons, were allegedly given alcohol and drugs, and forced to . have sex with some of the men. Clare Tucker, prosecuting, said . during that hearing: ‘These charges relate to the sexual exploitation of . girls between 11 and 16 across the Oxford area over a period of . several years.’ Zeshan Ahmed, 26, is charged with ten counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child. Anjum Dogar, 30, is charged with one . count of conspiring to rape a child, one count of arranging prostitution . of a child and one count of trafficking. His brother, Akhtar, 31, is charged . with three counts of rape, one count of conspiring to rape a child, . three counts of arranging the prostitution of a child, one count of . making a threat to kill and one count of trafficking. Mohammed Karrar, 37, has been charged . with two counts of conspiracy to rape a child and one count of . supplying a Class A controlled drug to a child. His brother Bassan, a 32-year-old father of two, is charged with one count of raping a child in 2006. Detective Inspector Simon Morton, of . Thames Valley Police, said at the time of the arrests: ‘We are working . closely with social services to make sure the young girls involved are . safe.’ Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | The number of alleged victims has increased from 24 to as many as 50 as more young girls come forward .
A total of 13 men arrested after raids as part of Operation Bullfinch .
Charges include trafficking, grooming, and rape of girls between the age of 11 and 16 . |
146,790 | 49d285b127419669ea2e2bbe4de79c9624b4c9c6 | Krishna Venkatesh, a Microsoft employee, has been missing for a week . A 27-year-old Seattle man has vanished since he left his job at Microsoft a week ago. Krishna Venkatesh's car was found at Deception Pass on Monday, its owner mysteriously missing. Cops found the vehicle at the state park while tracking GPS data from his cell phone. Dog teams on Tuesday searched the trails around Deception Pass and found his car locked—nothing unusual inside, the Whidbey News-Times reported. A Microsoft employee on went to check in on Venkatesh on Friday after he failed to show up for work as a program manager twice in a row. Co-workers at the tech giant filed a missing person's report on Monday. Friend and co-worker Shimul Sachdeva says she last saw Venkatesh on Tuesday at a trivia night with co-workers. 'Knowing Krishna, this is uncharacteristic,' she told the Seattle Times. 'It was raining, it was dangerous, why would he drive up there?' Venkatesh's car was found near Deception Pass Bridge. Friends checked in on his house after he failed to s how up for work twice in a row . Sachdeva says Venkatesh's cell phone is either off or not charged — but she knows he usually carries at least two charger with him. Venkatesh has no known chemical addictions or mental-health issues, the Seattle Times reported. 'The fact that he has been gone for several days may mean that he is in danger,' police spokesman Drew Fowle told the newspaper. He is described as an Indian America male with black hair and brown eyes. Venkatesh, about 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, drives a gray Toyota Corolla. The Deception Pass Bridge is the site of several suicides each year, according to the Whidbey News-Times. Those who jump are usually not found because of the waterway's current, the newspaper reported. Anyone with information should contact the Seattle Police Department at (202) 625-5011. Friends have been posting this flyer seeking any information leading to Venkatesh . | Krishna Venkatesh, 27, was last seen a week ago while attending a trivia night with friends in Seattle .
The Microsoft program manager failed to show up for work twice, prompting a search .
His car was found locked with nothing missing near the Deception Pass Bridge . |
18,419 | 341faee766dcb0e162f6ed65765240e8b46ad463 | (CNN) -- While we learned that rising stars in the Democratic Party come in younger (Sandra Fluke) and older (Elizabeth Warren) versions, it was a party elder and established superstar (President Bill Clinton) who stole the show on Day Two of the Democratic convention. Wednesday's session began amid controversy over language in the party's platform that saw a tumultuous voice vote. And another one. And another one. It's not the image Democrats wanted to project after a successful opening night. And while Clinton's speech was 15 minutes longer than his famously panned 1988 convention address, this one kept the audience in the packed Time Warner Cable Arena on its feet. Here are five things we learned from Wednesday night: . 1. Clinton delivers . Forty eight minutes, more or less. That's how long Clinton's speech lasted on Wednesday night, but no one in Charlotte gave a rip. Why? The Full Clinton showed up Wednesday with a combative, charming and substantive piece of oratory that many in the political class immediately billed as one of the best speeches he has ever delivered. Clinton's remarks at the DNC . And crucially, President Barack Obama -- who has struggled to explain his policy accomplishments to the public -- got a tremendous boost from the best communicator in American politics. Republicans were stunned after the speech. "Tonight, when everybody leaves, lock the door," GOP strategist Alex Castellanos said on CNN immediately after the speech ended. "You don't have to come back tomorrow. This convention is done. This will be the moment that probably re-elected Barack Obama. Bill Clinton saved the Democratic Party once. It was going too far left. He came in and took it to the center. He did it again tonight." Mike Murphy, another leading Republican operative, tweeted his praise. "Highly effective Clinton speech. Aimed right at voters Obama needs," Murphy wrote. And then: "A master's class in using (select) factoids and policy ideas to 'explain' and score big politically. Mitt's speech should have done this." Forget that Clinton strayed from his prepared remarks repeatedly and was not even halfway through his speech when the clock struck 11 p.m. on the East Coast -- the Big Dog delivered. Now it's Obama's turn. 2. Clinton answers the burning question . Republicans criticized Democrats this week for largely avoiding a firm answer on the question of whether Americans are better off than they were four years ago. It was a question that first gained traction last week during Mitt Romney's acceptance speech, when he said, "You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him." Clinton says Obama offers a better path forward for America . And the issue further snowballed when Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland answered "no" to the query during a Sunday interview -- a reply quickly seized upon by Republicans. While speakers at the DNC Tuesday and Wednesday mostly stayed away from the topic, Clinton answered it head-on in his speech, delivering perhaps his biggest moment of the night. "He inherited a deeply damaged economy. He put a floor under the crash. He began the long, hard road to recovery and laid the foundation for a modern, more well-balanced economy," he said. He continued: "Now are we where we want to be today? No. Is the president satisfied? Of course not. But are we better off than when we were when he took office? Listen to me," he said, as the crowd roared. He then painted a picture of economic conditions at the time Obama took office in January 2009, saying 750,000 jobs were disappearing per month and adding the economy was "in free fall." "Are we doing better than today? The answer -- yes," he said forcefully. He used the "better off" theme several more times through the night. Inside the DNC: Sights and sounds from convention-goers . Clinton rallied the crowd, urging them of the importance of re-electing Obama to finish what he described as a tough ride from the start. "No president -- not me, not any of my predecessors -- no one could have fully repaired all the damage he found in just four years," he said. 3. Foreign policy and faith still matter . What goes around, comes around. One week after criticizing the platform that Republicans approved at their convention last week, Democrats got a taste of their own medicine on Day Two of their convention. While Tuesday's session was considered a strong opener, there was a growing controversy over the omission in the current platform of a line from the 2008 platform that recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Republicans and Mitt Romney presidential campaign officials quickly pounced. Fast forward a day: The Wednesday session started with some dissension when delegates approved a change in the party platform to reinstate the 2008 line. Another change restored the word "God" to the platform after the 2012 version omitted it, though it included language on faith as part of American society. The language referring to God-given rights was the same as in the 2008 platform. Just in: Democrats update platform with Jerusalem, God reference . But it took three voice votes to pass the changes, with supporters and opponents loudly expressing their sentiments. When Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, chairman of the convention, said that the motion passed with a two-thirds majority, some delegates made it clear they weren't happy. Obama himself intervened regarding the Jerusalem language, a senior Democratic source told CNN. And Democrats say that illustrates that the president showed leadership. But the damage was done. Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul was quick to put out a statement saying "Mitt Romney has consistently stated his belief that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel." Analysts said it was a terrible start to the second day. "After a roaring first night that we all proclaimed was successful, they started out Wednesday night with a stumble," said CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen, who has advised Democratic and Republican presidents. Van Jones, a CNN contributor and former Obama administration special adviser, called it a "big blunder." "I think it was handled badly from beginning to end, and now I think we're going to pay a price for it," he said. CNN Chief National Correspondent John King said the conversation should have never come up. "The Democrats last week decided to make a very big deal of the Republican platform. When you do that, it is Politics 101, you better scrub yours, because you know this is coming," he said. "This is Keystone Cops." 4. We, not me . The theme of convention week is "Americans Coming Together" -- and for the second night in a row, Democrats hammered the premise home with a clarion call for collectivism instead of individualism. This isn't a big shocker. Those two worldviews are at the heart of the ideological schism between the Democrats and Republicans. But in speech after speech about the slowly recovering economy, Democrats aggressively pushed a common message: We're all in this together. Five lines that killed on Day Two . "Democrats believe in reigniting the American dream by removing barriers to success and building ladders of opportunity for all, so everyone can succeed," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced. "The American dream belongs to all of us," said California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Then there was the hook of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's speech about how he started a successful chain of Denver brewpubs from next to nothing. "It was 'we,' not 'me,' " Hickenlooper said over and over again. The contrast at work here? Republicans look out for themselves, while Democrats look out for each other. It takes a village and all that. If you didn't have that message drilled into your brain at the end of the night, you probably missed that middle school English class lesson about "context clues." Or you were watching the Cowboys-Giants game? 5. Paul Ryan a bigger thorn in Romney's side than Bain? Mitt Romney faced a tsunami of attacks this summer over his business background and former private equity firm, Bain Capital. A pro-Obama super PAC particularly hammered Romney, spending $20 million on commercials in crucial swing states painting Romney as a greedy corporate raider. And while speakers addressed Bain during prime time, Democrats seemed to be more fired up about another target Wednesday night: his running mate. Fact or fiction? Paul Ryan's RNC speech . Speech after speech dealt several zings at Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan, a proposal widely backed by the GOP and one that favors tax cuts coupled with large entitlement cuts. Sister Simone Campbell especially hammered home the point. The nun has led other nuns on a nine-state bus tour this summer, campaigning against Ryan's plan as a measure that stands in the way of the church's moral teachings. "Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are correct when they say that each individual should be responsible. But their budget goes astray in not acknowledging that we are responsible not only for ourselves and our immediate families," she said. "Rather, our faith strongly affirms that we are all responsible for one another." Her comments were carried further by U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who serves on the same House Budget Committee chaired by Ryan. Van Hollen, who's been tapped to play the role of Ryan in debate prep for Vice President Joe Biden, said Romney and Ryan's "obsession with tax breaks for the wealthy is part of a rigid ideology." "But this theory crashed in the real world. We all lived through the recession when jobs went down and the deficit went up," he said. "So when they say they'll turn around the economy, beware. They mean a U-turn back to this failed theory that lifted the yachts while other boats ran aground." Wednesday night's program certainly highlighted Romney's time at Bain, especially when three laid-off workers took the stage to blast the GOP nominee as a heartless businessman motivated only by profit. But a stronger theme threaded throughout the night could be found in Ryan's sweeping budget proposals and Democrats' fervent opposition to it. Political observers say Romney's pick in Ryan was risky, given the congressman's highly polarizing policy proposals. Watching the convention this week, it seems those attacks fuel plenty of fire against Romney, one that may not die down anytime soon. Obama to speak after forceful Clinton endorsement . | The Full Clinton showed up Wednesday with combative and charming oratory .
Clinton answered the question, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
Platform battle over Jerusalem and God show foreign policy and religion matter .
Paul Ryan's budget plan may cause Republicans problems headed into the fall . |
116,470 | 2257db5ea24054539a113521f6aca3da9bb198e8 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Mozart is trying to win a million dollars for New Orleans recovery efforts. But the charitable effort by the 6-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel may be derailed by a dog named after the satirical TV anchorman Stephen Colbert. Mozart's owner says if he wins, all the prize money will go to charities aiding New Orleans. Both canines are contestants in a dog beauty pageant -- but only one pup can take home the big money. The first round is under way, with a hairy finalist selected each week by the number of fan votes. Mozart, or MoMo as friends and family know him, came in second last week in the Cutest Dog Competition with 2,780 votes. This week he is running neck and neck with a new challenger, Stephen Colbert el dos, a Pomeranian Chihuahua mixed-breed puppy from Atlanta, Georgia. MoMo's owner is crying foul. "It's just coming out of nowhere," Cara McCool said. "It's just unfortunate. MoMo is named after a famous person too, but he's dead." The Cutest Dog Competition is run by All American Pet Brands. Over 60,000 people have uploaded photos of their adorable dogs to the contest's Web site. The final 12 pooches will get to compete for the grand prize, a cool million in cash. "It's a fraternity or sorority with people who don't just have pets, these are their family members, their best friends," said All American Pet Brands CEO Barry Schwartz. "He's my furry child," said McCool, a New Orleans piano teacher who named her dog Mozart after her favorite composer. "Sometimes I pull up chairs for him to sit next to me when I play or teach. He has been known to jump on the bench and actually has put his paws on the keys." McCool has been active with several nonprofits working in New Orleans. If Mozart wins she said all the money will got to several charities: Redeemer Presbyterian Disaster Relief, Desire Street Ministries, Louisiana Teachers Save Our Students fund, Cavalier Rescue USA, Musical Arts Society of New Orleans, the Louisiana SPCA, and Teach for America. "I already support them, but I can't afford that much because I'm a piano teacher," she said. If Mozart wins, all that could change. Colbert el dos' owners did not want to be identified. They told CNN they have only mentioned the contest to a few friends and family members. However, they did post a note about the doggie competition on a Colbert fan site. The owners have not heard from the show but one of the fan sites says Colbert el dos will appear on "The Colbert Report" if he makes the top 12. Renata Luczak, a spokesperson for Comedy Central, could not confirm or deny the pet's booking, saying, " 'The Colbert Report' refrains from commenting on upcoming guests appearing on the show." Even without a television appearance, Colbert el dos appears to be benefiting from the famous Colbert name bump. Colbert has wreaked havoc in other online competitions -- from a Hungarian bridge-naming contest to a NASA competition to name a room in the International Space Station. In both cases Colbert won the popular vote. However, NASA pushed back and instead of naming the room in his honor, the agency sent a treadmill to space with the Colbert honorific. In both of those contests, the competitions received heavy promotion during the show, with Colbert urging his viewers to participate. However, in this dog photo fight, Colbert is having an impact without any direct participation. Schwartz said the competition recognizes the outside influence of the Colbert bump. "If there are those Colbert-named dogs that can get those thousands of votes, we don't want to leave anyone out, so we added a new daily contest." The voting for this week ends at midnight on Saturday. Schwartz said the grand prize winner will be named on Thanksgiving Day. | "Stephen Colbert El Dos" is causing some snapping over cute dog contest .
The dog, named after the satirical TV anchorman, is in Cutest Dog Competition .
Mozart, a 6-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, had been winning .
Mozart's owner says Colbert came out of nowhere and "it's unfortunate" |
158,399 | 58ccc3f43a6909447f34b010f6e5b0191abdcd69 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 02:43 EST, 1 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:54 EST, 1 May 2013 . Sussex Police has become the first force fit patients with GPS tracking devices to save money searching for them when they go missing . Patients with dementia are to be tagged by the police for the first time in a bid to save time and money when they go missing. Sussex Police has become the first force to fit pensioners with GPS tracking devices and hopes the move will save hundreds of thousands of pounds currently spent on extra staff and helicopters. It has bought 15 GPS tags which can be worn around a . patient’s neck, clipped to a belt or attached to a set of house keys. The device sends details of the person's location . to a website every four minutes. As long as the wearer has a mobile signal, they can be located anywhere in the world. There are currently 800,000 people with dementia in the UK and the number is expected to rise to more than a million by 2021. A number of . local authorities are already using similar devices to track sufferers, . but this is believed to be the first time a police force has taken on . such a scheme. But . critics have branded the move as 'completely wrong'. Dot Gibson, . general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, described the . policy as 'barbaric'. She . said: 'I think they should withdraw it straight away. Trying to equate . somebody who has committed a criminal act with somebody who is suffering . dementia is completely wrong. 'I doubt whether anyone in the Cabinet would want their parents dealt with in this way if they were suffering from dementia.' 'If . you've got people in the community who are so bad that they are . wandering off at night and are not safe, they should be properly cared . for, they shouldn't be tagged. 'It's a crude form of monitoring when . the issue needs a much more detailed response than this. This is a . back-of-an-envelope response.' The trial will cost the force £400 a . month, but if successful, will be rolled out across the county, which has a higher than average number of elderly people. The MindMe scheme, as it is known, will . be paid for by Sussex Police but monitored by Chichester Careline, a company run by . Chichester District Council. The devices cost £27.50 a month, which includes round-the-clock monitoring. A number of local authorities are already using similar devices to track sufferers, but this is believed to be the first time a police force has taken on such a scheme . Sergeant Suzie Mitchell, from . Chichester Neighbourhood Response Team, said: 'The scheme is only . costing Sussex Police a few hundred pounds but comparing this to police . time, resources, potential risk to the missing person let alone the . anxiety and worry for their family, it is in my opinion, a few hundred pounds really well spent.' Eileen Lintill, of Chichester District Council, added that the devices give vulnerable people, and their relatives, peace of mind. She said: 'Hundreds of thousands of . people across the country have dementia. This solution gives both those . with dementia and their families the confidence and reassurance they . need. 'The latest model also allows customers to speak to us directly by pressing a button. 'This can be used by anyone who wants . to maintain their independence, but have the reassurance that someone . is always around to help them.' But Bill Bentley, an East Sussex Conservative councillor who is responsible for adult social care in the region, believes the tracking system could stigmatise dementia patients. He said: 'It’s about getting the balance between a person’s wishes and imposing a technological solution on them that they may or may not wish to have happened.' Joanne Taylor and her mother Anne Grimshaw, who has a GPS tacking device to locate her when she goes missing . Dementia sufferer Anne Grimshaw, 78, has been fitted with a GPS tracking device because she gets lost so often when out walking. The transmitter, known as a Buddi, is attached to her keys and sends out an update of her position every five minutes. If she wanders too far from her bungalow in Rochdale, or suffers a fall, her daughter Joanne Taylor receives a phone call from the Buddi team. Mrs Taylor is also able to log on to her computer or iPad to see a map showing her mother’s exact location. Mrs Taylor said the device, supplied by Rochdale Council’s assisted technology department, had enabled the great-grandmother to retain her independence rather than having to be put in a home. She said: ‘The police once brought her home when she was found on the hard shoulder of the motorway. She doesn’t think there is anything wrong but she gets completely lost. ‘One day she went missing for 12 hours and caused a massive police search. We live near the moors and I was sick with worry.’ Mrs Taylor says others should consider a tracking device for their relatives. ‘There are thousands in my position whose lives would be changed if they knew about Buddi,’ she said. She added: ‘My mother’s independence is key to her and I think your independence is just about everything to you especially if you can live in your own home and be in your own surroundings. ‘But you have got to be safe at the same time. I know my mum would hate being in a home and I believe she would have deteriorated.' | Sussex Police is the first force to monitor dementia patients with GPS .
Has bought 15 tags for pensioners who regularly go missing .
Says the move will save hundreds of thousands of pounds a year .
Critics branded the move 'barbaric' and said patients will be stigmatised . |
223,318 | ad1b03392016310178bb700840e1998cf9a8dff7 | When women first started coming forward to accuse Bill Cosby of rape last month, the public was surprised due to his flawless reputation as 'America's dad'. It has now been revealed that a team of lawyers and publicists worked tirelessly to keep his image pristine for decades, by silencing alleged victims and keeping the media from reporting their claims, the New York Times reports. That apparently all-male team includes $850-an-hour Hollywood lawyer Martin Singer (whose clients include Charlie Sheen and Arnold Schwarzenegger), former William Morris agent Norman Brokaw, his publicist son David, and New York lawyer John P Schmitt. Scroll down for video . Reputation tarnished: In recent weeks, Bill Cosby has faced an onslaught of accusations from women who claim to have been raped or sexually assaulted by him. A new report reveals how his legal and media teams have protected his reputation for decades . Protectors: High-profile Hollywood attorney Martin Singer (left),former William Morris agent Norman Brokaw (center), and New York lawyer John P Schmitt (right) are three representatives of Cosby's who have helped silence the rape accusations over the years . Most of the allegations against Cosby date back to the 1970s, which led to speculation over why the women stayed silent for so long. Like many rape victims, some of the women said they never reported the assault because they were scared of Cosby’s power and feared damaging their reputation. The reaction of Cosby’s legal team to the women brave enough to come forward over the years proves that those who stayed silent had good cause for concern. Those who have reported their rapes, either to police or in the media, have had their claims called ‘meritless’ by Cosby’s legal team, who depict them as greedy women seeking to destroy the once-beloved comedian’s reputation for a cut of his fortune. This pattern of intimidation goes all the way back to 2000 when an actress on his TV series ‘Cosby’ allegedly told police that he tried to put her hand down his sweatpants during a visit to his New York townhouse. Cosby’s lawyers threatened to sue the National Enquirer with a $250million defamation lawsuit if they published comments from the alleged victim’s relatives. But his legal team also works with the media to damage Cosby’s alleged victims and discredit their stories. Just five years after threatening to sue the Enquirer, the paper was once again investigating claims against Cosby after Temple University employee Andrea Constand publicly accused the comedian of drugging and assaulting her at his Pennsylvania home. Alleged victims: Andrea Constand (left) was one of the first victims to publicly accuse Cosby when she filed a lawsuit against him in 2005. His team sought to discredit her by revealing that her mother asked Cosby for money before she went to police. Beth Ferrier (right) is another woman who want to accuse Cosby that same year, but his team stopped a story from being published in the National Enquirer . The Enquirer was looking to report on claims by another woman, Beth Ferrier, but Cosby’s team effectively silenced that woman’s story by offering an exclusive story from Cosby telling his side of the story. Suing: Tamara Green claims to have been sexually assaulted by Cosby in the 1970s and told her story in 2005 to two outlets. She is now suing Cosby for defamation, claiming his team as repeatedly depicted her as a liar in the media . They employed the same tactic against Constand, whose mother allegedly asked Cosby to ‘make things right with money’ before her daughter went to the police to report the crime and one of Cosby’s lawyers called the move ‘a classic shakedown’, according to TV show Celebrity Justice which reported on the suit at the time. In court, Cosby’s legal team acknowledged that the lawyer in question was Singer. Constand’s suit was later settled out of court for an unknown sum. Also in 2005, a woman named Tamara Green said she was sexually assaulted by Cosby in Los Angeles in the 1970s and told her story on the Today Show and to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cosby’s lawyers called Green’s claims ‘absolutely false’ and even offered ‘damaging information about her to the newspaper. As more and more women came forward in recent weeks to accuse Cosby, Green went public again with her story and Cosby’s lawyers reacted the same way - saying her claims were ‘a 10-year discredit accusation that proved to be nothing at the time, and is still nothing’. Green is now suing Cosby for defamation, claiming she has been depicted as a liar with these statements and continued assault on her reputation. ‘I want it put to a jury. I want it ended, finally. I want my name restored,’ she said earlier this month. One of the most shocking claims in the scandal comes from a woman named Judith Huth who says she was just 15 years old when Cosby got her drunk and forced her to perform a sex act on him at the Playboy Mansion. So young: Judith Huth claims she was sexually assaulted by Cosby at the Playboy Mansion when she was just 15 years old. His team sought to discredit her claims by revealing she unsuccessfully tried to sell her story to a tabloid a decade ago. Pictured with Cosby around the time of the assault . Huth filed a lawsuit against Cosby this month, but his lawyer Singer has tried to discredit the claims by revealing that Huth unsuccessfully attempted to sell her story to a tabloid a decade ago. Celebrity: Former supermodel Janice Dickinson is another one of the more than two dozen women who have come forward to accuse Cosby. Cosby's team threatened Buzzfeed as they were preparing an article on her account . In court records, Singer has called her claims ‘meritless’ and a ‘shakedown’. Cosby’s legal team is just as threatening with the media, and have in recent weeks sent letters to outlets like CNN and the New York Daily News urging them to stop their coverage of the scandal. ‘The media has consistently refused to look into or publish information about various women whose stories are contradicted by their own conduct or statement,’ Singer wrote in a letter to The Daily News, obtained by the Times. Cosby’s lawyers also tried to stop Buzzfeed from publishing an account from former supermodel Janice Dickinson, who has also accused the comedian of sexual assault. ‘You proceed at your own peril,’ Singer wrote to the website, pointing out inconsistencies between Dickinson’s story and what she wrote in her memoir. Just yesterday in a story published in the New York Post, Singer blamed the media for reporting on claims from women he doesn’t believe have been properly vetted. ‘You [the media] don’t need private investigators to find out information about the accusers. A simple Google search will obtain the information,’ Singer said in a statement. Singer was commenting on a story in which it was revealed that Cosby is allegedly paying six-figure fees to a team of private investigators digging dirt on his accusers. A source told the paper that Cosby has hired a Glendale, California firm to discredit his many alleged victims' stories. Cosby allegedly spoke with his legal and public relations teams about the sex scandal, and his response to it, at a recent meeting. 'If you’re going to say to the world that I did this to you, then the world needs to know, ‘What kind of person are you? Who is this person that’s saying it?’ ' Cosby said, according to an anonymous source who was present at the meeting. 'You can’t say that I put something in your coffee, threw you in a cab and then you go on and live a high-profile life, a famous life and you never complain. You mean you never reported it to the police? You never tell anyone?' Cosby continued, referring to one of his accusers, Beverly Johnson. Johnson claimed that Cosby raped her after slipping a drug into her cappuccino during a visit to his home in the 1980s. Another source who says they have worked with Cosby for at least a decade confirmed the tactic and said it has already been successful in finding information to discredit both Johnson and another alleged victim, Katherine McKee. Inconsistencies: A source says the tactic has already been successful in turning up evidence to discredit claims made by Beverly Johnson (left) and Katherine McKee (right) The team discovered that Johnson's live-in boyfriend at the time only heard her say nice things about Cosby and that McKee, an ex-girlfriend of Sammy Davis Jr, wrote posts praising the comedian online after the alleged rape, according to the Post. In a published interview, McKee also once said she is 'used to lying'. McKee, now 65, is the latest woman to publicly come forward to accuse Cosby, saying the comedian raped her in a Michigan hotel room in the early 1970s after inviting her to a party on a boat in Detroit. The former actress, who appeared on Sanford and Son and even The Bill Cosby Show, never spoke of the incident in public before last week. 'It was a rape, but it seemed so strange to call it that. We think of rape as a stranger who attacks you in a parking lot,' McKee, now a casting agent, told the New York Daily News. 'I chalked it up to another powerful person in Hollywood who just felt he could take what he wanted from women.' Cosby's attorney Martin Singer would not confirm whether the comedian had hired any private detectives. | Comedian's lawyers and publicists have kept rape claims out of the media by discrediting accusers and pressuring news outlets not to publish .
It was revealed on Sunday that Cosby has hired a team of private investigators to dig up dirt to discredit his more than two dozen accusers . |
80,678 | e4ade62acbabea3b22188754dbbd3abbaa150361 | Ed Miliband has been warned he faces ‘catastrophe’ at the next election if Labour continues to haemorrhage support in Scotland to the nationalists. Senior party figures believe as many as 15 of its 41 seats north of the border are at risk – putting Labour’s hopes of victory at Westminster in May under threat. One former Scottish first minister said that, just weeks on from helping to win the independence referendum, Labour risked ‘snatching defeat from the jaws of victory’. Scroll down for video . Labour leader Ed Miliband has been warned the collapse of the party in Scotland could scupper his hopes of becoming Prime Minister in May next year . The warnings came in the wake of Johann Lamont’s resignation as Scottish Labour leader late on Friday night. She accused Mr Miliband of treating Scottish Labour like a ‘branch office’ and dubbed some Labour MPs ‘dinosaurs’. Two new polls, covering the whole of Britain, showed that both Labour and the Tories were tied on 33 per cent of the vote, with just over six months to go before the next election. Labour has traditionally relied on the near-certainly of a large number of seats in Scotland to help it on the way to general election success. But the SNP, resurgent despite losing the referendum, is threatening to take a large number of their seats. Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond accused Mr Miliband of being responsible for the ‘meltdown’ of Scottish Labour. Former Labour first minister, Henry McLeish, told The Sunday Times that Mr Miliband had ‘not got a clue about the realities of Scottish politics’. ‘What we’ve got is a situation after a decade that labour is still in denial in the UK and if there’s any hiccup in the number of MPs we sent to Westminster in 2015 this could be catastrophic for Ed Miliband’s effort to become prime minister,’ he said. He questioned whether Labour could ‘survive as a social democratic party in the modern age’. ‘Electors are unwilling to vote the same way as previous generations,’ he said. ‘The power of Labour is diminishing and will continue to do so.’ Johan Lamont quit as Scottish Labour leader yesterday, accusing Mr Miliband of treating the party north of the border like a ‘branch office’ and describing some Labour MPs as ‘dinosaurs’ Miss Lamont has said the final straw came when the UK party sacked the Scottish Labour general secretary, Ian Price, last week without consulting her. Jack McConnell, another Labour ex-first minister of Scotland, said the issue of authority between the Scottish and UK Labour parties needed to be sorted out once and for all. ‘[The referendum victory] should have been an amazing opportunity for Scottish Labour to set out its vision and values for Scotland,’ said Lord McConnell. ‘We are in serious danger of snatching defeat from the jaws of that victory and it really is time for all of those in positions of responsibility to get a grip, to sort out this issue of authority once and for all. ‘And then for us to have a debate and the election of a new leader who can take us forward, not thinking about the internal workings of the Labour party, but with a vision to be First Minister of Scotland and help change this country for the better.’ Scottish Labour's executive committee met today to discuss the process and timetable for selecting a new leader. Among those tipped for the leadership are Jim Murphy and interim leader Anas Sarwar. Gordon Brown has also been linked to the role but reports have suggested the former Prime Minister has ruled himself out of the running. A new group of Labour activists want the party north of the border to make radical changes, such as changing the name to the Independent Labour Party and becoming fully autonomous from Labour's London leadership. The Labour for Scotland group also supports Holyrood being given full control over income tax as well as complete responsibility for welfare - a position which goes further than Labour's existing plans for further devolution. | Senior Labour figures think 15 out of 41 seats in Scotland are now at risk .
Collapse north of the border could scupper Miliband's hopes of being PM .
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont dramatically resigned yesterday .
Accused Miliband of treating Scottish Labour like a ‘branch office’ |
108,504 | 17e73e13a0560c0e61f505a52e419bf50e52685e | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A blogger and political activist who has called for reform in the United Arab Emirates has not been heard from since he was taken from his Dubai apartment Friday, his wife said. About 10 men, including two wearing police uniforms, picked up Ahmed Mansoor from his apartment Friday afternoon, said his wife, Nadia. The men also took Mansoor's passport and laptop and left without telling his wife where they were taking him or why. Lt. General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, the commander-in-chief of Dubai police, said he was not aware whether Mansoor had been arrested, but promised to look into it. CNN has also sent queries to other Emirati officials inquiring about Mansoor but have not heard back. Earlier Friday, three men identifying themselves as police officers were at his apartment building, Mansoor wrote in an email. When he called police asking about the men, he said he was told they had come for his car. "I told him if they want to take the car, they can do that in the morning, not 2:50 a.m.," he wrote. The men left. That afternoon, the second group came and took him away. Mansoor was part of a group of 133 nationals who petitioned the president on March 9 for direct elections. The group included academics, former government officials, journalists and activists. The petition was addressed to President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the members of the Supreme Council of the seven Emirates that form the UAE. In addition to elections, the group asked that the Federal National Council be granted legislative powers. The body only works in an advisory capacity and has no regulatory powers. In March, the UAE announced that Federal National Council elections will be held in September. | About 10 mean pick up Ahmed Mansoor from his apartment, his wife says .
Dubai police promises to look into the matter .
