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91,754 | 0209147e661d0dc23592a67f9286e591fdff022d | Austin, Texas (CNN) -- "Men don't play netball." "Men just jump like goats." "They can't handle it." "They are too serious." "They can't take abuse from the women." "They comPLAIN!" That's how a group of Kenyan women describe the game of netball in a new (pre-viral?) video from a nonprofit group called Mama Hope, which seems bent on re-framing the way the Western world thinks of Africa, particularly African women. The group's campaign, called "Stop the Pity," was launched here at the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, Texas. The goal, as the title makes clear, is to help women around the world by empowering them, celebrating their successes, instead of feeling bad about the vast inequalities that do exist. As anyone who's spent time in Africa will tell you, it's a diverse continent that's home to both immense joy and incredible sorrow. There's no shortage of tearjerker statistics. The World Bank, for example, says nearly half of people in sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $1.25 per day. Thirty-seven percent of people who lack access to clean water live in that region. It's also a hotbed for malaria, etc. Intense inequalities do exist. But even numbers tell another side to the story, as The Economist points out in a recent article titled "Aspiring Africa." "Consumer spending will almost double in the next ten years; the number of countries with average incomes above $1,000 per person a year will grow from less than half of Africa's 55 states to three-quarters," the magazine said. And, most important: "Africans deserve the credit. Western aid agencies, Chinese mining companies and U.N. peacekeepers have done their bit, but the continent's main saviors are its own people." All the more reason to celebrate Mama Hope's efforts to focus on joy instead of suffering. The group's videos build on a rising chorus of voices calling for change in the way people from richer countries see those who live in poorer places. A blog called Aid Thoughts has been posting examples of what it considers "poverty porn," or ads, videos and news stories that generally show Africans as one-dimensional victims. Others use the term "badvocacy," which the blog Texas in Africa defines as "a good catch-all term to describe advocacy that begins with great intentions to help those who are suffering, but that at best accomplishes nothing or at worst actually makes the problem even more difficult to solve." Laura Seay, that blog's author and an assistant political science professor at Morehouse College, writes that advocates sometimes oversimplify issues or make them too sexy with the help of celebrities and flashy campaigns. The recently released video focuses on netball, a game it describes as a cross between basketball and ultimate Frisbee, because that's what the women wanted to discuss. "We asked the women what they wanted to talk about," Nyla Rodgers, founder and "chief visionary" of Mama Hope told me. "They really wanted America to know how much they love netball." And it doesn't hurt that it's tracked with Beyonce's "Run the World (Girls)." Even if the Mama Hope video is highly produced, it's still possible to appreciate the fact that it's trying to promote empowerment and not pity or guilt. And the netball video is just one of several from the group. Another features a boy reciting the plot of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. (YouTube views: 640,000). One shows men making fun of how Africans tend to show up in Hollywood movies toting guns and wearing scowls. (Views: 1.05 million) They're humorous and light. Designed to be shared. Rodgers says that's what's needed in 2013. "We have to have partnership instead of pity," she said of the way the West interacts with Africa. "Partnership doesn't include pity. It includes seeing people as equals and being able to work with them on an equal partnership." It's an issue that's personal for Rodgers. It started with her "brother from another mother." That's how she explains her relationship with Bernard, a young boy in Kenya whose photo sat on her mother's mantle next to Rodgers'. "I was always hearing about his grades and who his friends were," she said. Her mom, a dance teacher and writer, had adopted the boy in a way, sponsoring community development projects in his village, Rodgers said. After her mother died from cancer in 2006, Rodgers decided to visit the village and to meet Bernard. She told him, "I'm going to take care of you now." On the surface, if that doesn't sound like a "white savior" moment, I don't know what does. It conjures up images of condescending white missionaries trekking to Africa to dispense water, food and religion -- all to show their superiority. But Rodgers doesn't see it that way. "If anything, I was in the deep depths of despair," because of her mother's death, "and I saw how connected life is," she said. "And that really saved me." Mama Hope works with communities to start orphanages, improve sanitation and reduce poverty. But they only do so, she said, after living in the community for long enough that they can listen to people there about what problems could be solved with the help of outside funds or expertise. The group currently has 32 projects in four countries, she said, and an annual budget of about $500,000. And the best way to promote that work may be to stop pitying the people she's trying to help. They're friends, sisters, brothers, neighbors, netballers. But not victims. The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of John D. Sutter. | John Sutter talks with the woman behind a movement called "Stop the Pity"
The group unveiled a new video at SXSW that aims to shift attitudes about Africa .
Sutter: The group focuses on empowerment as a form of aid, not guilt . |
92,537 | 030342daee784efbc6d9c5462578a940fb9dc9f0 | Millwall have revealed their away kit for the 2015-16 campaign and to the annoyance of fans across the country Ian Holloway's side will not be playing in pink next season. Championship side Millwall handed their fans the opportunity to choose from a possible four strips during the past week - with the pink kit receiving the most interest. However the Lions have revealed the majority of the votes for the strip were from rival fans who wanted to see Millwall's players looking pretty in pink. Millwall blocked rival fans' attempts for the Championship side to play in pink next season . Ian Holloway's side will instead play in a white and blue strip when they play away from home next season . These two kits were the other two options Millwall fans had the option to select as their club's new away shirt . The club said via a tongue-in-cheek statement: 'We were grateful for the massive interest shown by fans from clubs up and down the country who took an unprecedented interested in the strip The Lions will be wearing next year. 'However, having cross referenced all those who voted with with our database, we validated only those votes cast by Millwall supporters to produce the result.' Millwall will instead play in a white and blue kit when they are travelling to rival grounds across the country during next season's campaign. Millwall's current away kit, worn here by Byron Webster, is yellow with a black and white line . | Championship side Millwall gave fans the chance to vote on new away kit .
The club selected four strips which supporters could choose from .
Rival fans voted for Ian Holloway's Millwall to play in pink next season .
Millwall traced the votes and will instead wear white and blue kit . |
145,582 | 4840116b555715513c06422032561c492eea4e5e | (CNN) -- Twitter, which has a history of complying with court requests for users' data, appears to be drawing a line in the sand. The company filed a motion in a New York State court on Monday to quash a court order that would force it to hand over data pertaining to a user involved with the Occupy Wall Street movement, according to a blog post from the American Civil Liberties Union. Malcom Harris, the user in question, is being prosecuted by the District Attorney's office in Manhattan for disorderly conduct during the Occupy movement's march across the Brooklyn Bridge last year. The prosecution is asking Twitter for Harris's email address and all his tweets over a three-month period. Twitter, however, countered that the court would need a search warrant to get that information. It pointed to a recent Supreme Court decision which found that attaching a GPS device is considered a search under the Fourth Amendment, which prevents unreasonable searches and seizures. "If the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement applies merely to surveillance of one's location in public areas for 28 days, it also applies to the District Attorney's effort to force Twitter to produce over three months worth of a citizen's substantive communications, regardless of whether the government alleges those communications are public or private," wrote Twitter in its motion. Twitter also suggested that Harris owns his own tweets and could therefore file a motion to quash on his own, despite the prosecution's assertion of the opposite. The ACLU is calling Twitter's move a "big deal." "If Internet users cannot protect their own constitutional rights, the only hope is that Internet companies do so," wrote Aden Fine, senior staff attorney at the ACLU. "That is why it is so important to encourage those companies that we all increasingly rely on to do what they can to protect their customers' free speech and privacy rights." Harris, who tweets under the handle @BigMeanInternet, welcomed the news becoming public. "@BigMeanInternet : Oh sweet, it's public. Twitter motioned to quash my subpoena all on their own, saying that I do retain rights to my content." He also expressed gratitude toward Twitter for defending his personal information. "Twitter's Terms of Service make absolutely clear that its users own their content," a spokesperson from Twitter told Mashable. "Our filing with the court reaffirms our steadfast commitment to defending those rights for our users." Earlier this year, Twitter gave the Boston Police Department one users' data. Another user subpoenaed by law enforcement, Jeff Rae, told Mashable that he would be filing his own motion last March. Rae called Twitter's recent decision "excellent." "I think that this goes to show that Twitter realizes what allowing the state to subpoena accounts can do to their credibility to social and political movements," Rae told Mashable via email. "Twitter has one of the better user policies out there (they actually notify their users of subpoenas), and to see them standing up to fight subpoenas like this is promising." Do you think Twitter should stand up to court orders such as these? Sound off in the comments below. © 2011 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved. | Twitter fights court order to hand over user's data .
District attorney wants information on a member of the Occupy Wall Street movement .
Site says the court would need a search warrant, that users own their content .
ACLU calls Twitter's move to fight it "a big deal" |
194,612 | 87e91e797387367e2ad396b4026b64474f8055fb | A woman is believed to have been murdered in a hotel room on New Year’s Eve. The body of a 26-year-old Asian woman was found at Grand Chancellor Hotel in Adelaide by staff after they noticed her room had been flooded. Staff in the city centre hotel found the woman's body on Thursday morning after going to the 12th floor room to investigate water running into the hallway and the room below. ‘There were obvious signs of violence which made it quite obvious there was a murder,’ Detective Inspector Greg Hutchins said. The body of a 26-year-old Asian woman was found at Grand Chancellor Hotel in Adelaide . Police are searching bins and the streets in Adelaide's city centre for evidence in the murder case . Detectives are inspecting the crime scene in the hotel room . Police have taken away two cars they say belong to ‘associates’ of the woman. The woman from Sydney had been in Adelaide for three or four days. Det Insp Hutchins said while police have yet to establish why she was in Adelaide, they are investigating the possibility she was a sex worker. ‘We don't know why this person was the victim of murder. We're still establishing what she was doing in Adelaide,’ he said. The woman from Sydney had been in Adelaide for three or four days . Police have taken away two cars they say belong to ‘associates’ of the woman . Police suspect the woman was killed in the last 12-16 hours but are still carrying out investigations . ‘It's just a possibility that she could have been working in that industry but it's clearly something we need to chase up and identify.’ Police suspect she was killed in the last 12-16 hours. 'I suspect it would take some time for the water to get to the room below but whether we are talking about half an hour or 12 hours I don’t know,' Insp Hutchins said, Adelaide Now reported. Police do not have any suspects and Major Crime investigators remain at the scene and will be reviewing CCTV footage. If you have any information that could assist police, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Det Insp Hutchins (pictured) said police are investigating the possibility she was a sex worker . The woman was killed on the 12th floor of the hotel room . | Police are investigating the possibility she was a sex worker .
Asian woman is thought to have been visiting Adelaide from Sydney .
Her body was found by hotel workers at Grand Chancellor Hotel in Adelaide . |
165,454 | 61f64ed0f58b5c90a510f4f38e267143404b68f1 | Jerusalem (CNN) -- Construction has started for about 600 new housing units in the West Bank since the Israeli settlement freeze ended late last month, the group Peace Now said Thursday. Yariv Oppenheimer, the group's director, said the Israeli peace organization has surveyed the construction activity and will come out with a detailed report next week. The group has long monitored Jewish settlement activity in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank. The settlement construction issue is threatening to scuttle the reactivated and now stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinians demanded a continuation of the settlement freeze in order to continue with the talks, and the United States has urged Israel to stop settlement activity. But the Israeli government has not continued the freeze. A source in the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak about the issue, said, "it is clear" that any "limited" construction won't alter "the future peace map and that there is a need to return to the negotiating table." The source said a large part of the construction is in the existing settlement blocs. Ghassan Khatib, a Palestinian government spokesman, told CNN that the settlement building reports "are very alarming because it is happening on the expense of our basic rights, on our land, and because it will reflect negatively on the sincere effort that the United States and the Quartet members are undertaking to resume a meaningful political process," a reference to the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations. "We also think that this is a big challenge to the American efforts that would require doubling the pressure on Israel to respect the international legality and requirements of the peace process." Dani Dayan, the chairman of the Yesha Council, which represents Israeli settlers, said life is back to normal in the West Bank. "In the last 10 months there was no new construction. After the freeze ended, private people and private contractors who already have building permits decide if they want to start building or not; it's their own private decision. Most of the construction is happening in the settlement blocs." Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in Israel as part of a mission of world leaders called the Elders, told reporters he hopes Israel will halt its settlement activities long enough for the talks to resume. He noted that Palestinian leaders said they wouldn't go back to the table as long as the activity continues. Raising the issue of what would happen if direct talks were not resumed, he said the Palestinians could pursue other options, such as asking the United Nations for recognition of a state of Palestine on lands seized by Israel during the 1967 war -- Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the U.S. position on settlements is "well-known and has not changed. And our determination to encourage the parties to continue talking has not wavered. "We have no illusions about the difficulty of resolving the final status issues of borders and security, settlements and refugees, of Jerusalem and water. And it's no secret that we are in a difficult period." At a Washington event for the American Task Force on Palestine, Clinton said authorities knew "there would be setbacks and struggles" when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Netanyahu came to Washington in September to relaunch direct talks. "I cannot stand here tonight and tell you there is some magic formula that I have discovered that will break through the current impasse. But I can tell you we are working every day, sometimes every hour, to create the conditions for negotiations to continue and succeed," said Clinton. "We are urging both sides to avoid any actions that would undermine trust or prejudice the outcomes of the talks. Sen. Mitchell will soon return to the region for further consultations," she added, referring to former Sen. George Mitchell, who is the Obama administration's special Middle East envoy. "We have not given up and neither have President Abbas or Prime Minister Netanyahu." The American Task Force on Palestine is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group "dedicated to advocating that it is in the American national interest to promote an end to the conflict in the Middle East through a negotiated agreement that provides for two states -- Israel and Palestine -- living side by side in peace and security," according to a statement on its website. CNN's Kevin Flower, Michal Zippori and Kareem Khadder contributed to this report . | An Israeli source says construction in the West Bank won't affect the peace map .
Palestinians call the development "alarming"
Peace Now will issue a detailed report next week . |
183,546 | 79c364eaadd9dd10a550eacde23c1f73d8d1242c | Dave Attwood studied physics and philosophy at university, so when he is throwing his weight around in the colours of Bath, he has a fundamental grasp of the attitude he must adopt. Playing on the edge, but not over it; that is the key. He already knew the theory and over time – via a couple of jolting reminders – he has learned to apply it. The 27-year-old lock is intelligent, a deep thinker and an assured talker. He is armed for a debate, as well as for the gruelling demands of his day-job. Having made a storming start to the new Aviva Premiership season and a strong case for England recognition, Attwood considers the extremities of his role. He may have lost a few pounds, but his brief is to impose himself on the opposition. In the past, he has occasionally over-stepped the mark in that regard and the tag of ‘enforcer’ has duly been applied. Dave Attwood pictured at Bath's picturesque Farleigh House training ground in Somerset . The second row has been one of the form players this season and is pushing for an England position . Attwood will come up against England rival Joe Launchbury at Adams Park on Sunday afternoon . Most occupants of the second row would embrace it, but Attwood is wary. ‘I think the connotations of it are the difficult thing,’ he said, ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Wasps and their leading England lock, Joe Launchbury. ‘The term “enforcer” harks back to an era when rugby was a very different game; when a bit of shoe on someone’s shoulder was completely acceptable. Rugby has changed and I am testament to that. Rugby is a different game to when I started playing and you have to adapt to that. ‘The trouble with the term “enforcer” is that it harks back to an era when that sort of player ran round grabbing people by the face and throwing them around, or laying down the law under the cover of a ruck or scrum. That doesn’t exist anymore and you can’t do that. ‘There’s no real benefit either. People are so professional these days that putting in a bit of a cheap shot on someone doesn’t really make a difference and you risk getting yourself cited and banned. So it’s a difficult term, but I do think there’s a place for it, in terms of being someone who takes a lead when it comes to physicality. That is definitely something I aim to do. ‘You have to impose yourself, without doing it illegally – put in a big tackle, then get up and do another one. When your defensive line is pushing the attack back, pushing the attack back, pushing the attack back; you have to be the guy leading the charge. If anyone was to use the term “enforcer” about me; that is what I would want them to mean.’ Back in June, 2010, when England were on tour in Australia, the uncapped Attwood made a major impression on the-then national manager, Martin Johnson. The former lock-enforcer saw the rookie as an emerging talent in his own image, but since then he hasn’t quite taken the next step to become a fixture in the Test pack. Dave Attwood of Bath holds off Ken Pisi of Northampton in last season's Amlin Challenge Cup final . Dave Attwood makes a charge forwards for England against Samoa at Twickenham in 2010 . Attwood looks on during an England training session held at Bath University in 2011 . To date, he has earned 12 caps but started just twice for his country, on tour in Argentina last year while the Lions were in Australia. His status as a regular replacement appeared to be under threat on the recent trip to New Zealand, as Ed Slater made a positive impact as midweek captain, but the Leicester skipper has been ruled out for the season and Attwood had been outstanding for Bath. When his club smashed the Tigers 45-0 at The Rec last month, he was bloodied and brilliant, in front of watching England forwards coach, Graham Rowntree, and he has maintained supreme standards, thanks in part to more mobility. ‘They (England coaches) want the same explosive qualities, but they want us to be a bit lighter and fitter,’ he said. ‘After the Argentina tour last year, the feedback from England was, “We want you big, strong and as effective as you can be in a five-metre square. Now the emphasis has shifted; they still want me to be destructive, but also get my numbers up. That is going well for me so far – I’ve made a fairly good account of myself in the early part of this season. ‘I am a very good scrummaging second row – one of the best scrummaging second rows around. It is great for me to be working with David Wilson, who is one of the best tightheads in Europe at the moment. So I have that string to my bow, but for the last Test in New Zealand I was weighing around 127kg and now I’m about 119. I’m trying to get around the pitch a bit more.’ Dave Attwood claims a line-out for Bath . Sunday’s game at Adams Park will act as another momentous examination of his Test ambitions. In recent weeks, Attwood has thrived in match-ups with Geoff Parling and Courtney Lawes, now Launchbury is on his radar. He is driven, but wary of being side-tracked by a personal agenda. ‘You can’t just run round the pitch, following the guy, saying, “I’m coming after you!”,’ he said. ‘I think I’m on a good road. I’m not the one holding the shirt – I’m chasing someone else’s shirt at the moment. I’m third or fourth or fifth choice, but I’ve got a possibility of getting hold of it. I do feel like there’s an opportunity for someone with my skills-set to be a reigning England second row.’ His superb form has come in the build-up to becoming a first-time father. He senses he is entering a critical phase, in various ways. ‘It may be coincidental that things are going particularly well with Bath so far this season, the World Cup is looming, we’ve got a baby on the way and I’m on the verge of getting established in international rugby,’ he said. There’s an awful lot going on at the moment. ‘I’m very excited and aware that I’m on the cusp of a life-changing period.’ | Second row Dave Attwood has become known for his physical approach .
But the lock believes the term 'enforcer' is outdated in the modern game .
Attwood will face England rival Joe Launchbury on Sunday .
Bath face Wasps at Adams Park in the final match of the weekend . |
238,633 | c0e7005b7dec2300efc388eeba79d4bdb52ca4a4 | A group of men who devoted their lives to hunting powerful storms died in the middle of the chase. Tim Samaras, his son Paul Samaras and Carl Young were killed Friday while following a tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma, relatives told CNN on Sunday. Their work tracking tornadoes was featured on the former Discovery Channel show "Storm Chasers." They were among 13 people killed in storms that struck Oklahoma on Friday night, according to Oklahoma City Fire Chief Keith Bryant. At the intersection where authorities said the three storm chasers were killed, crews hauled away a mangled white truck Sunday that had been crushed like a tin can. The metal frame of their storm-chasing vehicle was twisted almost beyond recognition. The windows had been smashed to bits. Canadian County Undersheriff Chris West confirmed that three storm chasers had been killed but declined to provide additional details about the circumstances of their deaths. "We also want to say that storm chasers and meteorologists and news stations, that's part of the vital link in getting the word out to people so that they don't become victims," he said. "A lot of these individuals have dedicated many years of their lives to going out and assisting and tracking storms, and getting footage and putting themselves in harm's way so they can educate the public to the destructive power of these storms." Friday's tornado took a sudden turn that surprised many observers, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. "It was a wobbler. And it was big. ... I think the left-hand turn made a big difference on how this thing was chased as well and why people were killed and why people were injured in their vehicles," he said. "A vehicle is not a place to be in any tornado, especially a big one like that, and those men doing their job, those field scientists out there doing their jobs, were killed in the process." Tim Samaras founded TWISTEX, the Tactical Weather Instrumented Sampling in Tornadoes Experiment, to help learn more about tornadoes and increase lead time for warnings, according to the official website. In 2004, he told CNN that being near storms was part of the job. "In order to get directly in the path, you have to be close," he said. "Actually I'm pretty focused on our safety, certainly, and I'm focused on getting the data and getting the right spot," he said. "You only have one chance to do it." A dangerous job . "They all unfortunately passed away but doing what they loved," Jim Samaras wrote in a statement posted on his brother's Facebook page. Myers, who also covered Friday's storm in Oklahoma, said Tim Samaras was known for his attention to safety. "There's just no one safer than Tim. Tim, he would never put himself in danger," Myers said. "He certainly wouldn't put his son in danger." One of Samaras' goals, Myers said, was collecting more data to help government officials. "We all know that this is difficult and dangerous and sometimes things go wrong. But I think to portray Tim as just a chaser out for a thrill is just the wrong thing," Myers said. "I just want people to know that Tim was a scientist. He was out there to put probes out there. He was out there to learn and understand and to make science more understandable. ... We all go out there and we try to protect the public, but Tim was even one step higher." Samaras had received 18 grants from the National Geographic Society for his research, said Terry Garcia, the organization's executive vice president of missions. In a written statement, he described Samaras' studies of lightning as "pioneering." "Tim was a courageous and brilliant scientist who fearlessly pursued tornadoes and lightning in the field in an effort to better understand these phenomena," he said. "Though we sometimes take it for granted, Tim's death is a stark reminder of the risks encountered regularly by the men and women who work for us," Garcia said. "This is an enormous loss for his family, his wide circle of friends and colleagues and National Geographic." Doug Kiesling, a videographer who chases storms and calls himself "The Weather Paparazzi," said the three men were more than storm chasers. "They're researchers," he said. "This thing is really shaking up everyone in the chasing community," he said. "We knew this day would happen someday, but nobody would imagine that it would happen to Tim. Tim was one of the safest people to go out there. ... He's had close calls, but he's always had an escape route." El Reno Mayor Matt White didn't provide details about those killed after the tornado struck, but he stressed the importance of staying indoors when powerful storms hit. "We had to deal with not only strong winds, but we had extreme hail, extreme softball-size hail. El Reno had a lot of damage to the roads," he told reporters on Sunday. "In these situations, we can't stress enough to people to stay inside and do what the weather men and women tell us to do." Close call: One storm chaser's story . Friday's storm was particularly unpredictable, according to Mike Bettes, an anchor and meteorologist for The Weather Channel who had a close call himself. The tornado swept up the tornado-hunt truck he and a crew were traveling in, tossed it 200 yards into a field and smashed it to the ground. "I think this was just an erratic tornado. I think the size of it and the speed of it changed very, very quickly," he told CNN on Sunday morning. "I think the direction of movement changed quickly. And I think there were a lot of people out there that, you know, ended up getting stuck in positions we didn't want to be in." Bettes described the experience as the scariest moment of his life. "I saw people in my life, I saw their faces flash right in front of me. And it just seemed for a moment, everything was in slow motion, especially when we were floating," he said. "I kind of felt like I was being lifted to heaven or something. I was conscious through the whole thing and remember the whole thing, but it's still a surreal moment." Bettes and several others emerged with scratches and bruises. One crew member had broken bones, he said, but was in good spirits. The experience left him rattled and unsure whether he'll go out to chase storms again. But Bettes said he had no doubt about the value of storm chasing. "We show weather, and we like to be out there and show people what these things can do, and help give advance warning. A lot of times the storm spotters out there serve a very valuable purpose. They give ground truth to what meteorologists from the National Weather Service are doing," he said. "But seeing it in person, seeing it for real, and giving that real time information, I think really supplements the warning. It helps people take shelter ahead of time." "Storm Chasers" aired for five years on the Discovery Channel. The last season ended in the fall of 2011. The network expressed condolences in a statement Sunday. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of Carl Young, Tim Samaras and his son. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families," the statement said. Photos from a professional storm chaser . Tornadoes rip through heartland again: How to help . Powerful storms leave trail of damage, death . The latest round of storms to hit the heartland left a fresh trail of damage and destruction in its wake as tornadoes struck and floodwaters surged. Tornadoes tore through the Oklahoma City and St. Louis areas Friday, ripping up homes and sending thousands scrambling for cover. On Saturday morning, a spokeswoman for the state's chief medical examiner's office said two children and seven adults were killed in the Oklahoma storms. On Sunday, Oklahoma City Fire Chief Keith Bryant said searchers had found the bodies of four additional victims that died in the storm -- two adults and two children who died while seeking shelter in a storm drain. Deputy Fire Chief Marc Woodard said the body of another child had been recovered Sunday afternoon, and the search for six other people unaccounted for will continue Monday. The flash flooding that accompanied Friday night's storm swept the bodies up to four to five miles downstream, Woodard said. The impact of the severe weather extended beyond Oklahoma. In Missouri, a tornado left a path of "over 10 miles of significant damage ... that caused dozens and dozens of houses to be literally blown up," Gov. Jay Nixon told CNN affiliate KSDK on Saturday. No one was killed in that tornado, but three people drowned in the state, Nixon said. In Arkansas, flooding claimed the lives of at least four people -- a sheriff, a wildlife officer and two women they were trying to save from a home deluged by floodwaters, officials said. The house collapsed in the middle of the rescue attempt, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission spokesman Keith Stephens said. | Oklahoma City fire chief says 16 people were killed statewide .
Tim and Paul Samaras and Carl Young were killed chasing a tornado on Friday night .
They were known to viewers of a former Discovery Channel show, "Storm Chasers"
Crews haul away a mangled white truck that was crushed like a tin can . |
254,462 | d5614dff6498e15b09aa0c05ff17632811dd7c23 | Luis Suarez became frustrated at being asked questions about his World Cup bite scandal that he walked out of an interview... with the newspaper serialising his new autobiography. The former Liverpool striker, who will make his Barcelona debut in Saturday evening’s El Clasico, was banned for three months for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil. The Uruguayan cut short the interview with The Guardian after he claimed he was asked ‘38,000 times’ about the incident. Luis Suarez stormed out of an interview with the Guardian after being asked about his bite on Giorgio Chiellini . The Uruguayan said he would never respond to a question about his bite on the Italy defender again . Suarez was handed a four month ban after biting the Juventus star at the 2014 World Cup . Suarez exited off the pitch he was being interviewed on with his agent, saying: ‘They asked me about the bite 38,000 times, never again. ‘This is the last one of these [interviews], I feel like taking off my microphone.’ The interview ended there, but all eyes will be on Suarez once again in Saturday’s clash at the Bernabeu. About the Evra incident, Suarez had said: ‘I know I was wrong with the biting and the diving but I was accused of racism without any proof,’ Suarez said. ‘There were lots of cameras, but no evidence. It hurts me the most that it was my word against theirs.’ Former Liverpool striker Suarez is in contention to make his Barcelona debut against Real Madrid on Saturday . Suarez was allowed to train with his Barcelona team-mates during his four month ban . Barcelona boss Luis Enrique could field an attacking trio of Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi on Saturday . The then-Liverpool star was fined £40,000 and banned for eight games for the; but the three-month ban he received for the biting incident is nearly up. ‘Every culture has its way of expressing itself, and that’s a word people in Uruguay use all the time, whether somebody’s black or not black. It gets used a lot without those connotations, and that’s why it is completely different to how it is expressed in England, no?’ The 27-year-old insists it was never his intention to upset Evra, and has once again passed the term off as ‘something footballers say’. ‘I just said: “Why, negro?” and it was just like asking: “Why?” These are things that footballers say, that happen all the time.’ The autobiography, Crossing the Line, is released on November 6. | Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is tired of answering questions on the 2014 World Cup confrontation .