Mansoor was part of a group that petitioned the president for direct elections . |
84,889 | f0ce1f0ee75f250cd219732b8fd84fe6f0ccff74 | Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) -- Imagine if Iowa held a caucus and nobody but Hillary Clinton showed up. Democrats of all stripes, including Clinton allies, have predicted for months that the former Secretary of State -- who was campaigning for midterm candidates in Iowa on Wednesday -- will face some kind challenge in the race for the Democratic nomination if she decides to run. The prospect of a Clinton campaign seems more likely with each passing day. But with the presidential race set to lurch into gear after next week's midterm elections and no clear alternative to Clinton emerging, there are questions about whether she will be the sole candidate on the ballot. That would mark a dramatic shift from the rollicking caucus fights in previous campaigns, including Clinton's battle with Barack Obama and John Edwards in 2008. "There is a distinct possibility that there will be no serious alternative," said Kurt Meyer, a plugged-in Democratic activist from Mitchell County, Iowa. "She may in essence have the field to herself, with one or two fringe protest candidates and no serious candidates opposing her." The prospect of an uncontested race is a little bewildering to some Democrats here, where competitive caucuses are ingrained in the culture. "It could be a process with just one person," said Bonnie Campbell, a longtime Clinton loyalist in Des Moines. "None of us can imagine that, because it hasn't really happened before." For their part, the GOP isn't worrying about a boring race. A platoon of Republicans — Chris Christie, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Ted Cruz and others — have paraded through Iowa for the last two years, almost shamelessly transparent about their national intentions. Among the cast of Democratic potentials, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is the most active in Iowa, helping candidates up and down the ballot with campaign stops, paid staffers and financial assistance. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is also visible. Both men have said they are seriously considering running regardless of what Clinton does, though it's hard to imagine Sanders, a 73-year-old self-described socialist, mounting much more than a protest candidacy. Meanwhile, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a progressive darling with grassroots appeal, whipped up a frenzy in the college town of Iowa City earlier this month at a campaign event for Senate candidate Bruce Braley in Iowa City. Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb is weighing a run and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick hasn't quite ruled it out. Vice President Joe Biden, of course, is nurturing his long-standing relationships in the state. And Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar was warmly received after a headline speech at the state Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner last weekend. But she also typified the reluctance of Democrats to step forward until Clinton's decision is clear. "I am excited about the possibility of Hillary Clinton running," Klobuchar said in an interview. "Democratic women senators have signed onto a letter asking her to run. I am one of them. I have put that in writing." All of the Democrats, with the possible exception of Biden, are not widely-known to most voters and have room to grow their support in Iowa if they run. The state has rewarded insurgent candidacies in the past, and Clinton is a well-defined politician whose centrist politics and cautious instincts could make leave vulnerable to a challenge from a fresher-faced candidate with stronger progressive impulses. "For Hillary, it's about meeting the expectations, because she can't exceed them," said state Rep. Pat Murphy, who is the Democratic nominee in Iowa's First Congressional District. "The thing about Iowa is they will give everybody a look, so you can't rule anybody out at this point." But it's also real possibility that none of the other choices run — they have said as much publicly, with Warren particularly forceful in her denials — potentially leaving Clinton in the driver's seat with no one riding shotgun. Democrats here fear that a non-competitive one-woman show would sap the caucuses of grassroots energy and the potential for party-building, even with the history-making potential of her candidacy. "If you look at the vigor that a caucus or primary brings to a party long-term, you have to hope that happens every once in an awhile," Meyer said. "If it hadn't happened two cycles in a row, in 2004 and 2008, then our party would be weaker than it is today." Dave Price, a political reporter and anchor for WHO-TV in Des Moines, said a non-competitive Democratic caucus would offer Republicans another presidential cycle in the Iowa limelight, "bashing Democrats non-stop." He said Iowa's quadrennial caucus-industrial-complex would much prefer a two feisty battles, as it did during the busy winter of 2007 and 2008, rather than just one. "Restaurants, hotels, everyone here gets used to it," said Price, the author of "Caucus Chaos," a chronicle of the 2012 Iowa contest. "It becomes its own spectator sport. You see people going all over town the week before the caucuses trying to see famous people, politicians, journalists, operatives, whoever." Though past campaigns are never predictive, even those preparing for a Clinton challenge struggle to remember a previous caucus dynamic like this one: A singular, dominant frontrunner — who still needs to make inroads with an electorate that never quite warmed to her in 2008 — and a cast of smaller figures who may or may not run. "I don't recall anything like this," said Campbell, the Clinton supporter. There was the 1992 caucus campaign, when Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, the hometown liberal, sought the Democratic nomination, allowing his opponents to forfeit the state and focus their energies on New Hampshire and elsewhere. Another close analogy: the 2000 race, when the frontrunner, Vice President Al Gore, fought off a challenge on the left from Bill Bradley. Like Clinton, Gore was the cautious heir apparent. Bradley had the field to himself, after other potential candidates like Dick Gephardt and Paul Wellstone took a pass. But unlike the Democrats who might challenge Clinton for the 2016 nomination, Bradley was not gun shy. After aggressively courting Iowa Democrats for months, he launched an exploratory committee in December of 1998, just weeks after the midterm elections, and immediately set about raising money and framing himself as the liberal alternative to Gore, focusing on education and poverty. Gore, though, ultimately defeated Bradley in Iowa, 63-35, on his way to the nomination. To mount anything more than a gadfly candidacy against Clinton in today's drawn-out, media-saturated nominating process will require a boatload of cash. Clinton and Barack Obama both raised over $100 million before the January 2008 caucuses, and that was almost seven years ago — before the Citizens United ruling made the political system even more awash in money. Looking at the field of potential Clinton rivals, only Warren seems to have a natural base, the potential to raise serious money and a significant grassroots fundraising reach. A handful of big, progressive donors could help prop her up. "We have this mythology that you can go to Iowa and New Hampshire and knock a few doors and ultimate you too can be a serious presidential candidate," Meyer said. "Maybe Eugene McCarthy could do that. I think that the schedule and political life has gotten to the point today where you aren't a serious candidate unless you go through the hoops of raising money and creating an organization. I think O'Malley probably comes the closest to it, but I don't see who else." O'Malley has done more than any Democrat, including Clinton, to help elect Iowa Democrats this year — and he has traveled far and wide to do the same in other states. Though polling is of little consequence at this early stage, he remains stuck around one or two percent in hypothetical 2016 polls that match him up against Clinton, Biden, Warren and others. Still, O'Malley's Iowa antennae is so heightened that during the Big 10 match-up between the University of Maryland and the University of Iowa earlier this month, he wandered over to a Hawkeye tailgate and chatted up the revelers who had made the long trip from Iowa to Maryland. "All the Iowa Hawkeye fans were quite impressed that here was the governor at this tailgate, and so was I," said George Appleby, a Des Moines attorney and longtime Democratic activist. "Of course, we didn't talk about any of the future. But implicitly, people don't spend time with Iowans at a football game without a reason." But O'Malley is still wrestling with the decision to mount a bid and — despite the conventional wisdom about his intentions — could very well sit the race out. What's left, beyond a protest candidacy on the left mounted by Sanders or someone else? A long list of ambitious Democrats eager to make a name for themselves in Iowa, but unwilling to take the plunge against Clinton. Klobuchar's speech last weekend was a folksy and populist-tinged speech in which she declared that, "Corporations aren't people! People are people!" It was warmly-received by Democrats in the crowd who said they admired her family's immigrant history. After the speech, she happily ticked through the similarities between her state and Iowa. "Iowans are our neighbors," she said in an interview. "We have a lot of friends here back and forth between Minnesota and Iowa. our states are pretty similar. We are both agriculture states. The farm bill and and the renewable fuel standard are really important. So it's important to me to have allies in Iowa like Tom Harkin has been, to get things done for the midwest." The message was obvious: She would play well here in Iowa. But she is not stepping into the arena so long as there's a Clinton in the other corner. | Hillary Clinton campaigned in Iowa this week, stumping for Democrat Bruce Braley .
Activists think there's a possibility there won't be a viable alternative to Clinton for Democrats .
That's a sharp distance from the Republican 2016 field, which seems wide open .
Democratic hopefuls besides Clinton and Joe Biden have little name recognition . |
111,484 | 1bc3b6986969dfcfe21ec6bdf0657869d147a7e6 | Revealed here are stunning images of the microscopic world that would normally be invisible to the naked eye. More than 80 winners from around the world were awarded prizes for excellence in photomicrography in Nikon's 40th annual Small World competition. First prize went to Rogelio Moreno, a computer programmer from Panama, for capturing a rarely seen image of the open mouth interior and heart-shaped corona of an aquatic creature, known as a rotifer. Pictured is the first place winner Rogelio Moreno from Panama showing the mouth interior and heart shaped corona of a rotifer. The amazing image is shot 'head on' and shows the mouth of the tiny aquatic animal, which is less than 0.004 inches (0.1mm) long . Moreno is a self-taught microscopist who began in 2009, and Nikon said his image 'serves to show just how close the beauty and wonder of the micro-world truly is'. The top ten was selected by the panel of judges based on artistic quality and masterful scientific technique. Rotifers are microscopic aquatic animals of the phylum Rotifera. They can be found in many freshwater environments and moist soil, where they live in thin films of water around soil particles. Their habitat may include still water environments like lakebeds in addition to flowing water environments like rivers and streams. Their bodies are soft save for their jaws, which are solid. They are multicellular and have specialised organ systems. The main winners were from Italy, the United States, Austria, Spain and Australia. The only British entry came from Dr Nils Lindstrom, who works in development biology at The Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, with his close-up photo of the kidneys. Eric Flem, Communications Manager for Nikon Instruments, said: 'Since the competition began 40 years ago, the calibre in quality and range of subject matter of the images, is matched only by the scientists and photographers who submit them. 'So much has changed in science and technology in the past 40 years, opening the door for more and more scientists and artists alike to capture and share their stunning images with the world. 'A look at our gallery is like a time capsule of the advancements made in the last four decades and truly shows the legacy a Nikon Small World continues to build.' Mr Moreno said: 'When you see that movement, you fall in love. I thought - wow, that is amazing. 'I can't believe what I'm seeing. This is something very, very beautiful. 'I hope now it can inspire others as much as it has inspired me - to learn about science, to look closely and notice something truly amazing.' Noah Fram-Schwartz from Greenwich, Connecticut, US scooped third place with this image of the eyes of a jumping spider . Charles Krebs from Issaquah, Washington, came 13th with this image showing a rotifer actively feeding. Rotifers are microscopic aquatic animals of the phylum Rotifera.They can be found in many freshwater environments and moist soil, where they live in thin films of water around soil particles . Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells stained for actin (pink), mitochondria (green) and DNA (yellow) are seen in this image from Dr Muthugapatti Kandasamy from the University of Georgia, who came fifth overall . The award for 10th place went to Dr Paul Joseph Rigby from the University of Western Australia for this image showing a daisy petal with fungal infection and pollen grains . Dr Douglas Brumley from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology came sixth with this image showing the active fluid flow around Pocillopora damicornis, a type of 'stony coral' that has a hard exterior . Judges praised Moreno's shot of a rotifer caught open-mouthed and facing the camera for its exemplary technique. Capturing the perfect moment when the rotifer opened its mouth for the camera required extreme patience from Moreno, who watched for hours. With the rotifer in constant motion, he used the flash to freeze the movement as soon as the mouth opened. But that still left him with only a one- or two-second window to take the photo, and possibly only one shot to get it right. This is another photo by Rogelio Moreno, which came 17th. It shows Pleurotaenium ovatum (micro algae) in polarised light . Ninth place went to Meritxell Vendrell from Barcelona for this picture of a parsley (Petroselinum crispum) ovary fixed and stained to show lectins (red) and nuclei (blue) Another picture by Charles Krebs shows a close-up near the eye of a Chrysochroa buqueti, more commonly known as a jewel beetle . Douglas Moore from the University of Wisconsin took twelfth place with this picture of Montana Dryhead agate, a type of silica rock . This image of the appendages of a common brine shrimp was taken by Dr Igor Robert, who came eighth overall . As the 2014 winner, Moreno joins the ranks of 36 other photomicrographers, artists and scientists from all over the world who have taken the top prize. This year's competition received over 1,200 entries from more than 79 countries around the world. Nikon is hosting an online popular vote to select the best first-place winner from the past four decades. At the website visitors can select their choice to take the top spot. Second place went to Alessandro Da Mommio from Pisa, Italy for this image of Rhombohedral cleavage in a calcite crystal. Cleavage is the tendency of crystalline materials to split along their structural planes . Dr Nils Lindstrom from the Developmental Biology at the Roslin Institute, Edinburgh took this image of three transgenic kidneys cultured together, showing colliding branching collecting duct systems . Dr Sabrina Kaul from the University of Vienna, Austria took 19th place with this image of the larval stage of an acorn worm . Seventh place went to Dennis Hinks from Cleveland, Ohio for this image showing the circuitry in a DVD reader . Jens Petersen MycoKey from Ebeltoft, Denmark came 18th for picturing Anagallis arvensis, a plant also known as scarlet pimpernel . | The winners of Nikon's 40th annual Small World competition have been announced .
First place went to Rogelio Moreno from Panama for capturing the open mouth of a rotifer - a small aquatic animal .
Moreno said his image 'serves to show just how close the beauty and wonder of the micro-world truly is'
Other notable pictures include a close-up of the eyes of a jumping spider, and the details of a daisy petal .
This year's competition received over 1,200 entries from more than 79 countries around the world . |
110,093 | 19f216eb9801f89d6444c36430656580a3802fe8 | (CNN) -- Three runners died Sunday during the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon in Detroit, Michigan, police told CNN. An EMT vehicle is at the scene Sunday in Detroit after three runners collapsed at a marathon. All three deaths occurred between 9 and 9:20 a.m. ET, Second Deputy Chief John Roach said. A man in his 60s fell and hit his head, Roach said. The cause of the fall was unknown. The man was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Two other men, ages 36 and 26, also collapsed during the race and were pronounced dead at the hospital, Roach said. All three collapsed near the end of the race, he said. Witnesses describe scene » . The weather at the time was overcast, Roach said, with temperatures in the low 40s. CNN's Chuck Johnston contributed to this report. | Second Deputy Chief John Roach: All three deaths occurred between 9 and 9:20 a.m.
Man in his 60s fell hit his head; Two men others, ages 36 and 26, collapsed .
Race was Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon in Detroit, Michigan . |
59,731 | a99ed1cb42be6e3bf7830d0d3da5d0bfa7393cbb | Rio Largo, Brazil (CNN) -- Federal aid is flowing to rain-ravaged areas of northeastern Brazil and the number of missing has diminished to less than 140, but more than 150,000 people remained homeless or displaced Friday, the government said. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday he will not attend this weekend's G20 meeting in Canada to attend to the emergency at home, the Agencia Brasil government news outlet reported. Finance Minister Guido Mantega will take Lula's place. The death count in two hard-hit states still stood at 46 -- 29 in Alagoas state and 16 in Pernambuco, Agencia Brasil said. There were nearly 75,000 homeless or displaced residents in Alagoas and more than 80,000 in Pernambuco, the national civil defense office said. In addition, civil defense said, there were more than 19,000 homes in Alagoas that were damaged or destroyed, as were 79 bridges. In all, civil defense said on its website, 59 municipalities have been affected in Pernambuco and 28 in Alagoas. The number of missing in Alagoas, which had stood at more than 600 Thursday, dropped to 135 as residents in some flooded towns were rescued, civil defense said. The federal government announced Thursday the release of 500 million reais ($277 million) to help victims. The money comes on top of a previous 50 million reais ($27.7 million) destined for Pernambuco and Alagoas. Lula also signed Thursday an interim measure of 1 billion reais ($555 million) to purchase construction material and equipment for businesses affected by the floods. The Organization of American States and the United States, which offered $50,000, also have pledged aid. | Number of missing drops to less than 140 in northern Brazil .
Death count from flooding remains at 46 .
The country's president cancels trip to G20 summit in Canada .
Nearly 90 municipalities have been affected by heavy rains, flooding . |
127,755 | 3123e8bb87be8b05aa084c1bc0a750c05b335c19 | An increasing number of British women are travelling to war-torn Syria to marry jihadists from the UK, with some seeing them as leading a ‘perfect life’. Many are thought to be marrying jihadists on the internet, as strict Islamic code forbids unmarried women to travel alone, according to researchers at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King’s College, London. Exact numbers are difficult to pinpoint, but the research centre believes that dozens of British women have married English-speaking jihadists – or are trying to - according to chatter that it monitors on forums. Abdul Waheed Majeed, left, is thought to be the first British suicide bomber in Syria, while the picture on the right is thought to show at least two British extremists fighting in the Middle East country, where an increasing number of British women are flocking . The explosion from the truck bomb driven by Abdul Waheed Majeed . Charged: British student Nawal Msaad, 26, is accused of trying to smuggle £16,500 in her underwear to terrorists fighting in Syria . It knows of two women from Portsmouth, one from London and one from Surrey who definitely have married English-speaking men fighting for opposition forces. It said that one is a convert and that two were married prior to departure, with the other two marrying on arrival in Syria. Women from other countries have also gone to Syria to be with jihadists - two from France, who both married jihadists before they left for the war, one from Sweden, one from Serbia, one from the Philippines and one from Germany. What gives away the women’s intentions are the questions they pose to the fighters. Researcher Shiraz Maher told The Times: ‘The thing that is interesting is the staggering extent to which so many women are asking questions. We think it is pretty significant.’ One woman asked British jihadist Abu Abdullah al-Britani: ‘How can a sister ask you for marriage? What are your standards? Are you interested after asking Allah, of course.’ Charles Lister, from the Brookings Institute, said that many women view jihadists in Syria as living the ‘perfect life’. The revelation follows the court appearance in January of Nawal Msaad, 26, a student accused of trying to smuggle £16,000 in her underwear to terrorists fighting in Syria. Nawal Msaad, 26, and her alleged co-conspirator Amal Elwahabi, 27, are the first British women charged with terror offences over the conflict. Msaad, an undergraduate from Holloway, North London, was arrested at Heathrow as she prepared to board a flight to Istanbul with 20,000 euros wrapped in cling film in her knickers. Hours later, police swooped on Elwahabi, who stands jointly accused of being part of an arrangement in which money was made available for the purposes of terrorism. The court heard that the two Britons attempted to send the bundle of rolled-up notes to a suspected British jihadist fighting in Syria’s civil war. The head of the Counter Terrorism Command, Richard Walton, said several teenagers had been enticed to join jihadists fighting in the war-torn country, as he warned that the conflict posed a growing threat to national security. Earlier in January, two 17-year-old girls from London and West Yorkshire were held at Heathrow as they were boarding a flight to Istanbul. Officers spent five days quizzing the girls before releasing them without charge. But Mr Walton said that other ‘boys and girls’ were being lured to join rebel forces fighting in Syria. He said the numbers of Syria-related terror arrests had soared, with 14 in the first three weeks of this year – more than half the total for the whole of 2013. He said: ‘We’ve had a number of teenagers both from London and nationally who’ve been attempting to go to Syria. That’s boys and girls, unfortunately. ‘It’s not just the odd one. It’s shocking that they are such young people.’ | Dozens of British women are thought to have travelled to Syria to marry .
Some believe English-speaking jihadists are leading the 'perfect life' |
180,663 | 75de4f9aea2ca1ddccd337d8ee10fe22b3dda811 | A California woman has become only the second person in the history of Wheel of Fortune to win a million dollar grand prize. On Thursday night, Autumn Erhard of Laguna Niguel started her turn as a spinner of the big wheel with at least a little more luck than most: She’s 30 years old, it was the shows 30th anniversary, and it was May 30th. But until May 30, only one of the show’s thousands of contestants since 1983 has ever successfully taken home such a huge sum. Scroll down for video . Fortunate: Autumn Erhard became the second person to ever win a one million dollars on Wheel of Fortune on May 30 . Why so rare? Quite a bit of luck goes in to taking home the Wheel of Fortune gold. First, the contestant must be have the good fortune of landing on the million dollar prize wedge during game play and then correctly answer the subsequent question. If they do, they get to hold on to the wedge. In this case, Erhard’s parents and fiancé did the honors. If the player makes it through the rest of the game without hitting the ‘bankrupt’ wheel wedge and then beats the other two contestants to go on to the bonus round, then the usual $100,000 grand prize is replaced with the million dollar wedge. Serendipity: Erhard's big historic win came during the long-running game show's 30th anniversary season . Historic: Erhard, seen here is her family wishing her luck and holding the game piece that let her spin for a million dollars, beat all odds to become only the second million dollar winner in Wheel of Fortune history . Erhard made it that far. She spun the bonus wheel and took an as yet unopened envelope--her future prize. But it didn’t look like it was going to be hers at first. She was left with only four letters revealed to help her solve the final puzzle. That was even after she used a bonus letter she'd picked up over the course of the regular game. 'This looks challenging,' said longtime host Pat Sajak, before encouraging Erhard. 'Talk it out, you're a good player, you never know.' But Erhard didn't need the encouragement. Nor did she need to talk it out, as most contestants do in the final round. In what feels like half a second, Erhard spits out her answer. 'Tough workout,' she said. Vanna threw up her hands in astonishment and Sajak squawked 'WHAT!' and when the letter board lit up, she knew she'd won the game with impressive ease. With a big smile, she waited as Sajak opened her prize envelope to reveal the largest cash prize the game has to offer. 'We have a million dollar winner,' Sajak said, showing the envelope's glittering contents to the camera and audience. Early wedding gift: Erhard (right), a UC San Diego graduate recently became engaged to fiance Joey Penna (right) recently got engaged . Great timing: Fiance Joey, right, works in construction--an industry hit hard by the global recession--but things will certainly be looking up for the couple after Autumn's big win . Happy couple: The couple's wedding is scheduled for July 2014, though they they already received the biggest gift they could possibly expect . The impressive feat was followed by a much deserved exaltation from Erhard and her thrilled family, including fiancé Joey. ‘No one could believe it,’ Erhard told WBMA of the big moment just before her family realized what had happened. ‘They were just off stage and couldn't see what my prize was. They were celebrating the fact that I solved the puzzle. They kept asking me how much I won, and I had to keep repeating it because no one believed me at first.’ The million dollar wedge was added to . the bonus wheel in 2008. The first, and only other million dollar winner . was Michelle Lowenstein in October of that year. Domination: Erhard dominated throughout the game. Compared to her winnings, her competitors took home pennies: one got $2,000 while the other won $1000 . Holder her breath: Erhard nearly blew it when only four letters showed up to help her solve the final puzzle . Amazing: Erhard solved the puzzle, 'Tough Workout' with only four letters and 'thing' as a clue, so quickly even game show veteran Vanna White could hardly believe it . Lowenstein had just gotten home from her honeymoon in 2008 when she was told she would be taping the show. 'I got home from my honeymoon on a Monday,' she told the New York Post. 'They called me on Wednesday and I taped the show that Friday.' The New Jersey native was living in California with her new husband when she became the show's first millionaire. She and her husband met while working at a New Jersey Cheesecake Factory restaurant. WATCH THE FIRST MILLION DOLLAR WINNER . Her winning phrase was 'Leaky Faucet.' Asked what she would do with all the dough, the then 24-year-old said she'd like to buy a car. 'And I'll help out my parents and my sister,' she said. Lowenstein’s takehome of $1,026,080 in . cash and prizes remained the highest in Wheel of Fortune history until . now. Her record has now been bested by Erhard’s $1,030,340 in cash . prizes, including trips to Belize and Arizona. Beaten expectations: 'I am in complete and utter shock,' said Erhard, who'd gone on the show just hoping to solve a few puzzles and earn money for her upcoming wedding . Erhard is a sales representative for a veterinary pharmaceutical company and her fiancé works in construction. No word yet on how they’ll spend the money, by Erhard is likely still just trying to calm down from the initial thrill. ‘I wanted to have some fun and solve some puzzles, she said. 'I feel like I'm in a dream!’ Erhard said that, prior to the show, she was hoping to win some money to put towards her upcoming wedding. She certainly did that. 'I am in complete and utter shock,' she said. Unbelievable: As her family gathered, Erhard said they were unaware how lucky she was, 'They were celebrating the fact that I solved the puzzle. They kept asking me how much I won' | With just two T’s, an R, and a G, she miraculously comes up with 'Tough Workout' to solve the .
million dollar puzzle in mere seconds!
The lucky 30-year-old was a player on the 30th anniversary season of the game show, which aired May 30th . |
90,781 | 00bd0c70c2f923e1f9a58d18a40ff822aba2bd21 | By . Lee Moran . Last updated at 1:45 PM on 17th November 2011 . Could a 15 ton bunker buster that blows apart 200ft of concrete be the bomb that stops America's adversaries from developing nuclear weapons? The U.S. Air Force has unveiled the Massive Ordnance Penetrator - dubbed the Big Blu - and speculation is already mounting that it may be used in airstrikes on Iran or North Korea. B-2 Stealth Bombers will use the six metre long GPS guided rocket, fitted with 2.5 tons of explosives, to smash open underground bunkers and tunnels suspected of containing weapons of mass destruction. Scroll down for video... Threat: USAF specialists stand under a mock-up of the new bunker busting Big Blu . Bunker buster: The USAF's $32 million contract with aerospace firm Boeing will see eight of the devices delivered to 'fulfil the Air Force's operational needs' USAF Lieutenant Colonel Jack Miller said the service started taking delivery of the giant bomb, a staggering ten times more powerful than its predecessor the BLU-109, in September. He added that the $32 million contract with aerospace firm Boeing would see eight of the devices delivered to 'fulfil the Air Force's operational needs'. The delivery of the super bomb comes as U.S. President Barack Obama today said America would act firmly against any nuclear proliferation activities by North Korea. And it is in the same week an International Atomic Energy Agency report renewed calls for a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. In a speech to the Australian Parliament, Obama said the transfer of nuclear material by North Korea to other nations would be 'considered a grave threat to the U.S. and our allies'. Ramping up: The delivery of the super bomb comes in the same week an International Atomic Energy Agency report renewed calls for a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities . Transporter: B-2 Stealth Bombers (pictured) will use the six metre long GPS guided rockets to hit underground bunkers and tunnels suspected of containing weapons of mass destruction . He said he would hold North Korea, which has tested two nuclear devices since 2006 and is believed to be working on a long-range missile designed to reach the U.S., 'fully accountable for the consequences of such action'. The . multi-billion pound drug trafficking trade in Iran has been seized by . its Revolutionary Guard Corps, former regime officials claim. They . say RGC members are using it to establish links with a global crime . network and further its goal in undermining the West, say former regime . officials. The alleged . smuggling of heroin, opium and meth is in complete contrast to the . Guards hard-line reputation as defenders of the Islamic Revolution. Sajjad Haghpanah, who worked for Iran's domestic intelligence unit, said trafficking was endemic. He told the Times: 'There are several commanders involved in smuggling narcotics. 'They work with criminal gangs to move it overseas. They have their own ships, aircraft and haulage companies.' His warning came amid efforts to restart negotiations with the country on dismantling the nation's nuclear programme. Meanwhile, the IAEA's report focused on Iran's alleged efforts to fit a nuclear warhead on a missile. And it claimed Iran has been working to acquire equipment and weapons design information, testing high explosives and detonators and developing compute models of a warhead’s core. It led to the U.S. ramping up pressure on the country, which it suspects of building nuclear facilities deep underground to thwart any possible air raid. Obama refused to rule out a military option to prevent the country from making nuclear weapons and said economic sanctions against the country, aimed at halting its nuclear threat, were having 'enormous bite'. The new MOP is twice as heavy as the 'daisy cutter' bomb employed in Vietnam and in Tora Bora at the outset of the war in Afghanistan. The 'daisy cutter' has since been retired and replaced with the MOAB, the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb or 'the Mother of All Bombs', which weighs less than the MOP bomb but contains more explosive power. | U.S. Air Force takes delivery of eight Big Blu bombs .
6m long weapons contain 2.5 tons of explosives . |
232,194 | b8ace49079a6c88ceec49931275961447e83809d | By . Daniel Martin . Controversial: The health watchdog NICE has called for more obese people with the condition to be considered for a gastric band or bypass . Free weight-loss surgery could be offered to nearly a million diabetes patients. The health watchdog yesterday called for more obese people with the condition to be considered for a gastric band or bypass. At a stroke, NICE’s ruling doubles to 1.8million the numbers qualifying for taxpayer-funded surgery. But campaigners said it was wrong to offer operations costing £5,000 when the NHS faces a £30billion deficit and NICE is denying cancer patients life-extending drugs. They warned the obese should instead be told to eat less and exercise more. ‘We’ve got a mismatch between what NICE recommends and what the country can afford,’ said Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum. ‘Thousands of people will look at this and say – I fit that criteria, I want the surgery. This is going to stretch clinical commissioning groups to the limit – we’ve got a creaking Health Service as it is. We could end up with a situation where clinical commissioning groups say we can’t get the extra midwives we need for the local hospital, we can’t pay for life-saving drugs for people with cancer – because other people have been given the right to have expensive bariatric surgery.’ The surgery covers procedures including gastric bands and gastric bypasses, where the digestive system is rerouted past most of the stomach. NICE said a gastric bypass on the NHS costs £5,410 and a gastric band £2,473. Weight-loss surgery is given to patients who are morbidly obese with a body mass index score of more than 40. It is also offered to those who have a BMI over 35 with another serious health condition, such as type 2 diabetes. Around a million people qualify under these rules – although in practice only around 10,000 operations are carried out every year. But now NICE is suggesting that diabetics with a BMI score of 30 or more should be considered for an assessment for weight-loss operations on the NHS. Diabetes UK says the new rules mean between 850,000 and 900,000 extra people could qualify. Rise: The ruling would double the number of people who could qualify for taxpayer-funded surgery to 1.8million . It will be up to individual clinical commissioning groups, which hold local NHS budgets, to decide whether the surgery should be funded in their areas. Britain is in the grip of an obesity epidemic and 2.9million people now have diabetes, a condition which in its type 2 form is linked to poor lifestyle. Mark Baker, director of clinical practice at NICE, said: ‘Obesity rates have nearly doubled over the past ten years and continue to rise, making obesity and overweight a major issue for the Health Service. ‘Updated evidence suggests people who are obese and have been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may benefit from weight loss surgery. More than half of people who undergo surgery have more control over their diabetes following surgery and are less likely to have diabetes-related illness; in some cases surgery can even reverse the diagnosis.’ NICE says that by losing weight patients can reduce the damaging consequences of diabetes, such as the risk of blindness or heart attack. Its guidance states that an operation is repaid in savings to the NHS within three years. After that, there are gains of around £4,000 per year per patient. But Roger Goss of Patient Concern said: ‘NICE doesn’t seem to know the NHS is heading for a deficit. They are wasting our money. Obese people should be encouraged to eat less and take more exercise – rather than having this expensive treatment paid for.’ Simon O’Neill, from the charity Diabetes UK, said: ‘Bariatric surgery should only be considered as a last resort if serious attempts to lose weight have been unsuccessful and if the person is obese. ‘It can lead to dramatic weight loss, which in turn may result in a reduction in people taking their type 2 diabetes medication and even in some people needing no medication at all. This does not mean, however, that type 2 diabetes has been cured. ‘These people will still need to eat a healthy balanced diet and be physically active.’ The BMI score is a simple measure based on height and weight with a score higher than 25 indicating overweight and 30 or more being judged as obese. | Watchdog believes more people should be considered for gastric bands .
The ruling means 1.8million will qualify for taxpayer-funded surgery .
Campaigners say it's wrong to offer £5,000 surgeries during a £30bn deficit .
NICE said a bypass on the NHS costs £5,410 and a gastric band £2,473 . |
127,758 | 3124cfc99cd87c7baa9ab80e09d7d033e407d160 | These days he prefers not to discuss his love of deerstalking. But David Cameron still treats pigeons as fair game – and has taken a 12-bore shotgun out to hunt them near his home, it has been claimed. The Prime Minister even asked Scotland Yard protection officers to seal off woodland in Oxfordshire while he took aim, according to a startling disclosure. Scroll down for video . David Cameron - pictured at the Heythrop Hunt in Chipping Norton in 2002 - has vowed to give MPs a free vote to scrap the hunting ban . The PM (left) is known to be a keen shooter but has become frustrated at not being able to go deer stalking . Mr Cameron was unable to go deer stalking when he went to the Scottish island of Jura last year . The Tory leader is said to have targeted pigeons because he ‘missed’ the days when he could shoot deer in Scotland. Last night animal rights groups reacted furiously to the claims, accusing the PM of killing animals for ‘sheer pleasure’. Mr Cameron is said to be an expert deerstalker and has spoken openly in the past about his fondness for country pursuits including foxhunting and shooting. But since becoming Prime Minister, he has been less keen to talk about his love of field sports. Yet when he was missing the days when he could go deerstalking at his father-in-law’s Scottish estate, he went out to shoot pigeons in the woods, according to the newly published diaries of The Telegraph’s Scottish Editor Alan Cochrane. Mr Cochrane, who met the Prime Minister for dinner in Fife in February 2012 during the long run-up to the independence referendum, wrote in his diary: ‘As we ate venison, DC moaned about the fact that he couldn’t go deerstalking any more. ‘I suppose he doesn’t want to hark back to the grouse moor-image days of Harold Macmillan, or to be seen out with a rifle. ‘DC says that recently he fancied a bit of shooting, so took his 12-bore out into a wood near his home and bagged a couple of pigeons. It must have been quite a sight – the wood had to be surrounded by coppers with guns. Whether that was to protect the ramblers from the PM or the PM from the ramblers wasn’t clear. ‘Anyway, he misses shooting/killing things.’ Prime Minister Harold MacMillan - the Earl of Stockton - was a famous Conservative hunter . The then Prime Minister was often pictured taking part in field sports - including grouse shooting at Bolton Abbey . Asked if the Prime Minister owned a 12-bore shotgun, both Downing Street and Scotland Yard declined to comment. Andrew Tyler, of campaign group Animal Aid, said: ‘This is killing animals for the sheer pleasure of exterminating their lives. Normally these activities are wrapped up in justifications to do with conserving species, or boosting the rural economy, or species management. Head stalker Peter Fraser, prepares to load a freshly shot stag onto a pony at Milstone Cairn in Glen Callater on the Invercauld Estate . ‘What makes it all the more nauseating is that he hasn’t got the guts to do it openly, because he knows what the political fall-out would be. He is trying to distance himself from the “posh boy” image.’ Yesterday Mr Cameron’s neighbours in Oxfordshire said they had not seen the PM carrying a shotgun in woodland near his home. One woman, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I have never seen him with a gun under his arm. You do hear shots going off from time to time but I think that is mainly the organised shoots.’ Another neighbour added: ‘So what if he does?’ Political commentator Bruce Anderson has described Mr Cameron as an ‘excellent shot’. He said: ‘Shooting is a form of complete relaxation, and if you are Prime Minister, and want to switch off, it is perfect.’ The PM was a regular deerstalker – where stags are tracked and then shot – and is reputedly one of the few marksmen skilled enough to shoot two beasts in one go using the so-called ‘right left’ technique. He used to hunt at the 20,000-acre Tarbert estate on the Scottish island of Jura owned by his wife Samantha’s stepfather Viscount Astor. He insisted he had not given up the sport because of objections from animal rights campaigners, saying it was the most ‘defensible’ field sport because it kept the deer numbers under control. In a BBC radio interview before becoming PM, Mr Cameron revealed he was taught to shoot rabbits by his father and said he had ‘always been a country boy’. Last year, he dodged a question about hunting by saying he would now ‘rather go for a walk’. The Tories pledged to give the Commons a free vote on repealing Labour’s ban on foxhunting – which Mr Cameron also used to enjoy – but it was unofficially shelved in 2011. | Prime Minister went shooting in a wood near his Oxfordshire home .
Mr Cameron unable to go deer stalking despite love for bloody field sport .