Uruguayan international Suarez was banned for four months after incident .
Suarez is expected to make his Barcelona debut against Real Madrid on Saturday . |
250,134 | cfb4c6733e87416e9f6709258acc602320d4aaba | Mumsnet users have cast their vote on which politicians they think would make the best lovers, with Ed Balls and Boris Johnson topping the polls. In a light-hearted discussion on the mothers' forum, women revealed their crushes on 'sexy beast' Ed Balls, 'mysterious and moody' Gordon Brown and 'fun' Boris Johnson. But Ed Miliband was less fortunate, with many saying they would rather have a night of passion with his brother David. Scroll down for video . Mumsnet users said they would rather bed Ed Miliband's brother than the Labour leader, while many said Boris Johnson would be 'fun' 'Sexy beast' Ed Balls was a popular choice among mothers online, while Nick Clegg was deemed good-looking but likely to be a 'damp squib' in the bedroom . More than 100 women commented on the Mumsnet discussion - titled 'Am I being unreasonable... to wonder which major politician would make the best lover?' One user wrote: 'I can vividly imagine Ed Miliband handcuffed to a radiator.' But another replied: 'I'm a bit partial to David Miliband if he counts?' One Labour MP who was popular on the Mumsnet forum was Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls. Queen Mools wrote: 'Ed Balls is a sexy beast!' While another user added: 'Ed Balls. He looks capable. And meaty.' George Osborne was likely to 'fumble' around while David Cameron is 'too arrogant to be generous' in the bedroom, Mumsnet users said . Tony Blair was also mentioned by Mumsnet users, though some said he would be too busy looking in a mirror . One user, The Travelling Lemon, gave a full run-down on who she fancied, writing: 'David Cameron is a bit too arrogant to be generous in the bedroom, if you see what I mean. 'George Osborne would be fumbling around like a virgin on prom night. Tony Blair would probably want to look in a mirror. 'Nick Clegg would be eager to please, but it would be over very quickly.' The Deputy Prime Minister garnered a mixed opinion from mothers, with some saying he was good-looking, but likely to be as much of a 'damp squib' in the bedroom as he is in the Commons. Owen Paterson and Eilidh Whiteford are currently the sexiest MPs, according to voters . Boris Johnson was a popular choice, with a number of women saying he would be the most 'fun'. One wrote: Maybe Barack [Obama]...or I reckon Clegg would be a trier.' Other suggestions included 74-year-old Ken Clarke, 'passionate' Gordon Brown, 'charming' John Major and 'pretty attractive' Andy Burnham. According to sexymp.co.uk - a website where users rate the attractiveness of Members of Parliament - Tory MP Owen Paterson is the best-looking male in the Commons. The SNP's Eilidh Whiteford currently sits top of the female MPs' table. | Mumsnet users have revealed which politicians they have a crush on .
'Sexy beast' Ed Balls and 'fun' Boris Johnson are popular with mothers .
Users would rather bed Ed Miliband's brother David than the Labour leader .
Nick Clegg is likely to be a 'damp squib' in bedroom, according to mothers .
David Cameron and George Osborne are 'also not likely to be good lovers'
Vince Cable, 71, and Ken Clarke, 74, among politicians named as sexy . |
169,970 | 67f8cbde1c2e26a9715df78113802a6439c115e3 | A group of tourists has had a wildlife encounter they will never forget while watching a humpback whale feeding frenzy that was caught on camera. The awestruck holidaymakers looked on as one of the massive whales lunged out of the ocean just a few feet from their boat. It happened during a pod feeding frenzy in Monterrey Bay on the Pacific Ocean, around four miles off the coast of Moss Landing, California. Here's looking at you: The encounter occurred in Monterrey Bay off the coast of California . The 90-second video shows excited tourists cheering and laughing as the whale breaks the surface of the choppy ocean. Sea lions scramble around the whales and gulls scatter into the air as the pod lunge feeding takes place next to the boat. Michael Sack, captain and co-owner of Sanctuary Cruises, captured the thrilling moment on camera. He was just as excited as the tourists as the whale lunged out of the water. He shouted: ‘That was insane, holy frickin’ cow!’ Making waves: Tourists looked on as one of the whales suddenly popped out of the ocean . Acrobats: Humpbacks frequently ‘jump’ out of the water and slap the surface with their fins . Pod lunge feeding: Humpback whales can consume up to 3,000 pounds of food per day . The humpback whale diet consists of tiny crustaceans, plankton and small fish, and they can consume up to 3,000 pounds of food per day, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Humpback whales are a popular draw for tourists, given their size and acrobatic nature. They frequently ‘jump’ out of the water and slap the surface with their pectoral fins. | Awestruck tourists looked on as whale popped out of water next to boat .
Moment occurred in Monterrey Bay off the coast of California .
Humpback whales can consume up to 3,000 pounds of food per day . |
179,052 | 73d7bc753d5653187a716b3d21368b8c6f417655 | (CNN) -- Public executions, death by starvation and torture are common in North Korean political prisoner camps, according to testimony given to human rights group Amnesty International. Fifteen former inmates and prison guards told Amnesty about their daily experiences in the camps, describing the lack of food, hard labor and cramped conditions. The camps -- which hold an estimated 200,000 people according to Amnesty -- also appear to be growing in size according to new satellite images obtained by the group. A satellite image taken of a camp in April was analyzed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) against a satellite image taken in 2001, says Amnesty. Analysis shows an expansion of the number of buildings in the camp, according to the report. Amnesty says the facilities occupy vast wilderness sites in the provinces of South Pyongan, South Hamkyung and North Hamkyung and house prisoners accused of criticizing the leadership, those believed to be part of anti-government groups and even those caught listening to South Korean broadcasts. "North Korea can no longer deny the undeniable. For decades the authorities have refused to admit to the existence of mass political prison camps," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International Asia Pacific Director. "As North Korea seems to be moving towards a new leader in Kim Jong-un and a period of political instability, the big worry is that the prison camps appear to be growing in size." The report says tens of thousands are believed to be held at one camp simply because one of their relatives has been sent to a camp. According to testimony, every former inmate at one camp had witnessed a public execution, one child was held for eight months in a cube-like cell so small he couldn't move his body and an estimated 40% of inmates die from malnutrition. Tortures included placing a plastic bag over the head of a victim and submerging them in water, sleep deprivation, bamboo slivers under the fingernails, and suspending prisoners whose feet and hands have been bound behind them, witnesses said. One former inmate told Amnesty how he and his father were forced to witness the public execution of his mother and brother, while a former prison guard detailed how inmates would eat snakes, rats and pig feed. One former inmate told how she had picked, cleaned and eaten corn kernels from cow dung. Other testimony outlined how children at the camps were given minimal education and were often forced into heavy labor, sometimes working until they collapsed. "If you fell sick, there were no meals because you did not produce any output," the report quoted one witness as saying. Aidan Foster-Carter, Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology and Modern Korea at Leeds University in England, said: "It is difficult to get hard data (on North Korea) for obvious reasons, and it could be that the numbers of people in the camps are growing. What may be happening is that as part of the changing political situation the government has conducted a purge of people opposed to the succession (of leader Kim Jong ll by his son Kim Jong-un). "Entire families have ended up in these concentration camps for political offences. A young boy ended up in one of these camps because his grandfather had expressed political dissent. They are endemic, they are part of the system." The North Korean government -- which has denied the existence of mass political prison camps -- has not publicly commented on the report's findings. In its most recent human rights report on North Korea, the U.S. State Department describes the country's human rights record as "deplorable." The report cites testimony from NGOs and refugees that claimed camps covered areas as large as 200 square miles and contained mass graves, barracks, worksites and other prison facilities. "An NGO reported that one reeducation center was so crowded that prisoners were forced to sleep on top of each other or sitting up," the report, updated in March, 2010, said. "The same NGO reported that guards at a labor camp stole food brought for inmates by their family members." Journalists Peter Shadbolt and Thair Shaikh contributed to this story. | Testimony reveals realities of daily life in N Korean political prisoner camps .
Amnesty says the camps could contain as many as 200,000 inmates .
There are fears of a crackdown as the country heads towards a change of leadership . |
117,646 | 23e80fbc3bf2e867c4d0264f368e251d2424e504 | (CNN) -- Officers involved in a 2012 shooting in Cleveland are suing the city and police officials, alleging racial discrimination. They claim the defendants have a pattern of treating non-African American officers harsher than African American officers, when it comes to officer-involved shootings of African Americans. The plaintiffs in the federal suit are not African American. The incident cited in the suit began when officers saw a car speeding and heard what they thought was a gunshot directed towards them. It involved a nearly 25-minute chase and ended in a hail of 137 bullets, killing two people. Both were African American. No weapon was ever found in the car. In the wake of the shooting, the plaintiffs say they were placed on administrative leave for three days before reporting "to the gym" for a 45-day cooling off period. Months later, most of them were permitted to return to full duty, but they were then ordered back on restrictive duty, in a move the lawsuit claims was "politically expedient." They remained on restrictive duty until June 2014 and so missed out on potential wages and chances to apply for promotions and transfers, according to the lawsuit. The nine plaintiffs allege their treatment was because of their race. "The City of Cleveland, through the other named defendants, and the other named defendants in their individual capacities, have a history of treating non-African American officers involved in the shootings of African Americans substantially harsher than African American officers," reads the lawsuit, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. It continues: "A serious dichotomy exists as a result of the defendants' longstanding practices and procedures which place onerous burdens on non-African American officers, including the plaintiffs, because of their race and the race of persons who are the subjects of the legitimate use of deadly force." The plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount of damages. After-hours attempts Sunday to reach representatives of the city and police department were unsuccessful. The lawsuit comes on the heels of another high-profile police shooting in Cleveland. A 12-year-old boy died a week ago Sunday after being shot outside a recreation center. He had what police have said was an air gun that looked like a real firearm. Authorities are investigating that shooting, and the two officers involved are on leave from their jobs. In March 2013, the U.S. Justice Department announced an investigation into the use of force by Cleveland police, citing several incidents. That investigation is also ongoing. CNN's Sarah Jorgensen and Lateef Mungin contributed to this report. | The nine officers allege racial discrimination .
They are seeking an unspecified amount of damages .
The suit comes on the heels of another high-profile police shooting in Cleveland . |
122,745 | 2aa4b26b245b357c136aac05961c37f93ee21ef7 | Police in one of the most affluent boroughs in London have been told to stop all prestige cars which are being driven after midnight after a spate of thefts using 'keyless' entry methods. Officers in Kensington & Chelsea have been ordered to check the details of every driver of luxury cars such as Range Rovers and BMWs to ensure they are the rightful owner after Range Rover thefts soared from 23 in 2013, to 165 last year. Last month alone saw a huge rise in thefts in the area with three Range Rovers and one other luxury car stolen from a Chelsea street within weeks. Police warned as many as ten vehicles per night were being stolen with the method in some boroughs. Scroll down for video . A Range Rover sport is stolen by thieves using a hand-held electronic device to bypass they keyless entry . Almost half of vehicles stolen in London are taken through keyless theft, which includes towing and key cloning, according to recent crime figures from the Met. Using specialist equipment available online, organised criminals are able to make a key that can start the car without triggering the alarm in under a minute. CCTV captured one brazen thief who casually clicking open the lock systems of a Range Rover, worth £85,000, before driving away demonstrates the ease with which criminals are stealing the luxury vehicles. In another case, property developer Laura van Bilderbeek, 38, had her BMW estate stolen from outside her home on Ormonde Gate in Chelsea last month. Scotland Yard says thefts of Range Rovers now make up 10 per cent of all 'keyless' thefts in the capital - while BMW makes up 15 per cent of the total. Met chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said thieves were buying devices for as little as £50 on the internet which allowed them replicate cars' electronic entry keys or using a device to insert into the ignition systems. Laura van Bilderbeek from Chelsea who had her high end BMW stolen by thieves using and ebay electronics gear . He said: 'Until we get that design problem sorted out we have a problem and my concern is that the number of cars being stolen will rise. This could very quickly become an issue.' But car manufacturers have blamed EU regulations which mean the technology to programme the keys had to be available to organisations outside the dealer network- making it easier for gangs to get their hands on them. A spokesman for Jaguar Land Rover said: 'This is an industry-wide issue, as European legislation forces all car makers to make available information about their diagnostic systems, including any security updates. Criminal gangs are using high-tech tactics to keep one step ahead of car manufacturers. Using specialist equipment which is available online from as little as £50, they are able to break into some vehicles in under a minute. Thieves use a hand-held device which they use as a 'key' to unlock the car without triggering the alarm. In some cases, this 'key' transmits the same frequency as a vehicle's entry fob and then hacks through thousands of code until it successfully finds the one that unlocks the car. Criminals then dismantle them to remove the vehicles’ electronic tracking devices and the cars are often shipped to eastern Europe. 'Together with the SMMT, we are pressing for a change to the law, to prevent the abuse of that open access.' Around 24,000 cars were stolen in London last year - compared to 23,000 the previous year. A spokesman for luxury car manufacturer BMW added: 'It's a technology race between ourselves and the criminal gangs.' 'This is still a relatively rare type of theft. 'Because of EU regulations, (criminal gangs) are able to buy technology to help programme the keys which are used for the thefts. 'EU regulations are there to allow organisations to provide servicing for cars outside the dealer network but it also means it's legal to buy this key programming equipment. It makes it very difficult for manufacturers to control.' Assistant Commissioner Helen King, who is in charge of Territorial Policing, said owners of certain makes of car were urged to use steering or crook locks to secure them with BMW, Range Rovers and Land Rovers, a particular target for thieves. She told the Evening Standard: 'In Kensington and Chelsea with the density of Range Rovers being stolen there, they are literally instructing officers to stop that make of vehicle when they see it to check it is the legitimate owner who is driving it. 'We are encouraging owners to use that somewhat unsophisticated devices such as crook locks.' Police have launched an operation codenamed Endeavor to combat the thefts in the worst hit boroughs. A Met spokesman said all boroughs were 'keenly aware of the threat of vehicle theft' and are using a range of tactics to tackle it. Assistant Commissioner Helen King said BMW, Range Rovers (pictured is a Range Rover Sport) and Land Rovers, in particular, were being targeted by the theft gangs . In Kensington and Chelsea, this meant officers were currently stopping prestige vehicles seen being driven in the area after midnight, when many vehicle thefts take place. Figures from Thatcham Research, the motor insurers' research centre, show that between January and July 2014 almost 300 Range Rover Evoques and Range Rover Sports were stolen in London, along with 63 BMW X5s and Series 3 models. A spokesman for Jaguar Land Rover admitted the thefts were 'an extremely serious issue for the automotive industry' and said the company had installed a number of updates to try and keep one step ahead of the criminal gangs. 'At Jaguar Land Rover, we have been working closely with the Metropolitan Police and other forces across the country and this has resulted in a number of prosecutions. We have a dedicated engineering team continuously developing new technologies to try to stay one step ahead of criminal gangs. We are now introducing our fourth upgrade, which we are confident, will address the latest theft mechanisms being used.' | London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea saw a spike in keyless car thefts .
Range Rovers and BMWs are a target because of their keyless ignitions .
Police are stopping all prestige car drivers to check they own the vehicle .
Manufacturers blame EU for making technology for hacking more available . |
74,207 | d26dbd7c966b7d7b5185afabc88d4364cde75c6c | By . Leesa Smith . The bizarre life of internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom continues with strangers invited to a spontaneous pool party at his New Zealand mansion to celebrate the All Blacks victory which ran until the crack of dawn. The eccentric German millionaire, who now resides in Auckland, sent out a tweet before the All Blacks versus England match on Saturday, declaring if the New Zealand rugby team won he would ‘walk into a random bar in Auckland & pickup 20 ppl for a 38 degree pool party at the mansion.’ Predicting the team’s victory before the siren, the Internet Party founder sent a follow-up tweet saying the party was going ahead and asking for suggestions of bars to go to for the ‘victory pool party pickup.’ Kim Dotcom (pictured with friends aboard a yacht in the British Virgin Islands in 2012) is quite partial to announcing a spontaneous pool party via Twitter - the internet mogul has held two in the past two years . The founder of Mega, a file hosting service, then invited another 20 random punters to message him directly for the ‘secret mansion security password’ to gain VIP access to the party'. Just before midnight, Dotcom arrived at 1885 in Auckland's Britomart precinct in a 4WD Mercedes with black tinted windows to whisk three women back to his Coatesville mansion, The New Zealand Herald reported. The newly-single Dotcom, who is a father of five, was seen posing for selfies while the crowd cheered him on. A tweet during the evening from the mogul suggested that noise complaints had been made: ‘Turn't down for what?! #PoolParty #AllBlacks #Whaaaat’ The wild bash wound up at 5am on Sunday with Dotcom tweeting: ‘he had a great night with total strangers who became friends. #Happiness’ As irony would have it, Ben Smith, an IT worker with the same name as the All Blacks wing player, was one of the lucky VIP guests; ‘Off to @KimDotcom mansion to party to celebrate the All Blacks win later on tonight! How exciting!’ But not everyone was quite so lucky to be a guest of Dotcom, who changed his name from Schmitz in 2005, with a few international followers expressing wishing to have Kiwi nationalities. While Matt Adams tweeted that he was ‘gutted’ that he missed the shindig and asked him to have a party in London next time. Dotcom, is quite partial to announcing a spontaneous pool party via Twitter - the internet mogul has held two in the past two years. Kim Dotcom's new besties: Random strangers lapping up the party pool atmosphere after the internet mogul spontaneously invited them to his Coatesville mansion in New Zealand when the All Blacks beat England . Kim Dotcom's new-found friends were recruited from Twitter and a bar in Auckland's Britomart precinct . Meanwhile, Dotcom tweeted two hours later about the ‘great news’ that his four Filipina nannies to his five children, including twin girls, had received a 12 month extension on their works visas, in the same week Dotcom announced the end of his five-year marriage to Mona. This is just yet another colourful chapter in the life of Dotcom who received a suspended prison sentence in Germany in 1994 for computer fraud and data espionage, and another suspended prison sentence in 2003 for insider trading and embezzlement. New Zealand Police placed him in custody in January 2012 in response to US charges of criminal copyright infringement in relation to his Megaupload website. Dotcom was accused of costing the entertainment industry $500 million through pirated content uploaded to his file-sharing site. He has vigorously denied the charges, and is fighting the attempt to extradite him to the United States. The-father-of-five, with his twin baby girls in 2012, has four Filipina nannies who were just given a 12-month extension on their New Zealand work visas . | Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom invited strangers to a pool party at his Auckland mansion to celebrate the All Blacks victory, which ran until dawn .
The newly single German picked up 20 random guests at a bar then allowed 20 others to contact him for a 'secret mansion security password'
The wild bash wound up at 5am on Sunday with Dotcom tweeting: ‘Had a great night with total strangers who became friends. #Happiness’
This is the second spontaneous pool party Dotcom has announced via Twitter in the past two years . |
23,242 | 41f6d121748d3677c01bc2fcb9f6e8ac4f7bba23 | By . William Turvill . and Stephen Wright . PUBLISHED: . 03:01 EST, 13 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:26 EST, 14 January 2014 . Portuguese police are under mounting pressure to give Scotland Yard access to three ‘prime suspects’ wanted for questioning over the abduction of Madeleine McCann. British prosecutors have written to their counterparts in Portugal, seeking urgent help with their investigation into her disappearance. A second ‘International Letter of Request’ – outlining inquiries that Met detectives want carried out by the Portuguese – was sent by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) last week. Request: The Met want to interview three prime suspects who could be linked to disappearance of Madeleine McCann . Officers are thought to be pursuing three burglars who were operating in the area when she went missing . It was dispatched a few days after the . Daily Mail exclusively revealed that Scotland Yard has identified three . local burglars as ‘prime suspects’ after an extensive trawl through . mobile phone records. Analysis . of mobile phone data suggests that the men were ‘very close’ to the . scene of Madeleine’s disappearance when she vanished. It also indicates they made an unusually high number of calls to each other in the hours that followed her abduction in 2007. British detectives believe Madeleine may have been abducted during a bungled burglary. The . CPS first sent an International Letter of Request on behalf of British . police in July, when the Met upgraded its review - codenamed Operation . Grange - to a formal investigation, in light of new evidence and new . witnesses. Yesterday the CPS . and Scotland Yard refused to comment on the detail of the latest letter . to the Portuguese, apart from confirming it was sent last week. Madeleine McCann's parents, Kate and Gerry, described the latest move as a 'significant development' A spokesman for Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry said: 'The letter is a significant development. 'It is necessary for British police to request the Portuguese authorities allow them to operate on their turf. 'It . means they have the intention of arresting and interviewing X, Y or Z. We don't know who they have their sights on but it's likely it is the . burglars. 'Whether the Portuguese will co-operate remains to be seen. It is a very sensitive issue with differences they have had. 'Police . want to be given a chance to arrest key suspects. It doesn't prove they . have Madeleine but it will rule them in or out of the investigation and . that is important. 'Kate and Gerry don't want to build up their hopes too high but they realise it could be a significant new lead.' Resort: Madeleine McCann went missing from her apartment in The Ocean Club in Praia Da Luz in 2007 . Informed sources denied claims that arrests are imminent in the Madeleine case. One said: ‘The legal system in Portugal is very different to the UK, and it could be many months before any arrests take place.’ Despite the words of caution, Met commanders are privately delighted with progress being made in its investigation. A . Yard spokesman said: 'We can confirm that a second International Letter . of Request (ILOR) has been sent to the Portuguese authorities by the . Crown Prosecution Service, week commencing 6 January, in connection with . Operation Grange.' Madeleine, . who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday . apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 2007 as her parents . dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. It is now known that between January and May 2007 there had been a four-fold increase in the number of burglaries in the area. Police . said in October that in the 17 days before she disappeared there was . one burglary and one attempted burglary in the block where the McCann . family were staying. | Operation Grange officers are believed to be pursuing three burglars, identified as prime suspects earlier this month .
As revealed by the Mail 10 days ago, the thieves were operating in the area where Madeleine went missing .
The CPS has sent a International Letter of Request to the police in Portugal, reportedly asking for permission to arrest the burglars . |
196,438 | 8a3ad19b4d7c446fe3df81f21c11786e51340bd3 | By . Luke Salkeld . In the words of its famous adverts, this is not just any portion of fish and chips … this is Marks and Spencer fish and chips. And it comes in a pie – complete with a layer of mushy peas. The extraordinary creation is made from chunks of cod, pea puree and tartar sauce, all held together in shortcrust pastry and topped off with a chip ‘lid’. Designed to treat indecisive eaters to a mixture of two traditional favourites of British cuisine, the pie is due to hit the shelves later this month, priced at £3.49. Scroll down for video . The extraordinary creation is made from chunks of cod, pea puree and tartar sauce, all held together in shortcrust pastry and topped off with a chip 'lid' And for those fearing something of a calorie overload, a spokesman claimed they are slightly lower in calories than most pies, and have around half the amount found in a take-away fish and chip supper. Each pie contains 581 calories – just over a quarter of a woman’s recommended daily intake, and a little more than a fifth of a man’s – and includes 31g of fat, 44 per cent of the daily allowance. According to the M&S spokesman, the pies are nutritionally on a par with a typical BLT sandwich. According to the M&S spokesman, the pies are nutritionally on a par with a typical BLT sandwich . Ahead of the new creation hitting shelves on April 22, the company – which sells 21million pies a year – said: ‘Specially handcrafted in Yorkshire, each pie is lovingly created with top quality fillings made in small batches for a truly delicious taste of the seaside.’ M&S food developer Matt Dawson said: ‘Creating this pie has been the culmination of lots of love and hard work from our development team.’ | Creation is made from chunks of cod, pea puree and tartar sauce .
It is all held together in shortcrust pastry and topped off with a chip 'lid'
Designed to treat eaters to mixture of traditional favourites of British cuisine .