PM 'moaned' he could not go deer stalking over a dinner with a journalist . |
280,645 | f795341f9f1bfa799737a234d5fa9966e18c821b | Garry Monk feels referees are giving Swansea a raw deal because they see his side as a soft target. Swansea have had Wilfried Bony and Angel Rangel sent off in their last two Barclays Premier League matches and manager Monk admits he has been left bemused by what he sees as refereeing inconsistencies in games involving his team this season. Monk says he has studied every single Swansea game on tape and expressed his concerns at an hour-long meeting he had with officials at the Liberty Stadium this week - but insists he won't stop drumming a fair play philosophy into his players even if it hurts them on the pitch. Swansea have had Wilfried Bony and Angel Rangel sent off in their last two Barclays Premier League matches . 'I just feel at this moment in time it is far too easy to book a Swansea City player,' Monk said ahead of Newcastle's visit to south Wales on Saturday. 'I have analysed every single foul we have committed this season and every foul against us, and in terms of the consistency level it does not add up. 'We are getting punished for everything but some teams come here and they commit five or six fouls straight away. 'Their plan is to be physical and that is the whole game plan, and when we stand up for ourselves we get punished for it. 'I don't know why it is, we try to play good football while other teams think the best way to stop that is to be physical and get in our faces. 'Maybe we are too much of an easy target.' Swansea boss Garry Monk feels his side are being harshly punished by referees . Monk revealed current Premier League referee Chris Foy, former official Alan Wiley and John Walton, of the Referees' Association, visited Swansea this week to discuss refereeing issues and hear his concerns. Ironically, Foy was in charge of Swansea's goalless draw at Sunderland last weekend when Rangel was sent off for two bookable offences, Monk being particularly unhappy with the nature of the second yellow card when he was adjudged to have obstructed Black Cats winger Will Buckley. 'If you look at Angel's second booking, what do you want him to do?' Monk asked. 'He cannot disappear, and in the lead up to his first one there was a foul against us that was not given. 'Those decisions go more against us than for us.' Monk also said he was exasperated by Sunderland striker Connor Wickham constantly going to ground at the Stadium of Light and questioned why Foy kept awarding him free-kicks in such circumstances. He promised that Swansea players would be fined if they did the same thing, saying winning that way would give him no satisfaction whatsoever. Chris Foy was among the officials who visited the Liberty Stadium this week . 'I talked to them about Wickham's performance at Sunderland,' Monk said of his meeting with the officials. 'He had the ball played up to him 13 times and on nine of those occasions he was on the floor. He is 6ft 3ins and about 14-15 stone, the same weight as Bony. 'But do Bony and Bafe (Gomis) go on the floor? No, because we promote for them to stay on the feet. 'I clocked what Wickham was doing straight away and I said to the linesman in front of me 'you watch the next time the ball gets played to him, he'll be on the floor. 'He did go to ground, so what does that tell you? That he is going to get the decision if he goes on the floor, and that is hard to take because you run the risk of yellow and red cards. Monk was particularly exasperated by Sunderland striker Connor Wickham constantly going to ground . 'But I have said to the players if we are going to win we will win properly because you will get more satisfaction out of it. 'That will be the way I want to do it, but I understand the players must feel the reward on Saturday. 'I don't believe in players going to ground if they have not been touched, if that were to happen I would deal with it afterwards.' Monk said Foy told him West Ham manager Sam Allardyce spoke to the Referees' Association about the difference between perceived big clubs and small clubs. 'Referees have a tough job and I am sure it is not intentional, but at this moment in time we seem to get punished for everything,' Monk said. 'I am not saying we do not make fouls that are yellow cards, but overall it looks too easy to punish us. 'We showed them examples and they could see clearly what I was talking about. 'It is so unjust and the way we play means we need more protection.' | Swansea have had Wilfried Bony and Angel Rangel sent off in their last two Premier League matches .
Garry Monk expressed his concerns at an hour-long meeting with officials at the Liberty Stadium this week .
Sam Allardyce has spoken to the Referees' Association about the difference between perceived big clubs and small clubs . |
250,980 | d0d0149f7d474cd072857fb62f8c40dc98594421 | A council flat bought under the 'right to buy' scheme for £48,000 is set to go on the market for £1million. The ground-floor property, in Chelsea, west London, has three bedrooms, a front terrace and a communal courtyard. It was bought in 1989 and is part of a post-war estate made up of 30 council and privately-owned properties, near King's Road. First £1million council flat: The property, in Chelsea, west London was bought for £48,000 in 1989 . Now on the market for £999,950 - it's owner stands to make a staggering profit of £952,000. Property website Zoopla calls it a 'well-presented ground floor flat' offering 'a generous living space with well proportioned rooms in a sought-after area'. Owner June Woodward, 61, told The Sun on Sunday: 'The increase is incredible. Right to buy was a great way of getting on the property ladder and it is leaving the family with £1million.' Mrs Woodward, an admin worker, plans to split the money with her three siblings and has set her sights on a house in Watford. Zoopla calls it a 'well-presented ground floor flat' offering 'a generous living space with well proportioned rooms in a sought-after area' Owner June Woodward, 61, told The Sun on Sunday: 'The increase is incredible. Right to buy was a great way of getting on the property ladder and it is leaving the family with £1million' The flat is on the market for £999,950 - meaning Mts Woodward stands to make a staggering profit of £952,000. Just over a mile from the council flat is One Hyde Park, Knightsbridge, where the world's most expensive flat sold for £140million in May. West London is also home to the city's most expensive street, Kensington Palace Gardens - where Tamara Ecclestone lives in her £70million 57-room mansion. In July, Lawrence Poxton, 48, and his wife Teresa, 46, moved into a terraced property in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, after the council put 33 properties on the market for £1 in a desperate attempt to clean up the area. They were picked from thousands of applicants and were the first couple to take advantage of the scheme. According to property website Rightmove, last year most property sales in Kensington And Chelsea involved flats which sold for on average £1,360,211. Terraced properties sold for an average price of £4,094,657, while semi-detached properties fetched £8,502,589. During the last year, sold prices in Kensington And Chelsea were 21% up on the previous year and 49% up on 2011. The most expensive area of London to stay in a hotel is Soho - where the average hotel will set you back £219 per night. Knightsbridge came in at second at £216 per night, in the list compiled Cheaprooms.co.uk. It was bought in 1989 and is part of a post-war estate made up of 30 council and privately-owned properties . In October 2013 Southwark Council, in south-east London, auctioned off Britain’s most expensive council house - a four-story Grade II listed building - for £2.96million, to help pay for new homes. Built in 1820, the property was first used by bosses at Anchor Brewery before being taken over by Courage, an advert for which is still printed on its wall. The 200-year-old building, which is near Borough Market in London was bought by an anonymous bidder from Southwark Council, which said it would invest in at least 20 new social houses. Opposition: When the property went on auction, squatters who had been living in the house hung signs on the side of the building in protest . | Property in Chelsea, west London, near trendy King's Road, bought in 1989 .
It is on the market for £999,950 - giving owner a staggering profit of £952,000 .
Just over a mile away is world's priciest flat which sold for £140million in May . |
188,144 | 7fa50314ac8fe8349673b848692651afed50d705 | New DNA evidence has cast doubt on the murder conviction of the retired teacher jailed for the 'Lady in the Lake' murder. In 2005, Gordon Park was found guilty of murdering his wife Carol with an ice axe and dumping her body in Coniston Water in Cumbria 30 years earlier. Her badly beaten, weighted-down body was found at the bottom of the lake 21 years after her death in 1976, and Park's eventual conviction ended what had been one of Britain's most notorious unsolved cases. The family of Gordon Park (pictured left with third wife Jenny in 2005) say new DNA evidence has cast doubt over his murder conviction for killing first wife Carol (right), who became known as the Lady of the Lake . Park had always denied killing his 30-year-old wife, and was found hanged in his cell at HMP Garth, Lancashire, on January 25, 2010 - the morning of his 66th birthday. Now the case is again under scrutiny, and Park's family have reportedly found new DNA evidence that they say may clear his name and open the door for a new investigation into Mrs Park's death. The evidence will be presented to independent watchdog the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which reviews alleged miscarriages of justice and has confirmed it is 'actively investigating' the case. It is understood that the CCRC is due to visit Coniston as part of the investigation, although it has not commented on this. Denial: Park had always denied killing his 30-year-old wife, pictured with him on their wedding day in 1967 . Accused: Park, pictured with Carol on her 21st birthday in 1966, was accused of bludgeoning her to death with an ice axe, and dumping her body in Coniston Water . The retired schoolmaster was accused of bludgeoning Mrs Park to death with an ice axe in July 1976 and dumping her body in the lake near the family home in Leece, near Barrow-in-Furness. He claimed he had taken their children on a trip to Blackpool on the day she vanished, and that she had gone to live with another man. Her body had come to rest on an underwater ledge and was found by amateur divers 21 years later. The case became known as ‘Lady in the Lake’ after the Raymond Chandler novel of the same name. Mrs Park was found wearing her blue baby doll night-dress, arms bound tightly and with tape over her eyes. Probe: Police investigate boats at Coniston Water after the discovery of Mrs Park's body in 1997 . Weighed down: Mrs Park's decomposed body was found with these lead weights and ropes . Dress: She was found wearing her blue baby doll night-dress, arms bound tightly and with tape over her eyes . Scene: Legal teams from the 2005 trial are shown the spot on Coniston where Mrs Park's body was recovered . After the grim discovery, Park was arrested and charged with her murder but the case against him was dropped in January 1998 when the Crown Prosecution Service said it did not have enough evidence against him. A second police investigation uncovered fresh evidence by linking him to the killing with the knots meticulously used to tie up the body and a piece of Westmorland green slate used to weigh it down, which matched the stone used to build the family home. In 2005, Park was found guilty of murder at Manchester Crown Court and jailed for life as he was told he would serve a minimum of 15 years. Suicide: Park was found hanged in his cell at HMP Garth, Lancashire, on January 25, 2010 - the morning of his 66th birthday . However, he had always maintained his innocence and wrote letters to the media from jail. His family, including third wife Jenny and his children Jeremy and Rachel have continued campaigned for his conviction to be overturned posthumously. Jeremy Park, who is leading the campaign to clear his father's name, said the DNA evidence had been uncovered by the family's lawyers, but has not given further details. 'This test may shed some serious new light on this whole thing,' he told The Telegraph's Bill Gardner. 'This will all come out very soon.' It is also believed that the watchdog may be re-examining evidence from a woman who said she saw Park push something into Coniston Water in 1976, coming forward to give her account in 2004. Joan Young's testimony was challenged during the trial, when it was argued that she was too far away to identify the person in the boat, and that it couldn't have been Mrs Park's body that was being dumped as Mrs Young was positioned in a way that the place where the body was found would have been visibly blocked by an island. Mrs Park's nieces, Kay Washford, 50, and Claire Gardener, 45, both from Barrow, who now live in Preston, say they both think the correct verdict was given at the time. Park's family launched a fresh bid to clear his name in 2010 - nine months after he was found dead in his prison cell on his 66th birthday. In 2013 an inquest jury in Preston ruled that Park, of Barrow, had killed himself. For the last four years, the CCRC has been examining evidence and police files to see if the case should go before the Court of Appeal. The CCRC investigates miscarriages of justice in the UK and rarely considers cases when the person has died. Such a probe can take up to six years to fully investigate, in some cases. Many claimed that much of the evidence against Park could be discounted and there were vigils and petitions in attempts to free Park from prison and to clear his name. Husband: Park is pictured at Lake Ullswater after charges brought against him in 1997 were dropped the following year by the Crown Prosecution Service due to a lack of evidence . Son: Jeremy Park (pictured at the family home in 1997), who is leading the campaign to clear his father's name, said the DNA evidence had been uncovered by the family's lawyers . The case featured prominently in the book, No Smoke - The Shocking Truth About British Justice, which outlined seven cases the author believed to be examples of innocent people being convicted of murder. A spokesman for the watchdog refused to confirm or deny a site visit, only saying: 'The CCRC is actively investigating this case.' Mrs Washford, the daughter of Carol Park's now deceased brother, Ivor Price said: 'The Park family will not accept the evidence that was put to the courts to help convict Gordon. 'I really think they are clutching at straws and hoping to find an answer that isn't there. Myself and Claire still feel the correct verdict was given. 'Gordon went to the High Court of Appeal and lost, so what makes them think after all this time they could find any information that could overturn the court's decision? And we will carry on fighting for justice.' Murdered: School teacher Carol Park, pictured in 1963, vanished from her home in Leece, near Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria during the drought-hit summer of 1976 . School teacher Carol Park vanished from her home in Leece, near Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria during the drought-hit summer of 1976. She was 30 and suspicion immediately fell on her husband - with whom she had an 'open' marriage. Mrs Park's body remained missing until August 1997, when it was discovered, weighted down, by two amateur divers on an underwater ledge in Coniston Water. Police nicknamed her the Lady in the Lake after the Raymond Chandler crime novel of the same name. Father-of-three Park was arrested and charged with murder but the charges were dropped in January 1998 due to lack of evidence. However, he was re-arrested in 2004 and, at the end of a two-month trial at Manchester Crown Court, the jury found him guilty of murder. The trial became notorious as the courtroom heard the couple had had a tempestuous relationship. They were involved in wife-swapping parties and Mrs Park had embarked on affairs with several men. In December 1974, Mrs Park moved to Middlesbrough to live with policeman David Brearley, whom she had met at an Open University summer school. She planned to marry him, but after failing to win custody of the couple's three children in 1975, she reluctantly returned to the marital home. Meanwhile, Park had relationships with at least two women before agreeing to give his marriage a second chance. However, the arguments and accusations of infidelity continued and it was against this background that Park was found to have murdered his wife. The court case was told that he had smashed her in the face with a climber's ice-axe, and kept her body in the freezer until deciding to dispose of it. Her skeletal remains were dressed in a faded blue baby-doll nightdress when they were found in the lake. The retired schoolmaster was on holiday in France with his third wife when he was told the body had been found, and is said to have uttered the words 'Oh dear,' in a phone call after being informed of the discovery. He had claimed that on the day of his first wife's disappearance, he had left her in bed while he took the children to Blackpool for the day, and that she was gone when they returned. However, he did not report her missing for six weeks. Park, said to be a control freak, was said to have become frustrated and jealous, and was unable to control his wife. Police believe Mrs Park was preparing to press for a divorce but was determined to keep the family bungalow and custody of the children, and it may have been this that sparked Park's anger. While in prison on remand in October 1997, he admitted the killing, telling fellow inmates 'she deserved it' after he discovered her in bed with another man. Family members, however, never stopped believing in his innocence and campaigned for a retrial. His children Jeremy, Rachael and Vanessa, and third wife Jenny, have campaigned tirelessly to prove his innocence since he was jailed. | Gordon Park was convicted of killing wife Carol and dumping her body .
She vanished in 1976 and body was later found by divers in Coniston Water .
Park denied killing his 30-year-old wife and killed himself in prison in 2010 .
His family have campaigned for conviction to be overturned .
They say new DNA evidence will 'shed some serious new light' on case .
Watchdog the Criminal Cases Review Commission is 'actively investigating' |
162,574 | 5e2f8ffec07686e00ab1a11c6e8ff3babe0b4c3d | By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 15:12 EST, 22 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:12 EST, 22 March 2012 . A soldier killed yesterday in an explosion in Afghanistan has been identified as a 24-year-old captain. Tributes have been paid to the 'bravest of the 'brave' Rupert Bowers who was killed by the blast from an improvised explosive device (IED) as he led a patrol in Helmand Province. The married 24-year-old father, from Wolverhampton, had been working as a security adviser to the Afghan National Army. He was part of the 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters), which was attached to 2nd Battalion The Rifles. Bravest of the brave: Tributes have been paid to Captain Rupert Bowers, who was killed by an explosion in Afghanistan . Captain Bowers commanded a small team responsible for the training and development of the Afghan National Army based in Forward Operating Base Ouellette in the Mirmandab region of Nahr-e Saraj in Helmand Province, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. He was leading a patrol to clear a position from the threat of insurgents when he was killed by the explosion. He leaves behind wife Victoria and his newly-born son Hugo, as well as parents Patrick and Jane and sister Juliet. Tributes have been flooding in to Captain Bowers, who was described as having the 'heart of a lion'. Lieutenant . Colonel Colin R Marks, Commanding Officer, Combined Force Burma, 2nd . Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters), said: 'A . gifted officer, he excelled in the field and was happiest when leading . men in battle. 'Possessing the heart of a lion, he was Mentioned in Dispatches for gallantry on this, his first of three tours of duty. 'The bravest of the brave, he died as he lived, leading from the front in the face of the enemy. 'Full . of character, Rupert was fun to be around all the time and I enjoyed . his company very much. We talked for hours about his love of piano . music and he always made me feel happy because he was such a sincere and . fun-loving person. Comrades: Captain Bowers was part of The Mercian Regiment (pictured), which was attached to the 2nd Battalion The Rifles . 'His . brother officers loved him dearly and we will remember him for his . infectious smile and wicked sense of humour. Married to his beloved . Vicky, their son Hugo was born while Rupert was home on leave in . February 2012. I know he was looking forward to rejoining his family . later this month when his tour was due to finish. 'As . well as Vicky and Hugo, our thoughts and prayers also go out to his . father Patrick, mother Jane and sister Juliet. Rest easy brother, your . duty is done. You will live in our hearts forever and we will never . forget you.' Lieutenant Colonel William S C Wright . MBE, Commanding Officer, Brigade Advisory Group, 2nd Battalion The . Rifles, added: 'His infectious smile, constant good humour and immense . dedication to his men made an instant impression on all of us. 'During . the demanding advisor training, his ability to get on with anyone and . his strong soldiering skills marked him out as a young officer with real . potential as an Afghan National Army (ANA) Advisor. 'Not . surprisingly, he ended up in one of the toughest areas of Helmand . working alongside an independent ANA Tolay Company. He more than rose . to the challenge. 'It was a . pleasure to see him at work, smiling amidst his Afghan warriors and . always with an amusing story to tell; life was never dull with him . around. The whole of 2 RIFLES are deeply saddened by his tragic loss. He was loved and respected by all ranks as one of our own. He was, and . will always remain, an honorary Rifleman.' Captain Bowers had been leading a patrol to clear a position from the threat of insurgents when he was killed by the explosion (file photo) Lance . Corporal Matthew Moore, Team Second-in-Command, Advisor 34, Brigade . Advisory Group, 2nd Battalion The Rifles, said: 'Captain Bowers was the . best boss I have ever worked with. He was very good at his job, and . always there for the blokes. I know he wouldn’t think twice about . putting his neck on the line for his men. 'Boss, it was an honour serving under your command. Rest in Peace.' Secretary . of State for Defence, Philip Hammond MP, said: 'I was very saddened to . learn of the death of Captain Rupert Bowers, a soldier whose bravery and . professionalism was not only apparent to his colleagues every day on . operations, but had been recognised formally through the honours system . with his Mention In Dispatches. He died in the service of his country . and his sacrifice will always be remembered. 'This . is, of course, the most tragic news for Captain Bowers’ family; my . thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them, as well as his friends . and colleagues, at this painful time.' After studying at the Royal Military . Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the 1st Battalion, The . Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment in April 2007. After . successfully passing the Platoon Commanders' Battle Course in Brecon he . joined his regiment in Afghanistan in 2007 where his actions during a . complex insurgent ambush resulted in him being 'Mentioned in . Dispatches'. Upon return . from Afghanistan he deployed on exercises in Jamaica and later to Kenya, . as a Fire Support Group Commander after qualifying as a Machine Gun . Specialist. | Rupert Bowers was killed as he led a patrol in Helmand Province .
The captain had been working alongside the Afghan National Army as a security adviser .
He leaves behind a wife, newly-born son as well as parents and sister . |
19,024 | 35d96930f64ddbeccc2da01a3a68ce96deb6b99f | New Haven, Connecticut (CNN) -- A few years ago, researchers at Cornell made a remarkable discovery: When unsuspecting diners were given self-refilling bowls, they consumed almost twice as much soup as those with normal bowls. In other words, it was the quantity in the bowl that determined how much they ate, not their appetite. While researchers are only recently discovering the power of serving sizes, manufacturers have been manipulating consumers in this way for years, from stealthily shrinking the size of yogurt containers to super-sizing sodas. Now it's time for the government to take advantage of the power of portion size to save lives. We already know we should reduce the size of many of our food products -- not to mention our waistlines -- but there's another item that needs to go on a diet: the pack of cigarettes. It's time for the 10-cigarette pack. The government mandates 20 cigarettes per pack. But cigarette packs with fewer cigarettes could bolster willpower and help smokers quit. Let's imagine that you are one of the 70% of smokers who want to quit or cut back. Craving a cigarette, you have no option but to buy the full pack of 20 -- leaving 19 readily available to soon entice you. Would changing the pack size really help smokers quit? Many smokers don't purchase cartons, because they want to limit their smoking. They are willing to pay a higher price per cigarette to limit availability, fearing that easy access would increase their smoking. Now is the time to consider this move. Congress recently gave the Food and Drug Administration the jurisdiction to regulate tobacco products. Before this congressional act, the FDA could regulate nicotine replacement therapies such as the patch and gum, but not the far more toxic tobacco. Now, the FDA has comprehensive authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sales of tobacco products. In fact, the FDA is developing new tobacco regulations; it should consider portion size. Most smokers actually want fewer cigarettes. The average number of cigarettes smoked per day declined among daily smokers from almost 19.6 in 1993 to not quite 16.8 in 2004, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Nondaily smokers consume even fewer cigarettes per day. A smaller pack can nudge smokers to smoke even less, just as buying only a pint of ice cream is safer for a dieter than buying a gallon. Evidence suggests that those who cut back are more likely to quit. Think about it: We could change what it means to be a pack-a-day smoker. The reason that we have the 20-cigarette pack is to prevent youths from smoking by keeping the price high. While preventing teen smoking is critical, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 14% of youths who smoke buy their own cigarettes directly from a store. The rest get them from family and friends. Moreover, cigarette prices are higher than ever because of increased federal, state and even city excise taxes -- perhaps making friends and family less likely to share and teens even less likely to buy. We have other ways to prevent kids from picking up the habit. For example, under the latest FDA regulations, flavored cigarettes that appeal to youths are banned, as is all outdoor advertising within 1,000 feet of schools. And it is still illegal to sell to people younger than 18. Now that most smokers are trying to quit or cut back, we should allow or require smaller packs. If the size of the bowl can determine how much soup you eat, imagine what the size of the pack could do in determining how many cigarettes you smoke. It's time to find out how much size matters. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jody Sindelar. | Cigarette packs with fewer cigarettes could bolster willpower, Jody Sindelar says .
If you're craving a cigarette, the only buying option is the full pack of 20, she says .
Sindelar: FDA can now regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sales of tobacco products .
"Think about it: We could change what it means to be a pack-a-day smoker," she says . |
247,977 | cce336bb040fbbcf43cf093d9c736969793129ca | By . Louise Boyle . A boy has died after he was allegedly shot by his mother's boyfriend at a hotel where his half-brother was also killed. Jaydin Thompson, six, was taken off life support yesterday. Margaret Gallegos, spokesman for University Hospital in San Antonio, Texas said the child died at 6.08 pm. Davian Bluntson, 21 months, was killed after shots were fired in a hotel room on Tuesday. Desmond Bluntson, 36, Davian's father, was charged with capital murder over the death of his son. Scroll down for video . All dead: Brandy Cerny, 28, with her six-year-old Jaydin and 21-month-old Davian. All three were reportedly shot by Miss Cerny's boyfriend in Texas . Capital murder: Desmond Bluntson is being held in prison after allegedly shooting his 21-month-old son in Texas . The mother of both boys and Bluntson's girlfriend, Brandy Cerny was also found dead in a shed 200 miles away in the family's hometown of El Campo, Texas. The investigation into her death continues but she was believed to have gunshot wounds. Bluntson was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a public servant and one count of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. He was being held without bond. The father was arrested at the Holiday Inn-Civic Center in Laredo. Police had gone to the hotel at midday on Tuesday after receiving a call from colleagues in El Campo concerned for Bluntson's son and his girlfriend's son. Police began an investigation on Monday when Miss Cerny's father Lloyd filed a missing person's report when she did not show up to work. Authorities followed several leads which led them to the Laredo hotel. When officers knocked the door of the room on the 14th floor, they identified themselves as . police and then heard several shots. One bullet came . through the room door and narrowly missed two officers. Troubled relationship: Miss Cerny with her boyfriend and father of her youngest son Desmond Bluntson . Tragedy: Jaydin, six, was taken off life support yesterday and 21-month-old Davian was killed in a hotel room in Texas . Police cleared the building, which was full of guests because of a convention, then entered the room and arrested Bluntson. The boys' mother had not checked into the hotel, it was confirmed. She was discovered by a neighbor at a property where Bluntson used to keep dogs but not where the family lived. Pro8News reported that Bluntson had checked into the hotel with the young boys using his girlfriend's credit card. Holiday Inn management refused to comment on this allegation to MailOnline. Hideout: Desmond Bluntson, 36, was arrested at the Holiday Inn in Laredo, Texas after his 21-month-son was shot dead and his girlfriend's son died later in hospital . Separated: Miss Cerny's body was found in her home town of El Campo while her sons were shot 200 miles away at a hotel . Miss Cerny's aunt Dianne Cerny said that Bluntson is the father of her youngest son Davian. She described Jaydin as loving football, and said Davian never stopped smiling. The aunt said family members last saw Brandy Cerny and her sons at church on Sunday morning. The close-knit family had gathered the night before to celebrate Father's Day, she said. She said: 'We're all extremely distraught. Brandy is a bright, beautiful woman, and the boys were both absolutely delightful.' | Body of boys' mother Brandy Cerny, 28, found by neighbor 200 miles away .
Davian Bluntson, 21 months, killed at Holiday Inn in Laredo, Texas .
Desmond Bluntson, father of Davian, charged with murder .
Holiday Inn 'allowed Bluntson to check in using Miss Cerny's credit card' |
117,688 | 23f54ca48be48ea67f9dbec9c302137811c13263 | Luis Suarez faced further criticism on Monday night after issuing a belated apology for biting Giorgio Chiellini and promising never to be involved in such an incident again - just as Barcelona stepped up their bid to sign him. Four days after receiving a four-month ban from the game and telling FIFA that the clash during Uruguay’s World Cup match against Italy in Natal was an accident in which he ‘lost balance’, the Liverpool striker made a complete U-turn and admitted he deeply regretted his actions. But the apology has led to widespread cynicism in the week that the 27-year-old was linked with an £80million move to the Nou Camp. Gary Lineker, the former Barcelona striker, claimed the Catalan giants had insisted that Suarez say sorry if any potential transfer is to go through. VIDEO Scroll down to watch the moment Suarez bit Ottman Bakkal while playing for Ajax . Apology: Luis Suarez has finally expressed his regret for biting the Italian defender last week . Thumbs up: Luis Suarez gestures to fans from the balcony of his home, near Montevideo . In the statement issued on Twitter, . Suarez said: ‘After several days of being home with my family, I have . had the opportunity to regain my calm and reflect about the reality of what occurred during the Italy-Uruguay match on 24 June 2014. ‘Independent . from the fallout and the contradicting declarations that have surfaced . during these past days, all of which have been without the intention of . interfering with the good performance of my national team, the truth . is that my colleague Giorgio Chiellini suffered the physical result of a . bite in the collision he suffered with me. ‘For this: I deeply . regret what occurred. I apologise to Giorgio Chiellini and the entire . football family. I vow to the public that there will never again be . another incident like this.’ Juventus defender Chiellini . retweeted Suarez's apology on his own site, having previously said the . four-month ban issued to Suarez should not have been so severe. Chiellini also replied to the Tweet directly, saying 'It's all forgotten. I hope FIFA will reduce your suspension.' He . had previously said: 'At the moment my only thought is for Luis and his . family, because they will face a very difficult period. 'I have . always considered unequivocal the disciplinary interventions by the . competent bodies, but at the same time I believe that the proposed . formula is excessive. 'I sincerely hope that he will be . allowed, at least, to stay close to his team mates during the games . because such a ban is really alienating for a player.' VIDEO Sorry Suarez admits Chiellini bite . Accident? Luis Suarez told FIFA he did not deliberately bite Giorgio Chiellini but fell on top of him . Suggestion: Lineker says Barcelona may have forced the apology upon Suarez in order for a transfer to occur . Although Barcelona have not yet submitted a . formal bid, Liverpool are expecting contact soon, and, as Tottenham did . when selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid last summer, will hope to bring in new recruits before agreeing any deal. Brendan . Rodgers is set to complete the £25million signing of Southampton’s Adam . Lallana on Tuesday and is close to agreeing a £9.8m move for Belgian . striker Divock Origi, while Benfica’s Lazar Markovic is also a target. Suarez’s . apology came just hours after Uruguay’s president Jose Mujica had waded . into the row by launching a foul-mouthed attack, calling FIFA ‘a bunch . of old sons of b*****s’. Painful: Suarez fell to the ground and held his teeth straight after the encounter with centre back Chiellini . The 79-year-old described the . punishment, which also included a suspension for nine international . matches, as a ‘fascist ban’. He made the comments to state TV at a . reception for the Uruguay team, following their elimination from the . World Cup by Colombia on Saturday. The . president covered his mouth to feign shock at what he had said, but . told journalists to ‘publish it’ when asked if he wanted to rectify his . remarks. Mujica admitted that Suarez deserved to be disciplined, but . said his suspension was too harsh. ‘They could have punished him, but . not given him this fascist ban,’ he said. If he remains at Liverpool, Suarez will miss the first nine games of the league season and return to action on October 26. About time: Suarez has delayed his apology to Chiellini but has promised he will never behave like that again . Accepted: Chiellini is yet to criticise Suarez, and instead says the ban should be reduced . Homeward bound: Luis Suarez waves to Uruguayan fans after he was banished from the World Cup in Brazil . Fury: Jose Mujica has called FIFA 'a bunch of old sons of b*****s' in an attack on football's governing body . | Luis Suarez bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during World Cup match .
Liverpool striker was banned for four months by FIFA after incident in Natal .
Apology comes in the week Barcelona are rumoured to open up bidding for Uruguay star .
Gary Lineker claims Barcelona insisted on the apology if a transfer is to proceed .
Chiellini, the Juventus defender, retweeted Suarez's apology and also replied: 'It's all forgotten. I hope FIFA will reduce your suspension'
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica had earlier called FIFA 'a bunch of old sons of b*****s' in another attack on football's world governing body .
Uruguay boss Oscar Tabarez had also claimed Suarez had been made a worldwide scapegoat by FIFA, as well as criticising British media . |
280,713 | f7a8aeda3344e0077f6884a6894d321eeb1c4542 | Lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano continues to move slowly through a vacant lot in a rural subdivision. Hawaii County spokesman Kevin Dayton says it looks like the lava will bypass homes in the Kaohe Homesteads subdivision. He says that as of Tuesday, the lava is about 19 days from reaching Pahoa Village Road. A geologist from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory using a radar gun to measure the speed of the lava flow from the June 27th flow from the Kilauea volcano in Pahoa, Hawaii . Hawaii County spokesman Kevin Dayton said the slow-moving lava is expected to bypass homes in the Kaohe Homesteads subdivision, and the lava is about 5 days from reaching Pahoa Village Road . The road is the main drag though Pahoa Village and from there, it could reach Highway 130. The highway is a lifeline for residents living on the Big Island's Puna district. Workers continue to prepare unpaved roads to be used as alternate routes in case lava crosses the highway. The lava has slowed in recent days. Hawaii County Civil Defense says it advanced 270 yards since Monday. The flow is about 100 yards wide. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists say the lava has moved an average of about 890 feet a day since Monday, slightly higher than the rate of about 705 feet a day between Friday and Sunday . The slow-moving lava is expected to bypass homes in the Kaohe Homesteads subdivision, and the lava is about 5 days from reaching Pahoa Village Road . According to today's report from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the flow continues to advance northeast through thick forest, moving at an average of 890 feet a day in the last three days, traveling 11.3 miles from the vent. Smoke billows from where the lava 'engulfs trees and other vegetation,' the report notes, though fires are fortunately not spreading away from the flow. Scientists predict it could cross Pāhoa Village Road, fewer than 2.7 miles away, as early as September 24, and then move onto block Hwy. 130. But unpredictability is part of the problem: The flow emerged June 27, but went underground for quite a while before returning to the surface in late August, with several disappearances and re-emergences since then. The direction and speed of the flow have also shifted slightly — though not for the better — since scientists began monitoring it. Point of no return: This map shows the location of the volcano and the small community of Pahoa which could be cut off entirely if the lava flow crosses the nearby highway 130 road . Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983. Scientists issued a warning last week when a lava flow that has been advancing through cracks in the earth for the past few months moved to within a mile of a rural subdivision. The flow since has slowed, but the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said it could reach the northwest edge of Kaohe Homesteads in a day-and-a-half. The county hasn't ordered any evacuations, however. Officials also are preparing for the possibility that the lava will cross Highway 130, which links Pahoa and the sprawling, mostly rural district of Puna to Hilo. This could happen within weeks. Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said lava has covered other major Big Island roads in the past, like a state highway in Kalapana and Chain of Craters Road which is partially in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Downtown Pahoa, Hawaii. Surf shop co-owner Tiffany Edwards Hunt said there ís a threat Pahoa could become a ghost town if lava from Kilauea volcano crosses roads connecting the village with the rest of the Big Island . The part of Highway 130 that could be cut off is used by 7,000 to 11,000 vehicles per day, he said. The county is quickly trying to prepare alternate routes for people to use . Those who live on the slopes of Kilauea volcano know lava could start creeping their way at any time but the area is still a powerful draw for many who value its community and affordability . Lava flow from the Kilauea volcano is approaching the boundary of the Kaohe Homesteads division on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaii has declared a state of emergency with lava now less than 1.6 km from houses . A vent on the volcano began oozing lava on 27 June 2014, moving downhill at up to 240 meter per day . The flow emerged from a vent at Kilauea's Puu Oo crater in late June. Since then, it has traveled nearly 9 miles as the crow flies, or just over 10 miles if its twists and turns are accounted for. The lava is creeping through thick forest, setting alight trees and generating smoke plumes. It is visible only from the air, unlike previous flows that tourists could watch drop into the ocean from coastal viewing areas. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued a warning to a rural community in the path of a lava flow on Hawaii's Big Island, as the molten rock moved to within a mile of homes . Lava from one of the world's most active volcanos has been advancing at a slower pace the past few days and is now moving parallel to a sparsely populated subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island . | U.S. Geological Survey says the lava could cross a major highway within the next five days .
No evacuations have been ordered, but access to roadways to the community is restricted . |
43,243 | 79f21aa1734852cf2d69eaeca85c1c33156231e3 | By . Ray Massey, Transport Editor . PUBLISHED: . 04:51 EST, 12 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:58 EST, 12 June 2013 . A strike by militant French air traffic controllers has left thousands of British tourists and business travellers stranded across Europe. Most major French cities were affected and the knock-on effect is likely to continue into today. Hundreds of services to and from British airports heading for destinations such as Paris, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse and Marseilles were cancelled yesterday. Nice airport is one of those affected by the air traffic controller's strike that has left thousands of Brits stranded . Flights that cross French airspace were also cancelled or delayed, including holiday destinations in Spain and Portugal. In another black day for the country’s . socialist government, many air traffic controllers stayed at home for . the second day prompting French aviation bosses to order all airlines . using French airports to cancel 50 per cent of their services. Last night Greek air traffic . controllers were reported by airlines to be calling a ‘siesta strike’ – . from noon to 2pm today – which will disrupt and delay some flights. Controllers in both countries are protesting against a planned overhaul . of aviation by the European Commission to create what has been nicknamed . ‘a single European sky’. They fear this plan to centralise air traffic . control across the EU will lead to job losses. Low cost carrier easyJet was yesterday forced to cancel 200 flights – of which 92 were to or from the UK – because of the chaos. Ryanair said around 400 of its flights . had been cancelled across Europe, including many to and from Britain. British Airways cancelled 24 UK flights. All said they hoped to run a . ‘near normal’ service today. The militancy is due to spread to . French railways. French rail unions threatened to cancel up to 70 per . cent of services in protest at reform of their working practices. Easyjet has had to cancel 128 flights due to the industrial action, forcing thousands to make other plans . These include high speed TGV services, with the stoppages due to start last night and to continue into tomorrow. But Eurostar services from London to . Paris are not expected to be affected. Passengers reported a mixed bag . of help from airlines. EasyJet said it had booked 1,800 hotel rooms for . stranded passengers before the strike. But Ryanair customers who contacted . the Daily Mail spoke of ‘shocking customer service’ and a ‘couldn’t care . less’ attitude’ and said they had paid out hundreds of pounds for their . own hotel rooms. Passenger watchdogs said that under EU . rules airlines must look after their passengers if there’s a delay and . put them up in a hotel for a flight the next day when it is impractical . to go home. Publican Matt Edwards, 36, from . Penrith in Cumbria, was stranded at Manchester Airport with his two . daughters Emma, eight, and Mia, seven, and his partner Lisa Gardiner, . when their 3.55pm Ryanair flight to Alicante was cancelled on Tuesday. Mr Edwards said: ‘It was awful. You . can’t blame them for the strike. But their customer service is . appalling. I’ll never fly with them again. I’m hundreds of pounds out of . pocket.’ Ryanair said later that it would . comply with EU rules and urged passengers to keep their receipts for . reasonable out of pocket expenses, including hotels. Watchdogs said those not offered . hotels should keep their receipts and be prepared to complain to the . Civil Aviation Authority, which is now the official passenger watchdog. A spokesman for easyJet said: ‘We . deplore the action of the French air traffic controllers. It is . massively unfair that they should disrupt so many passengers. Passengers . on cancelled flights are able to receive a refund or transfer to . another flight.’ | French unions striking over fears of job losses and poor working conditions .
All airlines flying to France have been told to scrap half of their flights . |
168,687 | 663663b549bedd0669f8ac15bf6b0c199be50265 | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 09:59 EST, 20 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:10 EST, 20 June 2013 . Star: Lionel Messi has been summoned to appear in a Spanish court over tax fraud allegations . The world's best football player has been summoned to appear in a Spanish court over tax fraud allegations. Lionel Messi, who plays for Argentina and Barcelona, will appear before a judge on September 17. The four-time World Player of . the Year has been accused of defrauding £3.4million through false income tax returns in Spain. The state prosecutor has taken action against the footballer and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi. Both are accused of three offences against the public purse for allegedly defrauding millions on income tax returns for 2007, 2008 and 2009. The complaint, signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado, was previously submitted for trial at the court in Gava, the upmarket Barcelona suburb where the Argentina forward lives. A judge must accept the prosecutor's lawsuit before charges can be brought against Messi and his father. The footballing star released a statement denying any wrongdoing once the allegations emerged. Reports emerged last week alleging the four-time reigning World Player of the Year and his father, Jorge Horacio, were suspected of filing fraudulent tax returns between 2007 and 2009. The 25-year-old swiftly insisted he had done nothing wrong in a statement on his official Facebook page. It read: 'We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities. 'We are surprised about the news, because we have never committed any infringement. Messi, pictured here with girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo, issued a statement last week saying 'we have always fulfilled all our tax obligations' 'We have always fulfilled all our tax . obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants, who will take . care of clarifying this situation.' Messi . arrived at the Nou Camp as a 13-year-old in 2000, made his first-team . debut three years later and has gone on to establish himself as one of . football's best ever players. He . has won six Primera Division titles, three Champions League crowns and . two FIFA Club World Cups with the Catalan giants, and in 2012 netted a . record 86 goals for club and country. The 25-year-old Argentinian, left, has insisted he had done nothing wrong . The complaint, signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado, was last week submitted for trial at the court in Gava, the upmarket Barcelona suburb where the Argentina forward lives . He signed a two-year contract extension with Barcelona in February which keeps him at the club through June 2018 - when he will be 31. He joined Barcelona when he was 13, and made his debut with the first team three years later. Spain has been cracking down on tax evasion as it fights to repair the country's public finances amid recession and the collapse of its once-booming real estate sector. Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro warned footballers in April they should make sure they are 'comfortable' with their tax affairs. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Argentinian will appear in court on September 17 .
The athlete and his father are accused of allegedly defrauding millions . |
23,914 | 43dd9f1018ddd128618ce3c40f21326205025fd3 | (CNN) -- Monday night's tribute to Robin Williams at the Emmy Awards was moving and powerful and funny, like the man himself. When I first heard the news about Williams' apparent suicide, like millions of his fans, I felt heartbroken. He was so brave, talented, funny and brilliant. What a loss of a great actor and a great man. In days that followed, I learned that Williams had been battling severe depression. This brought back memories of my own battle with depression many years ago when I was a teenager. I never told anyone about it because I was terrified that I would be judged. But the time has come for me to share this with my family, friends and the world. Earlier this year when I read that six students from a high school in Virginia committed suicide during a three-year period, my eyes welled with tears and I felt incredibly sad. I knew I could not remain silent anymore. I didn't want to read about another student taking his own life who had to deal with the same intense, complicated challenges that I dealt with. I called the school district and was invited to speak at its Teen Suicide Prevention Summit. I felt humbled and honored, and scared at the same time. After speaking at the summit, guests of all ages lined the aisle to tell me how my message gave them hope. In essence, what I shared in that speech was that depression can be overcome, but it takes a village. You never know what sharing your concern may mean to someone in pain. My pastor recently told me I have become a living testimony of how a support network can help others find rest in the midst of storm. Living life as a husband, a father and a journalist assigned to overnight shifts is not easy. Even the best of us will be tested to their limits. Some days, I don't know if I'm getting it right at all. Those who suffer depression have it tough. I would like to share how I found hope in the midst of my storm. I created a system for myself to remain focused, LASER focused, on staying free from storm. For young people who face storms of their own, here's my story. I was that kid, in the midst of storm. I am the son of proud immigrant parents who drilled into me a sense of duty to repay the opportunity afforded me. With American "success" comes the responsibility to accept the full weight of their dreams of a better life for their children. I thank my parents for setting standards that stay with me to this day. My parents moved us to a nice D.C. suburban neighborhood surrounded by opportunity, but it was isolating. At age 16, I fell into a deep and dark emotional hole. The stress of school, sports and assimilation became too much to bear. I felt guilty for wanting to abandon my cultural heritage. I stopped feeling loved. I quit caring. I would later learn that this despair I felt was actually a suffering from depression. But at the time, I only knew that I was in unimaginable darkness and loneliness, even if I were surrounded by people. Going public with depression . One day after school, I was at home babysitting my napping, 7-year-old sister. I became overwhelmed with anxiety. Tears rolled down my face. I was scared, but didn't know what I would do. I picked up the phone and called a classmate named Lori Lee. I don't recall exactly what I said, but I know I was at my end. She listened intently. After we hung up, she called a teacher, Mrs. Jo Henry, in my high school and within minutes Jo appeared on my doorstep. Suddenly, I was not alone. She called my parents, and suddenly I was surrounded by a village. A village that gave me the courage not to hide from them my pain. I held on to that village and never looked back. I used those experiences to form a list of guiding principles that I have honed through life that I use to weather those everyday storms of life. I call it the LASER system. LASER is an acronym for Listen, Assess, Support, Execute and Respond. It's designed to provide a systematic, positive and consistent approach to help individuals endure challenges and perform through stress. Mental health help: Where to turn . In my role at CNN as a Senior News Editor, I help decide what gets covered. Unfortunately, all too frequently, I cover stories of youngsters, professional athletes and personalities who didn't find a way out of despair and die tragically. Robin Williams, sadly, is one of many on the list. The common thread we often learn in those cases is that there was no village. There was no network. There was no one there to Listen and Act, to show them that life is full of possibilities and promise, and there are people who love them. That they have value. I write to reach those who find themselves slipping, and to urge those around them to help. You can manage through crisis. How? Listen (intently to when someone is in trouble) Assess (what the problem could be) Support (the person to live and dream) Execute (a plan to get help) Respond (if initial actions don't help) The first letter in each of the words just mentioned forms the word laser, like a beam of light that can help you in the dark. I was on the verge of being defeated more times than I care to count. At each challenge, I found a way out of the storm with the village. I was armed with a LASER focus that in life I am not alone, that storms come and go. Can you be a part of a village to someone? Can you be their haven from storms? The difference begins with you. Each and every one of you. To anyone who might be struggling -- you're not alone. Struggle is natural. It's OK to be afraid. It's OK to hurt. What's not OK is keeping those feelings to yourself. It takes courage to share those feelings. Reach out to your village. To those around someone who's struggling, know that it took me 10 years to fully share with my school friend how her single, simple act of making a phone call to a caring teacher set a chain of events that changed the course of my life. Who would have thought that that kid who struggled to succeed academically and socially then would be flourishing at arguably the most prestigious and influential media organization in the world? I thank God every day that someone showed up with an umbrella in the midst of my storm, and gave me a haven, and that a village came to make me believe in my promise and my purpose, and that I can look in the mirror every day now with LASER focus, with hope, in spite of the storms, and use my principles to live and thrive. My heart goes out to Robin Williams' wife and family. For all those who are struggling with depression, don't slip into the darkness, because it doesn't have to be that way. | Rick Martin: When I heard the news about Robin Williams' death I felt heartbroken .
Martin: It brought back memories of my own battle with depression as a youth .
He says depression is overwhelming, but it can be overcome - it takes a village .
Martin: Don't be afraid to share your feelings, ask for help and reach out for support . |
266,073 | e49d549313bfe77aa172efe7e8c07841ddc37e89 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 12:43 EST, 28 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:53 EST, 28 August 2013 . Two Polish men who raped a teenage girl after a taxi dropped her off at the wrong house have been jailed for eight years and nine months. The 19-year-old victim was attacked by Roman Smentek and Krzysztof Drozdz after she inadvertently gave a taxi driver the wrong address following a night out. The court heard how a concerned passer-by was thwarted by the pair as he tried to stay with the girl after noticing her state and rang her mother when the victim dropped her phone. Roman Smentek (left) and Krzysztof Drozdz (right) have been jailed for eight years and nine months after admitting raping a 19-year-old woman . The stranger suggested calling the police but was told: 'No police, it's ok. One hour, she fine'. When police were called to the house they found one of the men in bed with the victim. One of the men smirked at police as he was arrested, the court heard. Speaking after the hearing at Hull Crown Court today, the victim, who can not be identified for legal reasons, said she was 'happy with the sentence'. She said: 'In the days afterwards, I couldn’t talk to anyone, I was being sick. I didn’t really communicate with anyone and I didn’t want to talk about it and just stayed in my room. 'It has devastated our family and we can’t put the past five months into words. I’ve found out who my true friends are who have stuck by me throughout this. 'Sorry is not good enough and never will be. I’m just going to try and keep myself occupied with my studies and live my life as normal as I can. The court heard how Roman Smentek (picutred) smirked at police when they arrived to arrest him . 'I hope the two men are deported once they are released as that will allow me to try and forget what happened a lot easier. 'I have many unanswered questions from the night. I am scared someone is watching me sleeping at night, and I still have occasional nightmares. 'The lack of sleep has affected my studies and I’ve had to take time out from them. I am terrified to be alone at night and sleep at my friends when I’m home alone.' Describing the night of the attack, she said: 'I’ve never got in that state. I’m convinced my friend and I were both spiked, as we were both sharing a drink from the same glass. 'The passer-by was a complete stranger, and he stayed right through. I’d like to personally thank him for helping me and all the support I’ve had since from everybody.' Mark McKone, prosecuting, said the passer-by had suggested calling the police but was told not to. Mr McKone said: 'The victim then struggled to her feet but fell into the garden. She was then sick and carried by two men into the hallway. 'The helper was asked to leave but stayed because he was concerned for her. 'Smentek came downstairs and spoke to the other Polish men in the house before carrying the girl upstairs with Drozdz. They went into a bedroom and locked the door behind them. 'The helper then phoned the girl’s mum after she had dropped her phone outside, and went to knock on the bedroom door, but was told she was sleeping and he should go. 'He was challenged aggressively by Smentek to leave but he stayed and asked Drozdz why Smentek had locked the door. 'When Drozdz went back into the bedroom, the helper could see Smentek and the girl in bed with Drozdz sitting on the same bed using his laptop. The man who was trying to help was then ushered out of the house by Drozdz. The pair were jailed for eight years and nine months at Hull Crown Court (pictured) 'It took some time for police to wake her when they arrived, and she was confused and distressed when awoken. Smentek smirked at police, as if he was proud of himself, and was arrested. 'Mr Drozdz was arrested at 11pm the same night.' The Honorary Recorder of Hull Judge Michael Mettyear told Smentek and Drozdz: 'You both pleaded guilty on the last working day before the trial was due to begin, but up until then, you had both lied and lied about your involvement with this girl. 'It has devastated our family and we . can’t put the past five months into words. I’ve found out who my true . friends are who have stuck by me throughout this' - The 19-year-old victim . 'You pleaded guilty, not out of any sense of remorse, but because the evidence grew and you were persuaded to. 'Clearly she was incapable and she gave the person who tried to help her the wrong address. 'How she will manage her life in the future is uncertain, but perhaps she will draw a line under this case when it has finished.' Judge Mettyear awarded the passer-by who alerted the girl’s mother and stayed at the scene £250 pounds for his bravery and commitment. In front of a packed public gallery, the two men bowed their heads as they were sent down to the cells. The pair were ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and were banned from working with children in the future. Smentek had worked and lived in the UK for two years. Drozdz had been working as a supervisor in a factory for the five and a half years since he arrived in the country. | Roman Smentek and Krzysztof Drozdz jailed for more than eight years .
Victim gave taxi driver wrong address following night out .
The 19-year-old victim has said she was spiked during the night out . |
37,647 | 6a9de745f952a3f059da029f964c192700ca978f | (CNN) -- Formula One's new tire provider Pirelli has simulated rainfall in the desert to test its wet-weather products ahead of the 2011 season. The Italian company, which returns to the elite motorsport after a 20-year absence as official supplier in place of Bridgestone, coated the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi in water for the unprecedented two-night session. Pedro de la Rosa, who raced for Sauber last year, was at the wheel for the final test on Tuesday. The 39-year-old Spaniard drove a Toyota TF109, the last car made by the Japanese manufacturer before it exited Formula One in 2009. The tests, which took place between 6 p.m. and midnight local time, were designed to investigate how the tires handled hot and cold tarmac. "We decided to do it this way because we want to challenge our rain tires with the most difficult and demanding of all situations," Pirelli's F1 team director Paul Hembery told the company's website on Monday. "And who knows, perhaps it could be a good idea for a future grand prix? These tests will provide us with useful information to finalize our tire development process for Formula One. "It is seven months since we started developing our tires and five since we started with the actual testing. We are very satisfied with the results so far." De la Rosa took part in 14 races with Sauber last year before being replaced by Nick Heidfeld after the Italian Grand Prix in September. Heidfeld, De la Rosa and former Renault driver Romain Grosjean have been testing Pirelli's range of tires over a period of nine sessions, from wet and intermediate rubber to super-soft and soft compounds. The Yas Marina circuit has been the setting for the final grand prix of the racing calendar since 2009, and was the scene of Sebastian Vettel's maiden world championship triumph last November. The 12 Formula One teams set to compete in the 2011 season should be present for the first official pre-season test in Valencia, Spain on February 1. | Pirelli has been testing its wet-weather tires for the 2011 season in Abu Dhabi .
The Yas Marina circuit was coated with water to simulate rainy conditions .
Pedro de la Rosa again drove a Toyota Formula One car for the two-night session . |
123,036 | 2b0c96b235f416b9ee01e637bff2058d915f1e40 | Despite surrendering a lead seven minutes into stoppage time against Liverpool, the Arsenal players seemed in good spirits as they enjoyed another Christmas party on Monday. Martin Skrtel's 97th-minute equaliser at Anfield means the Gunners will be tucking into their Christmas turkey on Thursday having missed out on what would have been a vital three Premier League points. But the players appeared to have put that disappointment behind them as members of the squad took to social media to share pictures of the festive soiree. Theo Walcott uploaded this selfie with him and his wife Mel at Arsenal's Christmas party on Monday . (Left to right) Yaya Sanogo, Francis Coquelin, Mesut Ozil, Mathieu Flamini, Lukas Podolski and Alexis Sanchez get ready for a sit-down dinner as the Arsenal team enjoy their Christmas party . Olivier Giroud pictured with wife Jennifer as the glamorous-looking duo pose before the party . Germany stars Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil recreate the Girouds' picture . Striker Lukas Podolski posted a picture with team-mates including Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez as the squad enjoyed a sit-down meal at a very grand-looking venue. 'My table tonight... Friends from countries far and wide,' Podolski wrote on Instagram. The Germany forward, whose future at Arsenal remains unclear after growing frustrated at a lack of game time, was also pictured with his international team-mate Ozil. Olivier Giroud, who netted his fifth goal in seven Premier League games in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool, was snapped with his wife Jennifer as the glamorous duo posed for a romantic picture. Arsenal players gather for a photo ahead of their first Christmas party on December 13 . Wojciech Szczesny (left), Theo Walcott (centre) and Aaron Ramsey (right) pose for a photo . Hector Bellerin (second far left) posted a photo on Instagram of him and his Arsenal team-mates . Walcott and Mathieu Debuchy pose for selfies while wearing Christmas jumpers on December 13 . It is the players' second Christmas do after several members of the team donned festive jumpers after last Saturday's 4-0 win against Newcastle. Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs were among the players to dress up in Christmas-themed attire. Next up for Arsenal is a Boxing Day visit to the Emirates from QPR as Arsene Wenger's side will be expected to return to winning ways. Head here to like our Arsenal Facebook page. | Arsenal players attended another Christmas party on Monday night .
The Gunners surrendered a lead to Liverpool in injury time on Sunday .
Lukas Podolski took to Instagram to share pictures from the festive soiree .
The players also enjoyed a Christmas party last Saturday . |
124,401 | 2cd2988280928044fcf2269083193f01f2f38ef2 | By . Misty White Sidell . A web-based fashion company has recreated the world’s oldest pants, which were discovered in China earlier this year, dating back to at least 1,000B.C. Betabrand’s prototype called ‘World’s Oldest Pants’ is currently up for vote on the site as an item being considered for production. They have modernized the drop-crotch style pants with lightweight fabric, utilizing the same groin patch, color, and pattern as the ancient original. Modern interpretation: Betabrand's World's Oldest Pants aim to recreate the 3,000-year-old pants that were discovered in China earlier this year . The original: The pants, which date back to 1,000 B.C. (pictured) are said to confirm speculations that pants were invented to protect the human form as it commuted on horseback . The style will retail for somewhere . between $75 and $100 - Betabrand owner Chris Lindland tells MailOnline - . if the pants receive the necessary 300 votes to move forward. At present, the pants have received 162 votes with ten days left for users to weight in. The original pants were discovered in Xinjiang (an autonomous region in Northwest China) on the bodies of two men approximately aged 40 (both suspected to be warriors as well as herders) who belonged to the nomadic Subeixi culture. As was previously long speculated by fashion historians, the pants’ discovery nearly confirms how the garment’s invention came about in an effort to protect the human form as it commuted on horseback. Their discovery was first announced in a May 22 edition of Qauternary International, with vivid imagery of the torn garments which have maintained a miraculous shape, despite their 3,000-year-old age. In the details: Betabrand has gone to great lengths to recreate the pants, including their signature cut-out crotch patch . In addition to historical connotations, Betabrand feels that the pants also demonstrate how the Subeixi ‘wanted to make a bold fashion statement,’ facetiously pointing out the relics’ ‘distressed retro styling’ and ‘classic dual-drawstring action’. The site, which is famous for its community-invented wares that range from office-appropriate yoga pants to pinstripe ‘executive’ hoodies, often relies upon an item’s comments section to help shape an item’s final outcome. In reference to World’s Oldest Pants these comments range from ‘will they smell authentic?’ to more useful ones like Dadalus Westland’s input, which reads: ‘Looks like the crotch piece was a heavier weight fabric to stand up to the abuse of horseback riding, and maybe act a little like padding. That should be kept in mind.’ Ron Jarvis struck a chord somewhere in the middle with his comment: ‘Cool yes, but it could still use a codpiece, just saying.’ | Betabrand's World's Oldest Pants are a modern version of the 3,000-year-old pants found in China earlier this year .
The pants are expected to sell for between $75 and $100 . |
17,765 | 3256ceb7e26f9825714fb5fdc7d68f82f33779a4 | Two policemen, three brothers, a fireman, a customs officer and an admin clerk. They formed part of the Gibraltar starting XI that lost 7-0 to Poland in their first-ever competitive match on Sunday night. With a population of less than 30,000, UEFA's newest member Gibraltar didn't exactly have a wealth of professional footballers to choose from for their debut in this Euro 2016 qualifier. Preston's Scott Wiseman and Bnei Yehuda's Liam Walker were the only two making a living in football in the Gibraltar side, and could do little to prevent Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski from scoring four of Poland's seven. But who are the others that fit playing internationally around their day jobs? Sportsmail finds out. The starting XI: Gibraltar's competitive debut didn't go to plan, but the country has a population of just 30,000 . A mixed bunch: Gibraltar's starting XI boasted two policemen, an admin clerk, a fireman, two pros and others! Jordan Perez (FIREFIGHTER) One day an international footballer, the next working the night shift as a firefighter. When Perez isn't defending his goal for Gibraltar Premier Division outfit Lincoln Red Imps, he's donning a fireman's outfit. The 27-year-old previously admitted he fits his life as a footballer around his shift patterns. Scott Wiseman (PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER FOR PRESTON) A right-back born in Hull. Wiseman qualifies for Gibraltar through his mother, and is rare in the fact that he makes a living out of football. The 28-year-old has been with Hull, Darlington, Rochdale and Barnsley, but currently plays for Preston in League One. Joseph Chipolina (ADMIN CLERK) Chipolina is a left-back for Lincoln, the reigning champions of the Gibraltar Premier Division for 12 years running. When not acting as an admin clerk, the versatile part-time footballer can be found racing down the left wing. He plays alongside his namesake and distant relative, Roy Chipolina. Dejected: Jordan Perez, a goalkeeper and firefighter, reacts during the 7-0 defeat to the superior Poland . Squeeze: Professional footballer Scott Wiseman (right) and David Artell (left) go for the ball on Sunday night . David Artell vowed to stop Robert Lewandowski... CLICK HERE to read what the part-time defender had to say! David Artell (CREWE ACADEMY DIRECTOR) Artell plays for Bala Town, who finished eighth in the Welsh Premier League last year. The 33-year-old's role at former club Crewe, though, sees him act as the Academy's Operations Manager. And that's not all, Artell is a trained biologist, having previously studied at the University of Chester. Roy Chipolina (CUSTOMS OFFICER) A customs officer for more than a decade, who was born in Enfield, north London. Chipolina captains the national side, and remains with Gibraltar's main club Lincoln. The 31-year-old centre-back was charged with containing the threat posed by Lewandowski, who proved deadly for Poland. Lee Casciaro (POLICEMAN) Casciaro, Gibraltar's Sports Personality of the Year of 2012, is one of three brothers on the pitch. Lincoln won 12 consecutive league titles in his homeland, all while Casciaro got on with his day job as a policeman. Casciaro has also featured for Gibraltar's futsal team, too. Out-muscled: Robert Lewandowski battles with Gibraltar captain Roy Chipolina for the ball on Sunday night . On the deck: Lee Casciaro, one of three brothers on the pitch, works as a policeman by day in Gibraltar . Chase is on: Chipolina, a customs officer for more than a decade, was born in Enfield, north London . CLICK HERE for the match report from Gibraltar's competitive debut vs Poland . Rafael Bado (STOREMAN) A storeman who plays in midfield for amateur football club, Lynx FC, in Gibraltar. The 30-year-old is reportedly gifted technically, but fell short of causing Poland a problem or two. Bado is a new feature to the national squad, and is reaping the rewards after Gibraltar won their 14-year battle with UEFA. Ryan Casciaro (POLICEMAN) Another Lincoln footballer in Gibraltar's top amateur league and, like his brother Lee, the 30-year-old spends his days serving as a policeman. This Casciaro is versatile, and can fit into defence or midfield for the national side. Liam Walker (PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER FOR BNEI YEHUDA) The second professional footballer of the team. Walker, a midfielder for Israeli club Bnei Yehuda, came with a recommendation from former Chelsea player Yossi Benayoun. One of the few players in the starting XI that boasts a compilation on the net from his time with Portsmouth in League One. Pro: Liam Walker, a midfielder for Israeli club Bnei Yehuda, came with a Yossi Benayoun recommendation . Slide: Rafael Bado, a storeman by day, of Gibraltar is challenged on Sunday night during the 7-0 hammering . Trying: The 30-year-old Bado is reportedly gifted technically, but fell short of causing Poland a problem or two . Brian Perez (ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT WORKER) Little exists to tell you more about the midfielder that reportedly works in an electrical department. Made headlines, in Gibraltar at least, when sent off for shoving an opposition player in the face after scoring. Currently on the books of - you guessed it - Gibraltar Premier Division side Lincoln. Kyle Casciaro (SHIPPING AGENT) Gibraltar's main goal threat and the youngest of the three Casciaro brothers. International newcomers Gibraltar claimed their first win in just their fifth match after this particular Casciaro scored the winner against Malta. One way for the Lincoln forward to become an instant hero. Threat: Kyle Casciaro goes for the ball during the 7-0 defeat to Poland on Sunday in their Euro 2016 qualifier . Tussle: Brian Perez (left) reportedly works in an electrical department and plays for Gibraltar side Lincoln . | Gibraltar are UEFA's newest member with a population of about 30,000 .
Poland beat Gibraltar 7-0 on Sunday night with four goals from Robert Lewandowski, two from Kamil Grosicki and one from Lukas Szukala .
The defeat was Gibraltar's competitive debut after winning a 14-year battle .
Preston's Scott Wiseman and Bnei Yehuda's Liam Walker were the only two professional footballers in the Gibraltar starting XI against Poland .
‘I’ve made a point of telling them not to ask (Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski) for an autograph,’ admitted Gibraltar manager Allen Bula . |
96,145 | 07a49e875b93e9bfcef90a4e0450437567103fe6 | Tavaris Reevey, 41, was charged with child endangerment after his son, 4, crashed the family's car into a brick wall while left unattended . A New Jersey father who left his children alone in his car has been charged with child endangerment after his four-year-old son crashed the family's vehicle into a brick wall. Tavaris Reevey, 41, left his son and two-year-old daughter unattended in a running car. That's when his four-year-old climbed into the driver's seat and put the car in reverse, backing the vehicle across the parking lot before it struck a brick wall. Neither of the children were injured in the crash, according to NJ.com. The accident occurred at the Middlebrook Apartment complex in Ocean Township. Reevey was arrested yesterday at the scene and has since been released. After the incident, police also learned there was a $250 contempt of court warrant issued for Reevey. Future court hearings were planned for both the child endangerment charges and the active warrant. New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Permanency were also notified and Reevey's two children were put in the care of their mother. Reevey's two-year-old daughter was also in the running car. His son climbed into the driver's seat and put the vehicle in reverse. It backed across a parking lot at the Middlebrook Apartment complex (pictured) in Ocean Township, New Jersey before striking the wall . | Tavaris Reevey, 41, left his son and daughter, 2, alone in running car .
Son climbed into driver's seat and put the car in reverse .
The vehicle backed across a parking lot before striking the wall .
Neither child was injured in the crash and both are in care of their mother .
Reevey has been arrested and charged with child endangerment . |
48,155 | 87f1f6e6bd7a379a31f21359b872e0df1f418fcf | A follower of Charles Manson accused of attempting to smuggle a cell phone to the notorious cult leader has been arrested, California prison officials said Tuesday. Craig Hammond was allegedly caught with a wristwatch cell phone while being searched Sunday at Corcoran State Prison ahead of a planned visit with Manson, said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections. The 63-year-old Hammond was arrested on suspicion of attempting to bring a cell phone into a prison, conspiracy to commit a crime and unauthorized communication with an inmate, Thornton said. Hammond was taken into custody by the King County Sheriff's Department. He was later released on $30,000 bail, officials said. Hammond visits regularly with Manson, telling CNN in 2009 that he moved close to Corcoran prison so he could be near the man he believes possesses deep insight into environmental issues. Hammond told CNN he goes by Gray Wolf, a name he says was given to him by Manson -- who was known to name members of his infamous "family" of followers in the 1960s. Manson has twice been caught in possession of a cell phone in his prison cell: Once in 2009, when authorities found a phone under his bed, and again in 2011. Manson was initially sentenced to death for the grisly 1969 slayings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others, including Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, by a group of his followers as part of what prosecutors said was an attempt to incite an apocalyptic race war during the country's massive social unrest. Manson's death sentence was changed to life in prison after California's death penalty was overturned for a period during the 1970s. He has been denied parole 12 times. | Craig Hammond, 63, is a follower of Charles Manson and visits him often .
Hammond is accused of trying to smuggle a wristwatch cell phone to Manson .
Manson is serving a life sentence for the 1969 slayings of Sharon Tate and eight others .
Manson has been caught twice before with a cell phone in prison . |
98,709 | 0b1daeab323a24fc5301bb0e3f51c2e584a4c991 | Fares are set to rise by 3 per cent above the RPI rate of inflation over the next two years . By . Ray Massey and James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 14:15 EST, 13 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:02 EST, 14 July 2012 . Transport Secretary Justine Greening pictured before a cabinet meeting in London set to announce how to fund the £10m rail project . The biggest investment in Britain’s railways since the Victorian era and the age of steam is to be announced by the Government next week in a bid to get the nation’s struggling economy back on track. Up to £10billion is expected to be spent boosting the railways and even reversing some of the infamous ‘Dr Beeching’ cuts imposed by the efficiency expert during the 1960s which saw vast swathes of the rail network and stations dismembered. But fares are set to rise by 3 per cent above the RPI rate of inflation over the next two years. Passengers . paying for their tickets are on course to pay 75 per cent of £5billion a . year total cost of running the railways by 2014 – up from 50 per cent. Transport Secretary Justine Greening is set to announce the funding for a range of schemes including electrification and the opening of new stations designed to improve train services for millions of passengers while pumping much needed cash into a flat-lining economy. One idea set to be resurrected is a ‘Varsity line’ linking the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge. Whitehall sources said:’ It is on track to be the biggest investment in the railways since the Victorian era.’ However, with rail users facing a new round of inflation-busting fares – as taxpayer subsidies in the railways reduce – many passengers will be wondering if they can afford to use the trains. Full details are to be released early next week but the total package is estimated by the rail industry insiders to cost between £9billion and £10billion. Projects are expected to include new rail electrification, including of the Midland Main Line from London to the East Midlands and Sheffield, and local lines in the Welsh Valleys. It means rail journey times between London and the north of England will be cut. It is predicted that the journey time between London and Sheffield could be cut from about two hours and 10 minutes to two hours. Trips between Liverpool and Manchester could also be up to 10 minutes faster. Electrification between Manchester and Leeds is likely to be extended. Projects around Manchester in what is termed ‘The Northern Hub’ are set to get the green light to boost capacity to allow more and faster trains across the North of England. Also envisaged are upgrades to the main East Coast Line from London to Leeds and Newcastle . Investments in rail freight to ports such as Southampton and Felixstowe are likely in a bid to get more lorries off the road. Commuters at the Southeastern High Speed rail service between London and Kent. Rail services all over the country is set to improve yet ticket prices are still on the rise . There will also be some new and reopened lines. Ministers want a new line into Heathrow from the west and are expected to confirm the reopening of the East-West link from Oxford and Aylesbury to Milton Keynes. Funds for local councils to bid for new lines and stations – or re-open old disused ones – are also expected, as well as for redeveloping and upgrading stations, improving accessibility, and carrying out smaller scale upgrades such as re-instating tracks and platforms removed in the past. There will also be funds to finish projects already underway such as Crossrail and Thameslink in London and electrification of the lines from London to Bristol and Cardiff, and from Manchester to Liverpool, Blackpool and Leeds. The details will be released in a dossier called the High Level Output Specification (HLOS) which is expected to be published on Monday, covering allowed expenditure on the railways for the five years from 2014-19. Rush hour: Fares are set to rise by 3 per cent above the RPI rate of inflation over the next two years with commuters set to cover 75 per cent of £5billion a year total cost of running the railways by 2014 . Ministers will also continue with their support for the controversial High Speed rail link to the Midlands and the North, set to begin from 2026. Some of £10billion extra investment will be borrowed by Network Rail, some will be direct Government funding, and some will be from the letting of rail franchises, as well as from cost saving efficiencies. The Campaign for Better Transport said: ‘Whilst we welcome more investment in rail, massive fares increases shouldn’t be used to pay for it. ‘Rail use is booming, and has continued to grow through the recession, for both passengers and freight. The number of people using trains is now at levels not seen since the 1920s, on a smaller network. ‘Some rural branch lines that were proposed for closure years ago are now seeing record growth and use overcrowded trains. ‘ . A spokesman added: ‘The Government sees infrastructure as a way of boosting the economy and creating growth, and the railways are part of this. Consequently, we expect significant investment. ‘But while we welcome more investment in rail, massive fares increases shouldn’t be used to pay for it. ‘ . | Transport Minister Justine Greening set to announce a £10million scheme to improve rail services .