The pie is due to hit the shelves later this month priced at £3.49 . |
68,121 | c1432f56c20a03380599b3c0469331e3c24ed940 | A baby born without an immune system is trialling a world-first gene therapy cure to ‘re-boot’ her body’s defence systems and give her the chance of life outside a sterilised environment. Seventeen-month-old Nina Warnell suffers from Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome (SCID) - an inherited condition known as ‘bubble baby’ syndrome - which affects just one in 300,000 babies. She has all the appearance of a healthy child but her body is unable to fight even the mildest germs - meaning even a cough or sneeze could kill her. Nina Warnell, 17-months-old, was born with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome which means her body is unable to fight germs . The radical new treatment - devised by doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital - has its risks but Nina’s parents Graeme and Aga Warnell, from Maidenhead, have been left with few choices. ‘With Nina’s condition, you’re against a ticking clock,’ said Mr Warnell, 43, a real estate project manager. ‘If you don’t do anything within the year, the chances of recovery and survival are very limited. ‘It’s very rare that a child survives beyond two if nothing is done.’ Nina was diagnosed in March 2012 after her mother became concerned that she was sleeping too much and not feeding properly. At five-weeks-old she was admitted to hospital where doctors discovered that she had multiple infections including advanced pneumonia. Nina (pictured with parents, Aga and Graeme) is having a world-first gene therapy treatment to 're-boot' her body's defence systems and give her the chance of life outside a sterilised environment . The treatment works by re-engineering Nina's bone marrow to add a vital missing gene. Doctors hope that this will allow her body to create its own immune system . She was placed in isolation to stop her coming into contact with any more disease and the infections were tackled with a cocktail of antibiotics and anti-viral drugs. The family had to scrub down and wear masks and gowns before being allowed through an airlock-type room to see their critically ill daughter. Things then went from bad to worse as doctors told them Nina needed an urgent bone marrow transplant for any chance of survival. Both her sisters and parents did not match and so Mr and Mrs Warnell campaigned for the public to register as donors with the Anthony Nolan Trust and equivalent charities abroad. Nina (pictured moments after her birth) was believed to be a healthy baby until her mother noticed that she was sleeping a lot and not feeding well. She was admitted to hospital at five-weeks-old . Tests revealed that she was suffering from numerous infections. She was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome and put on the bone marrow donor list but no match could be found . But with Nina getting worse by the day the family decided to move her to Great Ormond Street. Over the following months she slowly started to recover and finally put on weight and doctors managed to create an ‘artificial’ immune system for her. She has to take 15 medications a day and immunoglobulin transfusions every three weeks to maintain it - but it is still very weak. At this point, Professor Bobby Gaspar, a consultant in paediatric immunology, approached the family about the possibility of gene therapy - and things are now starting to look brighter. A team led by the professor is in the process of trialling a new form of gene therapy on the youngster. Nina was getting sicker by the day waiting for a transplant so her parents moved her to Great Ormond Street Hospital for pioneering treatment . Doctors used an extensive drug regime to create an 'artificial immune system' for her but she is still very weak . Nina is missing a gene which produces an enzyme vital to the production of a healthy immune system. The doctors have harvested her bone marrow and have re-engineered it using a new type of ‘reprogrammed virus’ to splice the vital gene she is missing into her DNA profile. The re-engineered bone marrow has been re-inserted into her body and they hope a fully functioning immune system will develop. Doctors estimate a 60 to 90 per cent chance of success. Professor Gaspar told MailOnline that he hopes this form of gene therapy will be able to help many other children as well, and that it could eventually replace bone marrow transplants as the main form of treatment for children with immunodeficiency. As part of the treatment, Nina underwent a session of chemotherapy to wipe her existing bone marrow so that the new one can grow in its place. They are trying a new treatment which involves harvesting some of her bone marrow and re-engineering it to include a vital gene that she was missing. They hope this will allow her body to create its own immune system . She has suffered sickness and lost some of her light-blonde hair in the process. She also had to be housed in a sterilised room during treatment to minimise the risk of catching a potentially fatal disease. SCID is a genetic disorder which results in a poor antibody response to germs. It is the most severe form of primary immunodeficiency and can be caused by any one of nine different gene mutations. It is also known as the bubble boy disease because one patient, David Vetter, became famous for spending 12 years living in a sterile bubble. Patients are usually affected by severe infections early in their life - these can include pneumonia, meningitis and ear infections. If left untreated, the babies usually die within one year. The most common treatment is a bone marrow transplant. There were several scares after she contracted a virus and the bone marrow became contaminated with bacteria when it was inserted into her body. However, Mr Warnell said that in ‘true Nina style’ she fought them off and her cell count started to move slowly in the right direction. As this is a pioneering treatment, . the long-term outlook for Nina is unclear and it could be months, years . or even decades for side effects to surface. Nina . returned home last month but the family will not know if her body has . started producing its own immune system until Christmas. If the gene therapy treatment is found to be unsuccessful, Nina will require a bone marrow transplant. Although . a potential match has been found - this is not the preferred option as . Nina would require more aggressive chemotherapy and face the risk that . her body will reject the donor marrow. Mr . Warnell, who has another daughter, Megan, 11, from a previous marriage, . said: ‘When I look back at the last year of what we’ve been through and . what’s happened to our family, it’s very hard to describe. ‘I . can only really summarise it as like playing a record and someone just . grabs the needle and pulls it straight off with a horrendous scratch and . then there’s just silence.’ Nina (pictured with her sister, Mia, three) also had chemotherapy to wipe her existing bone marrow and allow the new marrow to grow. Doctors believe there is a 60 to 90 per cent chance the treatment will be a success . However, they have been buoyed by Nina’s ‘fighting spirit’ which has seen her battle through several close scrapes. He . added: ‘Nina has maintained this internal resilience, which has baffled . some of the doctors, where by, she has fought through all of these . things whilst having no real immune system. ‘There is no medical answer why, she just has a very strong constitution which has enabled her to survive. ‘She’s . now, in a very strange way, a very confident baby, in that she’s so . used to being examined by doctors and people looking at her, people . prodding, poking her, injecting her, that she’s almost a child that . welcomes any form of human interaction in the hospital, especially as . when at home she’s quite isolated.’ Since . Nina left hospital, the family have had to turn their house into a . quarantine zone and must screen everyone, and everything, that enters . the house. Nina has now been allowed home but her parents will not know whether the treatment has worked until Christmas. They have to disinfect everything (pictured) to ensure she is not exposed to germs . Mrs Warnell, 39, said: ‘We sterilise probably three to four times a day and then anything that drops on the floor has to be washed and sterilised again. ‘There’s also obsessive hand-washing. This is a house of compulsive hand-washers, but it has worked, it has really prevented any infections.’ The barriers they have had to impose on Nina has been particularly hard on the couple’s other daughter Mia, three. She has to have limited contact with other children because of the risk of picking up a cold. Mr Warnell said he often sees her staring longingly out of the window at the other kids playing outside. Visit www.anthonynolan.org to find out how you can help other people in need of a bone marrow transplant. | Nina Warnell was born with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome .
Her body is unable to fight even mild germs meaning a cold could kill her .
Her parents are forced to disinfect their house 2 or 3 times a day .
Nine was offered a bone marrow transplant but no donor could be found .
Great Ormond Street Hospital is now treating her with pioneering therapy .
Involves re-engineering her bone marrow to add a vital missing gene .
They hope this will allow her to develop her own immune system . |
142,434 | 4432af13e1cfcc3bac5284a5c887500ad319865c | The Taliban murdered five women polio health workers in a series of attacks in Pakistan today. The victims were shot in the head at close range, two of them as they administered vaccine drops to young children. The killings halted a polio campaign that international health officials say is vital to contain the crippling disease but which the Taliban claim is a cover for US spies. Rescue workers move the bodies of two of the polio vaccination workers to a mortuary after four of the aid workers were killed in Karachi, Pakistan . Attack: Unknown armed men killed four female workers who were on a three-day polio vaccination campaign funded by UNICEF in Karachi . Rukhsana Bibi mourns over the body of her daughter, polio worker Madiha Bibi, at the morgue of local hospital in Karachi . The government is in the middle of a three-day vaccination drive targeting high risk areas of the country as part of an effort to immunise millions of children under the age of five. Four of the women were gunned down in the southern city of Karachi, and the fifth in a village outside the north-west city of Peshawar. Yesterday a man working on the anti-polio campaign was shot dead down in Karachi. The Taliban also killed three soldiers in an ambush of an army convoy escorting a vaccination team in the north-west. The attacks in Karachi were coordinated and occurred within 15 minutes in three different areas of the city that are far apart. In each case, the gunmen used 9mm pistols. Two of the women were 18 and 19, and the other two were in their 40s, he said. Polio campaign: Female health workers give polio vaccines to a child during a three-day nationwide vaccination campaign in Peshawar, Pakistan . Rescue workers move the body of one of the Polio vaccination workers to a mortuary . Local religious clerics and pro-Taliban lobby are reportedly trying to convince residents that the U.S.-manufactured polio drops were designed to sterilize Pakistanis and reduce the Muslim population . Two of the women were killed while they were in a house giving children polio drops. The other two were travelling between houses when they were attacked, he said. Taliban opposition to the polio campaign grew last year after it was revealed that a Pakistani doctor ran a fake vaccination programme to help the CIA track down Osama bin Laden. Officials in Karachi responded to the attacks by suspending the vaccination campaign.Janbaz Afridi, a senior health official in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the fifth woman was killed, said the shootings would not stop the local government from continuing its vaccination program in the province and the neighbouring tribal region, the main sanctuary for Taliban militants in the country. Rukhsana Bibi, center, is supported by a friend after visiting the body of her daughter, polio worker Madiha Bibi . Pakistani relatives transport the dead body of a female polio worker who was killed by gunmen at a local hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan . Conflict: The Taliban argues that the polio drive was just a cover for U.S. spies . 'These incidents are depressing and may cause difficulties in the anti-polio drive, but people should not lose heart," he said. 'The government is very serious, and we are determined to eliminate polio despite all odds and difficult conditions.' The shootings in Karachi all took place in areas mainly populated by ethnic Pashtuns. The Taliban are a Pashtun-dominated movement, and many militants are reported to be hiding in these communities in the city. Polio usually infects children living in unsanitary conditions, attacks the nerves and can kill or paralyse. Most of the new cases in Pakistan are in the north-west, where the presence of militants makes it difficult to reach children. Heartbroken: Family members of Nasima Bibi, a female worker of an anti-polio drive campaign who was shot by gunmen, mourn her death at a hospital morgue in Karachi . Amtiaz Khan, centre, brother of Nasima Bibi, comforts other relatives next to Nasima's covered body at a hospital morgue in Karachi . | Four women aid workers gunned down in .
the southern city of Karachi and another killed in a village outside the .
north-west city of Peshawar .
Aid workers were administering polio jabs as part of 3-day vaccination drive .
Taliban claim the campaign to immunise children is a cover for U.S. spies . |
126,309 | 2f3f38ace1197c029ff47a525b3cda3b1d046bad | (CNN) -- Inter Milan's ended their seven-match winless streak in Serie A with a 2-0 win away to Chievo on Friday. Two late goals from Walter Samuel in the 87th minute and Diego Milito during injury time ensured a crucial three points for Claudio Ranieri's men. Milito's header made amends for a missed penalty in the 14th minute. The win lifts the Nerazzurri up to sixth in the table above Roma who travel to Palermo on Saturday night. "It's a result which gives us a morale boost. We said in the dressing room that we need to carry on from the second half against Catania," said Ranieri. "This win gives us joy, for a team like Inter to not score in a month is not easy," he added. Napoli moved up to fourth place with an entertaining 6-3 win over Cagliari at the Stadio San Paolo. Marek Hamsik opened the scoring in the 10th minute with captain Paolo Cannavaro doubling the lead nine minutes later. Eleven minutes later the home side were three up as Cagliari defender Davide Astori turned the ball into his own net. Joaquin Larrivey pulled one back for Cagliari in the 37th minute. Argentine striker Ezequiel Lavezzi made sure of three points in the 56th minute converting from the penalty spot. Uruguayan midfielder Walter Gargano added a fifth for Napoli in the 70th minute before Larrivey got his second of the night seven minutes later. Christian Maggio restored the four-goal lead seven minutes from time with Larrivey claiming his hat-trick in injury time. Meanwhile in the Bundesliga, Stuttgart drew 0-0 against bottom-of-the-table Kaiserslautern at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The result means Stuttgart stay in eighth place while Kaiserslautern stay bottom, now one point adrift of Freiburg who travel to Monchengladbach on Saturday. | Late goals from Walter Samuel and Diego Milito earn Inter Milan first win in eight Serie A games .
Napoli score six against Cagliari to move up to fourth place .
Bundesliga match between Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern ends goalless . |
169,966 | 67f85b16432f9abdd6f3da0d2a8e70726e4bf907 | (CNN) -- In a rare move, a senior cardinal spoke before the pope's Easter Mass address at the Vatican on Sunday, saying the pontiff maintains the support of Catholics around the world "who do not let themselves be influenced by the gossip." "Today, with you are the cardinals from the Roman Curia, all the bishops and priests around the world," said Cardinal Angelo Sodano, former Vatican secretary of state and the dean of the College of Cardinals. Speaking at the beginning of the Easter Sunday ceremony, Sodano did not specifically mention the sexual abuse scandal that has engulfed the Catholic Church in recent months. But his remarks clearly referred to those who have criticized Catholic leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI himself, for not having done much more during his years as a top official. Sodano said the pope has the support of those who work in schools, hospitals and care centers, including 400,000 priests. "Also with you are the faithful who do not let themselves be influenced by gossip," Sodano said in Italian, using the word "chiacchiericcio," which means chatter or gossip. "May the Lord continue to sustain your mission at the service of the church in the world." In his Easter message, the pope did not address the scandal that encompasses high-profile abuse cases in several countries including Ireland, France, the United States, Mexico and his native Germany. More and more people have come forward complaining that as children they were victims of abuse by religious leaders, and that the church did little or nothing to stop it. Some Catholic leaders took the opportunity Sunday to condemn the Roman Catholic hierarchy. "The lives of survivors of child sexual abuse, the faith of members of the church, and the credibility of church leadership have all been wounded grievously by the evil deeds of priests and religious who exploited their position to wreak havoc on the lives of helpless children. Those wounds were aggravated by serious mismanagement on the part of bishops and other leaders in the Church," said Irish Cardinal Sean Brady in his homily. He apologized to victims and vowed to do his part to keep the safety of those in the church his overriding concern. In a letter last month, the pope said he was "truly sorry" for the abuse suffered by victims at the hands of Catholic priests in Ireland. Also Sunday, Belgium's top Roman Catholic bishop addressed the scandal. "Through a guilty silence, we often preferred the reputation of certain men of the church to the honor of these abused children," said Andre Joseph Leonard, archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel. "Here, as well, we must, by the force of truth, give dignity back to those who were so atrociously exploited." German Archbishop Robert Zollitsch also brought up the scandal in his Easter address, saying, "We need to go down the path together and take into full view the unfathomable occurrences, the horrible crimes, the dark sides of the church and the dark parts in ourselves. But we cannot leave it at that alone. We need a new beginning." In a message Friday on the Web site of the Archdiocese of Freiburg, Zollitsch expressed "sadness, horror and shame," as well as his "disappointment over the painful failure of the offenders, and that the victims weren't helped enough because of the misplaced concern about the reputation of the church." The Archdiocese of Munich and Freising -- once headed by Pope Benedict XVI -- has been criticized for ignoring warnings to keep one of its priests away from children despite the man having been convicted of pedophilia. The priest, the Rev. Peter Hullermann, was convicted of abusing minors in 1986, but was later allowed to continue his priestly work and to deal with children. A new allegation of abuse recently surfaced against Hullermann, dating from 1998 in the town of Garching. Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, archbishop at the time, has apologized for allowing Hullermann to work in the town after his conviction. The German Diocese of Regensburg confirmed last month that four Catholic priests and two nuns have been accused of sexually abusing children. Five of the cases are from the 1970s and one is from the 1980s. German lawyers representing alleged victims say there are more than 300 cases across Germany. Some of the cases date back to the 1950s. A few priests have called for the pope to step down. "The ever growing sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has now reached the doorstep of the Vatican. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, knew -- or should have known -- about pedophile priests under his authority," the Rev. Roy Bourgeois of Columbus, Georgia, said Friday. While the Vatican has emphasized Benedict's concern about the scandal, the pontiff focused his Easter remarks on other issues. Citing the story of the Exodus, he said, "In our days too, humanity needs an 'exodus', not just superficial adjustment, but a spiritual and moral conversion. It needs the salvation of the Gospel, so as to emerge from a profound crisis, one which requires deep change, beginning with consciences," Benedict said. He mentioned several of the world's leading international crises, praying for an exodus from war and violence in the Middle East and an end to suffering for Christian communities, especially in Iraq. "May the risen Lord sustain the Christians who suffer persecution and even death for their faith, as for example in Pakistan," he said. He cited the "dangerous resurgence" of drug crimes in Latin America and the Caribbean, the "appalling tragedy" of the earthquake in Haiti, and the "grave catastrophe" of the quake in Chile. "In the strength of the risen Jesus, may the conflicts in Africa come to an end, conflicts which continue to cause destruction and suffering," the pope said, adding, "In particular I entrust to the Lord the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Nigeria." He prayed for all countries affected by terrorism and discrimination, and touched on the financial crisis as well. "To the leaders of nations, may Easter bring light and strength, so that economic and financial activity may finally be driven by the criteria of truth, justice and fraternal aid." Concluding his annual "Urbi et Orbi" -- "To the City and to the World" -- address, Benedict added, "Easter does not work magic. Just as the Israelites found the desert awaiting them on the far side of the Red Sea, so the Church, after the resurrection, always finds history filled with joy and hope, grief and anguish. And yet, this history is changed, it is marked by a new and eternal covenant, it is truly open to the future." | NEW: Some Catholic leaders condemn church hierarchy in wake of abuse scandal .
Cardinal says pope has support of the faithful, including 400,000 priests .
Cardinal Angelo Sodano spoke before Vatican's Easter Mass ceremony .
Pope's Easter message asks God's help with international crises, disasters . |
227,883 | b319ec3a3a6b7582e93792f712815057cb41dffe | Middlesbrough are close to clinching a deal to sign Adam Forshaw from Wigan in a deal expected to be worth more than £2million. Forshaw, 23, will have a medical tomorrow before finalising his move to Aitor Karanka's high-flying side. Boro tried to sign him last summer but he moved from Brentford to Wigan, a move which reunited him with manager Uwe Rosler and represented a return home to Merseyside. Adam Forshaw (right) is set to complete a £2million move to promotion chasing Middlesbrough . Rosler’s exit and Malky Mackay’s arrival proved a setback for Forshaw, who doesn't seem to fit in with the Scotsman style of play . The former Everton youngster now finds himself going from a relegation scrap, to a promotion push with the Teesiders. Wigan seem to be busily offloading players as if they're preparing for the worst. Ben Watson has joined Watford and a number Premier League clubs are chasing winger Callum McManaman. The Latics struggles are somewhat of a shock as they find themselves languishing second from bottom with only Blackpool below them in the Championship. Forshaw found his game time limited once Malky Mackay was appointed the new manager . Aitor Karanka's side are pushing for promotion and the signing of Forshaw will be a welcome bonus . | Middlesbrough close to sealing £2m deal for Wigan's Adam Forshaw .
Forshaw joined the Wigan in the summer and reuniting with Uwe Rosler .
Since Malky Mackay took over, Forshaw has found his game time limited .
Click here for all the latest transfer news . |
76,154 | d7ff1700421400a2809121d24de69c316458b077 | Six tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeast Washington state are leaking radioactive waste, the governor said Friday, calling the news "disturbing" even as he insisted there are "no immediate health risks." "News of six leaking tanks at Hanford raises serious questions about integrity of all single tanks," Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday afternoon on Twitter. Inslee said that he got the latest information about the site during a meeting in Washington with U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. One week earlier, Chu called the governor to tell him that a single-shell tank in the same location was leaking liquids at a rate of 150 to 300 gallons per year. Believed to be the first to lose liquids since 2005, that tank was built in the 1940s and can hold roughly 447,000 gallons of sludge, according to the governor's office. "(Chu) told me today that his department did not adequately analyze data it had that would have shown the other tanks that are leaking," Inslee said. The sprawling, 586-square mile Hanford site houses a total of 177 underground tanks full of radioactive sludge, of which 149 are single-shell tanks. On Friday, Inslee said there is "still no current health risk" tied to the leaks. He made similar comments a week earlier, saying "it would be quite some time before these leaks could breach groundwater or the Columbia River." At the same time, the governor stressed that the problem must be addressed. "This certainly raises serious questions about the integrity of all 149 single-shell tanks with radioactive liquid and sludge at Hanford," he said Friday. Hard lessons for U.S. nuclear safety from Fukushima meltdown . Hanford became a focal point of U.S. nuclear efforts beginning in 1943, when aspects of the Manhattan Project were moved there. As local residents moved out, thousands of workers moved into the site where plutonium for use in atomic bombs was produced. Two bombs were dropped on Japan during the final days of World War II. The site -- about half the size of Rhode Island, in an area centered roughly 75 miles east of Yakima -- continued to buzz during the Cold War, with more plutonium production as well as the construction of several nuclear reactors. The last reactor shut down in 1987, though a mammoth cleanup effort remained to address what state and federal authorities deemed the most contaminated site in the Western Hemisphere. Those efforts were bolstered by about $2 billion in federal stimulus funds authorized in several years ago. But decades of more work remain, which is why Washington's governor said he feared that across-the-board budget cuts called the sequester -- which could take effect March 1, unless Congress passes and President Barack Obama signs an alternative -- could negatively affect activity at the site. "We need to be sure the federal government maintains its commitment and legal obligation to the cleanup of Hanford," Inslee said. "To see Hanford workers furloughed at the exact moment we have additional leakers out there is completely unacceptable." | Last week, Washington's governor said 1 tank at the Hanford nuclear site was leaking .
He now says 6 tanks are leaking radioactive waste, calling the news "disturbing"
The leaks pose "no immediate health risks," but do pose concerns, the governor says .
Hanford site is home to one of the world's largest nuclear cleanup efforts . |
101,149 | 0e59254b10b17a84a39caf06a28098de0cc14cb3 | (RollingStone.com) -- Where does Louis C.K.'s off-kilter comic vision come from? Turns out the answer may be "Mexico." C.K. was born in Washington, D.C., but moved to his father's native Mexico at age one -- he and his family didn't move back to the U.S. until he was seven or so. How Louis C.K. became the darkest, funniest comedian in America . "Coming here and observing America as an outsider made me an observing person," C.K. tells senior writer Brian Hiatt in the new issue of Rolling Stone. "I grew up in Boston and didn't get the accent, and one of the reasons is that I started in Spanish," he continued. "I was a little kid, so all I had to do was completely reject my Spanish and my Mexican past, which is a whole lot easier because I'm white with red hair. I had the help of a whole nation of people just accepting that I'm white." On the Cover: The dirty wisdom of Louis C.K. "Race doesn't mean what it used to in America anymore," he continues. "It just doesn't. Obama's black, but he's not black the way people used to define that. Is black your experience or the color of your skin? My experience is as a Mexican immigrant, more so than someone like George Lopez. He's from California. But he'll be treated as an immigrant. I am an outsider. My abuelita, my grandmother, didn't speak English. My whole family on my dad's side is in Mexico. I won't ever be called that or treated that way, but it was my experience." See the original story at RollingStone.com. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | Louis C.K. moved to his father's native Mexico at the age of one .
His move back to the U.S. as a child affected his approach to comedy .
C.K. 'Coming here and observing America as an outsider made me an observing person' |
24,985 | 46c6c39c5b2dc2123a3223433bb9ab791c19e07d | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 09:16 EST, 4 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:25 EST, 4 November 2013 . Coalition tensions over immigration deepened today, with David Cameron accusing Nick Clegg of opposing himself. A plan for a £3,000 bond to deter illegal immigrants has been dropped, after it was vetoed by Mr Clegg. But Mr Cameron said he was surprised by the Lib Dem opposition because 'this was an idea that the Deputy Prime Minister first proposed'. Swipe: David Cameron made clear that the immigration bond was first proposed by Nick Clegg, who now opposes it . Under the proposals, temporary migrants from high-risk countries – such as Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana – would have paid a surety before coming to Britain, and have it seized if they failed to leave when their visa expired. The proposal, a Tory manifesto commitment, was to be tested later this month. In a speech in March Mr Clegg tried to take credit for the idea but now wants to disown it. Lib Dem sources said Home Secretary Theresa May's version of the policy was 'not acceptable' to the party and not supported by other departments. 'They have seen the writing on the wall and binned it off. We have been clear from the start that the version was just not acceptable to us,' they said. But Mr Cameron today tried to pin blame for the confusion on his Lib Dem deputy. He told the CBI annual conference in central London: 'This was an idea that the Deputy Prime Minister first proposed but we are not proposing to go ahead with it.' To laughs, he added: 'He has lots of good ideas but this one is not one we are going ahead with.' The scheme was expected to apply to visitors from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ghana and Nigeria who would have paid up for a six-month visa. Home Secretary Theresa May ridiculed the Liberal Democrats' stance on immigration bonds at the Conservative party conference . In March Mr Clegg appeared to back . the policy in a speech in which he said there should be ‘zero tolerance’ of those who abuse the immigration system. But later this year he threatened to block the scheme if bonds were applied in an ‘indiscriminate way’. ‘I . am absolutely not interested in a bond which becomes an indiscriminate . way of clobbering people who want to come to this country, and in many . respects bring great prosperity and benefits to this country, of course . not.’ Business Secretary Vince Cable had . suggested the policy could be used as a way of allowing in visitors who . had been refused a visa. This stance was ridiculed by Home Secretary Theresa May in her Tory party conference speech. She said Mr Cable’s idea amounted to paying for ‘more immigrants to come here’. She said: ‘Our drive to cut immigration has been so successful, even the Liberal Democrats are boasting about it in their campaign handbook. Labour MP Keith Vaz described the plans as 'unfair and discriminatory' 'I don’t remember their enthusiasm . for cutting immigration when we worked on the policies - so I’m going to . take this with me next time they try to block our reforms. ‘Bonds . were in our manifesto at the last election. But the Lib Dems suddenly . announced that it was their idea. Then they said they were against them. ‘Then . they said they were for them - but only to help more immigrants to come . here. Now they say they’re against them after all. 'They were for them, then they were against them... then they were for them, and now they’re against them.’ ‘Confused? Don’t be - the simple conclusion is you can only trust the Conservatives on immigration. Lib Dem sources said the policy was ‘not acceptable to the Liberal Democrats and was not supported by other government departments.’ One said: ‘We have been clear from the start that the version was just not acceptable to us.’ A Home Office spokesman said: ‘The Government has been considering whether we pilot a bond scheme that would deter people from overstaying the visa. We have decided not to proceed.’ Tory ministers are trying to cut net migration - the difference between the numbers arriving and those leaving - to below 100,000 by the time of the next general election. Labour MP Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, described the scheme as ‘unfair and discriminatory’. | Plans for bond to deter immigrants staying after visas expire dropped .
Deputy Prime Minister took credit for idea in March but later disowned it .
David Cameron makes clear it was Nick Clegg who 'first proposed' it . |
231,425 | b7a5dc487e1fc8d4ddb78525a1bc7bbbc09c8417 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:37 EST, 15 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:54 EST, 17 September 2013 . The parents at the head of Britain's biggest family admitted to being 'utterly devastated' today after losing their 17th baby. Sue Radford went for her 12-week scan this morning only to find the child due in April had died. It came a day after she and her baker husband Noel, from Morecambe, Lancashire, spoke of their excitement at expecting again just 11 months after giving birth to their youngest Casper. 'It's with such sadness that we have to say our beautiful baby's . heartbeat stopped two days ago, we are utterly devastated beyond words,' they said in a statement today. Sad news: Sue and Noel, from Morecambe, Lancashire, pictured with their 16 children, have announced that Mrs Radford has had a miscarriage . Yesterday, before their bad news, the Radfords said they were ‘absolutely thrilled’ to be having another baby, who will be a sibling for Chris, 24, Sophie, 19, Chloe, 18, Jack, 16, Daniel, 14, Luke, 12, Millie, 12, Katie, ten, James, nine, Ellie, eight, Aimee, seven, Josh, five, Max, four, Tilly, three, Oscar, two and Casper, 11 months. Mrs Radford wrote on Facebook after her 12-week scan: ‘We are so excited to announce Radford baby 17 will be joining this family in April. ‘As you can imagine, the children are so excited. Little Tilly said to me: “Mummy you have a baby in your tummy”. It was so sweet.’ But she added: ‘I feel so sick. Whoever named it morning sickness was lying. Try morning, noon and night sickness.’ The hard-working couple, who own a bakery, live in a former children’s home and use a minibus to get around. Clan: The Radfords have been a couple for over 25 years and have nine sons, seven daughters - and one granddaughter . Just can't get enough: The couple, who found fame two pregnancies ago on TV show 15 Kids and Counting has become parents on average every 17 months for the past 24 years . Laundry: Five children from the Radford family standing next to their washing machine . Mrs Radford, 38, first became pregnant with Chris when she was 14. She and husband Noel, now 41, were determined to keep the baby as they had both been given up for adoption. The couple married four years later and second child Sophie soon arrived. Their youngest child, Casper, was born last October weighing 8lb 8oz and the labour lasted just 16 minutes. Not long after his birth, Mrs Radford – who has on average had a baby every 17 months over the past 23 years – pledged to have even more. The couple also became grandparents last year when Sophie gave birth to daughter Daisy. A family friend said: ‘They are a lovely family and the children are so well-behaved. They are obviously great parents.’ The family rose to fame in 2011 when they were featured on Channel 4’s 15 Kids and Counting. Collection: The Radford children neatly pile up their shoes. The family gets through 60 pairs of footwear every year . Home: The Radfords squeeze their 16 children into this property in Morecambe, Lancashire . Family portrait: Sue Radford (front right) cradles their newest addition, Casper, while the other 15 children gather behind . Sunday Roast: The Radfords settle down to a family meal in their large dining room . Holiday: Sue Radford enjoying a week away in Lanzarote in 2011. At this point she had 15 children . Television: The Radford family speak to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford during an appearance on This Morning . 'There might be more': During the interview, Sue Radford indicated there was a chance she would not stop at 16 children. She had been expecting number 17 in April . Big family: Sue and Noel Radford met as teenagers, and had planned to have three or four children . Height order: The Radford family relaxing by the pool in Lanzarote during a holiday in 2011 . | Sue Radford has had a baby every 17 months for the past 24 years .