Package predicted to include new rail electrification, re-opening of derelict stations and a 'Varsity line' between Oxford and Cambridge .
Rail campaigners fear it will increase already high ticket prices .
Fares are set to rise by 3 per cent above the RPI rate of inflation over the next two years . |
211,256 | 9d94695b1d4d7fcd395cf8e2ccd78548958dce87 | Two days ago she was lifted up in the air in a gesture of triumph after her aunt won her first ever match at the Wimbledon Championships. But slumped over the railings with her hand clasped over her mouth, five-year-old Lola Rose looked distraught last night as she watched Naomi Broady crash out in the second round. Tennis fans had been championing for Miss Broady, 24, after it emerged she had funded her own career since being dropped by the Lawn Tennis Association over a risqué photograph when she was 17. Feeling the strain: Slumped over the railings with her hand clasped over her mouth, five-year-old Lola Rose looked distraught last night as she watched her aunt Naomi Broady crash out in the second round . But last night the player was defeated after a hard-fought match against her doppelganger, Danish Caroline Wozniacki. Afterwards, the humble player, who is 163rd in the world, said she apologised to her opponent, who is 16th, ‘for not giving her a very good match for her next round’. Miss Broady has had no coach, physiotherapist or nutritionist since she was stripped of her funding by the LTA in 2007 when she posted a photograph of herself on a social networking site posing provocatively in front of a condom machine on a night out. Celebration: Two days ago Lola Rose was lifted up in the air after her aunt won her first ever match at the Wimbledon Championships . After her victory on Monday, she said it was ‘really satisfying’ to know she had done it on her own and only had herself to thank. She also spoke about her young niece watching in the stands, whom she had hugged and kissed after her win, saying: ‘She just turned five. ‘We are very close she let me give her kisses today. ‘Normally she wipes them off. But I was allowed to give them today.’ Miss Broady and Miss Wozniacki, 23, looked near-identical on the court yesterday with matching long blonde plaits, white sun visors and gold necklaces. The similar outfits caused confusion for some tennis fans, with one tweeting: ‘It really is a shame that Wozniacki and Broady look exactly the same in the wide shots.’ Both women smiled on court when fans screamed ‘I love you Naomi’, followed by ‘we love you too Caroline’, during a quiet moment in the match. Wozniacki split from her fiancée Rory McIlroy last month just days after they had sent out their wedding invitations after the golfer got cold feet. Miss Broady paid tribute to her opponent last night, saying: ‘She’s very sweet, such a nice girl inside and out. She’s been through a rough time recently, and I’m super happy for her to go through the next round. Even if she had to beat me. ‘Damn her.’ Naomi Broady last night claimed a last-minute change of court had effected her composure during the match she to Caroline Wozniacki. She said: ‘It was a bit of a rush that we were moved on to Court One. ‘We weren’t sure if we had been moved to Centre or One, and then it was sort of, ‘Oh, you’re going to be on One literally now. ‘So I was only really half ready to get ready in five minutes to go on court. ‘I was a little bit uncomposed at the start of the match, if that’s a word.So there was lots of errors on court today.' Crashing out: Last night Broady was defeated after a hard-fought match against her doppelganger, Danish Caroline Wozniacki . Doppelganger: Miss Broady and Miss Wozniacki, 23, (pictured) looked near-identical on the court yesterday with matching long blonde plaits, white sun visors and gold necklaces . After months of preparation, there will no doubt be sore losers aplenty at Wimbledon. And one French player is surely already in the running to be named the sorest of them all – although he would deny it. Benoit Paire yesterday insisted he was happy after crashing out in the first round of the men’s singles because he ‘hates’ Wimbledon. Loser: Benoit Paire, pictured during last month's French Open, insisted he was happy after crashing out in the first round of the men¿s singles because he 'hates' Wimbledon . The world number 71 told a French newspaper: ‘I’m not at all sad to leave this place where the atmosphere displeases me greatly. ‘Simply I hate Wimbledon and I’m happy to leave as soon as possible.’ Paire has previously done well at the competition, reaching the third round on his last two visits. He also reached the third round of the French Open last year, when he was ranked number 24, and the final of the Serbian Open in 2012. Both tournaments are played on his favourite surface, clay. But this season he has lost all three of his grass-court singles matches. And he was dealt another blow yesterday when he was beaten in the men’s doubles with partner Tomasz Bednarek against Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Dmitry Tursunov. | Brit Naomi Broady, 24, lost to Danish doppelganger Caroline Wozniaki .
Niece Lola Rose looked distraught as her aunt crashed out of Wimbledon .
Fans had championed Broady who has funded her own career .
She was dropped by the LTA over a risqué photograph when she was 17 . |
230,451 | b66c77b6f192e4287afadb83adec1698796dfcf1 | (CNN) -- Tony Stewart, who hasn't raced since his car struck and killed a fellow driver during a dirt track race earlier this month, will return to NASCAR racing at Atlanta, his team announced on its Twitter feed. Stewart opted out of three races after his car hit Kevin Ward Jr., who was walking on the track during an Empire Super Sprints series race August 9 in New York. "NASCAR has remained in constant contact with his race team, and we will stay very close to this situation as Stewart returns to competition," said NASACR Executive Vice President Steve O'Donnell. The race in Atlanta is scheduled for Sunday, with first practice and qualifying set for Friday. New York authorities continue to investigate the Ward incident, according to media reports. Spectator video from that night at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park race shows two cars coming out of a turn, with Stewart's No. 14 car sliding up the track toward Ward's No. 13 car. The two cars get close and appear to make contact before Ward's car hits the wall and spins out. Ward gets out of his crashed car and walks determinedly on the track toward the race cars, which had slowed for a yellow flag. Ward points a finger and appears to be yelling. One car swerves to avoid Ward on the half-mile dirt track. Stewart's car passes close to Ward, and it appears that its right rear tire hits him. Stewart withdrew from the NASCAR race in Watkins Glen the next day. He also missed races in Michigan and Tennessee. Authorities announced two days later that 20-year-old Ward, a New York sprint car driver, had died of "massive blunt trauma." Ontario County Sheriff Philip C. Povero said at the time that there was no evidence that a crime had been committed. Stewart has only released a statement shortly after Ward's death. "There aren't words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr.," Stewart said August 10. "It's a very emotional time for all involved. ... My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy." Ward, from Port Leyden, New York, was in his fifth season in the Empire Super Sprints series. He began racing when he was 4, running go-kart events. When he was 12, he moved to the faster sprint cars. His father blames Stewart for hitting his son. "Apparently, Tony Stewart was the only one driving out there who didn't see him," the father said, according to Syracuse.com. Ward Sr. said the race was the only time he had ever seen his son get out of the car while it was still on the track. NASCAR has instituted a rule that requires its drivers to stay in the car until safety personnel arrive. CNN's Wayne Sterling contributed to this report. | Racer was driving in a dirt-track race when he hit a competitor who was walking .
Kevin Ward Jr. died of his injuries received at NY track .
Authorities are investigating .
Stewart expected to return to the track Friday during a practice session . |
49,269 | 8b216ad7842c00f6330d4a1f16d1362ce28fd13b | A California man has stolen the crown of husband of the year, by surprising his wife with a birthday trip to London. And as a reminder of the occasion, the cheeky husband, from Upland, in San Bernardino County, recorded his wife's reaction to the gift. 'My wife wasn't able to travel much growing up,' he wrote online. 'She had always wanted to go to Europe, especially London, and we had always talked about going someday.' In this sweet video, a woman from Upland, California, receives the ultimate birthday surprise from husband . Unbeknownst to his wife, her loving husband had began saving money for the trip of her dreams. 'I wanted to deliver the surprise to her in a really exciting way,' he explained. 'She was already so excited to go to Santa Barbara for her birthday weekend that the thought of going to Europe would be totally off her radar.' 'She told me not to get her anything else for her birthday, but I got her a few 'small' presents anyway.' The woman had wanted to visit London for many years, so her husband made her a travel scrapbook . After flipping through pages of iconic London imagery, his wife unfolded her real gift: airline tickets! The video starts out inconspicuously enough, with him presenting his wife with a wrapped gift, telling her to open it in front of him. 'The first one she opened was a dress that she wanted and the second one was the scrapbook,' he wrote later. 'It's just something in case we travel,' her husband explains off camera, as his wife pulls the large travel photo album out of the gift bag. At first, she was too shocked to believe it, but as it sunk in, she began to cry tears of joy . Her husband had booked the entire two-week getaway unbeknownst to her - including accommodations . As she flips through, she notices that every picture slot is filled with iconic London imagery. 'Just in case we ever go to London, so I decided to fill it with stuff,' her husband explains. 'I decided to sort of play off of our 'dream' of going to Europe some day by filling the book with pictures of our 'would be' trip, since we talk about it so often,' he wrote online after the fact. Later, her husband explained the video online, saying that his wife had never really travelled as a child . She had long wanted to go to England and the two had often talked about their 'would be' European trip . And when she gets to the final page of photographs, she finds an airline ticket sticking out. 'I knew she wouldn't expect there to be actual tickets included - that's why it takes a moment for it to sink in.' His shocked wife questions at first whether or not they are really going, before beginning to tear up and bury her face in her hands. As she wipes away tears, her husband tells her that the photos are actually of where they will be staying . 'Oh my gosh,' the woman exclaims, once she's able to regain her composure. 'I have to get a passport!' 'I've always wanted to go!' she says through her tears. And just when she didn't think the news could get better, her husband revealed that the images of London that he had filled the book with her actually photographs of the flat that they will be staying in. 'Oh my gosh, I have to get a passport!' she exclaims. | Woman from Upland, CA, surprised by husband with dream birthday gift .
Having wanted to visit London for years, he bought her airline tickets .
As she unfolds the flight confirmation, her reaction is positively priceless . |
215,680 | a32c06f7158f32a5a99a6af6805ee5d7a68ff439 | Washington (CNN) -- A popular bicycle maker is recalling about 12,000 bicycles after receiving reports of the bike's front fork breaking and causing riders to suffer nasty falls. A bicycle fork is used to hold the front wheel and allows the rider to steer the bicycle. Specialized Bicycle Components, which sold the forks on at least 18 different bike models through retailers from 2007 until July, said riders should immediately stop riding the bikes. Four reports of riders suffering facial fractures and head and shoulder injuries and cuts led to the nationwide recall, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The forks were manufactured in China by Kinesis and are primarily found on Specialized's Globe bike model, but riders should double-check their forks just to make sure. The CPSC reports 2008 and 2009 women's and men's Globe model bicycles may also be affected. Recalled models include the Globe Elite, Globe Sport, Globe Sport Disc, Globe Centrum Comp, Globe Centrum Elite, Globe City 6, Globe Vienna 3, Globe Vienna 3 Disc, Globe Vienna 4, Globe Vienna Deluxe 3, Globe Vienna Deluxe 4, Globe Vienna Deluxe 5 and Globe Vienna Deluxe 6 bicycles. The bicycles were sold in various colors, including gun, silver, black, khaki, navy, bone, blue, charcoal, burgundy and gold. The brand name "Specialized" is on the lower frame tube and the model name is on various locations on the bicycle frame. The company said riders can take the defective bicycles to any authorized Specialized retailer for no-cost installation of a free replacement fork. | Specialized Bicycle Components is recalling several of its Globe bike models .
Injuries have been reported after falls caused by the bike's front fork breaking .
The company will install replacement forks free . |
71,474 | ca995db399bb96c314ae901ba4f553ce09ea537c | (CNN) -- Angelina Jolie, when writing about her preventive double mastectomy, did not discuss how much her surgeries cost, but she did mention that many women would not be able to afford the $3,000 to $4,000 test that led her to make the decision. What she failed to say was why the test costs so much. Jolie had the surgery, and says she intends to have preventive oophorectomy, which is the surgical removal of ovaries, because she inherited a mutation on one of the so-called breast cancer genes, BRCA1. That mutation, according to the Stanford Cancer Center, increases a woman's risk of breast cancer to 65% and ovarian cancer to 39% by the age of 70. The reason the test is so expensive is this: In 1998 Myriad Genetics patented two genes: BRCA1 and BRCA2. With its exclusive rights, Myriad developed a test for mutations on those genes trademarked "BRACAnalysis." Because it essentially owns the genes, Myriad is the only company that can conduct the test, so it sets the price. Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of the Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, is expected to rule on whether it is indeed legal for Myriad Genetics to hold patents on the BRCA genes. The case was filed in 2009 by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation on behalf of genetic researchers, counselors, medical organizations and patients, who argue the genes cannot be patented because they are products of nature. Much of what we know about genes traces to the Human Genome Project. As a public works venture, it had a fundamental aim to make its data freely available. Those 3 billion subunits of genetic code were to be used for the public good in the development of approaches to treat, detect and prevent disease. In this spirit, the American College of Medical Genetics explains that gene patents, to the contrary, limit innovation and accessibility, hinder quality, slow improvement and restrict the workforce. Studies find that researchers avoid, delay or stop work because of patent-related concerns, such as difficulty getting approvals from patent owners, worry that their licenses could be revoked or fear that patent holders could, in effect, claim what they develop as their own. James Watson, a Nobel Prize winner and co-discoverer of the DNA double helix, stresses that human genes should not be controlled by legal monopolies. He filed a brief in the case against gene patenting, calling it "lunacy." Yet some 40% of the human genetic code is already patented. Justices at odds over patents for human genes . Myriad's test is targeted at people at high risk. But most cases of breast or ovarian cancer are not related to BRCA mutations and less than 1% of American women are likely to have them. The company boasts a preeminent market position focused on three initiatives: to grow existing tests and markets, to expand internationally and to launch new products, including companion diagnostics. With BRCAnalysis as the major revenue producer -- 75% of the portfolio -- one of the ways to make good on this promise is to convince consumers they need the test and get doctors to write the scripts. Myriad went to the direct-to-consumer market in 2002 with television, radio and print and launched a larger campaign in 2007. Women's voices created the campaign message: "Breast cancer runs in my family. My mother, my grandmother, my dad's sisters. I wondered if it would be inevitable. I found out it didn't have to be. I found out my risk through BRACAnalysis ... a blood test that has helped thousands of women find out their risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. After BRACAnalysis, I realized I can choose to do something now, to help reduce my cancer risk now, with effective medical options." Rather than reaching high-risk families, researchers, writing in the American College of Genetics journal, warned the ads would create "spurious demand for the tests" and waste the time of health professionals who would have to filter the demand and explain genetics to those who were not high risk. Professionals without formal training in genetic testing, however, might themselves overly rely on Myriad's educational, more accurately called promotional, materials. It would be hard for me to imagine that doctors could be susceptible had it not been for a friend who called me in a panic after her gynecologist recommended the test. It was a routine visit. She had no symptoms. After giving her family history, which would not meet high-risk criteria, the doctor said she needed BRCAnalysis. When my friend asked why she needed it and what she would learn from it, the doctor said, "Well, if it's positive we'll check for cancer...If you have cancer, we'll consider chemotherapy and radiation... If it's positive and you don't have cancer, you can have a double mastectomy with reconstruction and an oophorectomy with hormone replacement.... If it's negative, then you know." My friend was stunned. Worried. Skeptical. She had questions. How much would it cost? About $1,000 out-of-pocket ... with insurance? She guessed she could use her savings. "I'm only 43," she said. "You want to cut off my breasts and take my ovaries? I don't want to have children...I don't think... but I'm not ready for menopause. You think I could have cancer? Why?" After a few moments of tense conversation, the doctor ordered the test and my friend left. She sat in her car and cried. After doing research, she concluded that she was not a good candidate. She canceled it and found a new doctor. Finances and genetic counseling influence the frequency of genetic testing, whether people are high risk or not. They also affect decisions about interventions. The treatment Angelina Jolie had is expensive and complicated. Up to 35% of women who get post-mastectomy reconstructions get infections. Implants need to be replaced and rupture frequently enough that we have ruptured implant specialists. To find better options means independent research needs to be encouraged. When big biotech companies own genes, that stifles or even prevents innovation. When companies aggressively promote expensive and often unnecessary medical tests, it isn't always in the service of patients and good health. The Supreme Court decision could set free the dream of personalized medicine or shut it down. In the meantime, after Angelina Jolie's announcement, Myriad Genetics' stock rose to a three-year high. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gayle Sulik. | Gayle Sulik: The test to find if you have BRCA1 gene mutation that raises cancer risk is costly .
Sulik says that's because Myriad Genetics owns the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes .
She says Myriad has monopoly and aggressively markets often unnecessary test .
Supreme Court expected to rule next month whether Myriad, or any company, can own genes . |
70,777 | c8a1cb36c32417bf3c4d0a9f1080ee8fccaad1b4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 10:36 AM on 13th November 2011 . The world is getting warmer. And scientists have got an alarming video to prove it. According to researchers from the Berkeley Earth . Surface Temperatures project (BEST) from Berkeley University in California, the Earth's average global land temperature has risen by 1C since the 1950s. Led by controversial physicist, Professor Richard Muller, they used data from 1800 to 2009 to present their 'irrefutable' proof. However, mutiny within the BEST ranks has cast doubt on their findings - much to the delight of climate change sceptics. Scroll down for video . Warming up: The temperature of the Earth in 2009 with the hot spots illustrated on the glowing world map and the cooler areas in blue . Colder: The world in 1800 was cooler. Scientists at Berkeley University, led by controversial physicist Richard Muller, gathered a billion weather reports in the past 200 years . Professor Judith Curry was one of ten experts attempting to compile the definitive temperature data. She claimed it had been ‘tarnished’ by Prof Muller ‘overselling’ the results in favour of global warming - and she has threatened to quit the project. Prof Curry, of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology, in the U.S., said their data actually showed . average world temperatures had ‘paused’ since the late 1990s. She also said that a graph . published on the project’s website depicting temperatures from 1850 to . 2006 appeared to ‘hide the decline’. Berkeley Earth's land surface temperature (BEST) data was taken from 1.6 billion temperature archived records dating back to the 1800s from 15 sources around the world. It shows deviation from the mean temperature . over two centuries - and overall global warming since the industrial . revolution. To highlight their findings, BEST researchers put all the data into one alarming video of a warming world visualising surface temperature records. How the Earth was in 1850 with huge swathes of the world cool . Fifty years on: Earth in 1900 starting to show signs of heating up (just like the climate change debate would many years later) The 1C rise in temperature matches estimates by the world's respected climate watchers who maintain official records. These include the Met Office with the University of East Anglia, Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Prof Muller told the Guardian: 'My hope is that this will win over those people who are properly sceptical. Poles apart: BEST team leader Prof Richard Muller, left, says the latest . findings settle the climate debate once and for all. But Prof Judith . Curry says such a claim is 'a mistake' 'Some people lump the sceptical in with the deniers and that makes it easy to dismiss them, because the deniers pay no attention to science.' Muller's survey - the biggest open database of . temperature records - was focused on producing a transparent and . independent assessment of global warming. Global warming doubters have always criticised official figures on the grounds that many temperature stations . are poor quality and that data is tweaked by hand. But the Berkeley study found that the . so-called 'urban heat' which makes cities warmer than surrounding rural . areas, did not significantly contribute to average land temperature . rises. Rising temperature: The world in 1950. Scientists wanted transparent data to counter doubts by climate change sceptics . Here we glow: The way the world was in 2000 with heat spots shown in burning red . This, said the Guardian, is because . urban regions make up less than one per cent of the Earth's land area. And . while ' poor' stations might be less accurate, they recorded . the same average warming trend . The U.S. team includes Saul Perlmutter, joint winner of this year's Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery that the universe is expanding at an increasing rate. It has gone public before publication by submitting four papers to the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Muller said: 'We have looked at these issues in a straightforward, transparent way, and based on that, I would expect legitimate sceptics to feel their issues have been addressed.' The research has won backing from Peter Thorne at the Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites in North Carolina and chair of the International Surface Temperature Initiative. He told the paper: 'This takes a very distinct approach to the problem and comes up with the same answer, and that builds confidence that pre-existing estimates are in the right ballpark. 'Openness and transparency is a must, particularly now with climate change being so politicised.' But one U.S. climate sceptic, Anthony . Watts, claimed he had identified a 'basic procedural error' concerning . time periods used in the research, and urged the authors to revise the . paper. And the project has been attacked by some climate bloggers, who point out that one of the sponsors runs a company Greenpeace have branded a 'financial kingpin of climate science denial'. | Controversial physicist Richard Muller believes his findings will 'address the issues of legitimate sceptics'
But he stands accused of 'overselling' global warming . |
279,776 | f66c1a830a2d0a49ec9cc403000adbe58aad7ce2 | Britain's biggest loyalty card scheme has boosted security after it was targeted by fraudsters in an apparent eBay scam. Nectar, which is used by more than 19 million people, is the latest card scheme to fall foul of fraudsters after it linked up with the auction website to allow customers to spend points online. Under the Nectar and eBay scheme, members can collects points on eBay purchases and then change their points into vouchers to spend on the auction site. Nectar, which is used by over 19 million people, is the latest card scheme to fall foul of fraudsters after it linked up with auction website eBay to allow customers to spend points online . But customers have seen thousands of points going missing from their Nectar account - only to find out later they have been spent on eBay. The problem is believed to have arisen because customers can link their Nectar cards to more than one eBay account, and vice versa. That has allowed fraudsters to steal shoppers' points and move it to their own eBay account to spend without the card holder noticing any unusual activity. The Swales family, from York, were first alerted that their Nectar account had been compromised when they tried to pay for shopping with their card in December but were told they were unable to. After checking their account, they found that 9,000 points had disappeared to later be used on eBay - but not by them. The problem is believed to have arisen because customers can link their Nectar cards to more than one eBay account, and vice versa. Customers have seen thousands of points going missing from their Nectar account - only to find out later they have been spent on eBay . They eventually received a full refund and Nectar is now investigating what happened, after telling the family they were not the only ones who had been hit. Nectar has since added extra security measures, and customers are now required to enter a secondary authentication when linking their accounts, Claire Woffenden of Betanews reports. Millions of people are members of the Nectar card scheme. Launched in 2002, over half of Britain's households own a card . Customers currently enjoy a number of perks, including double Nectar points on all Sainsbury’s shopping – online and in store – and two Nectar points per £1 spent on Sainsbury's fuel - plus one point per litre when the customer also swipes their Nectar. Points can also be gained at Homebase, BP and British Gas and redeemed at cinemas, Argos, the Eurostar, Orient Express, Amazon and resorts such as Alton Towers. While millions of loyalty cards are in use in Britain, a recent poll by YouGov Sixth Sense found that 93 per cent of respondents would carry on shopping even if their loyalty cards were stopped. Analysts believe the true value of the cards to supermarkets is for the data they give the chains about our spending habits. Ania Krwawicz, spokeswoman for Nectar's parent company Aimia, said police were also now investigating. She said: 'We became aware of suspicious activity on a small number of Nectar accounts. We informed those customers affected, notified the police and are working with them on this investigation'. MainOnline has contacted eBay for comment. Nectar is the latest in a line of loyalty cards to become a victim of account hacking. In 2013 Tesco customers claimed they'd fallen victim to online fraudsters who had hacked into their Clubcard accounts and taken hundreds of pounds worth of vouchers. At the time, the supermarket giant said it believed fraudsters had stolen people's online IDs and passwords through phishing emails and opportunistically used them on the Clubcard website. The supermarket asked police to investigate claims that dozens of its customers' Clubcard accounts may have fallen victim to the online fraud, with some losing vouchers they accumulated over several years. Nectar card users have also reported that points have been stolen and spent at Argos. | Nectar is the latest card scheme to fall foul of online fraudsters .
Under the Nectar and eBay scheme, members can collects points on eBay and then change points into vouchers to spend on the auction site .
But customers have seen thousands of points going missing from their Nectar account - only to find out later they have been spent on eBay .
Nectar has since added extra security measures and is investigating scam . |
208,971 | 9a9d82e164cfc3cf7a8f7e3f5f48b33c32f2d16e | By . Dom Joly . PUBLISHED: . 17:10 EST, 6 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:01 EST, 6 September 2012 . Vicar behaving badly: Dom Joly gets set to fool the nation . When I turned up on set for my new ITV1 hidden camera series Fool Britannia, I thought someone was playing a joke on me. There were 25 crew waiting to get started, compared to the five of us who made Trigger Happy TV back in 2000. How can you secretly film people with 25 crew hanging about, I thought? It soon became apparent, however, that these people were going to make my life a whole lot easier so I could concentrate on what I was good at: approaching strangers as different characters and causing mayhem. The cameramen used all sorts of methods to conceal themselves. We even had a ‘pram-cam’, with a camera inside instead of a baby. At first it looked a bit weird with a beefy bloke pretending to play with his baby for hours on end, so we provided him with a female member of the production team to look like his wife and it all appeared a bit less suspicious. We also used workmen’s tents. We’d set these up in the middle of a square, and it was incredible how no one paid them a blind bit of notice. The idea was to film stuff all over Britain... and we did just that. It was mostly a very easy and happy shoot, but when you’re dealing with the general public you never quite know what’s going to happen. We were filming in the Cotswolds at Bourton-On-The-Water with me as a vicar who can’t help behaving badly, and I had just pretended to spray a cyclist (the vicar loathes cyclists) with Mace. The cyclist then crashes into the river. Normally passers-by just watch whatever scene is being acted out and do that very British thing of not wanting to get involved. This time, however, an angry man announced he was going to headbutt me. Hidden fear: Dom Joly had to stop filming his new series in Spain after he was threatened by a man claiming to be a member of the local mafia . But I stood my ground, as I presumed most people who headbutt people don’t announce the fact in advance. This was very nearly a big mistake, as at least four times he pulled his head back as if to strike. He calmed down when he learned it was for TV and found it very funny . . . until he remembered that the lady he was with was not his wife and quickly refused all consent for us to show it. This turned out to be a common theme while we were filming. You’d be amazed at the number of people who aren’t with the person they’re supposed to be with. We also spent a week targeting British tourists in Benidorm, which is where I nearly came to sticky end. I was playing a Spanish lothario, with tight leather pants and flowing locks, and was about to approach some English ‘ladeeez’ on the beach. Out of the blue, a huge Italian appeared and squared up to me. It turned out he was convinced I’d been driving a car that had knocked him off his motorbike. To make things worse, I was told in terrified, hushed whispers that he was ‘local mafia’. An executive decision was taken and I was bundled into a van and driven back to the hotel, where I spent the rest of the day in the pool as it was considered too dangerous to film. Nice work if you can get it! Fool Britannia, ITV1 Saturdays, 6.55pm. | Comedian Dom Joly tells all about the scares of filming with hidden cameras . |
49,852 | 8cf0602ec67a2b04ed93318ac19830535061d002 | Arsenal are planning a cut-price £4million January move for West Ham defender Winston Reid. Arsenal have identified the centre half because they believe West Ham can be persuaded to sell next month rather than lose Reid for nothing in the summer. Arsenal have watched Reid in every game he has played since November and are ready to make their move. Winston Reid is a target for Arsenal who are considering making a £4million offer in January . West Ham are trying to get the 26-year-old to sign a new deal but Reid wants more than £60,000 per week, in addition to a £1million signing-on fee. The Gunners are also keen on Ipswich left back Tyrone Mings, but his £10m asking price is proving prohibitive, while Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk has also been on the radar since last summer. Meanwhile, Inter Milan believe that they have struck a deal to sign Lukas Podolski on a six-month loan deal but not until after Arsenal have played at Southampton on New Year’s Day. Lukas Podolski is set to join Inter Milan on loan from Arsenal after struggling to feature for the first team . Representatives of the Italian club were in London on Saturday and are confident they will soon have Podolski in their ranks. Inter will pay a loan fee of £1.5m. The unsettled German striker has one year on his Arsenal contract at the end of this season and may not return if his loan is successful. | Arsenal hope to lure Winston Reid to the club in January .
The Gunners are confident West Ham will sell Reid for £4million .
The club have watched Reid in every game since November .
Meanwhile, Lukas Podolski is due to join Inter Milan on loan . |
66,711 | bd2f86b1bc05d9eed03de312cede93e5ef12c35a | Cityscapes are usually breathtaking, but finding a good vantage point in a new town can be tough. Not for On the Roofs (OTR), a loose collective of photographers from Moscow who have made it their mission to shoot thrilling, often beautiful stills and video from the rooftops of the world's tallest buildings. They've been reaching the rooftops of the world's skyscrapers for the past five years, and have shot videos from Egypt to Belgium, Shanghai to South America. Once they're up there, they lean out perilously over edges and free-climb up towers, antenna and cranes, making anyone watching their immensely popular videos, uploaded to video sharing sites Vimeo and YouTube, as well as their own blog, squirm in their shoes as they marvel at the OTR members' daredevilry. Their latest stunt, published on YouTube on October 8 but already boasting well over a million views, shows four of them, identified at the end of the short video as Vadim Makhorov, Vitaliy Raskalov, Arseni Khachaturan and Nikolay Zheludovich (not their real names), climb a steel ladder onto the roof of a Hong Kong skyscraper and hijack a huge LED billboard. Once they're done with it, the sign flashes "What's up Hong Kong?" and shows clips of an earlier exploit, Makharov and Raskalov climbing the then-uncompleted 2,073-feet (632-meter) Shanghai Tower. No philosophy . After successfully taking over the signage, they pose for each other, and for a drone which is circling overhead, shooting the mission. They then rush down the stairs and out of the building, triumphant. "There's no philosophy to OTR, we are just a small group of photographers, who like exploration, interesting places and some different countries," Raskalov tells CNN. "Actually it's very simple, I bought a camera and after that I thought, 'maybe I'll try to climb on rooftops.' I took some pictures from the rooftops and thought, 'I like it' and after that we climbed all around Russia, we did a lot of cities and after that we traveled because Russia for us was finished and we thought it wasn't a bad idea to try something really kind of amazing." He says they've climbed thousands of buildings in something like 50 countries. As well as going up, they also go down, trespassing onto subways and exploring the subterranean sides of the places they visit. The first time he went up, Raskalov says he was a "little" scared. "Yeah a little bit, but now for us it's like a routine, you know? It's very simple. We started five years ago and since then we've climbed so much. I'm usually scared not about heights but about police. Sometimes we have to break into buildings. Sometimes if we go to a dangerous country, like an Arabian country, maybe this is a big problem if police caught us. That's the most scary part." For the most part, the authorities are playing catchup to the rooftop raiders, although security as some landmark buildings, including the 1,227-feet (373.9-meter) Central Plaza in Hong Kong know their faces and to bar them entry. He says he doesn't worry about being barred from entering countries -- following Chinese media reports on their Shanghai Tower stunt he thought they might get a 20-year ban from entering the country, but nothing transpired and they have since revisited China. Computer hack . For the "What's Up Hong Kong" mission, he says the hardest part was figuring out the computer program that ran the LED billboard. The climb up the 659-feet (201-meter) China Online Center in Hong Kong's downtown Wan Chai district was a fairly routine one, and as for the computer terminal: "We found it there! It was all a big surprise. We didn't know that we could change the sign when (we) went up. "Finding the building, getting to the top was easy, because all the doors were open, we just go inside, find the stairs to the top, after that we found the computer (terminal), opened it up and played with it for two or three hours so this is how we made it play our video." The climbers made headlines last year when they scaled the Great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt -- and later apologized when they were accused of disrespecting the ancient monuments. He says there's also some skepticism surrounding the veracity of what they're doing. It's not hard to see why; some of the footage is mind-blowing. "Some people say, it's a nice video, nice action, but some people say it's a fake. Maybe 30% of people think it's a fake. Or a lot of people think the Hong Kong government gave us permission or money, or we do this stuff legally, but its not true." He says there's a lot of interest in their work, and despite being apolitical, groups like the organizers of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protest movement have contacted them. "People in Hong Kong messaged us about Occupy Central, asking how we could do the same stuff (as the LED billboard) with them. They wanted a yellow umbrella up there!" But so far, it's just the thrill of the climb that keeps him, and his On the Roofs co-conspirators going. "We don't have a message as such, it's just (for) fun. I guess our message is just 'what's up.'" | 'On the Roofs' started climbing buildings in Russia five years ago .
Since beginning in 2009, the collective have climbed "thousands" of buildings and structures .
Latest stunt involved hijacking a giant LED billboard in Hong Kong . |
178,397 | 72fb4e4fa23781651cc063611602fc7028462df2 | The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, pictured, has accused payday lenders of practising usury and lending money at unreasonable rates . Shutting down payday lenders such as Wonga could leave society at the hands of men who ‘send people round with baseball bats’, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury – who previously condemned the company. The Church of England last week defended its decision to invest in Wonga saying it believed its money could improve the behaviour of companies that are less than ‘morally perfect’. It came after the City of London Police announced it is considering launching a criminal investigation into the controversial payday loan firm’s bogus legal letters sent to tens of thousands of customers. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby has accused payday lenders of practising usury and lending money at unreasonable rates. But at a lecture in Westminster earlier this month he warned that putting such firms out of business before an alternative is in place could make things worse by leaving poor people at the mercy of criminal loan sharks. ‘Of course I am concerned – and this has a lot to do with the future of the City, the future of the financial services industry in this country – that if you knock payday lenders on the head before there is a viable alternative, in many parts of the country, the only place people can go is loan sharks’, he said. ‘Those are the criminal lenders as opposed to the payday lenders about whom we may argue amongst ourselves, but I would argue are charging usurious rates of interest but are perfectly legal and overseen. ‘They do not send people round with baseball bats. One of the worries at the moment is if payday lending declines very rapidly and credit unions do not take up the slack, where will people turn? There is a danger of a gap in the market.’ The Archbishop’s comments are the latest revelations in the turbulent relationship between the Church of England and Wonga. He was previously one of the most vocal critics of payday lenders and publicly declared that he would compete Wonga out of business with a network of church-backed credit unions. But in an embarrassing U-turn the Church changed its stance this week when it was revealed that it will continue investing in Wonga, after the Archbishop realised that the CofE’s financial arm, the Church Commissioners, had holdings in the firm, which are believed to amount to between £75,000 and £90,000. The church’s decision came after a review by its Ethical Investment Advisory Group, the body which counsels church financiers on the morality of their investments. Last week City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority revealed Wonga would have to pay £2.6million compensation to 45,000 people sent letters from two invented debt recovery firms (file picture) The Church commissioners are said to have calculated that they will lose between £3 million and £9 million if they take their money out of Wonga. And a review by its Ethical Investment Advisory Group, the body which counsels church financiers on the morality of their investments also justified its continued investment in the morally unscrupulous company. In the report, group chairman James Featherby said that the row had ‘highlighted some misconceptions about ethical investment, and in particular that its objective is to achieve a morally perfect portfolio’. He said: ‘It is no more realistic to desire that they invest only in morally perfect companies than it is to desire that any of us should relate only to morally perfect individuals. ‘When engaging with companies the investing bodies seek positive momentum not perfection. We usually only recommend divestment where we see no genuine desire for change.’ Wonga was publicly castigated and was forced to pay out £2.6m in compensation this week when it was found to have sent out letters from fake law firms to tens of thousands of customers chasing them for money. The Financial Conduct Authority is meeting with officers from the City of London Police this week to discuss whether there is enough evidence to start a criminal investigation into the firm. | Most Rev Justin Welby accuses payday lenders of lending at unreasonable rates .
Church of England has previously defended decision to invest in Wonga .
It says it believes its money could improve behaviour of companies that are less than 'morally perfect' |
226,014 | b0ae38d5befb58be78de5e7b8efea57bc0b9d233 | (CNN) -- The man who authorities accused of assaulting the 2-year-old son of NFL player Adrian Peterson now faces a murder charge. State prosecutors released a grand jury indictment Monday that charges Joseph Robert Patterson with second-degree murder. The new charge comes more than a week after the death of the Minnesota Vikings running back's son, who was living with his mother in South Dakota. Patterson, the 27-year-old boyfriend of the toddler's mother, is accused of recklessly causing "serious bodily injury to the child," according to the indictment. He also faces charges of first-degree manslaughter, aggravated battery of an infant and abuse or cruelty to a minor. Authorities have said that the child suffered injuries to his head consistent with abuse. "Patterson will be booked under the new charges and will be arraigned in the near future," the Lincoln County Office of the state's attorney said in a statement Monday. Peterson returned to the field last week. In a text to a Fox Sports reporter, Peterson said he decided to play again for the same reason he participated in the NFL's skills testing event for potential draft picks a day after his brother died in 2007. "God wants good to come from it," he told "NFL on FOX" sideline reporter Laura Okmin in a text before the game Sunday. He tweeted thanks to fellow players, some of whom had taken to the social network to defend his decision to play. "The NFL is a fraternity of brothers and I am thankful for the tweets, phone calls and text messages from my fellow players," he tweeted after his son's death. After the game last Sunday, Peterson's teammate, tight end Kyle Rudolph, praised Peterson's determination and heart. "I can't imagine, you know, the heavy heart that he had today, being out on the field," Rudolph said. "But he spoke to us right before the game, right before he took the field and said he was going to give it his all, for all four quarters, and that's exactly what he did." "He said, 'I'm going to give it my all, and I expect you guys to do the same,'" Rudolph said. "For a guy like that, how can you not?" | Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson's son died earlier this month .
An indictment accuses Joseph Robert Patterson of second-degree murder .
Prosecutors say he will be booked on new charges and arraigned .
He is accused of causing "serious bodily injury to the child" |
236,773 | be78969e9d472e6772b719945ff4c7da25af3649 | An 18-year-old woman who arrived in Queensland from west Africa has again tested negative for Ebola and has returned home. 'The patient has undergone a second round of testing and results show that she does not have Ebola Virus Disease,' a statement from Queensland Health said on Wednesday. The woman has been discharged from the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. A Queensland Health spokeswoman told AAP the 18-year-old woman confirmed the young woman will complete the 21-day incubation period for Ebola at home. Scroll down for video . The woman has been discharged from the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital after testing negative to two different Ebola tests . Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young, pictured here in 2009, confirmed the young woman will complete the 21-day incubation period for Ebola at home and is expected to return to normal life mid-week . She's expected to return to normal life mid-next week. She was taken to hospital on Saturday night after coming down with a fever. On Monday she tested negative for Ebola, but remained in isolation until her second test also confirmed that she was clear of the virus. The woman moved to Australia from Guinea about 15 days ago with eight members of her extended family and immediately went into home isolation. She was one of 19 people from four African families who agreed to go into home isolation earlier this month, after travelling to Queensland from parts of west Africa ravaged by the deadly virus. The 18-year-old woman recently arrived in Australia from West Africa, and Saturday night had a high fever . Staff were checking the family's health daily and on Saturday night the 18-year-old developed a fever . Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said Queensland had been aware of the family's arrival, and the woman, two other adults, and six children had not come into contact with anyone since being in Australia. The 18-year-old is the third person in Queensland to have been tested for Ebola. Earlier on Wednesday, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said all people arriving in Australia from Ebola-affected countries should be tested for the disease regardless of their symptoms. Thousands of people have already died from the virus in West African nations such as Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia . Mr Newman wrote to Immigration Minister Scott Morrison requesting new measures be taken to protect the country from Ebola. The premier called for quarantine workers to test all passengers coming from Ebola-affected areas for the disease within 24 hours of their arrival. He said travellers coming from Ebola zones should have to give their contact details and their temperature recordings to quarantine officers. Mr Newman said within 24 hours of their arrival they should undergo comprehensive Ebola assessments. Australia is yet to confirm a single Ebola case, but the Queensland government has been talking about the looming threat and its actions to protect against it nearly daily. This is the second scare this month after Cairns nurse Sue Ellen Kovack returned from Sierre Leone exhibiting symptoms. She had been working as a volunteer treating patients but was later cleared of having the potentially deadly virus. The teenager is doing 'very well' and she and her family have been 'very responsible' | A woman in isolation at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital has tested negative again for Ebola .
The 18-year-old has been discharged from hospital .
The young woman is expected to return to normal life mid-next week .
The 18-year-old recently moved to Australia from West Africa .
She was taken to hospital with a fever on Saturday night .
This is the second scare this month after Cairns nurse Sue Ellen Kovack .
She returned from Sierre Leone with symptoms but was later cleared . |
129,464 | 33555a13eb942286a532fd37d24a97849b8aff3f | Ed Miliband will not win the next election if he continues to lurch to the left, Labour former spin doctor Peter Mandelson has warned. In a challenge to the Labour leader, the former business secretary, who was one of the founders of New Labour, said that those who believe the country has moved to the left following the financial crisis are wrong. ‘Those who don't give their political loyalty automatically to left or right – whose votes, therefore, are up for grabs – are a greater segment of the electorate now than they were when New Labour was being created in the 1990s,’ he said. Lord Mandelson: The former Trade and Industry Secretary believes that Labour must retreat to the centre ground . ‘Therefore, it is even more important now to win the centre ground to win electoral victory.’ Lord Mandelson made the comments in an interview with Progress magazine to celebrate 20 years since Tony Blair became leader, but it is clear he wants Mr Miliband to learn lessons from his electoral success. He said: ‘It is essential still to win on leadership and the economy, and to demonstrate that we are a party of conscience and reform that will talk to people's values and concerns, not simply keep driving an agenda of our own regardless of the electorate's views. ‘That is why I get frustrated sometimes when people argue now that the country has moved to the left, therefore if we are more unambiguously left-wing and raise our ideological vigour, we are more likely to win the next election.’ The Labour peer argued the party needs to heed the lesson of defeat in 1992 under Neil Kinnock. He said: ‘The truth was, however fed up people were with the Tories, they were not going to switch to Labour in sufficient numbers unless they were absolutely sure of what we were going to do in government. 'All right!' Neil Kinnock at the start of the ill-fated 1992 General Election campaign when people did not trust Labour despite being fed up with the Tories after 13 years in power; present Labour leader Ed Miliband who Peter Mandelson thinks is taking the party far too far to the left to win the next General Election . ‘We had to demonstrate that we really could manage people's money and steer an economic course that would deliver sustainable economic growth and jobs.’ Lord Mandelson said that Mr Blair’s opponents in the party had to wait for the Iraq invasion before they could remove him. ‘It gave them a stick to beat Blair with, knowing they were going to get media support, the right-wing media because he was Labour, and the left-wing media because he was New Labour. They hated his electoral success and Iraq was the opportunity to dislodge him,’ he said. Tony Blair is due to give a speech on 21 July to mark 20 years since he became Labour leader. | 'The party needs to heed the lesson of defeat in 1992 under Neil Kinnock'
'The centre ground is more important now than when New Labour was formed' in the 1990s .
Mandelson speaks on 20th anniversary of Tony Blair becoming party leader . |
213,907 | a10837f9e765110a920c35d04bdb9b587274abdd | A UKIP councillor has insisted he is not racist – because he has been on holiday to the Carribean. Viv Lewis, 83, repeatedly insisted ‘I like coloured people’ as the party again faced claims it was out of touch with modern Britain. To add further to UKIP’s woes, outspoken MEP Godfrey Bloom announced he was quitting after a string of controversies including branding party members ‘sluts’. Apology: UKIP councillor Viv Lewis, from Cornwall, repeatedly referred to 'coloured people' during a TV interview but denied being racist . UKIP leader Nigel Farage has tried to repair the party’s reputation in recent weeks, insisting it had ‘grown up’ and was ready to win seats in the Commons. But it suffered a setback last week when Mr Bloom told an event to promote women in politics: ‘This place is full of sluts’. He then went outside and launched into a rant on race, before hitting a TV reporter over the head. Mr Farage has previously been criticised for referring to ‘coloured people’. Now Mr Lewis, from Cornwall, has been forced to apologise for a BBC TV interview where he denied being a racist - while also referring to ‘coloured people’. Asked about UKIP’s immigration policy, he said: ‘I have already had heated arguments about that. Racist I am not. I like coloured people. ‘I have been to the West Indies. I have sampled their hospitality. I like coloured people. ‘But what I don’t like is people who walk into this country and immediately get given money when there’s a lot more deserving cases among English, British people,’ said the retired coach driver who represents Cornwall’s Camborne Treswithian. UKIP leader Nigel Farage (left) said Godfrey Bloom had made the right decision to quit as a UKIP MEP . Rob Berkeley, director of race equality think tank The Runnymede Trust, added: ‘The term coloured has largely been rejected by people from visible ethnic minorities. ‘By using the term the councillor appears to be out of touch with modern Britain.’ Meanwhile Mr Bloom has announced he will sit as an independent MEP until next year's European election. Mr Bloom, an MEP for Yorkshire and . Humber, was stripped of the party whip last week following his offensive . remarks about women at a party event which over-shadowed the UKIP . conference. In a swipe at Mr . Farage’s attempts to pmake the party more professional, Mr Bloom said . the ‘New UKIP’ was ‘not really right for me any more’. His spokeswoman said it was not clear whether he would seek re-election for a third term next May. Clobber: Mr Bloom hit Mr Crick over the head with the UKIP brochure as they argued about the fact there were no white faces on the front cover . Outburst: UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom said an event to promote women in politics 'full of sluts' before falling foul of Channel 4 reporter Michael Crick (left) Mr Bloom said: ‘I have felt for some time now that the New Ukip is not really right for me anymore perhaps than New Labour was right for the Denis 'The beast of Bolsover' Skinner. ‘However our message is clear: self government. Our wonderful and loyal membership will win through with their dedication and hard work. It has been a pleasure to work with them for 15 years. ‘I shall sit out my term as an independent and give my wholehearted support to Jane Collins who is almost certainly going to be the next UKIP MEP and probably a second seat yet to be decided. ‘I shall of course retain my membership.’ | Viv Lewis, 83, denied being racist but referred to 'coloured people' on TV .
He insists he 'enjoyed the hospitality' during a trip to the Caribbean .
New race row comes as outspoken MEP Godfrey Bloom quits . |
75,717 | d6bbfb65d279035b20e36aefc209ff6ee9dbf52e | A defining phenomenon at this World Cup for me has been the impact of special managers who have moulded their players into more than the sum of their parts. They all have a clear vision of how they want the game played, they get their teams playing like that. And then - the truly magical part - they do this while maintaining group harmony. The stand-out individuals in question have been, in no particular order, Jorge Sampaoli of Chile, Jose Pekerman of Colombia, Jurgen Klinsmann of the USA, Jorge Luis Pinto of Costa Rica, Miguel Herrera of Mexico and Louis Van Gaal of Holland, who made that extraordinary substitution on Saturday night, bring on Tim Krul for penalties.. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Dwight Yorke: Van Gaal is the right man for the job . Master: Holland boss Louis van Gaal has made an impact with key decisions during the 2014 World Cup . But not Roy Hodgson, to whom we’ll return in a minute. Herrera steered a stuttering team to the finals but has restored order from chaos by imposing his will. He did not succumb to public demand and play my former Manchester United team-mate Javier Hernandez, aka Chicharito, despite him being a predator among predators. Instead he had a belief in a system that worked well and refused to accommodate his star man. He had the respect and belief from all his squad, Chicharito included, and they reached the knockout stages. Leaders: Jose Pekerman and Jorge Sampaoli were crucial to their team's impressive World Cup campaigns . Follow my lead: The Holland players seem to have total belief in their manager . Sampaoli is the Argentine in charge of a Chile side who were unlucky to lose to Brazil in the last 16. He got the job after winning three titles with one of Chile’s biggest clubs, Universidad, and his side played the high-tempo, pressing game last seen under Marcelo Bielsa. Two other words sum up Sampaoli’s transformative powers: Gary Medel. It seemed he couldn’t even pass the ball at times last season as Cardiff City were relegated from the Premier League, but he was intrinsic and superb at these finals. Pekerman, Colombia’s Argentine coach, and Pinto, the Colombian in charge of Costa Rica, have each taken groups of players with few star names and instilled in them the confidence to express themselves in styles that play to the strengths of the collective, rather than to any individual. Klinsmann was always clear that his squad - from Seattle and Hertha, from Toronto, Rosenborg, Puebla and other unheralded places in between - would never be less than competitive. Collective: Pekerman led his team to the World Cup quarter-finals as James Rodriguez (left) starred . He was true to his word. He made a huge call even before getting to Brazil by leaving Landon Donovan behind because he felt the team would benefit without a man who had earned 156 caps. And they gave it a really good shot, getting out of a group they had no right to escape — at least on paper. It was always likely England might struggle, as I wrote before the tournament. And there are all kinds of underlying issues to be addressed, as I outlined a fortnight ago. A visionary manager would help. In the mix: USA boss Jurgen Klinsmann (left) ensured his team worked hard for each other . Hodgson is a pleasant-enough man, extremely intelligent and has a CV with enough clubs and countries to show how widely he is respected. But if I’m brutally honest then, for me, he lacks that extra ingredient to set him apart. He’s certainly no maverick, he doesn’t change matches with inspirational substitutions and I see little evidence of a collective buying into a master plan for England, if there even is one. It’s not just Hodgson who has failed to shine as England boss, of course. Fabio Capello’s boot camp approach was badly flawed, Steve McClaren was scarred by his failure, Sven-Goran Eriksson hit quarter-final buffers, Kevin Keegan himself admitted the job was too big for him. Extra ingredient: Roy Hodgson (centre) failed to make a positive impact with his substitutions in Brazil . So we’re left with Glenn Hoddle, the last England manager who had something really different about him — that vision. Certainly he was the best England manager in my personal experience. He didn’t have the best personality, and he wasn’t the most diplomatic at times. But he knew what he was trying to achieve tactically, and had a vision of how his unit should work. I could imagine myself as part of bigger whole under him. Before Hoddle, even though I wasn’t an England player at the time, it’s clear Terry Venables also had a vision and the charisma to transmit that to his players. What’s clear from some of the outstanding ‘lesser’ teams at this World Cup is that the team takes precedence over individuals and personalities in a way it didn’t for England. The big picture: Glenn Hoddle (above) has a clear vision of how a unit should work . Wing: Wayne Rooney (centre) was played out of position and England seemed to pay the price . Compromise takes you only so far. It was a compromise to play Wayne Rooney out of his favourite position. Build your side around your best player or drop him. But don’t fudge. The other managers above didn’t fudge and that’s what marks them out. Van Gaal doesn’t fudge either. I’m sure you’ve heard all the stories of how eccentric he can be but I’ve not heard a bad word about him from any player he’s worked with. He’s a hard man, strong, big on discipline within the football environment. But he also trusts his players. The other night I was in a bar with some of his Holland squad. They were mixing with the public, having a bite to eat. They knew their curfew and would respect it. He believes in his players. They believe in him. Having faith in the man in charge is a huge part of achieving success in our game. The best managers earn that faith. Relaxed: Holland seem to have found the perfect balance between discipline and downtime in Brazil . | Louis van Gaal has made a huge impact with Holland during the World Cup .
The Dutch players seem to be fully behind every decision the manager makes .
Colombia boss Jose Pekerman and Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli can also be proud of their contributions .
Glenn Hoddle could be the right man to take England forward .
Roy Hodgson lacks an extra ingredient to set him apart . |
163,499 | 5f676b62c97f716d1b6a769f761d95370faf079b | Children as young as 13 are being given lessons in combating cyber terrorism amid concerns over the UK’s vulnerability to attacks similar to the hacking of entertainment giant Sony. Those behind the scheme include experts at the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the top-secret organisation that provides electronic surveillance of the nation’s enemies. The Government is taking the scheme so seriously that next summer’s GCSE computer science exam will contain questions about cyber security for the first time. Children as young as 13 are being given lessons in combating cyber terrorism, backed by experts at the Government Communications Headquarters, GCHQ (pictured) Target: A scene from The Interview, the film at the centre of recent hacking . Experts say there is a dire shortage of specialists able to defend Britain’s computer systems from increasingly sophisticated assaults by hostile states and terrorists. Sony was recently the victim of hackers, who released large numbers of confidential emails in an attempt to stop the release of The Interview, a comedy mocking North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The fear is that a similar online assault on Britain would dangerously compromise parts of the Government. Security expert Professor Anthony Glees, from Buckingham University, said: ‘The next conflict may not just be about bombs and bullets – it will almost certainly involve massive cyber attacks.’ Under the Government-funded initiative, GCHQ and other organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA), are creating lesson plans that can be incorporated in computer classes for 14- to 16-year-olds. Those students aged 13 who show a real aptitude for maths will also be taught the skills. GCHQ has created an app for children that explains encryption techniques, and allows children to create their own encoded messages. The Cryptoy app also details the history of codes, including the decrypting of the Nazi Enigma machine that helped to end the Second World War. Gamers around the world were left disappointed on Christmas Day after hacking group Lizard Squad carried through with its threat to bring down both Sony's PlayStation Network and Microsoft's Xbox Live service . As part of the lesson plans being rolled out in schools, the NCA has produced case studies on the risks in a number of technically complex areas. Another plan designed by telecoms giant BT teaches children the basics of computer firewalls, while a third warns of the dangers of computer viruses such as ‘trojans’ and ‘worms’. Nearly 800 schools have signed up for the new package, from the exclusive Cheltenham Ladies’ College to top state school King Edward VI grammar in Chelmsford, Essex. One exam board has already provided a sample question for next summer’s computer science GCSEs. It asks pupils to design a system to prevent a thief who steals their mobile phone from using credits on it to take free rides on a bus. GCHQ has also set up several university degree courses to train students in computer security. Chris Ensor, of GCHQ, said: ‘It is vital that we tap into, enthuse and encourage the flourishing talent in our schools. We need gifted teenagers like these coming into the cyber security profession.’ For more information about the Cyber Security Challenge UK, click here. | Children as young as 13 given lessons in combating cyber terrorism .
Comes after concerns over the UK’s vulnerability to attacks similar to the hacking of entertainment giant Sony .
Those behind the scheme include experts at top-secret organisation GCHQ . |
225,862 | b075d3098cab41cc98ac025c88d014570a55c968 | Washington (CNN) -- In the space of 48 hours, Secretary of State John Kerry likened climate change to a weapon of mass destruction, Newt Gingrich called Kerry delusional, Sunday talk shows argued about it and President Barack Obama announced another executive action to combat it. After what seemed like a lull in political focus on the issue, why is everyone talking about it this week? A convergence of events and factors -- blizzards in the East and drought out West, an administration acting on oft-stated intentions, the pending Keystone pipeline decision -- have renewed debate on a topic that alternately captures attention or numbs the public. Here are five reasons why it is being discussed now: . 1) Obama walks the talk . The President had pledged action on climate change since before he entered the Oval Office five years ago, and he renewed his commitment in his second inaugural address as well as last month's State of the Union address. However, he spent his first-term political capital on stimulus programs in response to the recession and then health care reforms, instead of carbon cap legislation sought by his liberal base. Faced with relentless Republican opposition to his agenda in a divided Congress, Obama promised to take more executive action in 2014 to get around what Democrats call an obstructionist GOP strategy. He also brought on stronger voices for combating climate change, including Kerry, who became secretary of state last year, and John Podesta, a former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton who headed the liberal Center for American Progress think tank. "Before there were certainly many people in the administration, including the President, who had a public commitment to the notion of doing something about climate change," noted David Goldston, the director of government affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a major environmental group. "Now there's a plan. ... They are ready to move." In his first term, Obama set tougher emissions standards for cars and trucks and on Tuesday, he instructed environmental and transportation agencies to work on the next round of higher gas mileage requirements for big trucks that he said comprise 4% of all vehicles on the road but cause 20% of their carbon pollution. The presidential moves don't require congressional approval, unlike a new $1 billion climate change preparedness fund that Obama proposed last week. With elections coming in November, congressional approval of such a funding proposal looks impossible. "There's no way on Earth he's going to get $1 billion out of this Congress to do anything, let alone fight climate change," USA Today columnist Kirsten Powers told "Fox News Sunday." 2) Extreme weather . Frigid temperatures and heavy snow up North, ice storms down South and drought out West instigated a new round of the now familiar debate over whether climate change causes such extreme weather. Opponents of aggressive action against climate change, such as Republicans protecting the oil and coal energy industries, question if any link to weather exists and how much human activity contributes to it. "What we have to look at is the fact that you don't make good laws, sustainable laws when you're making them on hypotheses or theories or unproven sciences," GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee argued Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." Her comment brought a sharp response from Bill Nye, known as the Science Guy from the PBS program. "There is no debate in the scientific community, and I can encourage the congresswoman to really look at the facts," Nye said on NBC. "You are a leader. We need you to change things, not deny what's happening." To Nye, the benefits from reducing carbon emissions should be obvious to anyone, whether or not they agree that climate change contributes to the increasing weather extremes. "The fewer very dirty coal-fired power plants we have, the better," he said. "The less energy we waste, the better. The less inefficient our transportation systems are, the better. The more reliable our electricity transmission systems are, the better." Powers, the USA Today columnist, said on Fox that the environmental lobby and the politicians supporting tougher climate change action should emphasize the benefits of reducing pollution, rather than talking about the weather. "Less pollution is definitely a good thing, so that might be a better way to make the argument rather than claiming that climate change is the cause of every single thing that happens with the weather," she said. 3) Kerry's trip to climate change hotbeds . On an extended trip to Asia, the longtime advocate for firm action to reduce carbon emissions went to two countries at the center of the debate -- China and Indonesia. China is the world's biggest carbon emitter, with the United States close behind, and the two global powers have so far balked at working out new global emissions limits as part of an international climate change treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. Last week, Kerry announced in Beijing that the two nations would work together on efforts to "move the climate change process forward" in advance of the next major global climate change conference -- in France in 2015. On Sunday, he delivered one of the strongest speeches on climate change by any American official while visiting Indonesia, which has lost more than 40% of its tropical forests that store carbon absorbed from the atmosphere. Anyone still arguing against the reality of climate change was "simply burying their heads in the sand," Kerry said, adding that he and President Obama "believe very deeply that we do not have time for a meeting anywhere of the Flat Earth Society." In one sense, he continued, "climate change can now be considered another weapon of mass destruction, perhaps the world's most fearsome weapon of mass destruction." Kerry also called it "the greatest challenge of our generation." His speech evoked a protest from Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker and GOP presidential candidate, who posted on Twitter that "every American who cares about national security must demand" Kerry's resignation, adding that "a delusional secretary of state is dangerous to our safety." "This is not some U.S. senator just having some wild speech to please the left," Gingrich, a host of CNN's "Crossfire," said Tuesday. He argued that Kerry, a former senator who now is the top U.S. diplomat, should be held to a "higher level of seriousness." Kerry: Climate change as big a threat as terrorism, poverty, WMDs . 4) Keystone decision pending . A Republican attack on Kerry comes as no surprise, because as secretary of state, he will make his department's decision on whether to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada that has become a political lightning rod. The issue has loomed for years, prompting supporters of the project to accuse the Obama administration of stalling to appease his liberal base. It pits the oil industry and its Republican backers against environmentalists and liberal Democrats who complain the project bolsters the especially dirty fossil fuel production from the tar sands of northern Alberta. However, the politics get messy for Democrats, because organized labor supports the project that will create several thousand jobs. Kerry's history makes it appear highly unlikely he would approve the pipeline project, but the final call will certainly come from Obama. His chief of staff, Denis McDonough, recently said a decision would likely take months while the full review process plays out. Republicans impatient with what they consider to be a political stall, now until after the congressional elections in November, have urged Obama to use his executive authority to approve the project. U.S. report on Keystone indicates little climate impact . 5) It's an election year . Election-year politics always harden positions, and the bitter partisan divide in Washington means little chance for progress on any major initiatives such as immigration reform or deficit reduction. In that political environment, climate change becomes an easy issue for either side to use to attack the other. Goldston of the NRDC noted that another major environmental decision is likely in 2014 -- the administration's new limits on carbon emissions for existing power plants. Under Obama, the EPA in January proposed new rules for emission levels at future plants, which opponents called an effort to prevent additional coal-fired power plants from being built. A further step to also limit emissions from existing plants, which is expected as soon as June, could shut some of them down and would certainly inflame the debate. "All this stuff has been in the works," Goldston said, noting that such administrative steps get opponents "more publicly active" and spawns more raucous exchanges. "Obviously, controversy gets attention," he said. "It's all part and parcel of forward movement on the policy side." U.S. sets up 'climate hubs' to help rural communities affected by extreme weather . CNN's Steve Almasy, Kevin Liptak and Ashley Killough contributed to this report. | NEW: Gingrich calls Kerry "delusional" for climate change remarks .
President Obama follows through on promised climate change action .
Extreme weather always raises concern about the impact of climate change .
Decisions coming on limiting power plant emissions, building the Keystone pipeline . |
76,136 | d7f481f2bc266ef8b5c0ac934693f4a0c196a8ca | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:17 EST, 23 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:13 EST, 24 April 2013 . New career: Former CIA director David Petraeus has been named a visiting professor for public policy at City University of New York . Disgraced ex-CIA director David Petraeus is replacing one kind of intelligence work with another. Macaulay Honors College at City University of New York said Tuesday the retired four-star general has been named a visiting professor for public policy. Petraeus will assume the position August 1, Matthew Goldstein, the chancellor said. 'With his appointment, our students will have a unique opportunity . to learn about public policy firsthand from a distinguished leader with . extraordinary experience and expertise in international security issues, . intelligence matters and nation-building,' Goldstein said in a statement. Petraeus, a graduate of the prestigious West Point military academy, has written widely on international relations, military strategy and tactics and national security issues. He said in a statement released by Macaulay he's pleased to teach at the college, where most students are children of immigrants. He says he looks forward to leading a seminar on the global economic slowdown. Teaching job: Beginning August 1, Petraeus will lead a eminar on the global economic slowdown at Macaulay Honors College . 'I look forward to leading a seminar at . Macaulay that examines the developments that could position the United . States -- and our North American partners -- to lead the world out of . the current global economic slowdown,' the statement reads. The general's attorney, Robert Barnett, told the New York Times that his client had been approached by many universities, but he decided to accept CUNY's offer because he admires its diversity of students, among other factors. Ann Kirschner, dean of Macaulay, told the Times Petraeus' seminar will be in keeping with his interest in energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and information technology. In addition, the former chief of the CIA will be available to meet with students about their research projects. According to Kirschner, Petraeus' salary for the one-year position is 'still in discussion.' He earned a PhD in international . relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International . Affairs at Princeton University, taught as an assistant professor at the . United States Military Academy and held a fellowship at Georgetown . University. Scandal: Petraeus (left) stepped down as the head of the CIA last November after it was uncovered he'd had an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell (right) Cat fight: The extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell that ended Petraues' career came to light as a result of an FBI investigation into emails she sent to another woman, Florida socialite Jill Kelley (right) Petraeus was a hero of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He left the CIA last November after it was uncovered he'd had an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. The announcement comes a month after Petraeus' first public appearance since the scandal, when he apologized for his infidelity while delivering a keynote address at a University of Southern California event honoring the military. Petraeus, 60, has been married to wife Holly for 38 years and they have two children, Anne and Stephen Petraeus . The extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell that ended Petraues' career as a CIA director came to light as a result of an FBI investigation into emails she sent to another woman, Florida socialite Jill Kelley, whom she viewed as a rival for his attention. Family man: Petraeus, 60, pictured during his swearing in ceremony with Vice President Joe Biden (right) has been married to wife Holly (left) for 38 years and they have two children . Mea culpa: In March, Petraues made his first public speech since resigning as CIA director at a University of Southern California event, apologizing for his conduct . | Retired four-star general David Petraeus will lead seminar on global economic slowdown at Macaulay Honors College .
Petraeus, 60, resigned as chief of CIA in November after affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell .
Has a PhD in international relations from Princeton University . |
164,620 | 60e1fe072f3f801b8cbf219c0865e56f6378ab14 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:40 EST, 29 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 23:40 EST, 29 November 2012 . Another blue-collar American worker wins a million dollars this week from playing the lottery. Tony Auriemma, 38, a Long Island plumber who has been spending seven days a week helping Sandy victims since the storm hit, won $1 million in a New York Lottery game, NBC New York reports. ‘We scratched it off and started screaming,’ Auriemma told the news channel. ‘We thought we won a hundred thousand dollars and then my wife said, 'no, it's a million dollars!' And I said, “oh, my God!”’ Scroll down for video . Big winner: Long Island plumber Tony Auriemma, 38, won $1 million in a New York Lottery game . Twisted fate of luck: The father of three said he would have missed purchasing his winning ticket on November 18 if it weren't for Hurricane sandy, which caused him to cancel a hunting trip before he bought the winning ticket . Dedicated worker: Auriemma has been spending seven days a week helping Sandy victims since the storm hit . The father of three said he would have missed purchasing his winning ticket on November 18 if it weren’t for the big storm that ravaged the East Coast. He said he was supposed to be away on his annual hunting trip, but Sandy-related obligations forced him to cancel. Auriemma, his wife Jennifer and mother-in-law Frances Brauer were announced as winners on Wednesday at Lottery headquarters in Garden City, Long Island. The Auriemmas and Brauer will split the prize, each taking home about $16 thousand a year for twenty years, according to NBC. Their victory follows that of Larry Chandler, a 34-year-old electrician from Highland, Indiana, who faced foreclosure on his home and who won $1 million from the Powerball lottery on Wednesday. Big plans: Chandler said that he plans to keep his job as a union electrician but will start a college fund for his daughter and help his parents out . Taking home the check: Five of the six numbers of Larry Chandler's lottery ticket matched that of the Powerball so he took home $1million in the payout . Chandler won because his ticket matched five of the six numbers. Both recent lottery winners said they plan to go back to work despite the bundles of cash they’ll soon be seeing. Auriemma said he plans to use part of his winnings to pay for his children's college educations. Watch video here: . | Tony Auriemma, 38, a Long Island plumber who has been spending seven days a week helping Sandy victims since the storm hit, won $1 million in a New York Lottery game on Wednesday .
The father of three said he would have .
missed purchasing his winning ticket on November 18 if it weren’t for .
the big storm that ravaged the East Coast .
His victory follows that of Larry Chandler, 34, an electrician from Highland, Indiana, who won $1 million from the Powerball lottery on .