Sue and husband Noel have 16 children - nine sons and seven daughters .
'Our beautiful baby's .
heartbeat stopped 2 days ago we are utterly devastated beyond words,' they said in a statement .
Until today she'd been expecting again, 11 months since her last child . |
36,239 | 66ca49285aba23be85135a94a8b90eba4fe4b334 | By . Emily Anne Epstein and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:47 EST, 28 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:09 EST, 28 November 2012 . A father who was filmed along with his son mocking his 10-year-old neighbor with cerebral palsy every day has been sentenced to one month in jail. William Bailey, 43, was caught on camera by the girl's grandmother, who videotaped the father-son duo slowly hobbling to the school bus, limping with bent legs, in front of Hope Holcomb and her classmates. Bailey plead no contest to reduced misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and aggravated menacing. The Canton, Ohio judge gave the grown man the maximum sentence for the charges. Scroll down for video . Cruel: A father and son duo has spent the last year brutally humiliating a 10-year-old Ohio girl with cerebral palsy, her parents have claimed - and they have video to prove it. Victim Hope Holcomb is pictured . Humiliated: Every day after school at the bus stop, William Bailey and his nine-year-old son slowly hobble from the school bus to their vehicle, limping with bent legs, in front of Hope Holcomb's classmates . Every day after school at the bus . stop, Bailey and his nine-year-old son Joseph would mock the disabled . girl even though she would repeatedly ask them to stop. 'Stop, please, try to be nice,' Hope has asked them, weeping. They claim that their actions were motivated by a long-standing feud between their family and Holly's family, the Knights. 'It started last year we had trouble on the bus, she was miserable she didn’t want to ride the bus, cried every morning,' said Tricia Knight, Hope’s mother, to Fox. 'He treats her like crap, and most recently the dad got involved.' The Baileys, who have five children, live next door to the Knights. Maryann Abel, the assistant court . administrator for Stark County Family Court, told MailOnline that the . Joseph will not face any charges because of his young age. '(Prosecutors) thought he was acting under the influence of his father,' she said. They say the bullying has grown more intense and hurtful in the past few months and they had to raise the alarm. 'It makes me sick too, to think that a grown man would tease a 10-year-old disabled girl that has never done a thing to any of them for no reason, and now she doesn’t want to get on the bus to go to school,' Mike Knight said to the station. Defense: William Bailey, center, says it was retaliation for the Knight family's abuse of his son Joseph . Bullied: Her grandmother filmed the pair mocking Holly, showing indisputible evidence of the mockery and cruelty she has been subjected to . 'We just want the bullying and the ridiculous behavior from the kids and the adults to stop.' The family has created red t-shirts that read 'STOP the bullying' to band together against the abuse. Mr Bailey said that the Knights have repeatedly mocked his son, who suffers from seizures and ADHD. 'It makes me sick too, to think that a grown man would tease a 10-year-old disabled girl that has never done a thing to any of them for no reason, and now she doesn’t want to get on the bus to go to school.' Father, Michael Knight . 'I love that little girl. I never even meant that or anything at all toward little Hope. I don’t make fun of anybody with a disability,' he said to the Canton Rep. 'I . wasn’t making fun of anyone. They just kept calling my little boy . (names) and I reacted badly. You have to defend your son, your children . ...' Explaining the video, he said that he . was retaliating for the Knights calling his son a 'retard.' He claims . they were present during the taping and were hurling insults at Joseph. 'They . were down at the bus stop yelling "retard" and I told my son, "If they . want to call us 'retard,' we’ll show them a 'retard.'" And we walked to . the car from the bus like that. I did that with my son,' he said. Retaliation: Mr Bailey said that the Knights have repeatedly mocked his son, who suffers from seizures and ADHD . Plea: 'Stop, please, try to be nice,' Hope has asked them, weeping . His wife Vickie Bailey defended his actions. 'He . did get out of the car, you’ve seen the video I am sure, my kid was . walking like, but no offense to Hope so why they are taking it that way, . I have no idea,' Mrs Bailey said. Solidarity: The family has created t-shirts that read 'STOP the bullying' to band together . She insisted this was not a case of a grown man bullying a defenseless girl, claiming instead that the two families have a long standing rivalry. Both families have filed complaints with the prosecutors office, Fox reports, but no charges have been filed. 'We are aware that there are neighbor problems between the families ... name-calling, loud music and other violations,' said Sgt. Terry Curry. 'We will address any violation of the Ohio law, any incident that may occur.' Neighbors say they are fed up with the feud between the two clans. 'Their daughters play together and ride bikes together, their sons ride bikes together, the (Knight) kids swim in the (Bailey) kids’ pool with them,' Ray Burdette, who lives about 500 feet away, told the Canton Rep. 'Two weeks ago, they were down playing basketball and riding bikes together and now this.' Mrs Knight and Mrs Baily agreed that the families have been close, perhaps too close for comfort, since the Knights moved in two years ago. 'Kids don’t always get along. I would be a liar if I told you my kids weren’t brats, too,' Mrs Knight told the newspaper. Mrs Bailey claims she was heart-broken over the fighting. 'I love those guys. I still do,' she said. 'But this needs to stop.' | Parents Mike and Tricia Knight say Hope Holcomb,10, is humiliated .
William Bailey says it was retaliation for the Knight family's abuse of his son Joseph .
Both feuding families have contacted the police .
William Bailey plead no contest to aggravated menacing and disorderly conduct, will spend a month in Ohio jail . |
139,710 | 40aa98631aa43e9f54f84b35192f66b8d86d6523 | (CNN) -- An Orthodox Jewish man apparently preparing to pray prompted authorities to divert a Louisville, Kentucky-bound US Airways Express plane Thursday. FBI spokesman J.J. Klaver said there appeared to be no threat from the man, who was described as wearing something on his head that included leather pieces. The description appeared to match that of tefillin, or phylacteries, which Orthodox Jewish men wear during prayer. The flight had taken off from New York's LaGuardia Airport, the FBI said, and was diverted to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Transportation Security Administration said it was notified of what it called a disruptive passenger on Flight 3079, operated by Chautauqua Airlines, around 8:30 a.m. ET, and the plane landed without incident at Philadelphia International Airport about 20 minutes later. US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant said the diversion was a "security precaution" for the 50-seat ERJ 145. It was not immediately clear how many passengers were on board. Earlier, Durrant said the flight had been evacuated, but the TSA did not offer any details on whether that had occurred. TSA and law enforcement officials met the flight, interviewed the passenger and did a security sweep of the plane without finding anything of concern, the agency said. CNN's Evan Buxbaum contributed to this report. | US Airways Express plane bound for Kentucky diverted to Pennsylvania .
Orthodox Jewish man preparing to pray apparently prompted authorities to divert flight .
FBI spokesman says there appeared to be no threat from the man .
Airline spokesman earlier cited "security precaution" for diversion . |
229,761 | b58cde9905f52b09aa909ef121fc82635208909d | Busch Gardens has removed headless exhibits like this one from this year's Halloween line-up . Theme parks Busch Gardens had to remove headless props from their Halloween attractions after complaints that the decapitated heads on display reminded them of the beheadings by terrorist group ISIS. The change came in the wake of the beheadings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and British aid worker David Haines. Islamic state militants recently released . three videos showing each of the brutal acts. Spokesmen . for Busch Gardens in Virginia and Tampa said that in light of the events, . some props may have had the unintended consequence of appearing . insensitive and won't be part of this year's Howl-O-Scream attraction. 'Many . of the scenes depicted at Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream are graphic in . nature, but they are fictional and are not intended to provide . commentary on current world events,' spokesman . Travis Claytor wrote. 'The props in this year's event were designed and . purchased several months ago.' Complaints . cropped up recently in Williamsburg when the Virginia Gazette newspaper . ran a photo of five severed head props that were part of the . attraction. The props were part of the Cut Throat Cove attraction, which showed a pirate-themed haunted house with body parts and heads. 'Within this macabre market, the pirates . have been slaughtered and mutiny is afoot,' the description on the . website reads. 'The way out lies with the buried treasure and the . blood-curdling screams you hear just might be your own.' Decorations like this one at Busch Gardens has drawn criticism from some parkgoers who say it's too gruesome in light of the latest ISIS beheadings . The removed props were a part of the park's yearly Howl-O-Scream attraction . The attraction rubbed some parkgoers the wrong way. 'That’s not … consistent with the Halloween spirit at all,' parkgoe rHartley Bond told WAVY. 'I think it was good that they pulled it. It was out of order and insensitive to public sentiment. So, I’m glad they responded.' Some, like patron Norman England, disagreed. 'It’s Halloween. I would not associate one with the other, you know?' he told WAVY. 'That’s how I feel about it. People go there for the scariness, and what’s happening in the Far East is entirely different.' The Virginia Gazette reported that it ran a front page photo of the severed head props Saturday, three hours after media outlets began reporting that the terrorist group Islamic State had posted a new video claiming to have beheaded Haines, a British aid worker. Gazette Editor Rusty Carter defended running the photos, according to a story on the paper's website. 'The photo was taken last week as part of an assignment to preview a current exhibit,' he said. 'The figures are cartoonish in design, and do not look realistic. It is the job of our reporters and photographers to report and photograph the news, not censor it.' Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Halloween-themed attraction opened in mid-September. The Tampa park's attraction opens Sept. 26. | Busch Gardens in Virginia and Tampa will no longer show headless props this Halloween .
Some parkgoers were miffed at the displays because they reminded them of the recent beheadings by the Islamic State terrorist group . |
128,221 | 31b5c89dcbec336c4a412dc8480661c9304f0cde | By . Alexandra Williams and Nick Pisa . PUBLISHED: . 17:38 EST, 14 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:37 EST, 15 July 2012 . A rescuer who searched for the three British climbers caught up in last week’s avalanche in the French Alps told yesterday of the desperate race to save them – and the terrible moment he realised they were dead. French guide Yann Delevaux, 33, and his colleagues were using 10ft steel probes to search the mountain near Chamonix when he felt something lodged under the snow. ‘I touched something with the probe,’ he said. ‘I shouted that I had found something and then the digging began. We got shovels, big shovels. The snow is heavy. Scroll down for video . Rescue bid: Guide Yann Delevaux led attempts to find the buried mountaineers . ‘The first thing we saw was a badge – . we knew then that we had found a mountain guide. You wish they are going . to move but you know really that there’s no chance. ‘We . saw that he was roped to someone. We dug and dug and followed the rope . and found the second body. We saw the rope continued. We then found a . third body. ‘It’s a clash of emotions. You are happy that you have found them but they are dead. That’s terrible.’ Mr . Delevaux and his colleagues had discovered guide Roger Payne, Steve . Barber and John Taylor. Mr Payne, 55 – one of the UK’s most respected . climbers – is a former general secretary of the British Mountaineering . Council. Close friends Mr Barber, 47, and Mr Taylor, 48, lived in the . same street in North Yorkshire. Tragedy: Roger Payne, pictured with wife Julie-Ann Clyma, died in the avalanche . The . three were swept to their deaths along with three Germans, two . Spaniards and one Swiss by a thunderous 60ft wall of snow and ice just . after 5am on Thursday. They . were in a party of 28 climbers on Mont Maudit – which means Cursed Peak – . and were on their way to the summit of Mont Blanc when the avalanche . struck. Mr Delevaux said he was contacted at 9am by mountain police who . had been searching for climbers since they received an emergency call . from a dazed and injured French guide three-and-a-half hours earlier. Mr Delevaux sent a text message summoning dozens of volunteers before flying to the site of the accident by helicopter. Killed: Steve Barber, left, and John Taylor, who both died in the avalanche, were lifelong best friends who lived on the same street in Upper Poppleton, Yorkshire . Tragedy: Experienced climber Roger Payne was . killed by the avalanche in the Alps. On the right, he is pictured during . a climb in the Himalayas . He . said: ‘An area of about 100 yards square needed to be probed. About 40 . of us were standing at the bottom of the avalanche debris . shoulder-to-shoulder in a long line, and we started pushing the probes . into the snow. ‘Then you . take one step forward and do the same thing. The entire area needed to . be probed because we didn’t know what we were dealing with. ‘You . have no sense of time out there. I later learned that we had been out . there for two hours when we struck something under the snow. The bodies . were about 3ft below the surface.’ He added: ‘You have such a range of emotions. They are someone’s loved one, and as a guide you realise it could have been you.’ Yesterday, . a memorial service was held for the victims at the 12th Century church . of St Michael in Chamonix, which stands at the foot of Mont Blanc. Prayers . will also be offered today for Mr Barber, Mr Taylor and their families . at All Saints Church in their home village of Upper Poppleton, near . York. Expert mountaineer Klemen Gricar took these pictures of climbers waiting to be rescued from Mont Maudit just minutes after the avalanche . Buried: Photos taken just 20 minutes after the catastrophic snow slide show rescuers and mountaineers assessing the avalanche of snow on Mont Maudit . Rescue: The climbers affected by the avalanche were part of a 28-member group of experienced mountaineers . Aftermath: Huge banks of snow blanket the north face of Mont Maudit minutes after the deadly avalanche . Snow slide: Experts said the avalanche was caused when one of climbers dislodged a 1ft-deep bank of snow on Mont Maudit . Unavoidable: Mountain guide Klemen Gricar's avalanche aftermath pictures show the devastating sheets of show after they shifted down the mountainside . Help: Three members of the 28-strong group wait for their rescue minutes after the Mont Maudit snow slide in the French Alps . Flying rescue: This was the view climbers had of helicopters flying towards the mountain to lift them to safety soon after the avalanche . Desperate search: Emergency crews and climbers tried in vain to locate nine of their party, but were too late to save them . Disastrous: Rescuers could do nothing to save nine climbers hit by the avalanche, as bodies were returned from the mountainside by helicopter . Tragic: The French Gendarmerie wheel away the body of the one of the avalanche victims as crews continued their desperate search for survivors . Saved: Emergency crews arrive back in Chamonix with a survivor from the avalanche . The six dead in the avalanche were said to have been in a group of 20 climbers when they were caught in the snow slide . At the scene: The climbing route where emergency crews focused their searches is said to be one of the most dangerous in Europe . Climbers who were only 100 meters away from the avalanche, left, visiting survivors at Sallanches Hospital and Sir Peter Ricketts, right, the British Ambassador to France arrived in Chamonix last night . Perilous: The Mont Blanc route, with Mont Maudit to the right, is one particularly popular with tourist climbers (file picture) Rescue: A helicopter from the Securite Civile (emergency services) flies over the Mont Blanc massif as investigators look for those stranded in the avalanche . Recovery: Five Britons are said to be among those still missing from the group of 28 climbers, as helicopters rushed to the scene . VIDEO: Aerial scenes of accident and reaction in the village where the dead climbers lived . | Rescuer Yann Delevaux's harrowing tale of the search for missing climbers .
John Taylor and Steve Barber the two other Britons to have died yesterday .
Former president of British Mountain Guides, Roger Payne, among the dead .
Four missing climbers, including two Britons, have been found safe .
They had taken a different route and were unharmed .
Climbers hit by avalanche on 4,400m Mont Maudit, on way to Mont Blanc .
Yorkshire village of Poppleton in mourning for 'lifelong friends' John Taylor and Steve Barber .
Death toll included three Britons, two Germans, two Swiss and two Spanish . |
189,316 | 812c4b9d2360a16c09dcaf253dc6b95940da7ba8 | Pope Benedict XVI is not suffering from any specific disease that forced him to resign, his spokesman said Tuesday, a day after the news that he was stepping down shocked the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. The pontiff is resigning because he does not feel he has the strength to continue as the church's leader, the Rev. Federico Lombardi said, adding that it was a "spiritual" decision. Lombardi emphasized that Benedict remains pope until February 28, when his resignation takes effect. He dismissed reports in an Italian newspaper that the pope's decision was linked to a medical intervention to replace the battery in his pacemaker, saying that had been a routine procedure. Benedict has had the pacemaker since he was a cardinal, he added. Benedict's service will end at 8 p.m. on February 28 and he will continue his work as planned until then, Lombardi said, including an important meeting with the cardinals and priests this Thursday. He will hold a final audience in Vatican City's St. Peter's Square on February 27, Lombardi said. Despite addressing reporters at length, Lombardi left many questions about what will come next unanswered -- including those concerning exactly when a successor will be elected. The Vatican does not yet know when cardinals will meet in a conclave to decide who will replace Benedict, Lombardi said. Vatican experts are studying legal documents on the subject, he explained. But the conclave is likely to come between 15 and 20 days after the pontiff steps down, he said, and a new pope will be in place before Easter is celebrated at the end of March. Much of the uncertainty stems from the fact this is the first time a pope has stepped down in nearly 600 years. The pope said Monday he is resigning "because of advanced age." "Strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," said Benedict, 85, according to the Vatican. The pope, born Joseph Ratzinger, will first head to the pope's summer residence in Castel Gandolfo before he likely retires to a monastery and devotes himself to a life of reflection and prayer, Lombardi said. He won't be involved in managing the church after his resignation. Read the full text of Pope Benedict XVI's declaration . The pope's older brother, the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, told CNN in Regensburg, Germany, that Benedict had come to his decision without seeking his brother's advice. Asked if Benedict sounded relieved when the pair spoke Monday, his brother said: "His voice sounded the same as by every other call. He planned the whole event and it worked out well. The news is now out in the world, and now his life must continue its normal path." Ratzinger, himself 89, did not specify when his brother began to feel too frail to carry on. But, he said, "The aging process causes difficulties, only in the last few years, first as he was 80 and then when you go past 85 ... when you cross these hurdles you feel like everything becomes more difficult." He is not sorry to see his brother step down, he said. "I'm realistic. I can see that the advancement of life brings changes and it goes along these lines. I would say that I would have been happy, had he been able to continue, but I take this realistically and soberly -- that it's for the best." Benedict's decision has inevitably prompted frenzied speculation over who might assume the papacy in his place. While Benedict won't be directly involved in his successor's selection, his influence will undoubtedly be felt. He appointed 67 of the 117 cardinals that -- as of Monday -- are set to make the decision. The number of electors could drop to 115, as two cardinals will turn 80 in March, when their age makes them ineligible to cast a vote. More than two-thirds of the final number of cardinals must agree on the next pope. The announcement that a decision has been made will come in the form of a puff of white smoke emerging from a chimney in the Vatican. From police officer's son to pope: The life of Joseph Ratzinger . The Vatican does not formally invite cardinals to come to Rome for a conclave to elect a new pope, Lombardi said Tuesday. "The cardinals are intelligent people. They know to come," he said, adding that he expected them to arrive during the first two weeks of March. Much speculation has focused on whether Benedict's successor might come from Africa or Latin America, rather than Europe, where Roman Catholic congregations are shrinking. Ratzinger said he expected to see a pope chosen from outside Europe one day -- but not just yet. "I'm certain a pope will come from the new continents but whether it will be now, I have my doubts," he said. "In Europe, we have many very able people, and the Africans are still not so well known and maybe do not have the experience yet." Bets are already being placed on which of the cardinals might step into Benedict's shoes. Perhaps belying Ratzinger's prediction, UK bookmaker William Hill has Canadian Marc Ouellet and Ghanaian Peter Turkson are showing as favorites so far, at 7-2 odds. Close behind are the Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Angelo Scola, at 5-1 and Argentina's Leonardo Sandri, at 7-1. There are odds of 33-1 on New York's Timothy Dolan becoming pope. Whoever gets the nod, the selection of a new pontiff is expected to go smoothly. "We're not going to have a problem of two competing popes. If Pope Benedict still wanted to have influence, he wouldn't have stepped down," said senior Vatican communications adviser Greg Burke. "What's interesting is how long ago this decision was made -- shortly after the pope's trip to Cuba, which was in March of last year, so that was before the whole butler story even broke." The pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, was convicted in a Vatican court last year on charges of leaking private papers from the Vatican. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison but was pardoned weeks later. The leaked papers revealed claims of corruption in the church's hierarchy. As an aside, Lombardi referred to concerns over financial oversight in the city state, which have meant that Vatican shops and museums have not been able to accept credit or debit cards since January 1. "The credit card payments in the state of the Vatican city are again working, and so the pilgrims as well as the tourists who visit the church of St. Peter's every day can now use the ordinary payment service, including paying for the Vatican museums," Lombardi said. The payment service is guaranteed by Swiss firm Aduno, he said. "Thus, even though the pope has resigned, things get done," he added. Filipino iReporter Rummel Pinera says Benedict's decision to resign should prompt wider debate about how long pontiffs should serve. "I believe that a pope should have a term limit or be given the privilege to resign from office, if he can't do his various duties effectively anymore due to health reasons or old age," he said. Meanwhile, Italian iReporter Martina Lunardelli says she was shocked by the pope's decision to resign but feels it was the right one to make. She warns against judging the pontiff for what she says was obviously a difficult choice, and urges those who are speculating about his resignation to respect matters which are "above" them in knowledge and understanding. While not quite unprecedented, Benedict's resignation is certainly historic. The last pope to step down before his death was Gregory XII, who in 1415 quit to end a civil war within the church in which more than one man claimed to be pope. | Pope's brother says he does not expect new pope to come from outside Europe .
No date is yet set for the cardinals to meet to elect a successor, the papal spokesman says .
The pope is not suffering from any specific disease that forced him to resign, he says .
Credit card payments are accepted again in Vatican City, the spokesman says . |
198,094 | 8c6a2fbe7e0bfa0a7eb115976099b1c6d36504d9 | Hundreds of excited shoppers poured through the doors of Sephora's first Australian store in Sydney's Pitt Street Mall today. The store launched at midday with a promise to bring cosmetics prices down for Australians, but a price comparison reveals customers will pay the same money for top brands as they do in Myer and David Jones. Sephora will introduce 32 new brands to Australia, some of which will be sold in line with prices in its European and U.S. stores, but the outlet has no plans to undercut any products already being sold locally. Scroll down for video . The first Australian Sephora outlet was launched in Sydney with a confetti cannon and a flash mob . Hundreds of shoppers packed into the flagship store to stock up on beauty products and cosmetics . Crazed fans rushed through the doors when the makeup shop officially opened at midday on Friday . The new brands include the store's own affordable makeup range, Formula X, Marc Jacobs, Ole Henriksen, Tarte, Kat Von D, Hello Kitty and SKIN INC. Sydney store director Danielle Hill said the prices in Australia would be as close to U.S. prices as possible. 'Some things are closer to the American range but not all,' Ms Hill told Daily Mail Australia. But brands including Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome and Clarins that are already sold locally will not be sold for cheaper. Daily Mail Australia compared prices on products from top labels including Dior, Lancome, Shiseido, and Clinique and found no difference between Sephora Australia, Myer and David Jones. (From left) Troy Kellahan, Leanne Painemilla, Cristina Divina, Jemima Agnew and Kirra Jackson camped in the rain overnight to be the first through the new Sephora doors . The store launched with a promise to bring cosmetics prices down for Australians, but a price comparison reveals top brands are cheaper in the U.S. and cost the same as Myer and David Jones . Dior Capture Totale 60mL face cream costs $255, Lancome Blanc Expert 50mL night cream costs $129, Shiseido Benefiance Concentrated Neck Contour Treatment 50mL costs $70 and Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion 125mL pump costs $49 across all three stores. Dior Capture Totale 60mL face cream . Myer, David Jones and Sephora Australia: $255 . Sephora U.S.: $US160 ($A191.08) Shiseido Benefiance Concentrated Neck Contour Treatment 50mL . Myer, David Jones and Sephora Australia: $70 . Sephora U.S.: $US52.50 ($A62.72) Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion 125mL . Myer, David Jones and Sephora Australia: $49 . Sephora U.S.: $US26 (A$31.06) The same products are sold to U.S. customers at lower prices and with free shipping on the Sephora website. The Dior cream costs $US160 ($A191.08), the Shiseido product costs $US52.50 ($A62.72) and the Clinique lotion costs Clinique $US26 (A$31.06). Price hikes on cosmetics have long been a sore point for local shoppers, with consumer group Choice finding that Australians pay up to 50 percent more than shoppers overseas for some products. Ms Hill said Sephora charged the same prices as other stores in Australia due to agreements with brands already available here. 'It's more of a category question where they just have a relationship the brands and the agreement that we have with them,' she said. 'We've got the Sephora collection which is our brand and we can control a little bit more.' The cosmetic superstore has proven irresistible to many Australian shoppers, with many camping in wild storms overnight just to be one of the first customers to walk through the door. When the clock hit midday on Friday, a confetti cannon went off to signify the store's open and shoppers filled the make-up giant's newest store, screaming and snapping selfies at the mirrors. Ms Hill said she had launched five stores in the U.S. but had never seen such a big turnout. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion 125mL pump costs $49 in Sephora (left) and Myer (right) Dior Capture Totale 60mL face cream costs $255 in both Sephora (left) and David Jones (right) - Alterna . - Andrea Fullerton . - Antonym . - Arcona . - Aspar (Australian) - Becca (Australian) - Bite . - CoverFX . - Crème Simon . - Dr Jart . - Elisabeth & James . - Estelle & Thild . - Etat Libre d'Orange . - For Beloved One . - Formula X . - Hello Kitty . - IT Cosmetics . - Kat Von D . - Leif (Australian) - LQD (Australian) - Make Up For Ever . - Marc Jacobs . - Ne'Emah . - OCC . - Ole Henriksen . - Patricks (Australian) - Percy & Reed . - Per-fekt . - Sephora . - Shiffa . - SKIN INC . - Tarte . 'This is the first time I've seen people camping out, which is so amazing and rewarding,' Ms Hill said. Rebecca Johnston, 17, from Menai, skipped school to be among the first customers. 'Because it's Sephora, it's my life, like I cried when I walked in the store,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Many of the people were in line to be one of the first 300 to buy a product from reality TV star Kat Von D's range, so they can meet her at the store tomorrow. Troy Kellahan, 26, flew to Sydney from Brisbane for the opening. He has an image of Kat Von D tattooed on his calf. 'I'll probably faint when I meet her, she's an inspiration,' Mr Kellahan said. Store director Danielle Hill said Sephora had more control over the prices of its own brand . The Sephora label sells an affordable range of cosmetics including $10 eye pencils and $18 eye shadows . Ali Caley, 27, from Croydon stood in line from 4am to buy makeup so she can meet Kat Von D. 'I just think she's got so much confidence, doesn't give a damn what everyone else thinks about her,' Ms Caley said. Security guard Kuki Tomruk said the queue of 1000 people before the opening was 'crazier than a nightclub'. Longs lines are expected for days, if not weeks, because security will limit shoppers to 200 at a time. Kirra Jackson, 19, from Collaroy camped at the front of the line from midday on Thursday. She shielded herself from last night's storm using a tent and cardboard given to her by Westfield management. Performers entertained hundreds of shoppers as the queued outside the Sephora store ahead of the opening . Shoppers queue outside Sephora before it opened the doors to its Westfield Pitt Street Mall store . 'We're a little bit crazy, we like makeup just a little bit too much,' she told Daily Mail Australia, adding that she planned to buy as much as she could when she got in the doors. Ravi Thakran, Asia and Middle East president of Sephora's parent company LVMH Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton, said the company would keep its promise of maintaining low prices on its exclusive brands, the Australian Financial Review reported. But Mr Thakran added: 'If a brand is already in the market we don't tell them to give us a cheaper price (and) we don't want to compete with department stores and other players based on lower pricing.' He said the retailer planned to open 20 stores across Australia, first focussing on launching an extra store in Sydney and two in Melbourne. Make-up enthusiasts braved Sydney storms last night to be the first in line for today's opening . Sephora's first Australian store in Sydney's Pitt Street Mall will open at midday on Friday . Hundreds have queued outside the store and the first people in the line camped overnight in the rain . Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said Australians pay much more than shoppers in the U.S. and UK, whether its for cosmetics or digital content. 'If the retail outlets in Australia don't start to offer competitive prices consumers will be driven online,' Mr Godfrey said. 'People are going to continue to use VPNs (virtual private networks) to navigate around geoblocks and access a better deal.' VPNs disguise a person's IP address on their computer so they don't appear to be shopping from Australia, and can get the same cheaper prices as U.S. shoppers. The world's largest makeup retailer promises to shake up the cosmetics market and deliver lower price . Kat Von D ( right), whose makeup will be sold at Sephora, with Donny Galella (left) and Nikki Phillips (centre) | World's largest makeup retailer opened its doors in Sydney on Friday .
'Crazier than a nightclub': Hundreds of shoppers queued in the rain overnight to be the first through the doors .
Sephora will introduce 32 new brands which will be sold at low prices .
But the outlet has no plans to undercut products already being sold locally .
Top brands such as Dior, Lancome, and Clinique are still cheaper in the U.S. |
238,672 | c0f47ea25ea9e619c02a22f8b2601e8324034afd | ALGIERS, Algeria (CNN) -- Rescuers are sifting through the rubble of the United Nations headquarters in Algiers hoping to find survivors after a powerful bomb ripped off the building's facade and leveled nearby U.N. offices. Rescuers and bomb experts search for survivors in the rubble of a destroyed building. It was one of two suspected car bombs that struck Algiers within 10 minutes of each other. The death toll is unclear: the official government count is at least 26, but hospital sources in Algiers told CNN affiliate BFM-TV that 76 people were killed in the two blasts. A statement from the United Nations said 45 people were reported killed. Algerian Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni blamed a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda for the attacks, which also targeted a building housing Algeria's Constitutional Council and Supreme Court. In a posting on an Islamist Web site, the group al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility. CNN could not immediately corroborate that claim, but the Web site is known to carry messages, claims and videos from al Qaeda and other militant groups. In the posting, the bombers were identified as Sheikh Ibrahim Abu Othman and Abdel Rahman Abu Abdel Nasser al-Asimi. It said two trucks were filled with "no less than 800 kg (1,763 pounds) of explosives." The group called the operation "another successful conquest and a second epic that the knights of faith have dictated with their blood, defending the wounded Islamic nation and in defiance to the Crusaders and their agents, the slaves of America and the sons of France." At least 10 U.N. staffers were among those killed, according to U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe. The offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees -- located across the street from the U.N. headquarters -- were leveled by a blast that struck about 9:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. ET) Tuesday. "Our offices are basically destroyed now, nothing works," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said from its Geneva headquarters. Watch his full interview . He said rescuers are working into the night trying to get to the trapped U.N. workers. "It's a very serious situation still with the U.N. in Algiers," he said. In a strongly worded statement, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned what he called "an abjectly cowardly strike against civilian officials serving humanity's highest ideals under the U.N. banner." "The perpetrators of these crimes will not escape the strongest possible condemnation -- and ultimate punishment -- by Algerian authorities and the international community," Ban said in the written statement. He said he has sent senior advisers and other top U.N. officials to head to Algiers to assist in the investigation and rescue effort. Most of those killed in the coordinated attacks were victims of the first suspected car bombing near the Constitutional Council -- which oversees elections -- and Supreme Court in the Algiers neighborhood of Ben Aknoun, according to the state-run Algeria Press Agency. That blast struck a bus outside the targeted building, killing many of those on board, the news agency reported. One man said he heard the first blast then the second exploded in front of him. "I saw the trees falling and the glass shattering in front of me. I had to run away from the car," he said. Zerhouni said the attack was the work of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), the same group that took responsibility for an attack in April in downtown Algiers that killed 33 people. That group also uses the name al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb after merging with al Qaeda earlier this year. It abandoned small-scale attacks in favor of headline-grabbing blasts after it joined with al Qaeda. CNN International Security Correspondent Paula Newton said the merger combined the expertise of Algerian guerrillas with the operational ability of al Qaeda in North Africa, enabling the group to penetrate the usually extensive security in high-profile areas of Algiers. She said the group's goal is to destabilize countries like Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, which it sees as enemies of the Islamic state. Zerhouni said police interrogations of GSPC members arrested in the wake of the April attack revealed that Algeria's Constitutional Council and Supreme Court were on a list of GSPC targets. Algeria, which has a population of 33 million, is still recovering from more than a decade of violence that began after the military government called a halt to elections which an Islamist party was poised to win. Tens of thousands of people died in the unrest. Although the country has remained relatively peaceful, recent terrorist attacks have raised fears of a slide back to violence. E-mail to a friend . | Two bombs explode in Algerian capital near government and U.N. buildings .
Algeria blames group linked to al Qaeda .
Official death toll is 26, but some sources say as high as 76 .
U.N. officials say five of its staff killed and 14 missing . |
253,014 | d377adfb5c9631903b75ee0ed3f71162e323549e | Russia is in danger of losing the 2018 World Cup due to the country's military action in Ukraine. The country may also be banned from hosting Formula One races and its football clubs expelled from the Champions League and Europa League. ‘Beside economic measures, thought could be given to taking coordinated action within the G7 and beyond to recommend suspension of Russian participation in high profile international cultural, economic or sports events (Formula One races, UEFA football competitions, 2018 World Cup etc),’ according to leaked European Union documents seen by the Telegraph newspaper. Uncertain times: Fabio Capello's side may not get to host the World Cup in 2018 . Disappointing: Russia concede against Belgium during the World Cup in Brazil . Scrutiny: Russian President Vladimir Putin is under pressure to withdraw his troops from Ukraine . The EU has already announced proposals to step up sanctions against Russia if it refuses to pull its troops out of Ukraine – but for the first time is also considering proposals to exclude Russian teams from major sporting events. The EU has pledged to introduce new sanctions by Friday unless Russia withdraws its military from Ukraine. Fabio Capello's side disappointed at the World Cup earlier this summer, finishing third in their group and failing to qualify for the second round. | Russia could also be banned from hosting Formula One races .
New sanctions revealed in leaked European Union documents .
Sanctions could be in place by Friday if Russia does not withdraw troops . |
280,757 | f7b73b7f7f95c187b2f37a5cbdfa1b45a7821e87 | Auburn, Maine (CNN) -- A quiet lobbying campaign by a low-key man from Maine could determine which party controls the Senate next year. Sen. Angus King, a Maine Independent, is holding private conversations with Independent Senate candidates to urge them against siding with Democrats or Republicans before the election. In a narrowly divided Senate, this group of Independents could tip the balance of power -- and wield tremendous clout. "If you announce in advance which party you're going to caucus with, you may as well just sign up and say I'm one or the other," King told CNN. King recently advised Independent Kansas Senate candidate Greg Orman on how to be most effective running outside the two party system. Another Independent candidate, Larry Pressler of South Dakota, got similar pointers from King, who strongly suggested that Pressler evade questions about which party he he will caucus with -- just as King did when he first ran for the Senate two years ago. After his 2012 election as an Independent, King decided to caucus with Democrats, who currently control the Senate. But he's taking the same advice he's giving the candidates, refusing to rule out joining Republicans if they capture the Senate. "I'm not going to answer that question," King said. "I'll make that decision at the time based upon what i think is in the best interest of Maine." He added: "My first priority is to try to make the Senate work better and to the extent that as an Independent I can help to do that, that's my goal," said King. King admitted he has been in talks with other moderate Senators in both parties for "the past six months or so" to form a centrist caucus. However, he said it would be an informal group, and he does not envision breaking away any time soon from organizing around the two parties, as the Senate does now. POWER OF THE INDEPENDENT . When King got to the Senate in 2013 there was only one other Independent, Bernie Sanders, a proud progressive who knows how to work across the aisle, like negotiating a Veterans Affairs overhaul. But Sanders has always caucused with Democrats. It used to be that Independents were titling at windmills, almost sure to lose to either the Democratic or Republican candidates. "The hardest thing for an Independent is to get across an invisible credibility line and they're not wasting their vote," said King. But he crossed that invisible line in part because he had proven himself as a successful Independent governor here, but also because people were so desperate to send an alternative to Washington. "When I was campaigning in Maine two years ago and people came up to me on the street they never started the conversation with health care, the Affordable Care Act, Syria, or anything else. What they started with was 'why can't those people down there talk to each other and get something done?'" recalled King. That overriding disgust appears more potent in 2014. Strategists in both parties say their data show the most effective candidates this election year are those who can genuinely separate themselves from today's partisan politics. That's why candidates like Orman, and to a lesser extent Pressler, a former Republican, are doing well, and Independent candidates in other states are doing well enough to make an impact on their races. "What I think it says is that the public is tired of the choices that they're being given and they're very tired of the gridlock and they're looking for alternatives," King told us. KING DID NOT ENDORSE FELLOW INDEPENDENT . Orman is running in a tight race against sitting Sen. Pat Roberts. King told CNN that in his conversation with Orman, he explained that he couldn't provide an endorsement because he made a pledge not to campaign against a sitting colleague. Still, he told Orman that he was happy to give him advice and is encouraged by his strong Independent candidacy. And while King is careful to say he is not sure there is a major trend towards Independent candidates quite yet, he openly dreams of Orman and Pressler actually winning and what that would mean for the future of Independents in politics. "It's going to encourage other people in other states who are going to say 'look there are guys in the Senate who are doing this and it's not unthinkable. They're getting these done," said King. INDEPENDENT - SPOILER? The reality is that Independent candidates in most campaigns still register in single digits at best, and are viewed by party leaders as mere spoilers taking away votes from GOP or Democratic candidates. In the governors race here in Maine, if incumbent Republican Paul LaPage wins, he can likely thank Independent Eliot Cutler for pulling votes away from Democrat Michael Michaud. "I prefer the term winner to the term spoiler," King said generally of the sentiment. "There is always a risk but you can't calculate these kinds of things. you gotta say who is the best candidate," he added, perhaps wishfully. WATCH: All eyes on S. Dakota, Kansas, Georgia . | Angus King is urging Independent Senate candidates against siding with either party .
King is talking to Kansas Senate candidate Greg Orman and Larry Pressler of South Dakota .
King won't say which party he'll join next year . |
172,392 | 6b1a8506d0122b93b4dae656bb630f3ef5a169c6 | By . Associated Press and Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 17:51 EST, 12 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:54 EST, 12 August 2013 . A former Library of Congress employee accused of using a work computer to post fake sex ads on Craigslist has pleaded guilty to stalking and identification fraud. Kenneth Edward Kuban, 61, of Reva entered his plea Monday in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville. Kuban also pleaded guilty to violating a protective order. Kuban admitted during the plea hearing that he posed online as his ex-girlfriend and posted more than 160 false ads on Craigslist directing men to her home with the promise of sex. Stalker: Kenneth Kuban harassed and stalked a woman after she ended their six-month relationship . Kuban was arrested in March in connection with a protracted stalking campaign of a 64-year-old woman who had dated him for about six months before ending the relationship in February 2011. According to the affidavit, after the break-up Kuban began stalking the woman. She took out an order against him which prohibited any further contact, but Kuban continued to harass the woman, calling her five or six times daily. The woman changed to an unlisted number, after which Kuban called her service provider, Verizon, and told them she had died. Her phone, internet and television services were cut off and it was a month before she could restore them. Other pranks followed, including calling a meeting the woman was in to tell her that her property was on fire when it wasn't, before he began posting ads posing as the woman in the Casual Encounters section of Craigslist. Classified: Using Craigslist, Kuban would pose as his ex-girlfriend to offer sex to men. He would disclose her home address and photographs of the woman . According to the affidavit acquired by The Smoking Gun, Kuban posed as 'a senior lady' who was looking for a 'hung' man who could 'give me some pleasuring.' FBI agents responding to the ad were given the woman's personal home address and instructed to ignore the locked gate and come right to the front door. Some of the ads posted included a photograph of the woman. Kuban's ads were so effective that men turned up at all hours of the day to the woman's house, some even flying in from out of state. According to the Culpeper Times, the woman had to install a locked gate and security cameras. She put up signs telling potential suitors the ads were a hoax, but they were often ignored. Local law enforcement was called to chase men seeking sex away, sometimes several times a day, according the the Times. Jail time: Kuban worked as a preservationist at the Library of Congress facility in Culpeper, Virginia but now faces a lengthy prison sentence . Between January 1 and March 20 of this year, Fauquier sheriff's deputies had 46 calls at the woman's home, Lieutenant James Hartman, spokesman for the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office, told the Culpeper Times. 'They would pull up to the gate, find it was locked, climb over the gate and walk up the driveway,' Hartman said. Three arrests were made on men trespassing on the woman's property, including of Gregory Lamont Washington of Boston, who allegedly climbed the woman's fence, walked up the driveway to her door before turning back. Washington is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2008 of indecent liberties with children. As soon as authorities or the woman contacted Craigslist to take down the fake ads, more would replace them. U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy says Kuban used a government computer at the Library of Congress . to post 111 of the ads. Fifty-four ads were posted from his personal . computer. Kuban's sentencing is set for November 15. He faces up to 15 years in prison. | Kenneth Kuban, 61, pleaded guilty to stalking his ex-girlfriend today .
The harassment began after the woman ended her relationship with Kuban .
Kuban was accused of posting 160 fake Craigslist ads posing as the woman promising sex .
He gave out the woman's home address to men who answered the ad .
Three men were arrested for trespassing on the woman's property, one a registered sex offender .
Kuban faces 15 years in jail . |
260,531 | dd6106768d549a1a2a63c87bc050dba9184e5731 | A sickening new video has emerged showing hundreds of savage supporters of the Islamic State kicking, punching and stamping three terrified Syrian soldiers to death before dragging their bloodied corpses through the streets chained to the back of motorcycles. The barbaric footage is believed to have been filmed in the terror group's de facto capital Raqqa and bears all the chilling hallmarks of ISIS' professionally produced and edited propaganda films. The gruesome killing of three Syrian soldiers is just the latest in a long line of horrific filmed murders released by the Sunni Islamists since last summer's self-declaration of a caliphate in the vast areas of Syria and Iraq they control through a campaign of rape, massacre and brutal oppression. Scroll down for video . Savage: The bloodthirsty crowd is seen being unleashed on the men, surging forward and raining down kicks, punches and beatings with whatever objects are close at hand . Gisly: After being kicked to death, the men's bodies are dragged through the centre of the city of Raqqa . Fear: The three prisoners are seen on their knees in the centre of a circle of militants, who link arms to hold back the throng of young men intent on taking part in the particularly savage triple murder . Horror: The video begins by a bearded cleric breathlessly reading out charges against three Syrian soldiers . ISIS' latest shocking murder video begins by showing hundreds of baying, bloodthirsty supporters of the terror group gathering in central Raqqa where a bearded cleric is seen breathlessly reading out charges against three Syrian soldiers dressed in military fatigues. Laughing children are seen clambering on walls and on to the shoulders of their grinning fathers to get a better view of proceedings, while a large group of niqab-wearing women gather nearby. The three prisoners are seen on their knees in the centre of a circle of the militants, who link arms to hold back the throng of young men intent on taking part in the savage triple murder. The footage is edited so the cleric's feverish Arabic ranting reverberates and echoes as the crowd of young, T-shirt and baseball cap-wearing supporters push and shove to get closer to the victims. Seconds later the crowd is unleashed on the men, surging forward and raining down kicks, punches and beatings with whatever objects are close at hand. So dense is the crowd desperate to take part in the brutal killings, that those on the periphery are more than a dozen rows back from the victims. A capella religious singing and chanting - known as nasheeds - soundtracks the barbaric scene. Audience: Laughing children are seen clambering on walls and on to the shoulders of their grinning fathers to get a better view of proceedings, while a large group of niqab-wearing women gather nearby . Throng: So dense is crowd desperate to take part in the brutal killing that those on the periphery are more than a dozen rows back from the victims . After showing the bloodthirsty crowd let loose on the men, the footage cuts to shots of their beaten and bloodied corpses being tied to the back of motorbikes. In an act of shocking brutality, the bodies are then seen being dragged through the centre of Raqqa while cheering militants follow close behind in speeding 4x4s - a convoy of death, honking horns in support of the terror group's latest blood-soaked atrocity. The heavily armed men riding the motorbikes are seen grinning and raising their index fingers in the air in a sign of religious devotion completely at odds with the sight of a chained and bloodied corpse bouncing along the road behind their vehicles. The gruesome footage emerged as Syrian rebels captured another 32 soldiers and pro-government gunmen near the northern city of Aleppo, according to activists. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Aleppo-based activist Ahmad Hamed said the troops were seized in the village of Ratyan after it was retaken by the rebels yesterday. The Observatory and Mr Hamed say intense clashes are taking outside a third village, Bashkoy, which was also taken by the government two days ago. The fighting comes as UN envoy Staffan de Mistura is trying to broker a truce for the war-ravaged Aleppo, Syria's largest city. Filmed: While some of the young men join in the killing, others are simply keen to catch it all on camera . Savages: The bodies are seen being dragged through the centre of the city while cheering militants follow close behind in speeding 4x4s - a convoy of death, honking their horns in rabid support of the atrocity . More than 120,000 fighters supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been killed in the country's civil war since it began in 2011, the Observatory reported in December. They said some 11,000 members of government forces and loyalist militias had been killed in the five months since Assad delivered an inauguration speech for a third presidential term. In a breakdown of the casualties, the group said some 5,631 armed forces members have been killed in violence including shelling, gunfights, aircraft crashes, suicide attacks, snipers, executions and car bombs since the speech. Another 4,492 fighters from loyalist militias had been killed, as well as 735 fighters of Arab, Asian and Iranian origin, and 91 from the Lebanese Shi'ite movement Hezbollah, the monitoring group said. | WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT .
Barbaric video shows three Syrian soldiers being kicked to death in Raqqa .
Crowds push and shove to get close to the men while charges are read out .
They are then let loose on the victims, punching and kicking them to death .
The militants then chain the beaten and bloodied corpses to motorbikes .
Bodies are dragged around the city centre by the grinning ISIS supporters . |
2,956 | 08994306032c826c10fb4311e87cedc14bf5138c | Police have arrested a British teenager at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism, police revealed today. The 19-year-old man, from Coventry, was seized on British soil as he stepped off a flight from Jordan after landing at the airport. Counter terrorism officers swooped after suspecting the man was involved in a terror threat and planned the arrest prior to his arrival back in the country. The 19-year-old man was arrested on British soil as he stepped off a flight from Jordan after landing at the airport . A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said they detained the teenager at around 3pm on Thursday. He is currently in custody in the West Midlands area where he still being questioned by police over preparing for acts of terrorism - an offence which falls under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act. A spokesperson for the West Midlands Police said: 'A 19-year-old man from Coventry has been arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism. 'The arrest was pre-planned and intelligence led. The suspect did not pose any risk to the flight.' The suspect is currently in custody in the West Midlands area where he still being questioned by police . Earlier this month a 26-year-old Bangladeshi was arrested on the same charge after a late night raid at a Cornish curry house. Officers from South East Counter Terrorism Unit moved in on the Balti King Indian restaurant in small town of Hayle, Cornwall. Police sources say the arrest related to activities over the internet in connection to terrorism in Syria. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Man, 19, arrested on British soil as he stepped off flight from Jordan .
Counter-terrorism swooped on Thursday after suspecting terror plot .
The suspect is currently being questioned by police in West Midlands . |
244,059 | c7e42b4cf56dbb239bb7822f6b6c03a87265e5ea | Gareth Southgate has urged England’s Under-21s to accept their toughest challenge and show they can win on the biggest stage. England were pitted against Italy, Portugal and Sweden in Group B when the draw was made for next summer’s European Championships in the Czech Republic; the other group comprises the hosts, Germany, Denmark and Serbia. Southgate’s confidence, though, has not been dented, particularly as they qualified for the finals in style with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Croatia last month. He will get an early idea how England may fare when they play Portugal next Thursday in a friendly at Burnley. Gareth Southgate (right) was in attendance for the UEFA Under-21 European Championships draw in Prague . Saido Berahino scores from the penalty spot during the England U21s 2-1 victory over Croatia in October . The main objective, however, is next June and given that England were knocked out of the group stages in the last two tournaments in Israel (2013) and Denmark (2011) without winning a game, Southgate appreciates England have to change perceptions. ‘It is a cracking group, a group to get excited about,’ Southgate told Sportsmail. ‘They are really good fixtures, they are fixtures that will capture the imagination. Yes, they are difficult teams but they are bound to be if you get to this stage. It is on to the next challenge. ‘We are effectively in the quarter-finals of this competition and I have never heard of anyone having any easy time at this stage. That is the mentality that we have got to have. If we want to win the tournament, which we do, then we cannot complain about who we have got to play. West Brom forward Berahino has earned his first call-up to the senior squad after his fine form this season . ‘You have to deal with whatever is thrown in front of you. If we want to be a winning team, that is how it must be. We’ve been very good at qualifying for tournaments but we have got to take that to the next stage. Now we have got to prove that we can be very good at tournaments.’ A delegation, headed by Southgate, will begin their search today for a suitable base next summer and with the group only having a restricted amount of time between now and next June, the head coach appreciates that every second counts. ‘What is important now is that we do not waste a single minute when we get together,’ said Southgate, whose squad will also face France in Brest this month. ‘Preparation, for the group as a whole, is limited and we have got to take advantage of the time we have together. ‘I am not quite sure how the (Portugal) team we play next week will compare to the one we play next summer. They have had a few players moved up to the senior team, as have we. But it will still be interesting. It will be a good test for us.’ Czech Republic legend Pavel Nedved (left) chats to UEFA President Michel Platini during Thursday's draw . | Gareth Southgate's England’s Under-21s will face Italy, Portugal and Sweden in Group B .
The Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark and Serbia will contest Group A .
Southgate's team qualified for tournament with stylish 4-2 aggregate victory over Croatia last month .
England will play future pool opponents Portugal next Thursday in a friendly at Burnley .
England were knocked out of the group stages in the last two tournaments in Israel (2013) and Denmark (2011) |
25,983 | 499a9034e3f6db9cf0d5ee8357996769e4fa08ba | By . Daniel Martin . David Cameron last night told the EU it had become ‘too big, too bossy and too interfering’ as he warned his fellow leaders not to ignore the Eurosceptic surge sweeping the continent. The Prime Minister travelled to Brussels to demand the union be dramatically scaled back in the wake of election results in which millions expressed their disdain for the European project. At dinner with the 27 other leaders, he warned them not to ‘shrug off’ the view of the European people that Brussels should hand back power to national governments. As well as Ukip topping the polls in Britain, anti-EU groups did well in countries from Germany to Greece. David Cameron spoke to journalists after arriving for tonight's European summit in Brussels . More worryingly, the far-Right National Front took first place in France for the first time.Emboldened by the Eurosceptic surge, Mr Cameron vowed to do all he can to prevent arch-federalist Jean-Claude Juncker from getting the EU’s top job, President of the European Commission. Mr Juncker is one of the most vocal supporters in the EU of the federalist dream of a United States of Europe. Arriving in the Belgian capital after visiting a building site in London, Mr Cameron said he would only support candidates who understood that the EU needed to change. Dinner: Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt in Brussels . ‘Europe cannot shrug off these results,’ he said. ‘We need an approach that recognises that Brussels has got too big, too bossy, too interfering. He added: ‘It should be nation states wherever possible and Europe only where necessary.’ Mr Cameron has pledged an in/out referendum on EU membership by the end of 2017 – after he has renegotiated the return of powers from Brussels. Many of his backbenchers are concerned that the Ukip surge in the European elections mean he has not gone far enough for voters. Some are calling for a formal pact with Nigel Farage’s party for next year’s general election. Nigel Farage was congratulated during a meeting of the leaders of European Parliament political groups in Brussels today . The Prime Minister believes he has built up an alliance of countries in opposition to the old idea of ever-closer European union – and European Parliament results will spook many leaders into joining him. Mr Cameron said European leaders needed to appoint a new EU President who wanted to scale back Brussels power - not increase it . He spoke to France’s President Hollande yesterday morning to urge him to come on board. Mr Cameron is understood to be emboldened by his TV address on Sunday night, in which he called for the EU to ‘reform’. The Prime Minister also held a phone conversation with German chancellor Angela Merkel. But in a blow to the PM, she yesterday said her party was still supporting Mr Juncker. He may also seek the support of Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, whose father-in-law is Neil Kinnock, and who famously joined Mr Cameron and Barack Obama for a ‘selfie’ at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. She may be moved by the strong showing of the far-Right Danish People’s Party in the European elections, as they won 27 per cent of the vote and doubled their number of MEPs. Mr Juncker is the candidate of the European People’s Party. The present President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, will step down towards the end of the year. The decision of who will succeed him is likely to be put off until late June. Douglas Alexander, Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman, said: ‘Mr Cameron seems either unwilling or unable to set out what changes he wants to see at an EU level.’ | PM wants to stop Jean-Claude Juncker becoming the next EU President .
Former Luxembourg PM leads the European Parliament's centre right group .