Wednesday . |
14,742 | 29c58728a4c7d87a46cea4006d1b6aa05e67e1da | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Just when you thought the nation's entertainment capital couldn't deliver a new surprise ending, a camera-wielding resident reveals how this week's Pacific storm sent Los Angeles a tornado. The rare twister was captured on tape: roofs obliterated, shingles hurled like leaves, and the amateur videographer gasping in profane disbelief. Friday's melee even damaged the steel of a billboard. "It was crazy. It was crazy," Jamie Mena told CNN affiliate KABC after shooting a video of bent-over palm trees and his rooftop flying off. "I am shaken up." Before Friday, the last time a twister made big news in Los Angeles was 1983, slamming into the downtown Los Angeles Convention Center, though there have been a few tornadoes since then around the area. "They are pretty rare, but not as rare as you might think, though," said National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Sukup of the Los Angeles-Oxnard office. Los Angeles hasn't seen a tornado for the past few years, but a study in the 1990s showed that "the amount of tornadoes we get in the L.A. basin is comparable to what they get in the Midwest but it's much weaker," Sukup said. "Most of the ones we get out here are EF0's, whereas out in the Midwest, they get the EF3's and larger," Sukup said. On a tornado damage scale, an EF0 is the weakest, with three-second gusts between 65 and 85 mph, according to the service. The worst of tornadoes is ranked EF5, with the winds exceeding 200 mph. An EF3 has such gusts between 136 and 165 mph. That means Friday morning's twister in south Los Angeles struck with winds between 65 mph and 85 mph, ripping two residential roofs and knocking over trees, the service said. The tornado was born out of a Pacific storm that pummeled much of the coast from Wednesday to Friday. What to know about tornadoes . More tornadoes ahead? One of the more memorable tornado seasons in Los Angeles was the 1997-1998 winter when a strong El Niño weather phenomenon brought several storms and weak twisters, Sukup said. An El Niño event involves the warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and influences the jet stream where storms track. "We might be going into a weak El Niño this year, but it doesn't tell us how wet of a year we're going to have or how many storms we're going to have," Sukup said. More rain will fall on Southern California beginning late Sunday, and Los Angeles may received a quarter- to a half-inch of rain on Monday, with a chance of showers through the week, Sukup said. Rain resumes next week . But next week's rainfall shouldn't cause the kind of disasters seen this past week, Sukup said. At a minimum, those rains will help slake a historic drought that's been drying up California the past three years. "It doesn't look like it's going to be a major deal, more of a beneficial rain," Sukup said of next week's forecast. The recent storms flooded and ravaged the West Coast: homes fell into the sea in Washaway Beach, Washington; schools closed pre-emptively in San Francisco and Oakland; a landslide buried houses in Camarillo; and a long balcony of second-floor apartments collapsed upon ground-level storefronts in Long Beach. No one in California was killed, but falling trees killed two people in Oregon and left a third seriously injured, authorities said. Now comes the cleanup . On Saturday, California experienced lingering damage and sporadic power outages, but for the most part, the state had recovered, said Kelly Huston, deputy director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. "Widespread outages are pretty much gone," Huston said Saturday. "What we're seeing is the cleanup part of the process for us. "It was a bad storm for us," Huston said. "Luckily, we didn't suffer as many of the impacts as we thought we might have." California rescuers saved people trapped in a mobile home park, in the Los Angeles River and a few other spots. Northern California got the worst of the storm Thursday, as evidenced by swaying Bay Area bridges, halted ferry and cable car services around San Francisco and blizzard-like conditions in the Sierra Nevada mountains. On Friday, it was more Southern California's turn. Several spots in the region had record rainfall for the day, including 2.36 inches in Oxnard and 1.54 inches at Long Beach's airport. A storm like this -- the biggest to hit the area in years -- leaves a big mess behind, from flooded roadways to damaged houses to lives disrupted or turned entirely upside down. Thankfully, in California at least, the vast majority of the once 300,000 customers left in the dark now have their power back on. And Huston said that, as bad as this storm was, "it was not quite as bad as we expected." Even then, there's still a lot to do Saturday to get things back to normal. But this time, at least, Mother Nature should cooperate. "We're looking pretty good," Huston told CNN. "We're hoping for some sunshine today here in California, and that will (help in) the cleanup process going on in several parts of the state." | NEW: Tornadoes are rare in Los Angeles but not as scarce as you think, meteorologist says .
NEW: When twisters do strike L.A., they are typically the weakest grade .
NEW: It's unclear whether El Nino event will bring storms strong enough for more tornadoes .
NEW: More rain will fall upon California next week, but major damage isn't expected . |
188,382 | 7ff284a00b3e842c4daecf0c6c0e757151b6975c | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . David Cameron today admitted the Tories have more to do to defeat UKIP, despite romping home to victory in the Newark by-election. The Prime Minister warned the Conservatives 'the job isn't finished yet' on hammering home key messages on the economy, tax cuts and jobs. Tory candidate Robert Jenrick held on to the Nottinghamshire seat with a majority of 7,403, halting the march of UKIP's People's Army which Nigel Farage had boasted was on the verge of securing its first MP. Scroll down for video . Newly elected Conservative Party MP Robert Jenrick and wife Michal arrive at the Bramley Apple pub in Southwell . The result is a setback for UKIP leader Nigel Farage who hoped to secure the party's first seat in the Commons . David Cameron, attending D-Day commemorations in Bayeux with his wife Samantha, said the result in Newark showed the Conservatives still had more to do to win the argument over UKIP . The Conservatives secured a majority of more than 7,000 over UKIP, down from 16,000 in 2010 . Mr Jenrick attracted 17,431 votes - a comfortable majority over Ukip's Roger Helmer, who received 10,028. Labour's Michael Payne was pushed into third place with 6,842 votes, ahead of independent candidate Paul Stephen Baggaley, who finished with 1,891, and the Green Party's David Kirwan who attracted 1,037 votes. It was a disastrous night for the Liberal Democrats however, whose candidate David Watts was beaten into a humiliating sixth place, barely scraping 1,000 votes. The contest was triggered by the resignation of disgraced former MP Patrick Mercer, and had been seen as a crucial test of Nigel Farage’s ability to secure an historic first UKIP MP in the Commons. However the Tory majority was more than halved from 16,000 in 2010, with Ukip surging from a distant fifth place in that election, taking an additional 10,000 votes this time around. Downing Street will hope that the result will quell fears on the Tory backbenches that the party can hold back the UKIP tide at the general election in May 2015. But speaking in Bayeux ahead of D-Day commemoration events, Mr Cameron said more had to be done to tackle the threat from UKIP in the run-up to the 2015 general election. He told reporters: 'We need to work between now and the next election to say very clearly we have got a long-term plan, we are getting Britain back to work, we are cutting people's taxes, we are helping hard-working people. 'The job isn't finished yet but we are on the right track, let's stick at it.' UKIP secured a swing of 22.1 per cent, with the Lib Dems down 17.4 per cent on another dreadful night for Nick Clegg's party . Hundreds of Tory activists flooded into the seat in a bid to secure victory over UKIP . Defeated: Roger Helmer (left) and Nigel Farage (right) arrive to hear the results. Despite finishing second, the Ukip leader said 'tremors are still being felt' two weeks after the party's European election triumph . New MP Mr Jenrick said: 'The people of Newark have voted to back this Government, to back this Government's long- term economic plan to secure the future of this constituency and of this great country.' Mr Farage sought to put a brave face on the Tory victory, insisting UKIP had made 'huge gains'. Speaking after the result, Mr Farage said: 'I think there'll be an awful lot of Conservatives with a majority of less than 10,000 who will look upon this result in sheer horror.' But he admitted he would have liked to have done better in Newark. 'Yes, I mean the majority's halved and we thought we'd bitten into it even more than that, but nonetheless for U it's still a good night's work,' he said. Denying he should have spent more time in the constituency, he said: ‘UKIP is about much more than Nigel Farage.’ Mr Cameron made four visits to the seat, including a tour with Boris Johnson, in an attempt to seal victory. By contrast Mr Farage visited just once during the campaign. David Cameron hailed the victory, insisting Mr Jenrick would 'deliver a brighter future for all' David Cameron visited the seat four times, including touring a street market with London Mayor Boris Johnson . The Tories flooded the constituency with activists and MPs to prove the party machine could see off the threat from UKIP . The result will be a setback for Mr Farage, who had hoped to use victory in the European Parliament elections last month as a springboard to gaining a seat in Westminster. He promised to do ‘everything we can’ to win the by-election, declaring: ‘The people’s army of Ukip now marches on Newark.’ However, on the eve of the vote the UKIP leader was pictured partying in Malta after giving a speech to the tourism industry. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of disgraced MP Patrick Mercer, who faced being suspended from the Commons after being caught in a lobbying sting . It suggested he had all but given up hope of seizing the Tories’ 44th safest seat. Yesterday he was pictured walking hand-in-hand into a hotel with a tourism executive but he insisted today: 'I didn't go to bed with her'. The UKIP leader claimed he was the victim of 'abhorrent mischief making' after he was photographed with Ande Soteri at 3.42am after a gala dinner in Malta. UKIP strategists hoped to use Newark to mimic the success of the Reform party in Canada which used a by-election as a springboard to becoming a dominant political force. Local teacher Deborah Grey won Reform's first seat in Parliament in 1989, and four years later the party overtook the Progressive Conservatives as the main right-wing party . Mr Farage was accused of ‘bottling it’ after refusing to stand in the by-election himself, claiming he did not want to cause a ‘huge distraction’ from the Euro election campaign. He reportedly told the BBC that if he lost Ukip would be finished: 'The bubble is burst.' He stepped aside in favour of Roger Helmer, who was elected as an MEP for UKIP last month. Many Tories despaired when the contest was called after Mr Mercer’s sudden resignation. The outspoken critic of Mr Cameron quit the Tory party in July last year after he was exposed as having accepted £4,000 to ask Parliamentary questions and lobby on behalf of Fiji. He referred himself to Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and promised to quit the Commons at the next election. But in April it emerged the standards watchdog was going to recommend he be suspended from the Commons for six months, so he fell on his sword. The former Army colonel said that as an ex-soldier he believes that when you have done something wrong you should confess to it. He added: ‘No point in shilly- shallying or trying to avoid it. What has happened has happened, I’m ashamed of it. Therefore, I’m going to do what I can to put it right . . . I’m going to resign my seat.’ The market town of Newark lies on the River Trent in Nottinghamshire has been held by the Tories since 2001 . Newark is a largely rural constituency which, since Patrick Mercer was elected in 2001, has been considered a safe Conservative seat. Centred on the affluent cathedral town of Southwell and the market town of Newark, and dissected by the River Trent, around half of the area's 72,000 voters live in villages and rural areas. It borders Labour-held Bassetlaw in the north and lies to the north east of a number of Labour-voting constituencies in the city of Nottingham. But unlike Nottinghamshire's more urban areas, Newark has a traditionally Conservative-voting population, like that of its two neighbouring Lincolnshire constituencies, Gainsborough and Sleaford and North Hykeham, which border it to the east. Newark's electorate is 93 per cent white British, and 67 per cent describe themselves as Christian, with less than one per cent considering themselves Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Jewish. More than 70 per cent of homes in the constituency either owned outright or mortgaged, less than 10 per cent of households have council or housing association tenants and only 20 per cent of the electorate are younger than 34. Well over half of voters are employed, with nearly one in five retired and only three per cent unemployed. Traditionally Tory, it was held by the party for the first half of the 20th century, but swung to Labour after the war, with Labour MPs George Deer and Edward Stanley Bishop representing it from 1950 to 1979. It swung back to the Conservatives in 1979, with Tory Richard Alexander holding the seat until 1997, when Labour's Fiona Jones won a slim majority as Tony Blair swept to power. Mrs Jones could only hold the seat for one term however and Mr Mercer won it back for the Tories in 2001. At the last election, the Tories won 54 per cent of the vote, giving them a huge majority over Labour, who polled at only 24 per cent. | Conservatives held on to the seat with a comfortable majority of 7,403 .
However that is less than half the 16,000 majority in 2010 General Election .
Ukip finished a solid second, with Labour well behind in third place .
Disaster for Lib Dems as they trailed in sixth, barely scraping 1,000 votes .
Farage says: 'I don’t think anyone would have expected us to win here'
But added that finishing in second place proves campaign 'resonated' |
286,467 | ff2d8f475f668c43fc7e259475fd78c2e6cbf496 | Manchester City and Arsenal are continuing to monitor Cagliari midfielder Godfred Donsah. The confident 18-year-old has already attracted enquiries from Tottenham last month and can play at centre midfield as a holding player or right-back. Arsenal and City scouts watched him on Monday against Inter Milan in their 2-1 defeat. Cagliari midfielder Godfred Donsah was scouted by Arsenal and Manchester City on Monday . Donsah, pictured scoring against Torino, is a holding midfielder who is also comfortable at right back . The Ghanaian joined in 2012 from DC United Agogo for £2million. The president of Cagliari, Thomas Guilini, confirmed: 'It's not just City, even Arsenal were here to see him but I want to keep him here another year. 'It is better for his development too to stay here one more season.' Cagliari president Thoma Guilini wanted Donsah to remain with the club for another season before moving . | Arsenal and Manchester City sent scouts to watch Godfred Donsah .
Tottenham made enquiries about the 18-year-old in January .
Donsah is a holding midfielder who can also play as a right back .
Cagliari president Thomas Guilini wants to keep him for another season .
CLICK HERE for all the latest Premier League news . |
123,814 | 2c113632fd8354232f36fe9a53e96f33187b0433 | Horror fans from around the world are familiar with the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. The iconic white residence inspired author Stephen King to pen his best-selling novel, The Shining, after he stayed there with his wife. The hotel further served as inspiration for Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaptation, starring Jack Nicholson - though, interestingly, the movie's exterior shots were not filmed on site. Love 'The Shining'? The Stanley Hotel is hosting a maze design competition in homage to the classic film . A stay at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, inspired Stephen King to write the frightening novel . However, that doesn't stop them from playing the film on loop on channel 42 of the hotel's guest room TVs. Now, to celebrate 20 years of new management, the hotel has announced a unique public competition, which will attract aspiring designers and movie lovers alike. Amateur (and professional) designers have been called upon to design a 61,500 sq foot hedge maze, as seen in several of the film's pivotal scenes, to serve as an homage to the horror classic. The maze was featured prominently in the movie, despite not actually having been filmed on site in Colorado . 'There are few hotels in the world that share a history and story as unique as that of the Stanley Hotel,' said John W. Cullen, owner of the property. 'I am thrilled to share this special moment in my life and the hotel's history. 'We have built this place together over the years and I'm excited to invite everyone to be a part of its legacy through this special design contest.' The maze will be comprised of 1,600 to 2,000 Alpine Currant hedge bushes and will be featured prominently on the hotel's picturesque front lawn. The winning design will be constructed on the hotel's picturesque front lawn for all to see . A ribbon-cutting for the maze will take place on the opening night of the 3rd annual Stanley Film Festival on April 30, 2015, following the selection of the winning design by a special panel of Estes Park residents, Stanley Hotel employees and film festival staff. Winner will have their name placed on a recognition placard in the centre of the maze. More information, as well as requirements and guidelines, are available on the hotel website. All designs must be submitted by midnight on January 31, 2015. | Colorado hotel hosting public competition to design 61, 500 sq ft maze .
Iconic white residence served as inspiration for novel, The Shining .
Hotel maze was featured prominently in 1980 horror film adaptation .
Maze to be unveiled in April 2015, winner to have placard placed in centre . |
184,747 | 7b4e2a339e055882ddb9310c346be74ef7e3c9da | A 21-year-old unemployed man has become an internet sensation after he recorded an All About That Bass spoof in his little sister's bedroom, singing about his love for cakes. Tyler Moffat decided to produce the video All About the Cakes, singing about his love for the sweet treats and chicken thighs, as he dances in front of the camera. The video has become an internet hit after it was watched more than a million times on Facebook and 20,000 times on YouTube. Mr Moffat, who did not expect the three minute video to become so popular, includes comic lines such as: 'Every part of me is jelly from the bottom to the top.' Scroll down for video . Tyler Moffat recorded the spoof video 'for a laugh' and never expected it to become such a hit on the internet . Mr Moffat, 21, dances throughout his three minute spoof of All About That Bass posted on Youtube . He also says: 'Yeah, its pretty clear I eat a cake or two but if I’m really hungry it could be 22.' 'It's absolutely nuts how much attention it has got,' Mr Moffat told MailOnline. 'I never ever expected it to be like that.' He dances throughout the video, with a lipstick kiss mark on his neck, and looks to his friend laughing. He added: 'I just made the video for a laugh because I was bored. I put it on Facebook and it got a million views, and I thought, are you kidding me? It feels like a lifetime achievement.' Some of the lyrics see Mr Moffat dissolve in laughter, particularly as he sings the chorus 'Mama told me not to worry about my thighs. The 21 year old Scot said he was surprised when lines that he sang during the video rhymed . Mr Moffat would like to be a comedian and said one of his greatest ambitions was to appear on Big Brother . 'She said if you are still hungry go down and make yourself some chicken fries.' It also has a typically comic end as the music apparently stops, leaving Mr Moffat to explain what would have been his finale to the camera, before he eats a cake. Mr Moffat, who has been making comic videos since he was 16, has been caring for his mother, who has rheumatoid arthritis and sciatica for the last couple of years. 'I'm all about the cakes, about the cakes, the cakes, no trifle, I'm all about the cakes . Yeah, it's very clear I can eat a cake or two but if I'm really hungry I might eat 22. I got the boom boom and all the shots, all the right s*** in all the right places. I see that Burger King working up all those shops. I know that food they make, try and make it stop. You got booty booty, just make it stop. Every burger that you give me, I will try and stuff them up. Mama told me don't worry about my thighs. She said if you are still hungry go downstairs and make yourself some fries. No, I won't be no stick figure, won't eat no salad bowls. So if that's what you are offering then I will get you f****** told. Because you know it's about my thighs, about my thighs (repeats) I'm bringing brownies back, go ahead and tell those skinny b****** that. So you think you're fat? Every part of me is jelly from the bottom to the top . Mama she told me don't worry about your size. She said go down the shop and buy yourself some chicken thighs. No, I won't be no stick figure, or silicone barbie doll. So if that's what you want, go ahead, move. Because you know it's all about the cakes, about the cakes, no trifle (repeat) [music stops] . The finale was going to be a nice sweet cake for myself. F*** it. Eat cakes you all.' He added: 'She doesn't want to have home help and is more comfortable if I'm here with her. So I'm often here, there and everywhere on the way back and forth to hospital appointments.' The video is a spoof of Meghan Trainor's video All About That Bass, which includes the line 'Mama told me not to worry about my size.' It has been liked thousands of times since Mr Moffat uploaded it on YouTube on September 24. He said he would like to become a professional comedian but was unsure how to achieve it. He said he has also been the victim of internet trolls which used to affect him, but following the success of the video he feels he can stand up to them. He added: 'I've had trolls on Facebook for years. I've had to learn to ignore it. If they are talking about me at least they are leaving someone else alone. 'I would love to do something to do with comedy in the future and I would love to go on Big Brother. My whole family love it. But I can't because I'm here for my mum.' | Tyler Moffat, 21, recorded 'All About the Cakes' in his sister's old bedroom .
Amateur comedian never expected success and said attention is 'nuts'
Song includes lyrics 'Mama, she told me don’t worry about my thighs'
Video has been watched 20,000 times on YouTube and 1m on Facebook . |
182,392 | 78312c0ff823fe75fd110f9f4a4aa2ec8505959c | By . Arthur Martin . UPDATED: . 02:53 EST, 27 February 2012 . Addicted to pregnancy: Surrogate mother Jill Hawkins is expecting twins, her ninth and tenth babies, three weeks before she turns 48 . After serious complications while expecting her eighth child, Jill Hawkins vowed to stop being a surrogate mother. But her addiction to pregnancy proved too strong to resist. Miss Hawkins is due to give birth to twins – her ninth and tenth surrogate babies – three weeks before her 48th birthday. And she is not planning to stop there. Ignoring the potentially life-threatening health risks, the legal secretary is determined to squeeze in two more pregnancies before she reaches 50. During her previous pregnancy in 2010 Miss Hawkins, who is single and has no children of her own, spent most of the year on sick leave, confined to bed for days at a time with nausea and headaches. After the baby, a boy, was induced, Miss Hawkins promised her worried family that she would call time on her career as a surrogate mother. But yesterday she spoke of her pride at the prospect of taking her total of babies into double figures. At the two-bedroom flat in Brighton which she shares with two cats, she said: ‘My parents were concerned during the last pregnancy because it could have been life-threatening. ‘But I have forgotten about the terrible bits. ‘I just decided to go for it again. I find being pregnant very fulfilling. ‘I’m a naturally giving person and to be able to give babies away is what I do. ‘I was absolutely ecstatic when I found out I was pregnant with twins. It was like being pregnant for the first time again.’ Miss Hawkins’s first seven babies were conceived using her own eggs and the fathers’ sperm via artificial insemination. However, she is no longer able to become pregnant naturally and uses IVF. She is 14 weeks pregnant with twins from frozen embryos produced by a 42-year-old teacher and his 40-year-old wife from the Home Counties. The couple have a nine-year-old daughter who was born naturally, but have been unable to have any more children because the woman’s body has rejected all subsequent embryos which have been conceived. Miss Hawkins said she picked the couple because they were attractive and the husband looked like Kevin Costner. She went to hospital for a 13-week scan which showed both embryos were healthy. Number one and two: Lucy (left), who was born in August 1992, and Bertie (right), born two years later . Number three and four: Jamie (left), came into this world in February 1998, and David (right) in October 2001 . However, she is already suffering from the same symptoms which blighted her previous pregnancy. ‘I get tired very quickly,’ she said. ‘I have to do everything in short bursts and this time the headaches started at seven weeks. ‘I have a permanent pain in my head. I could take painkillers, but I don’t bother in case it puts the twins at risk.’ Miss Hawkins will find out the sex of the babies in April. They are due in mid-August. When she had her first baby for a couple, she lied to her bosses about the pregnancy. She invented a boyfriend and then claimed the baby had died, causing her colleagues to send her sympathy cards and flowers. Number five and six: November 2002 saw the arrival of Sam (left), while Alexandra (right) came in August 2004 . Number seven and eight: Isabella (left) was born in November 2006 and Oliver (right) in August 2010 . And a year after she became a surrogate mother for the third time, Miss Hawkins was diagnosed with depression. At one point in 2004, she felt so miserable that she attempted suicide by overdosing on anti-depressants. But she insists that her depression was caused by events during her childhood and her battle to lose weight rather than the mental strain of carrying babies that are given away. Miss Hawkins, who is paid around £12,000 in ‘expenses’ for each pregnancy, says she has never been in love. Next in line: This scan shows one of the twins from frozen embryos produced by a 42-year-old teacher and his 40-year-old wife . After her seventh surrogacy she planned to join a dating agency, but then she agreed to be a surrogate mother again instead. She added: ‘I don’t just decide to get pregnant on a whim. I think long and hard about it. ‘I never want to keep them. I am not maternal and very selfish. Not many woman can give babies away. It’s very emotional giving birth. ‘The one thing you are screaming to do is to hold that baby. ‘It is an overwhelming feeling and you have to be strong to counter that. ‘People think I’m mad, but my friends are not surprised any more.’ Miss Hawkins is the most prolific surrogate mother living in Britain. Carole Horlock, from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, who has given birth to 12 surrogate babies, moved to France four years ago. | But Jill Hawkins isn't stopping there... she wants two more pregnancies before turning 50 . |
59,378 | a89493ae8e3df3b9ec920c24a4e9e9a844f58cf3 | By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 07:03 EST, 24 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:06 EST, 24 December 2013 . A Labrador rescued from wild seas and certain death by lifeboat crews has been reunited with its owners. Mike and Caroline Jenner feared their pet Quila had drowned after she was swept out to sea by the tide at Sea Palling, Norfolk. And the couple were thrilled when the eight-year-old animal was dramatically saved by Happisburgh, Norfolk Lifeboat crew - who found her cowering on a reef. Scroll down for video . Saved: Mike and Caroline Jenner thought their pet Quila had drowned after she was swept out to sea off the Norfolk coast . Mr Jenner, 71, of Stalham, said: 'It was going to be a terrible, miserable Christmas - but that was swept away and everything is wonderful now.' Mr Jenner had taken Quila for her regular stroll on Sea Palling beach with the dog's daughter Sunni early on Sunday morning. The two dogs got excited after spotting a seal pup in the water and leapt in after it. To the rescue: RNLI staff managed to save this terrified animal after it was swept away off the coast of Norfolk . Approach: The female's owner was walking along Sea Palling beach when the animal disappeared. RNLI staff then began a search for the dog, finding her on these rocks after hearing barking . SOS: Happisburgh, Norfolk, RNLI spotted the animal half a mile out to sea standing on some rocks, pictured . Despite frantically whistling and shouting, the dog owner could not get them back. 'I managed to get Sunni back, I was waist high in water by then,' he said. 'I tied her up and then tried to get Quila, who was getting further and further out and totally ignoring me.' Mr Jenner managed to get two kayakers to try to bring the stricken dog in. Lucky: The animal's owner had already searched for the dog with two kayakers before the RNLI were called . Attached: Staff aboard the boat secured the shivering animal, latching a rope onto her collar . All aboard: Staff then gently pulled the animal - who was soaked through - on to their lifeboat . But terrified Quila was dragged out to sea - and quickly vanished out of sight. The coastguard was alerted and lifeboats sent out a search party. But Mr Jenner admitted he had 'given up hope' as he returned home to tell his wife Caroline the heartbreaking news. 'I told her I'd lost Quila at sea and feared she was drowned,' said Mr Jenner. 'There was no easy way of saying it - it was horrible.' But then a neighbour spotted a sign on the beach saying a golden Labrador had been rescued. Easy does it: The female is lifted to the warmth of the boat by a team member . Good girl! The animal looks a little relieved to be off the rocks and with a staff member . Mike contacted the coastguard and was put in touch with Sea Palling lifeboat. A . crew member had taken frozen Quila - who had lost her name tag with her . owners' phone number on during her nightmare ordeal - home to get her . warm after she suffered hypothermia. 'I didn't think I'd ever see our Quila again,' said Mr Jenner . 'It ended happily ever after.' Mrs . Jenner, 61, added: 'We're over the moon. We really can't thank . Happisburgh and Sea Palling rescue enough, they were absolutely . fantastic.' Happy to be home: Quila, left, and her daughter Sunni, take a well-earned rest . | Golden Lab Quilla disappeared after walking along Sea Palling beach, Norfolk .
Lifeboat staff from Happisburgh, Norfolk, started search for dog .
Terrified animal was found on rocks half-a-mile out to sea .
'It was going to be a terrible, miserable Christmas - but everything is wonderful now,' owner said today . |
3,930 | 0b554eeacaaa2f903df9870cd4f643ee90209b2d | Washington (CNN) -- To understand how messed up Republican politics are these days, examine two votes in Congress this week that demonstrated the level of GOP dysfunction amid the confusing dynamics of an election year in Washington. On Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner and 27 other Republicans voted to allow the federal borrowing limit to increase, joining nearly unanimous Democratic support to pass the debt-ceiling measure over the opposition of the other 199 GOP members. The next day, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and 11 GOP colleagues voted with the Democratic majority to reject an attempted filibuster of the same legislation by fellow Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Minutes later, all 12 of the GOP senators who helped defeat the filibuster bid voted with Cruz and the rest of the Senate Republicans against final approval of the debt-ceiling plan, which passed anyway due to unanimous Democratic support. In other words, Republican leaders in Congress sided with Democrats to push through legislation opposed by most of their colleagues. In the Senate, they then voted against the proposal that their earlier support ensured would pass. Senate passes debt-ceiling plan in blow to tea party . Election year politics . Here's the really strange part -- it all makes sense, at least in the context of a divided Republican Party less than nine months before congressional elections in which every House seat and 36 of the 100 Senate seats will be contested. The situations in the House and Senate differed in specifics but shared a common root -- more extreme conservatives foiled plans by GOP leaders to avoid a politically damaging showdown over the debt ceiling while still registering Republican opposition to increased federal borrowing. According to public statements, nobody wanted another debt-ceiling stalemate like those of the past three years that unsettled financial markets and caused the first downgrade of the U.S. credit rating in 2011. A recent CNN/ORC International poll found that 54% of respondents would blame congressional Republicans for a failure to raise the debt ceiling, while 29% would blame President Barack Obama and 12% would blame both. Fresh memories of public blame for the 16-day government shutdown in October also motivated Republican leaders to try to steer clear of another standoff. However, conservative disdain for anything smelling of more federal borrowing -- especially in an election year -- torpedoed Boehner's efforts to forge a compromise that would include some deficit-reduction provisions. Boehner's dilemma . His final attempt was to tack on a politically popular proposal that repealed cuts to military pensions in the recent budget agreement. When Boehner's caucus rejected it, the Ohioan decided to violate his own rule by holding a vote on a "clean" debt-ceiling plan with no accompanying spending cuts, which passed on Tuesday because of strong Democratic support. The House result offered McConnell a face-saving chance to avoid any Senate Republicans from having to vote for the debt-ceiling measure. He and other GOP leaders urged their colleagues to let Democrats pass the House version while Republicans opposed it, but Cruz's filibuster bid meant that at least five GOP votes would be needed to prevent another Washington impasse. In a dramatic moment Wednesday on the Senate floor, McConnell and fellow GOP leader Sen. John Cornyn of Texas cast the two votes needed to reach the threshold of 60 to overcome the filibuster attempt. Other GOP colleagues then changed their votes to provide some political cover, but the damage was done. Both McConnell and Cornyn -- longtime conservatives considered Obama's harshest Senate foes -- face primary challenges from further to the right this year. Shortly after Wednesday's votes, the campaign of McConnell's primary opponent in Kentucky, tea party conservative Matt Bevin, highlighted how the senator helped defeat the filibuster against the debt limit measure. Boehner says 'never mind' on immigration . Political pragmatism . Some GOP colleagues praised Boehner and McConnell for putting party welfare ahead of personal political risk. "It was a very courageous act, especially Sen. McConnell, who we all know is in a very tough race," said GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona, one of the Republicans who changed his vote to help overcome the filibuster bid. "He's the elected Republican leader and it's up to him to cast the right vote." Fellow Republican Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska said the debt-ceiling issue had to be resolved to prevent harmful financial and political fallout. "That's just the reality," he said. "You can deal with it with 60 votes or a majority, but at the end of the day, you had to deal with it." Cruz was unapologetic, attacking his fellow Republicans and Democrats as unresponsive to the rising federal debt. "Today was a classic victory for Washington establishment interests, and the people who lost today were the American people," he said. As expected, Democrats offered a different assessment. "A real civil war" "It is encouraging that some of my Republican colleagues seem to be regaining their grip on sanity this week," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said before Wednesday's votes, while fellow Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri told MSNBC that Republicans have "a real civil war on their hands." "They have rigid ideologues that are pushing a very narrow agenda, a very narrow view of what America is, and then they've got a lot of Republicans that are not that extreme, and they're in a big battle right now," she said. "And you see it every day around here." To CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger, Cruz put his own agenda of appealing to the tea party right ahead of the GOP leadership's strategy. She noted he did the same thing to cause last year's government shutdown by trying to link federal spending to efforts to dismantle Obama's signature health care reforms, which conservatives detest. Republicans still smarting from that defeat "are looking at Ted Cruz today and going, 'Oh my God, didn't you learn the lesson of the government shutdown?'" Borger said, adding that "it's about him." CNN's Dana Bash, Ted Barrett and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. | Republican leaders seek the best of both worlds in election-year politics .
On the debt ceiling, they wanted to oppose an increase they knew was needed .
The goal was to avoid the ire of conservatives by getting Democrats to pass it .
Resistance by the tea party wing forced GOP leaders to take politically risky steps . |
9,278 | 1a4cf9e66cf130d5fcf19b37d245a1d4b029324b | By . Chris Waugh . Follow @@ChrisDHWaugh . India's Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 50 per cent of his first Test match fee after his involvement in an incident with England bowler James Anderson at Trent Bridge. The all-rounder was found guilty of 'conduct contrary to the spirit of the game' at an International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing on Friday. Jadeja and Anderson clashed following the second day of the first Test in the five-match series on July 10. Guilty: India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 50 per cent of his first Test match fee . Clash: Jadeja (left) and England's Jame Anderson (right) were involved in an incident at Trent Bridge on July 10 . Incident: Jadeja (right) was found guilty of 'conduct contrary to the spirit of the game' by the ICC at his hearing . Verbals: Anderson and Jadeja have a frank exchange of views out in the middle on day two of the first Test . And Jadeja, 25, was found to have been complicit in the incident. Anderson will find out if he too will be punished for the incident during his personal ICC hearing which takes place on Friday, August 1. India lead the series 1-0 following a 95-run victory at Lord's in the second Test. The third Test begins at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire on Sunday. Wait: England paceman Anderson will find out if he too will be punished at an ICC hearing on Friday, August 1 . Lead: Jadeja scored a half-century as India went 1-0 in the five-match series with a 95-run victory at Lord's . VIDEO Ballance targets key battles . | Jadeja was involved in an incident with Anderson at Trent Bridge on July 10 .
Jadeja found guilty of 'conduct contrary to the spirit of the game' by ICC .
Anderson will learn if he too will be punished at ICC hearing on August 1 .
India lead five-match series 1-0 following 95-run victory at Lord's .
Third Test begins at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire on Sunday . |
64,647 | b79b255f2621c36221214b79e12af710389c1340 | Villagers in Thailand held a Google Street View worker after suspecting he was a government spy. About 20 residents in the remote Sa-eab village in Phrae province blocked the marked Google car on Tuesday after becoming convinced the worker was surveying for an unwanted dam project. The Google worker, named as Deeprom Phongphon, was only believed after swearing in a Buddhist temple that he did not work for the government. The Google Street View worker was surrounded by villagers as he drove through Sa-eab, in Phrae Provine. Above, the street car in action in the UK . The car aroused suspicion as it toured the streets of the rural village with its large camera attached to the roof. The Manager newspaper reported that the . villagers took the vehicle's driver to a local office to quiz him, then . to a temple where they made him swear on a statue of Buddha that he was . not working for the dam project. Residents said he would face bad luck within a week if he lied in front of the statue. 'The villagers were definitely not happy. The car looked very strange . and had something on the top - there was also all kinds of equipment . inside the car,' Wichai Ruksapon, 64, told AFP. Google's regional communications manager Taj Meadows said yesterday that the company was aware of the incident. The Prachatai news website said the villagers released the driver and later apologized to him and to Google. Sa-eab village, 385 miles north of Bangkok, is known for its long-running dam protests by villagers and environmental groups. '(We) apologize to the official, to Google, as well as to the Thai people throughout the nation and to the citizens of the world,' the villagers' representatives wrote. The Google worker was only let go when he swore in front of a statue of Buddha at a local temple . They explained that they were 'extremely . worried and there had been so many repeated cases that convinced the . villagers to believe someone was trying to survey the area in disguise.' Google Street View has run into problems in some other countries where there are concerns it captures too much information that should be private. The project's technology also scoops up Wi-Fi radio signals, and Britain's data regulator in June ordered the company to delete personal data it gathered that way, or face a contempt of court action. 'Embarking on new projects, we sometimes encounter unexpected challenges, and Street View has been no exception,' Google's Meadows said in an email, adding that 'Street View abides by Thailand's local laws, and only features imagery taken on public property.' The internet giant project takes photographs to accompany its Google Earth map program. In 2011, the Tourism Authority of Thailand partnered with Google Thailand to launch a tourism promotion initiative involving images of streets and top attractions in the country's major cities. Thailand was the world's 35th country to have Street View imagery available. | Google car aroused suspicion as it drove through Sa-eab village .
Residents surrounded it and made driver swear he worked for Google .
Villagers suspected car was surveying for unwanted dam project . |
219,004 | a7765f3e3558daf3fbb24422d6535aa65843b4db | It may look like an iPhone 4 but this gadget is in fact a stun gun which has landed a 21-year-old man three years in prison. Marcel Cross was found with the concealed weapon after police were called following reports of a man with a stun gun in Bicester, Oxfordshire. Officers who attended the scene on January 6 discovered Cross with the gun and despite his claims to have purchased it as a novelty item, he was charged with possession of a firearm. This is the stun gun belonging to Marcel Cross, pictured beside a real iPhone 4. The only noticeable difference between the two is the buttons are slightly more prominent on the stun gun version . The real McCoy: The stun gun was made to look like this Apple iPhone 4 (filed photo) The disguised stun guns are sold cheaply on the internet, often under the pretense of self protection. PC Joe Stafford, of Banbury CID, said it had been 'cleverly disguised' to look like a mobile phone and said the prison sentence reflected how serious an offence carrying the disguised weapons were. 'The stun gun had been cleverly disguised as an iPhone 4 mobile phone. Marcel Cross was given a three year prison sentence for possession of the stun gun . There can only be one reason for disguising an item like this and that is to allow a person to carry it without detection. 'The . seriousness of this was reflected in the sentence passed at court. The . sentence should act as a deterrent to others who may consider possessing . a similar item. 'The . defendant claimed to have purchased the weapon from a local market as a . novelty item, but the judge stated that the defendant needed to . recognise the seriousness of the offence. Cross was jailed at . Oxford Crown Court on Monday for three years, for possession of a Section . 5 firearm. Cheap stun guns disguised as the ubiquitous iPhone are becoming steadily more common in the UK. Earlier this year a 14-year-old boy was found to be carrying one of the concealed stun guns and a confused police officer was zapped by it. The dangerous device was found when the schoolboy, who was not identified, was arrested alongside three other teenagers after a bus driver complained he was subjected to vile racist taunts. The guns are mostly manufactured in China and can be bought online for as little as £15, but can be deadly - they are capable of discharging blasts of up to 50,000 volts of electricity. Another variation now on the market includes a stun gun which doubles as an iPhone jacket - meaning it can be used to stun people, or charge your phone. | Marcel Cross found with stun gun 'cleverly disguised' as iPhone 4 .
21-year-old from Oxfordshire jailed for three years for possessing firearm .
Claimed he had purchased weapon from a local market as a novelty item . |
198,119 | 8c70b687e06bdf2d72f57c3615baaf2ceb2e0a35 | By . Emma Glanfield . A Tube driver has appeared in court charged with unlawfully endangering passengers after he ‘drove a train while intoxicated’. Ian Comfort, 50, from Thamesmead, southeast London, is accused of driving a Jubilee line train while unfit through drink and drugs on March 22. He faces two charges – one of 'working on the railway whilst unfit to carry out that work through drink or drugs' and a second charge of committing an 'unlawful act, driving a train, while unfit through drink or drugs while endangering the safety of someone being conveyed in or on that railway'. Ian Comfort, 50, from Thamesmead, southeast London, pictured outside Hendon Magistrates' Court, is accused of driving a Jubilee line train while unfit through drink and drugs on March 22 . Comfort was arrested at Queensbury Tube Station on March 22 after allegedly failing to provide a breath sample. He is currently suspended from duty . Following his arrest last month, a British Transport Police spokeswoman said: 'I can confirm that officers were called to Queensbury London Underground station shortly after 3pm on Saturday (March 22)' Hendon Magistrates' Court heard today how the alleged offences ‘endangered the safety of passengers’ on the railway. Comfort, dressed in a grey open collar shirt and black trousers, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth at the hearing. The Tube driver was arrested at Queensbury Tube Station on March 22 after allegedly failing to provide a breath sample. He is currently suspended from duty. Following his arrest last month, a British Transport Police spokeswoman said: 'I can confirm that officers were called to Queensbury London Underground station shortly after 3pm on Saturday (March 22). 'A 50-year-old man has been arrested under the Transport and Works Act and has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.' Comfort, 50, is accused of driving a Jubilee line train while unfit through drink and drugs on March 22 (file picture) Comfort, dressed in a grey open collar shirt and black trousers, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth at today's court hearing . Comfort attended Hendon Magistrates' Court, pictured, today to face two charges after he allegedly drove a train 'while unfit through drink or drugs'. The case was sent to Harrow Crown Court on April 28 . Also at the time of the incident, a Transport for London spokesman said: ‘A train operator was relieved from duty after concerns were raised about his conduct. 'The train operator was subsequently taken into custody by British Transport Police. The member of staff is suspended while investigations by ourselves and the BTP are continuing.' Comfort was released on unconditional bail until April 28 when he is due to appear at Harrow Crown Court for a preliminary hearing. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Ian Comfort is accused of driving a tube while 'unfit through drink or drugs'
The 50-year-old was arrested at Queensbury Tube Station on March 22 .
Hendon Magistrates' Court heard he 'endangered safety' of those on train .
Case sent to Harrow Crown Court for preliminary hearing on April 28 . |
29,222 | 53018dbf709763621170c7ca571083678f1b1126 | Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- Nigeria imposed a 24-hour curfew Saturday in the northern city of Kano after assailants killed scores of people and wounded others in a hail of gunfire and coordinated bombings of eight government sites. A military official told CNN that at least 156 people were dead and feared the number would rise. "The hospitals are not equipped to deal with the influx and severity of the injuries, so we are expecting that figure to go up further," the official said. Nwankpa Nwankpa, a Red Cross information officer in the capital, Abuja, said 50 people were injured in the attacks. He said that search and rescue operations are underway and volunteers are working to assist those hurt. The attacks targeted several police stations, barracks and the building housing the assistant inspector general of police in Kano, Nigeria's second largest city. A passport office, state security headquarters and the immigration office were also hit, police said. Are you there? Share your story . Terrified residents barricaded themselves in their homes, said Rev. Murtala Mati of the Christian Association of Nigeria. "The government is really trying but we are afraid ... we are all scared," he said. During the attack, assailants entered a police station, freed detainees and bombed it, authorities said. They later canvassed the area in a car led by motorcycles, spraying targets with gunfire. Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the blast in a phone call to the Daily Trust, according to journalists at the newspaper. Nigeria closed its borders Saturday with Cameroon and Niger, whom it has accused of allowing the militants to move freely into Nigeria. The government has put in place a state of emergency, and a large deployment of troops has been sent to the north of the country. African Union commission chairman Jean Ping condemned "in the strongest terms" the attacks Saturday, and expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and his concern for the many people who were injured. The AU rejects terrorism in all its forms, the statement said, and gives Nigeria its full backing in its efforts to end terror attacks. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is "appalled at the frequency and intensity of recent attacks in Nigeria, which demonstrate a wanton and unacceptable disregard for human life," his office said Saturday in a statement. "In voicing solidarity with the government and people of Nigeria, the secretary-general also expresses his hope for swift and transparent investigations into these incidents that lead to bringing the perpetrators to justice," the statement added. In December, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in four northern states. The declaration followed a series of Christmas Day attacks on Christian churches blamed on the Boko Haram group. The man suspected of masterminding those attacks, named Kabiru Sokoto, was briefly captured this week before escaping police custody while being transferred to another prison. Several police officers and the local commissioner are under investigation over his escape. A 50 million naira ($307,000) reward was also offered by police Thursday for any information leading to Sokoto's re-arrest. Northern Nigeria has been wracked by religious violence in recent weeks, including a spate of attacks in early January that killed at least 25 Christians. Boko Haram has been blamed for months of widespread bloodshed, with churches and police stations among the targets. CNN's David McKenzie contributed to this report. | NEW: The U.N.'s Ban Ki-moon is "appalled at the frequency and intensity" of recent attacks .
A military official tells CNN that at least 156 people were killed .
Nigeria closes its borders with Niger and Cameroon and imposes a state of emergency .
The Islamist militant group Boko Haram claims responsibility . |
230,958 | b70da9606e34cf843b98ffeca2aeef186f118726 | (CNN) -- How do U.S. wireless carriers expect their investments in new 4G high-speed networks to pay off? This shift is about more than simply providing mobile data -- and it could even bring some long-overdue improvements to the humble telephone call. At the Open Mobile Summit conference last week in San Francisco, a panel of carrier executives and wireless industry experts discussed the revenue-generating opportunities of offering 4G service. This is a big concern for carriers, since their costly move to 3G networks a few years ago appears to have financially benefited other players in the mobile industry (such as Apple) more than the carriers themselves. There are some obvious ways that carriers plan to make money from their 4G networks. First, these networks will allow wireless carriers to sell more data -- a key part of their business model as most U.S. carriers move away from offering unlimited data plans. Also, current FCC net neutrality rules allow wireless carriers to selectively "fast track" delivery of online content and services. Most likely content and service providers, rather than consumers, would end up paying for such paid prioritization. Still, despite heavy marketing, 4G phones and services haven't been easy to sell to the average mobile consumer. As Scott Devitt, a consumer Internet analyst with Morgan Stanley, noted: "For most consumers, the value of 4G is not really clear at this point -- except for watching mobile video." Consequently U.S. carriers are starting to look hard at less-obvious ways to demonstrate the value of 4G to consumers. "The phone call hasn't been significantly improved or enhanced since the introduction of touch tone dialing," observed Rob Glaser, a partner with the venture capital firm Accel Partners." 4G is already allowing people to do great things with their phones -- but most people still spend about 47% of their time on their cell phones making regular phone calls." Sprint CTO Stephen Bye said, "It is important to not lose sight of what customers see as important. Despite how much carriers are focusing on 4G data speed, most customers measure network success based on voice-call quality." Improving the audio quality and clarity of voice calls is one reason why some U.S. carriers are working to implement "voice over LTE" (VoLTE) technology. Earlier this year Verizon announced plans to start selling VoLTE-enabled phones in early 2012. Earlier, Verizon director of ecosystem development Brian Higgins told CNN that "high-definition audio fidelity will be a major selling point" for Verizon -- implying that the carrier might be hoping to sell VoLTE as some kind of premium service, at least initially. That's another way to make extra money from a 4G network. The discount carrier MetroPCS may be moving faster than Verizon toward deploying VoLTE for its customers. Already, MetroPCS has begun migrating text and multimedia messaging traffic to its LTE network. (Traditionally, SMS/MMS messaging is handled over the same base carrier network as voice calls.) But Connected Planet notes that MetroPCS has less wireless spectrum access than Verizon. Also, MetroPCS never rolled out 3G technology as extensively as the major carriers. So, since 4G and VoLTE could help MetroPCS squeeze more mileage from its existing spectrum, this could mean that MetroPCS might offer these as basic -- not premium -- services. That would make for interesting competition in the consumer mobile market -- especially since MetroPCS focuses on the no-contract mobile market. If VoLTE calling becomes commonplace, it could change how people pay for cell phone service. If most mobile voice calls happen over data networks, then carriers may stop selling "minutes" altogether and shift to charging solely for data packages. But initially, as carriers first start marketing "high definition calling," they may face some consumer pushback due to perceived value. Consumers who get VoLTE phones and service might not always experience clearer phone calls, since only calls placed between VoLTE-enabled phones are expected to sound better. Calls between a VoLTE-enabled phone and a regular cell phone are expected to sound the same. As the recent backpedaling by major banks on proposed debit card fees indicates, right now corporations are wary of consumer revolts against mounting bills. Right now wireless carriers generally bill customers for service for each mobile device they use (with the exception of cell phone "family plans"). But these days, consumers also use tablets, gaming consoles and other devices over carrier networks. If consumers revolt against the cumulative sticker shock of multiple monthly bills for connectivity, carriers may begin to move away from device-specific billing -- which includes tethering charges. There is one more way that wireless carriers can make money from 4G: selling data about consumers. David Small, CTO for Verizon Wireless, raised the point that 4G will allow users to do even more with their cell phones and other wireless devices -- which means carriers will be gathering more consumer data than ever before via their networks. "All that data, about all the facets of users' lives -- that's got value," Small said. "And that's a revenue opportunity for us." Sprint CTO Bye agreed, but cautiously: "We know there's a fine line between monetization and trust for our customers. We think consumer data would be more useful in the aggregate, for machine-to-machine interfaces, without bringing it down to a particular person." The opinions expressed in this post are solely those of Amy Gahran. | Cellphone carriers are trying to earn more revenue from offering 4G networks .
Wireless networks can sell more data and sell data about consumers to generate revenue .
Carriers are improving audio quality and selling it through "voice over LTE" (VoLTE) |
112,551 | 1d3506e3bf7340770c298a99770d4e04c5830a2c | (CNN) -- I was 23 and a graduate trainee journalist when Marie Colvin survived an ambush in Sri Lanka that robbed her of an eye. To me, she was already part of a small band of women war correspondents, starting with Martha Gellhorn, who were my role models. To me, these women lived the story, gave voice to the voiceless and urged the myopic world to sit up and give a damn. The romantic in me yearned for their life of exotic travel, dangerous liaisons and hushed confidences over drinks and cigarettes in dingy bars, where stories were written and lifelong friendships made. The realist in me did not understand the risks then. It wasn't until later that I realised I am not brave enough to be like Marie and some of the women I've met in my work. I've travelled to some dark places and reported from some danger zones, but nothing of the magnitude that she and they have encountered. I had first come across Marie while doing work experience on the foreign desk at the Sunday Times. To a young, hungry, aspiring foreign correspondent, she was an inspiration. But her experience in Sri Lanka several years later gave her added gravitas in my eyes. She was a survivor in a world where safety had not yet really become part of the culture and conversation in news rooms and, even then, in the years before the inexorable rise of social media raised the stakes and cacophony of information for traditional journalists, she was a rare breed. Having decided in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti that I no longer wanted to report from these so-called hostile environments, that I no longer wished to do so as the mother of a small daughter, I now work for the International News Safety Institute, a charity that provides safety advice and training to journalists working in dangerous situations. At INSI, I've seen the risks journalists take and face across the world and I've learned about the people whose names and lives are hidden behind the statistics -- who represent the 120 or so men and women working in the news media killed every year trying to do their job. Unlike Marie, most of them aren't well-known journalists, reporting for famous newspapers. Most come from countries like Pakistan, the Philippines and Mexico, where ineffective governments and corrupt officials, businesspeople and gangs want to silence them. Along with Tim Hetherington and Anthony Shadid, Marie Colvin is probably the best known journalist to die whilst covering the Arab Spring. However, almost 30 more news media workers have died doing their jobs since the uprisings took root across the Middle East last year. With their unknown names and faces, they are unlike her. But like Marie, they are men and women who felt compelled to fight against injustice, armed only with their words and images. Marie knew that no war was risk free. And, after Sri Lanka, she knew that more than most. But she knew too that journalists have a responsibility in helping write that first rough draft of history. In a speech that's been much quoted in the past 24 hours, which she gave at a service in 2010 paying tribute to journalists killed in their work, she said: "Our mission is to report these horrors of war with accuracy and without prejudice. We always have to ask ourselves whether the level of risk is worth the story. What is bravery, and what is bravado?" There are many who turned back before Marie. Her mother said she wanted to finish "one more story". Her bosses urged her to leave the besieged Syrian city of Homs. One friend, the BBC's Jim Muir, says he sensed in her a vulnerability he'd not seen before in the days before she left for Syria. Shortly before she died, she told another friend, Channel 4 News' Lindsey Hilsum, that it was the "worst they'd ever seen". And, yet she felt compelled to continue shining a light on the worst suffering humans can inflict on each other, to give voice to the voiceless and expose the truth - in her case at a terrible price. Her death and that of the brilliant French photographer Remi Ochlick have highlighted risks that journalists take to do their jobs. It has shown that there still remains a rare breed of talented, humane journalist who believes it is worth risking everything to tell the story of the victims of war. At INSI, we want to pay tribute to Marie and the men and women like her. I hope her death will make the world sit up and realize what's going on in Syria and I hope her death will make people realize the risks that journalists across the world take every day to bring home the news. Marie Colvin remains for me a role model, the Martha Gellhorn of her generation: An extraordinary woman who combined grit and glamour. Women like her are rare in an industry long dominated by men. Often the risks they face are no different from their male counterparts. But, on many occasions they are. At INSI, we're launching a book dedicated to the safety of women journalists. In it, 40 women from around the world, including CNN's Hala Gorani, tell of covering war and civil unrest, corruption and disaster. They detail episodes of desperate detention, of kidnap, assault, extraordinary escapes and moments of awe-inspiring bravery, as they share their experiences of being a female journalist. The decision to put together this unique book was triggered by the terrible attack on Lara Logan in Tahrir Square last year. It went to print just days before Marie's death. "No Woman's Land: On the Frontlines with Female Reporters" will be published on March 8, International Women's Day. It will be launched with a tribute to Marie. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Hannah Storm. | Former reporter Hannah Storm says Marie Colvin was an inspiration to journalists .
Storm, of International News Safety Institute, says reporters face dangers in course of work .
Storm: Colvin "shone a light on the worst suffering humans can inflict on each other" |
100,820 | 0de97a59af45d9b835c91729fc8ffe6222f876be | By . Laura Cox, Michael Zennie and Thomas Durante . PUBLISHED: . 21:59 EST, 16 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 22:03 EST, 16 July 2012 . Despite wrapping his car around a pole in a car crash following a nightclub drinking binge, New York Knicks' star Jason Kidd told cops he did not know he had even been in an accident. Kidd was partying hard at a club in Long Island's Suffolk County on Saturday night, just hours before he was arrested for drunken driving after crashing his Cadillac SUV. The crash occurred just a mile and a half from the $6million summer home he owns in the Hamptons. Making headlines: Kidd was big news three days . ago when he signed with the New York Knicks. Now it's his mugshot that . is being published . The two-time Olympic gold medalist . reportedly told police he didn't remember the wreck early Sunday and . didn't feel any pain, even though he received minor injuries and had to . be hospitalised when he smashed into the telephone pole and skidded 25 . feet into the woods. In a criminal complaint obtained by the New York Post, police said: 'Defendant did not know what had happened in accident. Defendant arrested for [driving while intoxicated] transported to hospital for injuries... Defendant refused in hospital to chemical test.' An officer noted he had watery, . bloodshot eyes and was unsteady on his feet, and reported smelling . alcohol on his breath, though Kidd refused to breathalyzer test. The complaint stated that Kidd was still in his SUV as police arrived at the scene. Police allege the NBA guard blew . through a stop sign in the upscale village of Water Mill on Long Island . on his way home and crashed into a telephone pole, snapping it off at . the base. Celebration: A fan claims these pictures, taken at a club in the Hamptons, show Kidd partying hard just before he crashed his Cadillac SUV . His lawyer said he will plead not guilty. The arrest came just three days after he . signed a contract to become the Knick's newest guard - the biggest star . to sign on for the team in the off season. While Kidd has gotten slammed in the New York press since the arrest, his mother-in-law has got his back. 'He was tired. He’s not a drunk!' Denotra Coleman, his wife's mother, told the New York Daily News. She said that Kidd has been a good father an a good husband to her daughter Porschla - Kidd's second wife. She . said Kidd just fathered his fifth child with Porschla and that he never . would have driven home drunk with a small child at home. Living it up: The crash occurred just a few miles from his $6 million summer home in the swanky village in the Hamptons . The latest Knicks recruit signed a three-year, $9.5million deal with the baseball team on Thursday. Prior to that he had played for the Dallas Mavericks since 2008, and also led the New Jersey Nets to two NBA Finals appearances. He also has Olympic two gold medals - playing for Team USA in 2000 and 2008 - and won the NBA finals with Dallas in 2011. In . 2001 he pleaded guilty to a domestic violence charge involving his . ex-wife, Joumana. He is now married to Porschla, a former model. New photos released on Monday reportedly . show Kidd, his shirt stained with sweat, dancing at a trendy nightclub . prior to his arrest. Celebrity: Jason Kidd and his wife Porschla posed with Star War creator George Lucas at a charity event in the Hamptons hours before his arrest . He left after breaking a light fixture . when he tried to swing from it. Witnesses say he had to be supported by . friends to make it to his SUV. The pictures, posted by Barstool Sports, . were sent in by a reader who said, 'My buddy’s wife was at last night . (sic) where Kidd was partying. Said he had to be carried out by security . at the end of the night because he was so wasted.' Before his wild clubbing, Kidd, 39, attended an upscale gala in the Hamptons thrown by rapper Ne-Yo's Compound Foundation, which provides money to 'empower and inspire youth in foster care.' The event was in honor of Star Wars creator George Lucas. Kidd tweeted a photo of himself and his wife looking respectable with the legendary filmmaker. From there, he went on to the SL East club, where he began drinking vodka and dancing. At some point during the night his wife went home and left him alone in the club, the Daily News reported. New recruit: Jason Kidd, left, and Marcus Camby pose for a photograph following a news conference to introduce the New York Knicks' newest additions at the team's NBA basketball training facility . | NBA star was signed by the Knicks just three days before his arrest .
Kidd, 38, told police he felt no pain - despite receiving injuries and needing care at the hospital .
Claimed he did not remember the crash that wrecked his Cadillac Escalade .
Mother-in-law says basketball star is not a drunk, but a good husband and father .
Witness says Kidd had to be carried out of the Long Island club where he was drinking . |
36,991 | 68e15aef40e06f68c73c199f2ce9a07173db7d11 | (CNN) -- A competitor has died and another is in hospital following a tragic end to the World Sauna Championships in southern Finland. Russian Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy died Saturday after taking part in the final of a competition in which contestants are required to withstand rising temperatures for as long as possible. Finnish finalist Timo Kaukonen was also taken to hospital for treatment, organizer Ossi Arvela said in a statement posted on the event's website. Images of the contest showed Ladyzhenskiy and Kaukonen sitting side by side in the sauna. Both contestants can then be seen lying on the ground, apparently doused in water. Ladyzhenskiy appears to be suffering from severe skin burns. "The event was interrupted immediately after the accident. Competition organization grieves these sad events," Avela said. Finnish police and organizers are investigating the incident, Arvela said. But he said first aid personnel had been in place and all competitors taking part in the contest had provided doctor's certificates. "All the rules were followed," he said. The World Sauna Championships take place annually in the town of Heinola. | Finnish event sees competitors attempting to withstand rising temperatures .
Russian finalist Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy died after Saturday's final .
His opponent, Finland's Timo Kaukonen, was taken to hospital .
Police are investigating incident but "rules were followed," organizers say . |
270,283 | ea0ccecf4d5e757072dc18ce9f67fcb5ba0f6018 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:30 EST, 10 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:50 EST, 10 January 2013 . A couple have been told their six-year-old daughter has a premature ageing syndrome that means she won't reach her teens - and their unborn baby has it as well. Ella Barden, six, was diagnosed with Cockayne Syndrome in November after years of tests. The condition affects one in 500,000 people and sufferers have an average life expectancy of 12 years. Now her six-months pregnant mother, Jodie, has discovered her unborn daughter also has the condition, after testing positive. Parents Jodie and Luke have drawn up a bucket list for their daughter Ella . Jodie when she was one (left) and with her mother Jodie now (right). They realised something was wrong with Ella when she was nine-months-old but she was only diagnosed in November . Jodie and her husband Luke, both 27, also have a two-year-old son Alex who doesn't have the syndrome. The mother from Witham in Essex, said: 'We have to take it day by day and . can't look too far in the future as it is just too upsetting and we have . got to try and keep positive. 'Somehow Alex will have to deal with losing two sisters.' Cockayne Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder. Features include a failure to gain weight, an underdeveloped nervous system, small head size and extreme sensitivity to sunlight. Sufferers typically don't reach their teens and usually die from pneumonia. Mrs Barden said: 'We are absolutely devastated. Everytime she gets ill you think, is this it?' The couple first knew something was wrong with Ella when was nine-months-old. She had stopped growing and putting on weight. She underwent numerous tests including two MRI scans but nothing was picked up for five years. Jodie gave up her job as a graphic designer last August to look after Ella. Ella with brother Alex, 2, who doesn't have the disease. Their parents are both carriers of Cockayne Syndrome meaning each child had a one in four chance of developing it . Ella at birth: Her parents had no idea they were carriers of a rare genetic disorder . In November, a geneticist at Great Ormond Street Hospital warned the family it could be Cockayne Syndrome. Jodie said: 'I went home and Googled it and unfortunately it was fitting and I thought 'Oh my God' that might be it.' Ella, who attends a local special school, can only say a few words and cannot walk. There is no prognosis for how it will affect her in future but it is likely she will age prematurely. Jodie and Luke have set up a bucket list of activities such as ice skating and swimming with dolphins which Ella can enjoy before she becomes too ill. Meanwhile they must face the devastating fact that their unborn baby will also face an untimely death. Jodie, who is due to give birth in April, said she decided to continue her pregnancy as: 'I would still have to give birth to my child and I would rather know I had given my child happy memories and given her a chance to love life and live it happily and to enjoy life.' Ella's mother said: 'She is such a lovely girl and very loving' She added: 'It is not going to be easy in the end and I have thought about that lots, endlessly,but at the end of the day I have still got to bear her either way.' Jodie and Luke, a HGV driver, both carry the gene for the syndrome but are not aware of anyone in their families having suffered from it. Jodie said: 'It is one small chance us meeting and both having the gene. 'We have been through the blame thing, but only blaming ourselves. We can't do that, we can't let everything fall apart. 'My worst fear in life, when we didn't know what was wrong with her, was we were worried if it was something absolutely devastating. Now my worst fear has been realised. 'We have got to deal with it and get on with it and try and keep positive. We have to stick together as it will make us stronger.' Her family are raising money for the bucket list and to raise money for research into the syndrome. 'We have got to make memories with Ella,' said Jodie. 'She doesn't want us to be upset, she wants us to be happy. She is such a lovely girl and very loving. 'Everyday is special when you know it is coming to an end.' For more information visit Ella's Butterfly Fundraising Page on Facebook . | Ella, 6, diagnosed with Cockayne Syndrome in November, after years of tests .
Sufferers of rare genetic disorder have life expectancy of 12 years .
Ella's pregnant mother then told her unborn daughter also has the condition . |
43,757 | 7b745498fac44315451b9ef5d734998144abb005 | By . Sean O'hare . PUBLISHED: . 13:16 EST, 25 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:58 EST, 25 January 2013 . A hypersonic SpaceLiner capable of reaching 24 times the speed of sound and transporting passengers from London to Sydney in 90 minutes could be with us by 2050. Although the finished article is still a long way off, Martin Sippel, project coordinator for SpaceLiner at the German Aerospace Center believes the project could attract private funding within a decade. The current concept includes a rocket booster stage for launch and a . separate orbiter stage to carry up to 50 passengers halfway around the world . without ever making it to space. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Artist's impression of the . 'SpaceLiner', capable of reaching 24 times the speed of sound and . travelling from London to Sydney in 90 minutes, could be . with us by 2050. It is expected to have a capacity for 50 passengers . The SpaceLiner would take approximately . eight minutes to climb to an altitude of 50 miles where it reach . the earth's upper atmosphere before breaking off from the liquid oxygen and hydrogen-fuelled rocket . Map shows proposed SpaceLiner journey routes. London to New York would take approximately one hour . A journey between Europe and the U.S. would be reduced to just over 60 minutes, providing passengers are happy to pay space travel prices, estimated to be in the region of several hundred thousand dollars per ticket. Should it take off in both sense of the word, there is no reason why a fleet of SpaceLiners couldn't make up to 15 flights a day, believes Sippel. 'Maybe we can best characterise the SpaceLiner by saying it's a kind of . second-generation space shuttle, but with a completely different task,' Sippel told TechNewsDaily. The SpaceLiner would take approximately eight minutes to climb to an altitude of some 50 miles where it reach the earth's upper atmosphere before gliding back to Earth at hypersonic speeds of more than 15,000mph. SpaceLiner engineers hope to use a liquid oxygen and hydrogen rocket fuel, leaving water vapour as waste. Engineers predict that advances in materials could be combined with new cooling technologies and heat shielding to safeguard the SpaceLiner's structures against the intense heat of hypersonic flight. The Spaceliner would likely require an . isolated launch site and careful route planning to keep sonic booms from . negatively affecting residential areas. Here is an artist's impression of it launching from Australian desert . The Spaceliner would likely require an isolated launch site and careful route planning to keep sonic booms from negatively affecting residential areas. The empty rocket stage from SpaceLiner would return to Earth after launch so that it could be reused. The plan would be for an aircraft to fly out and latch on to the rocket stage before towing it towards an airfield where it could glide in to land. Once the SpaceLiner detaches from the rocket, the plan would be for an aircraft to fly . out and latch on to the rocket mid-air before towing it towards an . airfield where it could glide in to land . One of the stumbling blocks experienced by the design team is the exact shape of the SpaceLiner. Its shape has to tolerate the extreme heat created by gliding at such high speeds through the Earth's upper atmosphere . The glide back down will be a moment for passsengers to catch a glimpse of more familiar territory beyond the windows. Ticket prices would not be cheap and could cost several hundred thousand pounds . Touchdown. A 90 minute journey time from Australia to London would change air travel as we know it . SpaceLiner's eventually design could well be influenced by upcoming, EU-funded study FAST20XX (Future High-Altitude High-Speed Transport 20xx). A close eye will also be on the success or failure of space ventures by the likes of Virgin Galactic. Should space travel capture the interest of travellers, Sippel is confident a fleet of SpaceLiners could make up to 15 flights a day. VIDEO Imagining the day you can go from London to Sydney in 90 minutes! | SpaceLiner would reach 24 times the speed of sound .
Will launch with the help of a liquid oxygen and hydrogen-fuelled rocket .
It would take eight minutes to climb 50 miles to upper Earth, then break away from rocket before gliding down to destination . |
111,218 | 1b6912c6dead46fbcce3f2c32f821427b24862b6 | A heart-wrenching video has been made which shows volunteers who have agreed to work over Christmas Day being rewarded with gifts. Financial firm Visa Europe delivered a series of gifts to street cleaners at Hounslow Council, midwives at Whittington Hospital Maternity Ward, baggage handlers at Southend Airport and food bank volunteers at the North Paddington food bank. Among them was 82-year-old Brenda Meadows, who has been volunteering for 65 years and worked every Christmas Day at the food bank for the past 30 years. Brenda Meadows, 82, has been volunteering for 65 years and worked every Christmas Day at the North Paddington food bank in London for the past 30 years. Ms Meadows hasn’t seen her family in Australia for 15 years. She was given £2,000 gift voucher to pay for her flights home. The present was accompanied by a note that said: ‘Thank you for a lifetime of giving.’ Ms Meadow said: ‘I don’t have any family left in the UK so the community is my family now. To me it’s important to give because you are making other people happy.’ One worker was given a Samsung Galaxy tablet, while another was presented with two tickets to the PGA Championship golf tournament at Wentworth golf course. Visa Europe have also delivered gifts to street cleaners at Hounslow Council, midwives at Whittington Hospital Maternity Ward, and baggage handlers at Southend Airport . One baggage handler opened a box containing a 60-minute flying lesson at Southend Flying Club. Up to 200,000 people across the UK are expected to work on Christmas Day this year. According to latest figures released by the Trades Union Congress, the national trade union centre in the UK, almost 172,000 employees were in work on Christmas Day in 2010, compared to just over 96,000 in 2004. NHS and social workers make up the largest group, with over 74,000 people working on 25th December. Up to 200,000 people across the UK are expected to work on Christmas Day this year, up from 96,000 in 2004 . While there has been an increase in the number of people working over Christmas, Visa have now forecast that up to £1,800 will be donated every minute this month. They have predicted that a total of £1 billion will be pledged to charity by the end of 2014, up from £920m in 2013. The financial firm revealed that donations sent through Visa Europe are up by 13 percent from last year. One worker was given a Galaxy tablet, while another was presented with two tickets to the PGA Championship golf tournament at Wentworth golf course . Nick Jones, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Visa Europe, said: 'Our Christmas video is intended to help recognise and thank those who will be working to help others over the festive period. 'Supporting good causes and our local community is something that’s important to us as an organisation, and this "Christmas thank you" represents just one small part of our wider Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and volunteering programme. 'In 2014 our 1800 employees selected Save the Children as our chosen charity for employee fundraising, and we are proud to be able to support their work and help make a positive difference to vulnerable children all over the world.' | Financial firm Visa rewarded workers who have given up their Christmas .
Street cleaners, midwives, and baggage handlers also given gifts .
Gifts included flying lessons, tickets to the PGA golf and Galaxy tablets .
Brenda Meadows has been volunteering for 65 years .
200,000 people in the UK are expected to work on Christmas Day this year . |
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