But Cameron said new EU chief needs to scale back Brussels' power . |
204,449 | 94ae9da081a52821a8acb075e32cd3add5f90059 | (CNN) -- If your air hostess seem better suited to a fashion runway than an airport runway, it may be because her uniform has a designer label. Recently, there's been a rash of cabin crew going couture. Last month, Japanese carrier Al Nippon Airways tapped Prabal Gurung -- whose designs have graced the backs of celebrities ranging from Michelle Obama to Lady Gaga -- to revitalize the staff apparel. Vivienne Westwood is currently doing the same for Virgin Atlantic (stewardesses will start wearing the uniforms on trial next month). "It could have something to do with the changing of the airline industry. Everyone is having to approach the business differently, and everyone is having to put an emphasis on look," says Australian designer Martin Grant, who in addition to clothing the likes of Emma Stone and Heidi Klum crafted the new uniforms for Qantas Airways last April. High-end airlines put an emphasis on excellence, Grant says, and Qantas is no different. "They apply the principle to everything: the food, the design of the interiors, the lounges. It's the same with the uniforms," he explains. The updated outfits feature a haute take on Qantas' red triangle logo. Grant referenced the graphic in the uniform tops, which are navy blue with ruby red and fuchsia pink diagonal stripes across the shoulder. "The uniforms have to be identifiable and easily seen. You want to be able to see from afar the staff you're looking for. When you're running around an airport, you're constantly looking for the logo of the aircraft," he says. Moreover, Grant's design has an on-trend retro feel to it. The ensemble includes a trilby-style hat made from recycled bottle tops and trench coat. Read more: The man with 1,000 stewardess uniforms . "Passengers and flight attendants alike say they miss the old world glamor associated with flight," says Grant, adding that security controls and low-cost carriers have taken some of the luxury out of the industry. "[The accessories] very much came from staff feedback. They said, 'we want the glamor back. We want hats, gloves, the whole kitten caboodle.'" Though Westwood's designs have not been unveiled yet, sketches suggest that the female staff will have gloves. Some of the items will also be made from a polyester yarn made from used plastic bottles. In a statement released by Virgin, Westwood said the uniforms would be in keeping with her "enduring interest in '40s French couture." Some airlines have been sporting designer threads for years. British Airways had Julien Macdonald -- previously artistic director of French fashion house Givenchy -- overhaul their uniforms in 2000. Air France staff, meanwhile, have been wearing costumes crafted by Société Christian Lacroix since 2005. "Because we have 'France' in our name, we're an ambassador for the country," explains Sylvie Tarbouriech, the vice president of branding for Air France. "The idea is that we should give our customers the best France can bring them, and when you're thinking about France, you're thinking about food, you're thinking about wine, and you're thinking about fashion." Airlines have a long tradition of collaborating with designers. Emilio Pucci notably crafted some space-age-style uniforms in 1965 for the now-defunct Braniff International Airways. Still, Tarbouriech maintains it's actually quite difficult finding people willing to take on such a limiting project. Read more: Airline uniforms recycled to make bags . "A uniform is the sum of many, many constraints," she says. "It has to be comfortable, it has to be in materials that are not flammable, it has to be flattering to everybody -- blonde, redhead or brunette, thin women and not so thin women. And it has to be in keeping with the brand colors. It's very challenging for a fashion designer to work under these constraints, and that's why it's not always easy to find one willing to do it." Still, Grant says for him at least, it's long been a fantasy. "I've loved the essence of flight since I was a child," he says. "I love the idea of groups of people looking smart, looking tailored and being part of a team." | Al Nippon Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas Airways are just a few carriers who've recently tapped fashion designers to overhaul their uniforms.
Martin Grant, who designed the new staff outfits for Qantas, says he's trying to bring "old world glamor" back to flight.
Air France, whose uniforms are designed by Christian Lacroix, says many designers don't like working with airlines. |
100,746 | 0dcea49433f4b59ac33c6d7019139f63be894953 | Maverick Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino caused consternation when he was spotted watching his side's away clash with Brentford with the home fans. He was soon escorted to the away end and watched the rest of the match with the Leeds fans, where he saw Jota give the Bees the lead on the stroke of half-time. Alan McCormack made it 2-0 to the hosts late in the second half. Bemused and excited Leeds fans tweeted pictures of the Italian watching on from the stands as the Yorkshire club entered another new dawn. Leeds owner Massimo Cellino in with the away fans as Leeds travel to Brentford on Saturday . The Italian was all smiles as he watched his Leeds team under new boss Milanic from the Griffin Park stands . It was the first time new Serbian coach Darko Milanic had taken charge of the team since arriving from Austrian outfit Sturm Graz. And to prove he was enjoying the football experience, Cellino was photographed munching on a hotdog outside Griffin Park. The latest sensational story surrounding Cellino came a day after his reign as Leeds owner was said to be under renewed threat after an Italian judge found him guilty of tax evasion. And the controversial owner allegedly sacked consultant Graham Bean for rearranging the club's fixture with Reading. | Cellino spotted in the home end with the Brentford fans before being escorted to watch the remainder of the game with the visiting supporters .
Pictured buying a hotdog outside Griffin Park before Leeds' game with Brentford .
The latest sensational story surrounding maverick owner Cellino . |
5,187 | 0eb2e9c0d36044809a42045a3e9126f0d01936b6 | (CNN) -- Green Day's Jason White has tonsil cancer, the band reported on its website. "We have some news to report regarding our brother Jason White, and wanted you to hear it from us before word spread," the post read. "Jason recently underwent a routine tonsillectomy, and his doctors discovered a treatable form of tonsil cancer. Thankfully they caught it early and he should make a full and speedy recovery." White, 41, has been an official part of the band since 1999, when he joined them on tour as a guitarist. However, he's been friends with the band members much longer, having been guitarist in Pinhead Gunpowder -- another band fronted by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong -- and Armstrong's partner in running Adeline Records. The band, known for such albums as "Dookie" and "American Idiot," asks that fans "join us in sending him love and positive healing vibes during this time." Green Day is among the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2015. | Green Day's Jason White was diagnosed with tonsil cancer .
White has been part of the group since the late '90s .
Green Day is best known for "Dookie," "American Idiot" |
27,693 | 4e7b6305ac6af90615d8e1f6e1ba1347528ec593 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It's a frightening scenario, almost a staple of action movies: Someone has fallen onto subway tracks, and a train is rumbling into the station. iReporter Stuart Gordon spotted rescuers after a woman fell onto subway tracks in Washington. For a heart-stopping moment, the train is certain to strike the fallen person, until rescue comes at the last possible second. But at a Washington Metro station near the National Mall on Tuesday, it was an all-too-real scenario, and all the more frightening. A 68-year-old woman from Nashville, Tennessee, in Washington for the inauguration of Barack Obama, fell off the platform at the Gallery Place-Chinatown stop. Houston Metro Officer Eliot Swainson, deputized to assist with the huge crowds for the inauguration, was aiding another rider when he heard shouts that someone was on the track. Watch Swainson describe what happened » . "I turned around and saw a lady standing in the track area," Swainson said. The former Houston police officer rushed into action. He and another Metro rider tried to pull the woman to safety, but with a Red Line train bearing down on the station, they didn't have the time. iReport.com: See photos of the rescue operation . "The train was coming down the tunnel there," Swainson said. "It was coming in closer. I pushed her down and got her tucked down under the platform." Swainson cited training from Metro staff for giving him the information he used to get the woman out of danger. The woman, who was not identified, huddled beneath the lip of the granite platform as the train passed. An emergency response crew brought her back up onto the platform and took her to Washington Hospital Center, where hospital staff said she was treated and released. No further details were provided. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority spokeswoman Taryn McNeil said Tuesday that the woman had sustained cuts and bruises from the fall. The agency said transit officers from 18 locations across the country were in Washington to assist with the inauguration crowds. Ridership records were shattered Tuesday: There were more than 1.5 million trips across all the authority's platforms, including more than 1.1 million on the subway system. The Tennessee woman's accident was the only one reported on the transit line, the authority said. iReport.com: Are you there? Send your photos . As for Swainson, Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn said he did exactly the right thing. "Due to Officer Swainson's quick response, the woman was not seriously injured," Taborn said. "He did exactly what was expected, and we are enormously grateful for his actions." McNeil said the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro stop was reopened not long after the accident and trains were moving through it, although there were delays. CNN's Larry Lazo and Kelly Marshall contributed to this report. | Woman, 68, fell off platform at Metro's Gallery Place-Chinatown stop .
Houston Metro Officer Eliot Swainson, another rider tried to pull her up .
When they couldn't grab her, Swainson helped tuck her under platform .
Woman safely huddled beneath platform lip as train passed . |
199,252 | 8df06207865ee42b66a6f75471e28601590ff43a | Couple: Adolf Hitler with Eva Braun, who may have been descended from a Jewish family . When they committed suicide in his bunker at the end of the Second World War, Eva Braun had been Adolf Hitler’s mistress for more than 12 years and his wife for a mere 40 hours. It seems, however, that despite their time together, she may have kept a crucial family secret from the Fuhrer. For the man who exterminated millions of Jews in the war may have been in love with a woman with Jewish ancestry. DNA analysis of hair found on a brush that belonged to her seems to show a link through her maternal line, it emerged yesterday. Hitler kept Miss Braun, who was 23 years his junior and a teenager when she first met him, largely hidden away at his Alpine residence, the Berghof. Scientists tested hair samples which are said to have come from a hairbrush used by Braun and discovered at Hitler’s mountain retreat. They found a particular sequence within the DNA, which had been passed down the maternal line – the haplogroup N1b1 – which it is claimed is ‘strongly associated’ with Ashkenazi Jews, who make up around 80 per cent of the global Jewish population. Many Ashkenazi Jews in Germany converted to Catholicism in the 19th century. The test was made for Channel 4 programme Dead Famous DNA, to be shown on Wednesday. Presenter Mark Evans said: ‘This is a thought-provoking outcome. I never dreamt I would find such a potentially extraordinary and profound result.’ Although programme-makers said the provenance of the hair was strong, the only way to prove beyond doubt that it was from Miss Braun would have been to take a DNA swab from one of her two surviving female descendants, but both refused, so there is still an element of mystery. Found: The brush and a mirror, both pictured, were taken from Eva Braun's private apartment in Bavaria . Dinner: Hitler and Eva Braun. The tests were inconclusive because Braun's descendants refused a DNA test . Private life: This photograph of the Fuhrer sleeping next to Eva Braun was banned during his lifetime . The hairs came from a monogrammed brush found at the Bavarian residence in 1945 by US army intelligence officer Captain Paul Baer, who took a number of items from Braun’s private apartment. His son Alan Baer said: ‘In our basement I remember there was a duffel bag and in the duffel bag there were several Nazi ceremonial daggers, a human skull and this case with the initials in gold, E.B. 'We opened it up and there was a mirror and a hairbrush.’ After his father’s death in the 1970s, Mr Baer sold the brush and the hair ended up with specialist dealer John Reznikoff. Mr Evans bought eight strands of the hair from Mr Reznikoff for £1,200. Mistress: The pair wed in Hitler's bunker less than two days before he took his own life . Homely: Photographs of Eva Braun taken from an album which she made for a friend and gave away in 1941 . Scientists tested hair samples which are said to have come from a hairbrush used by Eva Braun . | Scientists made the discovery using hair from a brush that belonged to her .
DNA included particular sequence strongly associated with Jewish people .
Many Jews in Germany converted to Catholicism before 19th Century .
Tests were made for C4 show Dead Famous DNA, to be shown next week . |
226,795 | b1ab429852cc7fd420f7725a518e8bb65233c941 | This is the incredible moment ice became fire when a frozen lake released a deadly gas that exploded in a massive fireball. Toxic bubbles of highly-flammable methane are trapped in grenade-like bubbles just inches beneath the surface of the ice in lakes across Alaska. Once popped, methane escapes the bubbles and ignites in spectacular explosions triggered by ecologist Katey Walter and her team. Scroll down for video . Big bang: Methane escapes from the ice and ignites in spectacular explosions triggered by ecologist Katey Walter . Firestarter: The ecologist team release methane bubbles (right) with a pick axe and ignite it immediately (left) Using a pick axe, Katey, an ecologist at the University of Alaska, pierces the bubble trapped in the ice, causing the gas to explode . Using a pick axe, Katey, an ecologist at the University of Alaska, pierces the bubble trapped in the ice. As gas rushes out from the hole, one of her students holds a lighted match towards it and ignites the vapour, causing it to explode. Katey said: 'My job's the worst, because usually you catch on fire. It could be 10 or 30 litres of methane per day from one little hole, and it does that all year. 'And then you realise there are hundreds of spots like that and millions of lakes. The methane bubbles have been described as 'ice grenades' that are waiting to explode . Lake of fire: This peaceful scene could easily be transformed into a nightmare Hellish vision . Pull the pin: A close-up of one of the 'ice grenades', ready to explode . 'What's coming out of Arctic lakes is troubling, because some of it seems to be coming not from the bottom mud, but from deeper geologic reservoirs that had been securely capped by permafrost. 'And that contain hundreds of times more methane than is in the atmosphere now.' Katey is conducting research and by counting and measuring each bubble she hopes to work out how much methane is rising from the Goldstream Lake in Canada. If the temperature of the planet continues to rise massive quantities of the gas could be released into the atmosphere with potentially deadly effects. An ecologist deploys a gas trap to collect methane gas bubbling up from the bottom of the frozen lake . What lies beneath: One of the ecologists stands above two trapped bubbles of methane . The trapped methane is collected and removed safely . Double bubble: Another of the trapped bubbles beneath the Alaskan lake . Some lakes, she says, have 'hot spots' where the methane bubbling is so strong that ice never forms, leaving open holes big enough to spot from an airplane . She said: 'If we could only capture it, it would make a great energy source.' Methane is a deadly greenhouse gas and produces 25 times more heat than carbon dioxide, unless you burn it first. By venting and burning the methane it converts the potent gas into less dangerous CO which could be used to produce power for mankind. Now watch the video . | Katey Walter releases methane trapped in frozen Alaskan lakes .
Part of her research into global warming and climate change . |
263,898 | e1c7bc56a980b89747a4210b86023cc2af3ab124 | A newborn orangutan cuddles up and nestles in its mother’s arms as it enjoys a nice snooze in the sunshine. The little ape, less than a month old, appears to content in its mothers strong arms. The 18-year-old mother, Mali, poses for the camera with her baby at her home at Devon's Paignton Zoo. Motherly love: The baby girl snoozes in her mother's arms at Paignton Zoo in Devon . It was the first birth at the zoo for 18 years and workers are confident that the baby ape is a girl. Phil Knowling, a spokesperson for the zoo, said the the pair are doing well after the birth. He said: 'We are pretty sure it’s a girl. Keepers are 99.9 per cent sure that the baby, now a month old, is female. 'Mali and the baby are doing well. They have the largest of the orangutan islands and even have an off show den to themselves. On the brink: Orangutans are at risk because of human encroachment into their territory, notably by palm oil producers . 'We hope that visitors will be able to catch a glimpse of the youngster, which will become more mobile over the coming months.' The pair are Bornean orangutans and they have suffered declines where the population is estimated to just be 50,000. The baby will remain with its mother for up to 10 years - before it might move to another zoo as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. The expansion of oil palm plantations into high conservation value forests in their natural habitat is recognised as a leading threat to critically endangered species including orangutans, elephants and tigers. As well as being cute, the baby girl will most likely be smart too - orangutans are regarded as the most intelligent of the primates. They are known for being able to use a wide variety of sophisticated tools and make elaborate nests to sleep in. Experts have extensively studied the species for their learning capability. Bornean orangutans, which are native to the island of Borneo, belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia. They share around 97 per cent of their DNA with humans. Bornean orangutans live in tropical and subtropical forests in lowland and mountainous areas of Borneo. The species lives in the tree canopy and moves large distances in search of food. As well as the destruction of their natural habitat, they are also killed for the 'bushmeat trade,' while young orangutans are sometimes caught to be sold as pets. Around 55,000 Borean orangutans live in the wild, and a number are in preservation programmes throughout the world . | Pictures show mother Mali and her month-old baby girl at a Devon zoo .
The baby is the first to be born at the zoo in 18 years .
Orangutans are endangered thanks to the elimination of their habitat . |
207,722 | 98f13fd448df4d843b69f810086bfb225e1581c3 | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 09:01 EST, 1 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:16 EST, 1 October 2013 . Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul - who played meth kingpins Walter White and Jesse Pinkman respectively - have been lauded for their roles in the Emmy Award-winning series which drew to a dramatic close on Sunday. However before the gritty roles - Cranston has described the complex character of White as 'the role of my life' - both actors were struggling to make it in Hollywood. Prior to their career-changing roles, there was a long line of forgettable parts. In a compilation from Snakkle, the pair are seen in everything from hemorrhoid cream and microwave pizza ads, to game show appearances and small roles including one alongside Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 3. Scroll down for video . Starting at the bottom: Bryan Cranston, who starred as Walter White in the Emmy Award-winning TV show Breaking Bad earned a living in the early 1980s flogging Preparation H hemorrhoid cream . Breaking through: Aaron Paul, who played meth dealer Jesse Pinkman, stars with Tom Cruise in the 2006 movie Mission: Impossible 3 . Just what the doctor ordered: Bryan Cranston in a minor role as a doctor in the 1980s . The final episode of Breaking Bad ended on a high on Sunday evening on AMC, with 10.3million viewers, its largest ever audience. Talking about the finale, Bryan Cranston said that creator Vince Gilligan and his writers came up with both a 'satisfying' and 'unapologetic' end to the story, saying: 'It’s fitting. It’s complete.' The show was among the big winners at the 65th annual Primetime Emmy Awards earlier this month. It was lauded with the night’s top prize for Best Drama and actress Anna Gunn, who plays Walter's wife Skyler White, added to the accolades with a Best Supporting Actress trophy. The series has has won seven Primetime Emmy Awards - including three consecutive wins for Best Actor for Bryan Cranston, two wins for Best Supporting Actor for Aaron Paul, and four nominations for Outstanding Drama Series. Getting a caffeine hit: Cranston hawked Coffee-Mate to viewers in 1988 . Winning: Aaron Paul appeared as a contestant on The Price Is Right in 2000, eight years before his role in Breaking Bad made him a household name . Paying his dues: Bryan Cranston in one of many unmemorable roles in Honey I Shrunk The Kids: The TV Show, 1998... a decade before winning 'the role of his life' Walter White . Breaking out: Aaron Paul playing a compere at a high school dance in Third Rock From the Sun in 1999 . Addictive: The nail-biting drama has seen its audience grow by millions each season culminating in a series high of 10.3 million for the finale . | Bryan Cranston, who played chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-dealer Walter White in the Emmy Award-winning show, previously starred in ads for Coffee-Mate and teen show Sabrina The Teenage Witch .
Aaron Paul, who played his sidekick Jesse Pinkman, had small roles on The X-Files and Third Rock From The Sun . |
265,795 | e44253ca696cb29d9f7a52e22eeeb303cd91dd06 | (CNN) -- The Cannes Film Festival culminated Saturday night with the glittering award show for the festival's top honors. Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan accepted the coveted Palme d'Or for his film "Winter Sleep" at the international event on the French Riveria. American actress Julianne Moore won the best actress award for her portrayal of an aging film star in David Cronenberg's dark Hollywood parody, "Maps to the Stars." British actor Timothy Spall won the best actor honor for his turn in "Mr. Turner. The Grand Prix, the second-highest award at the prestigious movie competition, went to director Alice Rohrwacher for the Italian drama "Le Meraviglie" or "The Wonders." Director Bennett Miller nabbed the best director award for the movie "Foxcatcher." | Cannnes Film Festival's top prize goes to Turkish film "Winter Sleep"
Julianne Moore wins best actress for her part in "Maps to the Stars"
Timothy Spall takes best actor for his performance in "Mr. Turner" |
10,596 | 1e21876d53842ab1be226f320123610a44ac5d43 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:55 EST, 22 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:31 EST, 22 March 2012 . Spring has sprung across America this week, but so has allergy season - and it's packing a furious punch. The unusually warm winter has led to an earlier than expected allergy season which has hit with a wheezing vengeance in parts of the South and Midwest this year. Abundant pollen is causing watery eyes, sniffles and sneezing. Doctors say that the spring misery stretches from Mississippi to Ohio and from Georgia to Texas, where drought conditions have exacerbated the problem. Pollen problem: With pollen levels reaching incredible highs, many cars in Atlanta, Georgia, have been rolling up to local car washes looking like this . Growth: In New York's Central Park, an unseasonably warm winter has given way to spring blooms and record pollen counts three weeks early in 2012 . As record breaking temperatures were recorded today in parts of the Midwest and New York, forecasters and allergists blame the unseasonably warm weather, and few cold snaps, for causing plants to bloom weeks early and release the allergy-causing particles. In some areas, allergists say pollen counts this week are as high as they've ever recorded. Dr Joseph Leija, who's responsible for the Midwest's official daily allergy count at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Illinois, said in a statement that the tree pollen in the area indicates a dangerous air quality warning. In Chicago, the tree pollen count of 1,600 grains of pollen per cubic meter recorded two days ago is 100 grains of pollen more than what's considered 'dangerous' levels . Warning: Dr Joseph Leija, who's manages the Midwest's daily allergy count says tree pollen in the area shows dangerous air quality . Dr Leija said: 'The warm March temperatures and sunny skies have encouraged the early budding of trees and flowers and my phones at Gottlieb are ringing with sufferers seeking relief'. A clinic at Vanderbilt University in Nashville recorded 11,000 grains of pollen per cubic meter Tuesday, the worst in the 12 years they've tracked the number. The Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic has measured pollen since the 1980s and says this week's counts have beaten a high mark recorded there in April 1999. Their count for Tuesday was almost 9,400. Fifteen-hundred is considered very high. The medical director of the Vanderbilt Asthma, Sinus and Allergy Program says he's been seeing more patients - even while feeling puny himself. 'I'm kind of sniffly today,' Dr David Hagaman said Tuesday. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of . America says more than 40 million Americans have nasal allergies, . popularly called hay fever. In severe cases, sufferers have difficulty . breathing that can send them to the emergency room. Stephanie Baxter was walloped when she returned to Gallatin, Tennessee, from a vacation in Florida last week. Pollen, at a glance: This U.S. map shows the forecasted levels of pollen throughout the country, with the South registering the highest . Allergy fears: Pollen has covered parked cars like this one in areas of the South, after the unusually warm winter, where the pollen levels are soaring . 'We hit Tennessee and they started,' she said. 'I have every possible symptom you can have. I'm trying to keep my energy because I have a 3-month-old and a 3-year-old. There's no time for rest'. For three years, the foundation has ranked Knoxville, Tennessee, as the worst city in the country for allergies - based on pollen counts, sales of allergy medications and the presence allergy specialists. The city has been up to 20 degrees warmer than normal the past few weeks. Spring arrived prematurely - along with sales of nose spray. Weekend warriors: This graph shows the pollen forecast in Atlanta Georgia, with amounts spiking by Sunday . 'It's blooming so early,' said Sam Roberts, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn. 'Grass mowing has started early this year and stirred things up.' Ranee Randby, community relations director for the Knox County Health Department, said Knoxville's scenic location in the Tennessee valley contributes to the problem. 'We're surrounded by mountains and . whatever gets in here stays in here. It's like a bowl,' she said. 'It's a . beautiful, green part of the country but pollen comes with that'. (Source: Weather.com) In San Antonio, Texas, patients with allergies have increased in the past few weeks at Southwest General Hospital. Daniel St. Armand, the emergency room director, doesn't have to leave the hospital to find someone suffering. 'I have a friend who goes through this yearly and it affects his whole system,' he said. 'He constantly has a runny nose and itchy skin and eyes. He's just not himself'. In Atlanta, Andre Osborne returned home from a long weekend to find his black Infiniti sedan caked in yellow pollen. 'I feel terrible,' he said. 'I know it's not as bad as it can be. But the sneezing, the uncontrollable coughing, it's starting to kick in'. A couple miles away, business was up at Cactus Car Wash as drivers brought in their pollen-covered cars. Yellow water streamed into drains in its parking lot. 'It's very unusual this early on,' said manager Jim James. 'It's getting cars a lot dirtier, which is happier for us.' Covered: Officials say a record high pollen count of 9,369 particles of pollen per cubic meter was measured in metro Atlanta on Tuesday . | Dramatic rise in pollen levels caused by unseasonably warm winter .
Cars caked with pollen on the streets of Atlanta, Georgia .
Doctor warns that numbers have reached 'dangerous' highs in the Midwest . |
273,392 | ee2a0d54a521790f920c7bc2fa7b77e9cae88d9f | A Lithuanian builder was held last night after a wealthy property developer and his wife were found dead. Viktoras Bruzas, 38, went on the run following the fatal stabbing of Patrick Kettyle, 55, and his wife Gillian Kettyle, 54, in an attack at their £750,000 Surrey home. After a ten-hour manhunt Bruzas was stopped by police in his Mercedes at 6pm last night in Oxshott, Surrey, just five miles from the scene of the double murder. Surrey Police had been urgently searching for 38-year-old Lithuanian builder Viktoras Bruzas (right) after the bodies of married couple Patrick (left), 55, and Gillian Kettyle, 54, were discovered at about 12.30am yesterday . Mr Kettyle (pictured) and his wife are said to have known Bruzas, and the two suspects were also known to each other . Police had been called just after midnight yesterday by Mrs Kettyle’s 16-year-old son Timothy, who is said to have witnessed a knifeman lashing out, stabbing his victims in the chest, head and legs. Paramedics tried to save the couple but they died at the scene. Kristina Bruziene, is reportedly the estranged wife of Bruzas. She was employed by the dead couple as a secretary in 2012 . Police confirmed that Bruzas and the Kettyle family were known to each other, and said this relationship was an ‘important part’ of their investigation. Mr Kettyle had employed Bruzas’s ex-wife, Kristina Bruziene, 37, as a secretary at his million-pound building and property development firm after the builder introduced them. Bruzas grew up in Kaunas, Lithuania, the country’s second biggest city, 65 miles west of the capital, Vilnius. He married his wife in Lithuania before they moved to the UK in their twenties. The couple settled in Forest Gate, East London, and had their son Richard, who was born in September 2007. Bruzas was known by his neighbours as a quiet man who worked hard to support his family, doing odd jobs in people’s homes and fixing locks. Apparently earning well, he moved with his family five years ago to a £400,000 home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Bruzas was working as a builder for Mr Kettyle’s construction firm while his wife handled the accounts. Pictures posted on Facebook suggest they were happy, devoted parents. A window at the Kettyle's home appears to have been smashed. The middle-aged couple were found by a family member who was not hurt in the attack, police revealed at a press conference . A forensics officer collects a knife in Fetcham, Surrey, where the couple were found (right) but it is too early at this stage to tell whether it was used in the killings. Forensic officers were in the house (left) A police spokesman said: 'A potential weapon has been found near the property and we are currently examining it. But we cannot confirm if it is linked to the incident at this early stage' A forensics officer could be seen putting the knife, which had a black and silver handle and appeared to have a bent and broken blade, into a plastic evidence container . Last night another man in his 30s arrested in Walton-on-Thames on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder was released on police bail. Police were called at around 12.30am on Thursday and issued an appeal seven hours later to find Bruzas, whom they believed was on his way to West Sussex. But he was later found just five miles away and arrested on suspicion of murder. Last night detectives were examining a knife with a broken blade found by a dog walker not far from the murder scene, in the leafy stockbroker village of Fetcham. A forensic officer photographs evidence.The knife was found 400 metres away from the couple's home . Aerial pictures of the Kettyle's home shows police tape cordoning off the house and garden as officers stand guard . A number of construction companies are registered to the address under Mr Kettyle's name . The house where the bodies were found is a two-storey detached house with a brick-paved drive and neat bushes at the front, the second house along The Copse . The killer is believed to have smashed a glass window in a conservatory at the rear of the house to gain entry. Stunned neighbours described the Kettyles as a quiet, friendly couple who were often seen taking Mrs Kettyle’s son to his grammar school in Guildford where he recently achieved top GCSE grades. The couple married in 2004 and have three children between them from previous marriages. Last night Mrs Kettyle’s stunned niece and nephew Bronwyn, 21, and Lewis Davies, 18, said: ‘It’s the worst thing that could have happened. They were fantastic people. It’s so sad for the whole family. ‘They didn’t deserve this. It’s a tragic loss. Patrick was such a gentle man, he was always so loving. It just doesn’t feel real at all, it’s such a shock.’ Suspect Bruzas, is from Lithuania and lives in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey . A blue tent was also set up next to the cordon. Detective Superintendent Nick May of Surrey Police said at the scene that Bruzas and the victims were known to each other . Officers carried out a fingertip search of Meadow Way, checking gardens and hedges, emptying household bins and probing building work in a front garden . Detectives said a large-scale manhunt had been launched to find Bruzas . The house where the bodies were found is a two-storey detached house with a brick-paved drive and neat bushes at the front, the second house along The Copse. A forensics officer searches the garden . Police search bins close to the scene in Fetcham, Surrey . Mr Kettyle founded his own construction company, Kettyle Ltd, in 1985 which had a £6million annual turnover and also let several properties. He is understood to have retired, but it is thought his wife worked as an office administrator in nearby Cobham, Surrey. The Kettyles were close friends of Friends Reunited founders Steve and Julie Pankhurst who made £30million from the sale of the site in 2005. Neighbour Gwynaeth Laxton, 80, said: ‘I am in complete shock and feeling quite shaken up about it. We had not long been asleep when we heard a commotion outside. ‘I thought it was foxes or other animals jumping over the fence. But then a short while later we heard the police turn up.’ Speaking at a press conference, Detective Superintendent Nick May, said the couple had been subjected to a 'sustained attack' The victims were found with stab wounds after the attack at The Copse in Fetcham, Surrey . The sleepy road where the murders took place has been cordoned off by the police who are scouring the scene for evidence . Police talking to neighbours that live next door to were the bodies were found . At the scene, police tape was stretched across the street to cordon off a large area outside the house, while shocked residents chatted in the road . The head of Surrey and Sussex Joint Major Crime Team, Detective Superintendent Nick May, said: ‘At this stage we believe that the offender or offenders entered the property at some time after midnight and subjected the victims to a sustained attack. 'Officers and paramedics were called to the scene at around 12.30am by a family member who was in the property at time but was unharmed in the attack.’ Prior to Bruzas’s arrest, police had been liaising with both the National Crime Agency and Interpol, who were in touch with the Lithuanian authorities. Officers also carried out a fingertip search of a street close to the Kettyles’ home, checking residents’ front gardens, and emptying household bins. Police set up at the scene. Senior officers said they had been working with the National Crime Agency and Interpol in a bid to track down the Lithuanian . Forensics officers were seen removing evidence from the £750,000 family property . Forensics officers in white suits and wearing masks over their mouths were seen going in and out of the property . The quiet road has been closed off by police where the double murder took place. Police vehicles, vans belonging to forensics officers and a mobile command centre were also parked in the quiet street . The former home of Vickoras Bruzas in Walton-on-Thames . Fetcham is a leafy commuter village in Surrey, just south of the M25. The sleepy road where the murders took place has been cordoned off by police . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Viktoras Bruzas, 38, went on the run following double fatal stabbing .
Patrick, 55, and wife Gillian Kettyle, 54, in attack at £750,000 home .
After a ten-hour manhunt Bruzas was stopped by police in Mercedes .
Police were called just after midnight yesterday by Mrs Kettyle's son . |
105,853 | 1487075dbb1c1180b5ae8fae06b236cad1970eee | (CNN) -- A pair of suicide car bombs exploded near a security checkpoint in central Baghdad Monday morning, killing at least three people and wounding 20 others, Iraq's interior ministry said. The casualties included Iraqi security forces and civilians, according to the ministry. The attack took place at the western entrance to the Green Zone -- a heavily fortified area which houses Iraqi government offices and many foreign embassies, including the U.S. and British embassies. | Suicide car bombs are part of an attack on a security checkpoint .
The casualties include Iraqi security forces and civilians . |
286,461 | ff2c4a7a207796846b23a86386b831fe5ba5de52 | (CNN) -- For months, Republicans derisively doubted if U.S. President Barack Obama was a true friend of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, questioning if Americans should re-elect someone who might not be on the same page with the long-time U.S. ally. Now, it's Netanyahu facing political heat in his own country -- for his relationship with Obama. Despite sometimes blistering attacks over where his administration stands on Israel and against Iran's nuclear program, Obama this week emerged victorious in the U.S. presidential election. But Netanyahu has months to go in his own campaign, including time to answer questions about his relationship with the American leader. Leading the charge against the prime minister is the Kadima party, which holds more seats at 28 than any other in Israel's Knesset and which quit Netanyahu's coalition government in July. The centrist party is among those aiming to gain more power and unseat Netanyahu when Israelis go to the polls on January 22, 2013. Kadima wasted little time after Obama's election win in going after Netanyahu. In a post Wednesday on its Facebook page, the party claimed the prime minister had sided with U.S. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and could not be trusted -- by Obama and, moreover, by Israelis -- to be a robust, effective partner with Washington. In that post and in an open letter on its website, Kadima highlighted the importance of U.S.-Israeli relations. Jewish media is abuzz, too, about a Wednesday speech by former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in which he claimed that Netanyahu had interjected himself into the U.S. election by trying to undermine the incumbent president. Multiple Jewish media outlets reported Olmert said Netanyahu got involved in part to satisfy Sheldon Adelson, who donated close to $100 million this year toward defeating Obama and electing Republicans to Congress, according to insiders involved in the process. The Jerusalem Post reported Olmert said that "Netanyahu's behavior in recent months brings up the question if Netanyahu has a friend in the White House, and I'm not sure." "This represents a significant breach of the basic rules governing ties between nations, made worse by the fact that these are allies like Israel and the United States," Olmert said in the same speech to Jewish leaders in New York, according to another leading Jewish newspaper, Haaretz. Netanyahu and officials in his government have beaten down such accusations of meddling, while playing up what they describe as strong ties between Israel and the United States. In a statement congratulating Obama, Netanyahu said, "The security relationship between the United States and Israel is rock solid, and I look forward to working with President Obama to further strengthen this relationship." In an interview Thursday with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon acknowledged that Romney and Netanyahu have a special connection from having once worked together at the same U.S.-based consulting firm, but "to say there was a preference, it's a little bit of a stretch." "We have no better friend than President Obama," Ayalon said, repeating an assertion he'd made previously. The deputy foreign minister credited Obama with spearheading international sanctions and other punitive measures that he said has made Iran "very vulnerable ... socially, politically, economically." Whatever past differences there might have been about timelines and goals, Ayalon said Israel will follow the U.S. president's cue when it comes to Iran. "I think today we can safely say that we are very much of the same page, and we'll continue to follow the lead of the United States," he said. Such a line of questioning, and political attacks, about U.S.-Israeli relations is nothing new -- as evidenced in the recent U.S. election. For months, Republicans hammered Obama, claiming he hadn't been a loyal enough friend to Netanyahu or tough enough on Iran. One public dust-up came earlier this fall, when Israeli sources told CNN the White House had turned down a request for a meeting between Netanyahu and Obama while both were in New York for a U.N. meeting, prompting Romney to say he "can't imagine ever saying no" to a meeting request from Netanyahu. The White House later said no request had been made, and within hours of the story breaking, Obama called the prime minister and said the two countries maintain "close cooperation on Iran and other security issues." The Obama administration has stressed repeatedly that it is committed to maintaining a strong relationship with Israel. In May 2011, the president said, "The bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable, and the commitment of the United States to the security of Israel is ironclad." Now, the same issue -- how well can Netanyahu and Obama work with and trust each other -- is being debated nearly 6,000 miles from Washington in another heated election. This is a testament to the unique, historically tight relations between these two nations, as well as the vibrant brand of democracy that define their political systems. Despite obvious differences, Netanyahu and Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz did unite this week on one matter -- lauding the U.S. political system and expressing their desire for Israel to follow its lead. Mofaz described "American democracy (as) a beacon for Israel and her people." Netanyahu, meanwhile, characterized the United States as "the greatest democracy on Earth." | Republicans had criticized Obama over whether he was close enough to Israel .
Now Israeli opposition leaders are saying Netanyahu can't be trusted by Obama .
U.S.-Israeli relations may be a factor in Israel's election, set for January 2013 . |
121,711 | 29503ffce21c5adfa77d838c9720550b9b2e9b41 | By . Simon Walters . and Brendan Carlin for the Mail on Sunday . Commons Speaker John Bercow faced a crisis last night after the leak of a bombshell Downing Street email denouncing his ‘bizarre’ decision to give an Australian woman a £200,000-a-year Parliamentary post. Mr Bercow’s determination to give Australian official Carol Mills the powerful job of Commons Clerk has sparked an all-party revolt. He has been accused of a ‘politically correct’ stunt – and trying to use manager Ms Mills’s inexperience in Parliamentary debates to grab more power for himself. 'Less stuffy': The determination of Commons Speaker John Bercow (left) to give Australian official Carol Mills (right) the powerful job of Commons Clerk has sparked an all-party revolt . The dispute took an extraordinary turn last night after one of Ms Mills’s senior colleagues at the Australian Senate effectively branded her unfit to do the job. Rosemary Laing, Clerk at the Australian Senate – the equivalent of the post planned for Ms Mills – said the ‘embarrassing’ appointment was ‘an affront’. The onslaught came in an email widely circulated in Westminster, including No 10, and obtained by this newspaper. The dispute threatened to turn into a major row as it emerged: . * Outgoing Commons Clerk Sir Robert Rogers, allegedly told to ‘f*** off’ by Mr Bercow, kept a sensational secret diary of the Speaker’s outbursts. * The Queen risked being dragged into the row amid reports David Cameron is ready to refuse to send the appointment to the Palace for Royal approval. * MPs’ calls for a vote to overturn the Speaker’s choice of Ms Mills were backed by ministers. * Male officials rejected in favour of Ms Mills may sue Mr Bercow for sex discrimination. Controversy: John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, pictured with his wife Sally . The row comes after widely respected Parliamentary traditionalist Sir Robert resigned after a series of clashes with the Speaker. Ms Mills is currently head of the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) of the Australian Senate in Canberra, responsible for everything from cleaning to catering, not debates, leading Westminster wags to call her ‘the Canberra Caterer’. Mr Bercow reportedly sees her as a ‘less stuffy’ replacement and part of his drive to ‘modernise’ Parliament. But critics claim it is a secret power grab because she will be unable to challenge his rulings. Their claims are reinforced in the email sent last week by Ms Laing, who works closely with Ms Mills. She said: ‘We were utterly taken aback when we heard Carol Mills was front-runner to replace Sir Robert Rogers and have followed events with disbelief and dismay. ‘It seems impossible someone without parliamentary knowledge and experience could be under consideration for such a role. It is bizarre and an affront. ‘Carol comes from the state public service. It is not simple to move to serving Parliament if there is a lack of understanding of Parliament.’ Ms Laing echoes MPs who say Mr Bercow would ride roughshod over Ms Mills. ‘DPS heads [such as Mills] have a lack of appreciation and respect for MPs and senators and an over-emphasis on the authority of Presiding Officers [such as Bercow].’ Referring to claims that Ms Mills’s department used CCTV to spy on the office of an Australian senator, Ms Laing said: ‘I was surprised a resignation did not follow.’ She backed calls for MPs to quiz Ms Mills before she becomes Commons Clerk and Chief Executive. It would be ‘enormously embarrassing,’ said Ms Laing. She added: ‘The only thing more embarrassing would be to make the proposed appointment.’ Sir Robert refused to comment on claims that he had kept a diary of the volatile Speaker’s tantrums and alleged four-letter outbursts. A well-placed source said: ‘Robert could see the writing on the wall and took the necessary precautions.’ Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: ‘It would be wrong for the Queen to approve this appointment before MPs have been fully consulted.’ But last night, the Speaker refused to back down, insisting via a spokeswoman that Ms Mills’s appointment was ‘open and fair’. She insisted the choice was a ‘collective decision’ by the six-strong Commons interview panel, including Mr Bercow. | John Bercow's plan to employ Carol Mills has sparked an all-party revolt .
Leaked email accuses him of a 'bizarre' and 'politically correct' stunt .
Her colleagues in Australian Senate effectively branded her unfit for job .
Rosemary Laing, Clerk at the Australian Senate, described Miss Mills' appointment as 'embarrassing' and 'an affront' |
232,795 | b96a117f2831ad4ddc0ca2841dbf74132980111f | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 11:24 EST, 23 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:39 EST, 23 September 2013 . An eight-year-old boy has been diagnosed with an incredibly rare genetic disorder which makes him look 'pregnant'. Aadam Asif is one of only 17 people in the UK to suffer from Niemann-Pick, Type B, which causes an enlarged liver and spleen. He was born with the condition, which caused his stomach to protrude, but doctors only discovered he had the disease last year. Aadam Asif, eight, has a rare genetic condition called Niemann-Pick, Type B, that causes his spleen and liver to be enlarged. He is also small for his age, bruises easily and lacks strength . Tragically, there is no cure for the disease and Aadam is not expected to live to see adulthood. His devastated father Mohammed, 36, had no idea he and his ex-wife were both carriers of the Niemann-Pick gene. Mr Asif, from Moseley, Birmingham, said: 'He has always had a slight belly but whenever we took him to the GP he said it was fine and nothing to worry about. 'Over the years his stomach has swelled which has given him the appearance of looking pregnant. 'When he started school I was determined to get answers. His tummy felt quite solid to touch. 'It was a little pot belly but we now know this was caused by an enlarged liver and spleen. Aadam Asif is one of only 17 people in the UK to suffer from Niemann-Pick, Type B. He has had the condition since birth but he was only diagnosed last year . 'Aadam was also very small in size, the smallest in his class and he didn’t have the strength that other kids have. 'His breathing was heavy too. 'He was getting bruised very easily. I gave him a bath and he had a bruise on his arm after just washing. Tragically, there is no cure for the disease and Aadam (pictured at 10-months-old) is not expected to live to see adulthood . 'His co-ordination wasn’t what it should be for a boy of his age.' Mr Asif added: 'He finds the rough and tumble at school very difficult and he is very fearful. 'He has the innocence of a five-year-old, although he is eight. 'He is very self-disciplined and enthusiastic about life. It is good to see him getting up early and getting ready for the day. Aadam's devastated father Mohammed, 36, had no idea he and his ex-wife were both carriers of the Niemann-Pick gene . 'He is full of life and he won’t let anything hold him back.' Aadam was finally diagnosed with the disease when he was referred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for blood tests and X-rays. Mr Asif, a part-time lorry driver who also has a daughter Alina, 10, who does not have the condition, said: 'When you are told that devastating news it doesn’t hit you straight away. 'It is such a shock. Aadam was seven-years-old by the time of his diagnosis and by then it was more noticeable that there was something wrong with him. Mr Asif said: 'When you are told that devastating news it doesn't hit you straight away. It is such a shock. Aadam was seven-years-old by the time of his diagnosis and by then it was more noticeable that there was something wrong with him' 'I had no idea myself or my ex-wife were carriers until last year when Aadam was diagnosed with the disease. 'There is no treatment and no cure - you just have to manage the condition and look after him. 'He is aware he has something wrong with him but he is so brave and is always smiling. I am incredibly proud of him. 'As he gets older the condition will have a greater impact on his lungs and they could get clogged. Mr Asif said: 'He is aware he has something wrong with him but he is so brave and is always smiling. I am incredibly proud of him' 'We don’t know what his life expectancy is but I am determined to give him the best life possible.' Mr Asif is now raising money for the charity Jeans for Genes. Jackie Imrie, clinical nurse practitioner specialising in Niemann-Pick, said: 'There is hope for the future as we have just started a three clinical trial involving adult patients. 'The trial involves replacing an enzyme which causes the swelling of the liver and spleen into the blood via a drip every two weeks. 'Hopefully this will produce positive results for the future.' Niemann-Pick, Type B is an inherited condition which affects lipid metabolism. People with the condition suffer a build up of lipids in the spleen, liver, lungs, bone marrow and brain. Signs include an enlarged liver and spleen, slow growth and problems with lung function. Suffers also often have blood abnormalities such as elevated cholesterol levels and low platelet levels. The condition is caused by mutations in the SMPD1 gene. There is no cure and treatments are only able to manage the symptoms. Many people with the condition survive into their teens or even early adulthood. | Aadam Asif has Niemann-Pick, Type B, a genetic condition causes the liver and spleen to become enlarged - it causes his stomach to protrude .
Aadam is very small for his age, he also bruises easily and lacks strength .
His parents did not know they were carriers of the disease until Aadam was diagnosed at the age of seven . |
260,409 | dd3795d3b2edaa6eb5b3e2986eb512505f643f29 | An Australian tourist’s candid snapshots of daily life in North Korea’s capital offer a unique look behind the veil of the secretive nation. Under the watchful eye of two native guards, businessman and former aid worker Andrew Macleod visited the East Asian country in February 2013 as part of his quest to visit every nation in the world. During his four-day excursion around snow-covered Pyongyang he photographed the city’s iconic monuments, children playing football and plenty of locals pushing, pulling and carrying loads of goods on their backs. Scroll down for video . Mausoleum: The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il remain in state, is seen in Pyongyang, North Korea . Australian tourist Andrew Macleod visited the Socialist Revolution monument during his visit to Pyongyang in February 2013 . World traveller: The Australian businessman and former aid worker is hoping to visit every country on the planet . Construction of the Ryugyong Hotel, a 105-storey pyramid-shaped skyscraper, began in 1987 but has never been completed . Andrew's visit gave him a fascinating glimpse into a city that is no longer open to tourists for the foreseeable future now that the dictatorship has closed its borders and cancelled all tours in fear of the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. Even when its borders are open it can be difficult to enter the reclusive country with all tourists required to join pre-planned tours to approved sites, bypassing the poverty, starvation and notorious forced labour camps. Andrew, 47, travelled to the capital from Beijing and his first observations were the abundance of concrete bunkers, attractive border guards and deserted roads as only a small few own cars. A traffic police officer, dressed in a blue uniform with a fur trim, watches for cars on a street in Pyongyang, North Korea . Andrew Macleod snapped this photo during his train journey from Beijing to North Korea in February 2013 . The capital's snow-covered streets were deserted during Andrew Macleod's visit as very few people own cars . Andrew Macleod said young North Koreans offered a friendly wave but older residents avoided eye contact . He said: ‘One could feel the fear people had for their government and one was amazed at the all-pervasive control the government had over every aspect of people's lives. ‘I cannot see the break in the cycle to cause the freedom for these people. I hope they get it but I don't see the roadmap.’ His own freedom was restricted as he was not allowed to speak to Pyongyang residents on the street and most North Koreans appeared too afraid to engage with visitors. He said: ‘I would love to have spoken to people on the streets however if I did I knew that both they and my guides would get in trouble for it.’ North Korea has closed its borders in fear of the spread of the Ebola virus outbreak that has killed hundreds in West Africa . A local struggles to carry a load of goods on her back in Pyongyang, North Korea in February 2013 . Andrew MacLeod poses for a photo in front of portraits of former leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, North Korea . The Workers' Party monument depicts the communist hammer and sickle with a traditional Korean calligraphy brush . Pyongyang's metro network, which doubles as a nuclear bunker, features murals on the walls and orchestral music . Snapshots taken by an Australian businessman and former aid worker are providing a unique look into secretive nation . Young children offered a friendly wave but older North Koreans avoided eye contact and wanted nothing to do with him, possibly because they feared getting in trouble, he said. But despite their trepidation towards Westerners, locals were friendly towards each and other and even let their children roam the empty streets unsupervised. The first stop on his tour was the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a mausoleum where the bodies of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il remain in state. Andrew Macleod encountered deserted motorways, metro stations plastered with propaganda and attractive border guards . North Korean military hats rest next to a window on a train from Pyongyang to Beijing in February 2013 . Local resident push and pull loads of goods in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which acts as a buffer zone between North and South . During the trip Andrew Macleod was told how to take photos of monuments with only full-length photos allowed . The enormous white building, where loudspeakers blast out patriotic music over the open square, is a draw to loyal North Koreans hoping to pay their respects to the founding father. But it serves as a stark reminder of the obvious discrepancy of wealth among the population. Even so, weeping North Koreans poured into the building, many of whom were overcome with emotion at seeing the father and son lying in state. Andrew said: ‘If you only have one source of information you believe that source of information. ‘So the emotion that you see is genuine emotion. But it's emotion based on flawed information.’ All tourists required to join a pre-planned tour to approved sites, bypassing the poverty, starvation and notorious forced labour camps . Australian tourist Andrew Macleod said 'one could feel the fear people had for their government' A North Korean guard is pictured at the country's border with South Korea in February 2013 . Andrew Macleod said he was not allowed to speak to North Koreans on the street during his four-day visit . Locals were friendly towards each other and they even let their children roam the empty streets unsupervised . Andrew soon discovered propaganda permeated every aspect of daily life as he visited the metro network, which features murals on the walls and orchestral music blaring from the tannoy systems. He laid a bouquet of flowers at a World War Two monument, where he paused to reflect and pointed out to one of his guides that North Korea an Australia were on the same side in the fight against the Japanese. During his trip he was even told how to take photos of the monuments. Only full-length photos of the statues were allowed. Andrew’s travels have taken him to some of the most difficult countries on the planet, including Iraq, Afghanistan, the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. | Australian businessman Andrew Macleod took fascinating snapshots of Pyongyang during his visit in February 2013 .
He was under the watchful eye of two native guards for the entire duration of his four-day holiday .
His first observations were the abundance of concrete bunkers, attractive border guards and deserted roads .
Andrew was not allowed to speak to residents and most North Koreans appeared too afraid to engage with visitors .
Weeping North Koreans poured into the mausoleum where its two former leaders remain in state . |
42,216 | 772858186d456cbd32232325ba43db6ad669870c | (CNN) -- Another day, another record broken. Lionel Messi must sometimes wonder what all the fuss is about but to those in the outside world who remain permanently entranced by the genius contained within his feet, it was another opportunity to unleash a barrage of superlatives towards a football phenomenon. Just days after breaking the record for the top scorer in Spanish football history, Messi went one further, establishing himself as the leading marksman in the history of the European Champions League. Messi scored a hat-trick for Barcelona in its 4-0 victory against Apoel Nicosia in Cyprus on Wednesday to take his tally to 74 goals in 91 appearances. Raul, who scored 71 goals in 142 appearances, was unlikely to hold onto his record for much longer with Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rewriting the history books. Messi,who began the night level with Raul, required 38 minutes to break the record before adding a couple more for good measure later on. He now sits three clear of Ronaldo, who will hope to feature for Real against Swiss side Basel on Wednesday night. It is easy to forget that Messi is only 27. This latest landmark is just one in a number which he has reached in recent years. The Barcelona forward, whose future at the club has come under some question in recent weeks, hit the headlines last weekend by scoring a hat-trick in the 5-1 win over Sevilla. Telmo Zarra's record of 251 Spanish league goals had stood for 59-years but it would take a brave person to bet against Messi's remaining longer. Messi's record of 253 will no doubt be extended in years to come as will his exploits in the Champions League. The forward has scored 368 goals in all competitions for Barcelona so far, while he registered 91 times during an incredible 2012 -- beating the previous best of 85 in a calendar year by Gerd Muller. The 2011-12 campaign was one of Messi's most successful as he scored 68 goals, 50 of those coming in just 37 league games, 44 with his left foot and just one with his head. Messi, who won the prestigious Ballon d'Or four times between 2009-12, netted in 21 consecutive league matches last season which enabled him to score against every other club in the Spanish top flight. With his team safely through to the next stage of the competition, Messi will hope to inspire Barcelona to Champions League glory following a disappointing campaign last year. One man who is eager to help Messi achieve the feat is Luis Suarez, who scored his first goal for the club since joining from Liverpool. Suarez scored the opening goal in Cyprus before Messi took over, scoring three times to secure the win. Barcelona sits second in its group, a point behind Paris Saint-Germain, which defeated Ajax 3-1 to remain top. Awesome Aguero . Messi wasn't the only Argentina striker to hit a hat-trick on Wednesday as Sergio Aguero's triple propelled Manchester City to a 3-2 win over Bayern Munich. Trailing 2-1 to 10-man Bayern, Aguero scored twice in the final five minutes of the contest to keep his side's qualification hopes alive. Bayern, which is already through to the knockout phase, suffered a nightmare start when Mehdi Benatia was sent off for a professional foul on Aguero. The forward stroked home the penalty as City took control only to be knocked out of its stride before the break. Xabi Alonso's free kick drew Bayern level and Robert Lewandowski added a second just before the break. City looked down and out but Aguero's late heroics ensured City can still qualify for the next stage. That's because AS Roma was held to a 1-1 draw by CSKA in Moscow. Francesco Totti rifled home a free kick for the Italian side which was pegged back in the final minute of stoppage time. Roma will qualify for the next stage if it defeats City, while the English club can progress with a victory or a score draw if CSKA loses. CSKA must win at Bayern and hope that the other game finishes level. In Group G, Chelsea secured top spot with a 5-0 thrashing of Schalke in Germany. John Terry fired the visiting side ahead before Willian doubled its advantage. An own-goal by Jan Kirchoff made it three before Didier Drogba and Ramires completed the humiliation. In Group H, Porto ensured it will finish top with a 3-0 win at Bate Borisov, while Shakhtar was beaten 1-0 by Athletic Bilbao. | Lionel Messi becomes top scorer in Champions League history .
Barcelona star scores hat-trick against Apoel Nicosia .
Messi broke the previous 71-goal record held by Raul .
Luis Suarez scores first goal for Barcelona . |
210,948 | 9d345db999c173a8ae44fd09ecf082ed5723baee | Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN)At least 10 people, including four Somali soldiers, were killed in an attack by Al-Shabaab forces on an army checkpoint near Baidoa, and two other people were killed Friday in bomb attacks in the country, officials said. Col. Mahad Abdirahman, the police chief of Bay province, told CNN that heavily armed Al-Shabaab militants in fighting vehicles attacked Isku-Darka military checkpoint Friday morning, sparking an hourlong, close-quarters gun battle in which six militants were killed, along with the four government soldiers. "Somali government troops managed to resist and push back the militants from the area," Abdirahman said. Friday afternoon, a roadside bomb targeted a bus carrying Kenyan teachers in Galkayo, killing a bodyguard and wounding 10 other people, six of them Kenyans, according to Ahmed Muse, a deputy governor who spoke to CNN by telephone. Muse blamed the attack on Al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based, al Qaeda-linked group whose goal is to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state. The Kenyans are high school teachers in the city, in central Somalia 750 kilometers (470 miles) northeast of the capital city, Mogadishu. Golkayo is under the control of Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland state. The wounded were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. In Mogadishu, a travel agency officer was killed when a bomb hidden under his car's seat exploded Friday, according to Capt. Mohamed Dahir, a Somali police officer. No group has claimed responsibility for the two bomb attacks. | Attack on checkpoint occurred near Baidoa; police chief says militants were Al-Shabaab .
Government troops managed to repel militants, police chief says .
Two bomb attacks claimed two lives elsewhere in Somalia on Friday .
Six people injured in bomb attack in Galkayo are Kenyan high school teachers . |
144,410 | 46c1e42db7285db7b0a99a67d3bb3c4abb52464c | (CNN) -- Gymnastics once again takes center -- or is it centre? -- stage Thursday when the women compete in the individual all-around. Here's what to look for in that and other top events: . 1) Gymnastics: A new queen . With world champion Jordyn Wieber excluded from the women's individual all-around competition because she finished fourth, but third among Americans, in a qualifying system that allows only two people per nation, the United States still has the favorite for gold. Gabby Douglas led the Americans to the team title when she finished second in the vault, third on the floor, fourth on the balance beam and sixth on the uneven bars. Viktoria Komova of Russia was the top scorer in the qualifying round. They will be matched against each other in first rotation along with Aly Raisman of the United States and Aliya Mustafina of Russia. Catching drug cheats at the Games . The individual all-around starts at 4:30 p.m. London time (11:30 a.m. ET) 2) Swimming: The second big showdown . Michael Phelps, the most famous U.S. swimmer ever, will be in Lane 3. Ryan Lochte, who was supposed to be one of the big winners in these Games, will be in Lane 4. It's the Showdown, part II. On Saturday, Lochte won the first head-to-head meeting between the two stars, though Phelps didn't even medal in the 400-meter individual medley. But Lochte also swims in the 200-meter backstroke final just a half hour before the 200-meter individual medley. Should Phelps win the event, he would be first male swimmer to accomplish the feat in three consecutive Olympics. Phelps cements legacy . The 200-meter individual medley final starts at 8:19 p.m. London time (3:19 p.m. ET) 3) Equestrian: Ann Romney's horse set to take part in the Games . Ann Romney, wife of the soon-to-be Republican nominee, will be on hand to see her horse Rafalca compete in dressage. Mitt Romney will be traveling from Boston to Colorado for campaign events. Commentators seem to think the Republican candidate has a better chance in his race than Rafalca, ridden by Jan Ebeling, has in her event. Photos: Day 5 at the Olympics . The individual dressage competition starts at 11 a.m. London time (6 a.m. ET) while Ebeling is scheduled to ride Rafalca about an hour later. 4) Volleyball: Battle of unbeatens . Men's world No.1 Brazil will face the United States in a rematch of the Beijing Games final, which the U.S. won in a thrilling four sets. Each side has won its first two matches without losing a set. The match takes place at 8 p.m. London time (3 p.m. ET) 5) Table Tennis: They don't play to lose . While controversy may have hit the badminton courts, table tennis has rolled on. But world champ Zhang Jike has not been without his own controversy in the past. In 2004 he was bumped from the Chinese national team for violating team rules. He came back with a new attitude and now has a chance to become the fourth male grand slam winner. He plays Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany in one semifinal while countryman Wang Hao plays Chuang Chih-Yuan of Taiwan. The winners meet later in the day for the gold medal. Badminton player quits . Table tennis semifinals begin at 10 a.m. London time (5 a.m. ET). | U.S., Russian gymnasts compete for individual title .
More swimming, highlighted by Ryan Lochte vs. Michael Phelps one more time .
Dressage competition has a U.S. political connection .
Chinese look for more medals in table tennis semis, final . |
224,697 | aeee03e7ebf8923cb6656063a1eba9ab793cfbeb | Brazil star Neymar and his international team-mates were in buoyant mood on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's friendly with Turkey. Dunga's squad joked around during Tuesday's training session in Istanbul as Barcelona star Neymar shared a laugh with his fellow Brazilians. The 22-year-old was joined by Chelsea frontman Oscar and Atletico Madrid defender Miranda as the trio gestured during the session. VIDEO Scroll down for Neymar involved in one touch passing goal in Brazil training . Neymar (centre) jokes around with his Brazil team-mates ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Turkey . Neymar, Miranda (left) and Chelsea star Oscar make a point during Tuesday's training session . Neymar laughs and embraces Miranda as PSG defender Marquinhos wathces on with a grin . Premier League duo Willian (left) and Phillipe Coutinho (right) share a joke with the Barcelona man . Neymar appeared in buoyant mood for much of the training session in the Turkish city . Neymar was later snapped embracing Miranda as PSG centre back Marquinhos looked on with a grin. Liverpool star Phillippe Coutinho is also part of the current Brazil squad following his call-up along with Chelsea wideman Willian. Following the disastrous 7-1 defeat to eventual world champions Germany, Brazil are yet to concede under the stewardship of Dunga and have won all four of their matches since the summer tournament. Turkey, meanwhile, currently sit bottom of their Euro 2016 qualifying group having picked up just a single point against Latvia following defeats to Iceland and the Czech Republic. Neymar is pictured racing away from former Chelsea defender David Luiz who moved to PSG in the summer . The 22-year-old attempts to block a pass from Porto defender Danilo . Neymar attempts to outmaneuver his Brazil team-mates despite being surrounded . Neymar heads the ball during the training session as Man City mdifielder Fernandinho watches on . VIDEO Dunga looks to restore Brazilian faith . | Brazil take on Turkey in a friendly in Istanbul on Wednesday .
Neymar and his international team-mates were in buoyant mood on Tuesday .
Dunga's squad have won all four matches since World Cup elimination . |
159,780 | 5a8a7faf3b1465f1689839f6f475a7d80f6d228b | Ride-sharing company Lyft is getting a facelift in the form of a haircut. The San Francisco-based firm has ditched its iconic 3ft-wide fluffy pink mustaches. Instead, the easy-to-spot decoration adorning the front grilles of Lyft cars has been replaced with a 5in-long plastic replica which goes on the dashboard. The new mascots light up so customers can differentiate Lyft vehicles at night. All gone: Ride-sharing company Lyft has ditched its iconic 3ft-wide fluffy pink mustache logo . Sleeker look: Lyft co-founder John Zimmer displays his company's new mascot - a 5in-long plastic replica of the original fluffy mustache which goes on the dashboard . About 300 employees picked up the more discreet 'glowstaches' from the company's San Francisco headquarters on Monday. Commenting on the haircut, a representative for Lyft said: 'The new glowstache marks an exciting moment for Lyft as we embark on the next chapter of our growth. 'We’ll begin rolling the glowstache out to Lyft drivers across the country in the coming weeks.' Lyft is one of several companies that allow customers to use a smartphone app to book and pay for rides in a private car. It currently operates in more than 50 U.S. cities. The big pink mustaches were introduced as part of Lyft's launch effort in 2012. Makeover: About 300 employees picked up the more discreet 'glowstaches' from the company's San Francisco headquarters on Monday . However, the symbol stuck around longer than expected because it continued to create hype. More importantly, Lyft president John Zimmer said the gimmick made people smile. However, recently it was decided a makeover was needed. Jesse McMillin, the company’s new creative director, told Wired.com: 'A lot of times you’d see people driving around and [the fluffy pink mustache] was cockeyed, or matted, or windblown.' Lyft phased out the original mustaches a few months back in place of the sleeker glowstaches. Lyft users open an app on their iOS or Android smartphones and signal drivers to pick them up and take them to their destinations. The app matches them with the nearest driver. Drivers attach pink mustaches to their cars to identify themselves to passengers. Instead of using official taxi operators or limousine service drivers, Lyft recruits regular people who wish to make extra money by offering rides in their own cars in exchange for 'donations' from passengers. Some of Lyft's NYC founding drivers include a NY firefighter, a mother going back to school who runs a youth organization that revolves around teens and art, a honor student & MTA maintenance worker using Lyft to help pay off loans, a school teacher and father of three sons who are all actors, and a space suit designer . Drivers are screened with criminal background checks, and they must be licensed with the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. | The easy-to-spot decoration has been replaced with a 5in-long plastic replica which goes on the dashboard .
The new mascot lights up so customers can see Lyft vehicles at night .
It's hoped the makeover will give the brand a more modern look . |
123,479 | 2b9f8c1daacd9b699d9e3c6021bfae890c6743e4 | By . Olivia Fleming . PUBLISHED: . 17:15 EST, 20 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:53 EST, 21 September 2012 . Victoria Beckham gained over 57,000 new Twitter followers during New York Fashion Week, topping every other designer as the most talked about collection (17,173 mentions) on the social media site. Marc Jacobs followed, but not closely, with 8,813 mentions, while designers Diane Von Furstenberg, Alexander Wang and Michael Kors took the remaining three popularity spots respectively. On the heels of conversation surrounding the overuse of Twitter during Fashion Week, with popular thought being that it is stripping all intellect, wit and reflection of the collections with the increasingly fast-paced, and real-time tweets, it seems the designers aren't hurting at all. Twitter superstar: Victoria Beckham gained nearly 58,000 Twitter followers during New York Fashion Week, topping every other designer as the most mentioned collection on the social media site . New York-based social media agency WhisprGroup analyzed layers of Twitter algorithms during New York Fashion Week to identify the most popular designers, trends, and hashtags associated with the last week's spring 2013 collections. Hosted a runway show rather than her usual small presentation for the first time, former the former Posh Spice successfully slaughtered all other designers in the social media marketing arena during New York Fashion Week. This may have had something to do with her tweet of Harper Seven, her toddler daughter, waddling down the runway just hours before the designer's show started. Lagging behind: Marc Jacobs (left) followed for second place . with 8,813 mentions; designer Diane Von Furstenberg (right), Alexander Wang . and Michael Kors took the remaining three popularity spots respectively . Marc Jacobs, coming in at number two, had popular fashion blogger Leandra Medine of the Man Reppeller democratically hosting his collection livestream to the public, and the number three, Diane Von Furstenberg, surprised everyone with her Google Glass glasses, which walked down the runway on the models and the designer herself. 1. Victoria Beckham - 57,3002. Rebecca Minkoff: - 30,6003. Michael Kors - 14,300 . The number of tweets associated with New York Fashion Week, or #nyfw, doubled since last year's spring collections, with a total of 671,028 Fashion Week mentions. The U.S. was the top country tweeting about the collections, designers and general goings on, taking up 72per cent of the total New York Fashion Week Twitter pie. In comparison, the next New York Fashion Week Twitter-centric country was the UK, tweeting only five per cent of the overall mentions. Enabling designers, stylists, photographs and journalists alike to turn the once media and buyer-specific week into an onslaught of mass self-promotion, street style overkill, and slightly strange endorsements more than ever before, it's clear Twitter and its zealous account users have no plans of slowing down, much to the pleasures of designer's marketing teams everywhere. 1. Victoria Beckham - 17,1732. Marc Jacobs - 8,8133. Diane von Furstenberg - 8,6084. Alexander Wang - 6,7675. Michael Kors - 6,214 . 1. U.S. - 72 per cent2. UK - five per cent 3. Canada - three per cent4. Brazil - two per cent5. Netherlands - one per cent . | The designer beat Marc Jacobs and Diane von Furstenberg for the top spot . |
220,705 | a9b3dafea8b8ba3487b98ad9d8c8580dda5dfeae | (CNN) -- Floating wind farms could soon be powering thousands of European homes after a prototype seaborne turbine sailed through technological trials off the coast of Agucadoura, Portugal. The 54-meter tall renewable structure sits atop a semi-submersible platform known as a WindFloat situated five kilometers from shore. It has been manufactured by WindPlus, a consortium of energy and clean-tech companies including Principle Power, Energias de Portugal and Vestas. The group hopes their primary success will help secure European Union funding to add another five turbines alongside the existing model, engendering greater electrical production. "The (initial) turbine is capable of producing 2MW (megawatts) instantaneously at any one time, given enough wind," says Alla Weinstein, CEO of Principal Power. "This is equivalent to 1,300 households. The cumulative production thus far in Portugal has been 1.7GWh (gigawatt hours)," she adds. See also: Wind turbine creates water from thin air . Unlike existing offshore wind farms and underwater tidal turbines, floating structures do not have to be permanently fixed to the ocean floor. Instead they are kept in place by a drag embedment anchor, much like the devices used to moor oil rigs in deep ocean environments. This means WindFloat structures could theoretically be transported to any ocean location where there is a strong wind resource, says Weinstein. An undersea cable transmits the energy produced on site back ashore. The costs for transporting electricity rise the further out to sea the structures are placed. "We feel the ideal distance is out of sight from land, typically 12-18 miles," says Weinstein. "This distance mitigates stakeholder visual concerns yet decreases the exposure to exorbitant transmission costs." Weinstein highlights lower construction costs -- the WindPlus turbine cost €20 million ($24.9 million) to build and install -- as a major advantage the technology has over existing offshore wind farms. See also: Who's funding Green Energy . The fact that turbines and their platforms can be assembled on land (unlike bottom-fixed devices which are assembled at sea on specialized vessels and cost as much as $250,000 a day to charter) means "the cost and risk profile ... is significantly reduced," she says. But while bullish about the technology's potential, Weinstein admits there remains a way to go before floating turbines become profitable enterprises. The initial structure off the coast of Portugal is merely a pilot installation to prove the device works and is viable, says Weinstein. "At the moment we are making money but not enough to cover our costs," she says. "There is no doubt in my mind however that this is going to be a profitable technology and profitable venture in the future. It just takes time." | A floating wind turbine has been inaugurated off the coast of Agucadoura, Portugal .
The 54-meter tall structure can produce enough energy to power 1,300 households .
The consortium behind the turbine hope to install five more devices to create the world's first ever floating wind farm . |
226,436 | b133c417913174d23840d1638aa91d570b88c8ed | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Lindsay Lohan's father will "pursue any and all appropriate legal action" to prevent his daughter from becoming "another Hollywood statistic" because of alcohol and substance abuse, Michael Lohan's lawyer said Monday. The much-publicized dispute between the actress-singer and her father boiled over last week when Michael Lohan persuaded a sheriff's deputy to help him enter her Hollywood home to check on the welfare of her 16-year-old sister. Lindsay Lohan's lawyer said it was "nothing more than a publicity stunt." Michael Lohan's lawyer, Lisa Bloom, said in a written statement Monday he was reacting to "a problem millions of Americans have: What can a parent do when an adult child appears to have a serious alcohol or drug problem? What can a parent do when that adult child's life appears to be spiraling out of control? "He has watched along with the rest of us over the past few months as Lindsay has been photographed partying and clubbing night after night, appearing as though she is under the influence of alcohol or substances," Bloom said. "He is heartbroken about her current condition. With his own two eyes, just last week, he has seen her looking worse than ever." Lindsay Lohan was arrested twice in 2007 on charges of driving under the influence. In the second incident, she also was charged with cocaine possession. She is on probation for a 2007 drunken driving conviction and is participating in a required alcohol counseling program. She told the British newspaper The Sun earlier this year that she feared for her life while abusing substances to deal with family problems in 2007. She said she has since learned to embrace life instead of drugs. Her father said he flew to Los Angeles last week because of reports he was getting from friends about his 23-year-old daughter's behavior. "Michael is not going to stand idly by and watch his daughter become another Hollywood statistic," Bloom said. "He intends to do everything in his power to prevent Lindsay from becoming another Marilyn Monroe, Anna Nicole Smith, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger or Corey Haim." Bloom said she was hired "to pursue any and all appropriate legal action to save and protect his daughter." "The law affords a parent who believes his adult child is not in control of her health and welfare a number of legal options," she said. "As of now, all options are open." Michael Lohan is trying to sit down with his daughter and her lawyer "to come up with an appropriate treatment plan that will allow her to get her life back on course," Bloom said. "If, however, that does not happen, Michael is prepared to pursue other legal action towards his one and only goal: to save and protect his daughter." Lindsay Lohan reacted loudly Thursday when her father walked into her home. "I have no choice but to make this public, due to my sister's safety, as well as my own," she said in a Twitter posting Thursday afternoon. " 'My ex-dad' just WALKED INTO MY APT like the devil's advocate with officers." "When will it ever end," she tweeted. "It's been going on my whole life with him -- hasn't he caused enough pain?" After the surprise visit to his daughter's home, Michael Lohan then drove to TMZ's Hollywood newsroom, where he appeared in a live webcast to talk about why he did it. He said he flew to Los Angeles when a friend told him his 16-year-old daughter, Ali, was partying with her older sister. The friend also said he saw them driving 115 mph on a freeway, he said. "That was the straw that broke the camel's back," Lohan told TMZ's Harvey Levin. Lohan's acting career, which started at age 10 on the now-defunct soap opera "Another World," took off on the big screen a year later when she played identical twins in Disney's "The Parent Trap." Since then, she has starred in at least a dozen movies, including "Georgia Rule" with Jane Fonda in 2007. Her pop music recording career, boosted by her movie roles, has faded recently. Her last album was released in 2005. CNN's Marc Balinsky contributed to this report. | Michael Lohan's lawyer says dad is worried about alcohol, substance abuse .
Lawyer: Father is ready to take "all appropriate legal action" to prevent a tragedy .
Michael Lohan persuaded a deputy to help him enter her Hollywood home last week .
Lindsay Lohan's 16-year-old sister has been staying with the actress . |
105,020 | 13799bd604c03b01ab08ef6d28fe32f932aa22a0 | Juba, Sudan (CNN) -- South Sudan took a seat at the world's table early Saturday as citizens of the new country took to the streets to celebrate. Cars rolled through the capital of Juba. Occupants waved flags and honked horns to celebrate sovereignty recognized Friday by Sudan. "The Republic of the Sudan announces its acknowledgement of the establishment of the Republic of South Sudan as a sovereign state within the 1956 boundaries," announced Bakri Hassan Salih, minister for presidential affairs. The reference to the 1956 boundaries, however, was controversial because that puts the contested region of Abyei in the north. The region, the size of Connecticut, is home to the Ngok Dinka people, who are closely allied with the South, but it also serves as grazing grounds for northern Misseriya tribes. It was a battleground for decades in the brutal civil war fought between northern and southern forces. A referendum on whether the area should be part of the north or the South has been delayed over disagreement over who is eligible to vote. In recent weeks fighting has erupted in Abyei again, sparking fears of another war and marring preparations for the celebrations. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to send up to 7,000 peacekeepers and 900 uniformed police to the new country of South Sudan. The mandate of the previous U.N. mission runs out Saturday with South Sudan's independence and the peacekeepers will be a part of a new operation for the global body. The Security Council is expected to meet again Wednesday to discuss U.N. membership for the new nation. In Juba, the mood was jubilant Friday, despite the bloodshed in Abyei and in oil-rich South Kordofan, a state in the north where many people are allied with the South. The airport was closed to commercial flights to allow for the arrival of expected dignitaries for the independence celebration. South Sudan natives voted overwhelmingly in January to secede. The referendum to split was part of a 2005 peace deal aimed at ending the decades of violence between the two sides. The two countries look set to divorce in name only. There are no agreements on the borders, the oil, or even the status of their respective citizens. But Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is still expected in Juba later Saturday, a gesture of pragmatism and what his office is calling a hope for brotherly relations. The South, in turn, is responding with equal grace, reserving for him an entrance separate from other dignitaries as the anthem of the Republic of Sudan plays on sovereign soil for the last time. | NEW: South Sudan becomes world's newest country .
Khartoum recognizes the sovereignty of the South, within the 1956 borders .
Those borders put the contested region of Abyei in the north .
A new U.N. peacekeeping mission will step in . |
147,425 | 4a9d31ad690132bd7585d0e6e5bda9825e73abed | By . Lizzie Edmonds . Alexander Thomas, 30, faces jail after he was convicted of five counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity while in a position of trust . A pervert school teacher is facing jail after he was convicted of sexually abusing four teenage girls over Facebook. Alexander Thomas, 30, from Swindon, Wiltshire, used the social network site to groom the sixth form students - asking them to send him semi-naked photographs, a court heard. The PE and Business Studies teacher was convicted by a jury at Swindon Crown Court of five counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity while in a position of trust. He was bailed for sentencing on June 13. Judge Mousley told him: 'You will be bailed between now and then and that will be unconditional. 'You must not take that as an indication there will not be a prison . sentence. 'A custodial sentence is a probability at least in this case and may well be a certainty.' Thomas was arrested in October 2012 after teachers at his school became aware of rumours circulating between pupils. In a police interview, he admitted being in contact with four girls, aged between 16 and 17, but denied any sexual contact. He admitted having a topless picture of one of the girls. Prosecutors said Thomas asked them to send him photographs of themselves in their underwear. They also said he asked them to meet up with him for the purpose of sexual activity. A jury cleared him of directly engaging in sexual activity with two of the girls - but convicted him over his use of Facebook between August 2010 and October 2012. Judge Tim Mousley QC told the teacher he was likely to be sent to prison when he returns to the dock for sentencing on June 13. Swindon Crown Court, pictured, heard how the teacher would ask the pupils, aged between 16 and 17, to send him pictures of themselves in their underwear. He was cleared of any direct sexual activity with the girls between August 2010 and October 2012 . Speaking outside court Wiltshire Police’s child abuse investigator Detective Constable Angela Spray said: 'Thomas worked as a secondary school teacher in Wiltshire where he systematically abused the position of trust he was in to prey on vulnerable, underage children for his own sexual gratification. 'Thomas groomed his victims and encouraged them to engage in sexual acts after gaining their confidence and trust. 'He has refused to take any responsibility for his actions and has forced his victims to relieve their suffering and give evidence in court.' | Alexander Thomas, 30, used site to contact four sixth form students .
Asked them to send him semi-naked photographs, court heard .
PE and Business Studies teacher convicted at Swindon Crown Court .
Was cleared by a jury of engaging in sexuality activity with the pupils . |
86,819 | f664990601925628e09c68de03d7421c4febffb2 | By . Jonny Singer . Former Liverpool midfielder Vladimir Smicer is a candidate in the European elections - on a platform of fighting child obesity. Smicer, who won the Champions League during his six-year spell at Anfield, is standing for Czech party Vize 2014 (Vision 2014). However the ex-footballer, who scored in Liverpool's famous Champions League final comeback in Istanbul, says he doesn't expect, or even want, to become an MEP. Comeback: Smicer scored the second of Liverpool's three second half goals in Istanbul. Champion: Smicer's had a mixed six seasons at Anfield, but he was crucial to their Champions League triumph . He told his party's website: 'It's not my ambition to be an MEP. 'In the Czech Republic obesity rates among children have quadrupled in the last 15 years. More than half of the adult population of the EU are overweight or obese. Amongst children it's one in seven. I see it in the kids around me. Fitness isn't 'in'. 'We've got to get our kids away from their computers, tablets and smartphones and get them moving. This is something Europe needs to care about.' National legend: Smicer won 81 caps for the Czech Republic during a distinguished playing career . Ambitions: Since retiring from playing, Smicer has worked for the Czech FA before turning to politics . However, the ex-footballer is not thought to have much of a chance of winning in the elections. Vision 2014 is a fringe party with little prospect of success. Smicer spent six years at Liverpool between 1999 and 2006 before finishing his career with Slavia Prague in 2009. He has worked for the Czech FA since his retirement, but recently left his role with the national team. | Smicer is standing for office in the Czech Republic .
Former Liverpool ace says fitness is something Europe needs to care about .
He is unlikely to be successful with his fringe party .
Smicer played in England for six years, winning the Champions League . |
278,214 | f468728dbb176e38292e204bc14356b575592fc7 | Trainer Willie Mullins says unbeaten Faugheen will arrive at the starting line for the williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle a much fitter horse than the one which extended his unbeaten record to seven races with an easy three and a half length win in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot last month. Ireland’s champion trainer also believes that Ruby Walsh’s mount will also have no problem with the two-mile Kempton test, one of the sharpest examinations of speed a hurdler can face. Jockey Ruby Walsh says Faugheen will have no problem with the two-mile Kempton test . Faugheen, whose opponents include Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Irving, won the two-mile Grade One novices’ hurdle at Punchestown in April but every other time he has raced over hurdles it has been over further. Over Christmas last year at Limerick, he won at three miles. He landed the two mile five furlong Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival and the Coral Hurdle is over two miles three furlongs. Mullins said: ‘It is another big step up for him. We are going into Irving’s home ground — a flat right-handed track will suit him but he is in good order. ‘A lot of the time we raced over a longer trip because we were keeping him apart from the other horses (like Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Vautour). I knew he would stay but I knew he could come back in trip all right. Faugheen will take on Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Irving in the Christmas Hurdle . ‘This year he has come back a hundred weight heavier. I was really worried with the size of him when he went over to Ascot. Dan Skelton, who stood in for me, passed a remark to Ruby that he had never saddled a horse to win a race like that which was as fat as he was. ‘If he can do that with that sort condition on him, there must be huge improvement for him for the rest of the season.’ Faugheen is 4-9 to win the Christmas Hurdle and 2-1 to win the Champion Hurdle despite the impressive performances of The New One in Britain. Mullins admitted that Faugheen’s swift elevation to being regarded as one of the most exciting horse in jump racing has wrong-footed him. He added: ‘He has surprised me that he is as good as he is. He was very ordinary point-to-pointer. To look at him last season he was so raw and scrawny, you wondered if he’d have the strength to run two mile five furlongs at Cheltenham. ‘He was skin and bone whereas Vautour was the apple of everyone’s eye. He is an oil painting of a horse.’ | Trainer Willie Mullins claims unbeaten Faugheen is in peak condition .
He says Ruby Walsh's mount will have no problem with two-mile test . |
12,445 | 2345de316f458a09c747d6f09bfb368f7182d831 | Sergio Aguero turns to his young son Benjamin and cracks a joke that only the Spanish-speaking members of his entourage and our interpreter can appreciate at first. So just how angry was Manuel Pellegrini after Manchester City’s shocking Champions League defeat at home to CSKA Moscow in midweek? ‘Even little Benjamin was angry,’ says Aguero, turning to the five-year-old who sits adoringly by his side. ‘And he told me I dived to try and win a penalty!’ Sergio Aguero continued his rich vein of form by scoring the winner in Manchester derby . But the striker could not prevent Man City slipping to Champions League defeat in midweek . It is less than 24 hours after City’s flagging European campaign sank to a new low and Aguero is putting on a brave face. Pellegrini’s team can still qualify for the knockout stage despite languishing bottom of Group E without a win from four games. And the man who will for ever be remembered for firing City to their first Premier League title in the most dramatic way imaginable is not giving up. For those supporters who might not be feeling so optimistic, Aguero has this message in response to the suggestion that he might be forced to go elsewhere in search of Champions League glory. ‘Not only will I stay the four years to make it eight here in total,’ says Aguero, who signed a new contract in August, ‘I’ll stay beyond that — until we win it.’ In the meantime, City fight on despite lengthening odds and growing criticism. They have lost three of their last four games in all competitions. Talk of Pellegrini carrying the can is dismissed with a polite smile, however. ‘It’s easy for everyone to suddenly decide it’s the man at the helm who is to blame, but I would say in situations like this, when we haven’t played well as a group, we are all in it together,’ says Aguero. Sergio Aguero raises a smile with store staff at his book signing session at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday . ‘The Champions League group table is not what we would have expected. We are not seeing the real City playing in Europe at the moment, but we still have these last two games when we hope the real City will turn up. ‘I guess that if we don’t turn it around, you would consider it to be the worst Champions League campaign the club have had. But I have spent a lot of years in football and am aware that these things can happen, you get bad runs. And I am also aware that you work your way out of those bad runs and come out the other side positively.’ Aguero’s own battle against adversity is documented in his autobiography Born to Rise, from an impoverished upbringing in the slums of Buenos Aires to a place among Argentina’s football royalty as the husband of Diego Maradona’s daughter Giannina (they separated when Benjamin was three). The events of May 13, 2012 feature prominently, ‘Agueroooooo’ scoring the second of City’s two injury-time goals against Queens Park Rangers to snatch the title from Manchester United and spark scenes of delirium at the Etihad as the hero disappeared beneath a pile of players. ‘You f*****g idiot, I love you big b*****ks,’ is revealed as Mario Balotelli’s contribution to the celebrations. Aguero signs a copy of his new book for a fan at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday . The iconic photo of Aguero twirling his shirt in the air hangs on his wall at home, and he has kept the boots he wore that day. The memories will return this evening when City face QPR at Loftus Road. ‘Whenever you mention the words “Queens Park Rangers” it always comes to mind,’ says the 26-year-old. ‘That will remain etched on my memory for ever. I’ve watched it back loads and loads of times, as you can imagine.’ It is the most significant of Aguero’s 87 goals in 137 games for City since he joined from Atletico Madrid for £38million in 2011. The latest, a winner in last Sunday’s Manchester derby, makes him the Premier League’s top scorer ahead of Chelsea’s Diego Costa. No wonder Pellegrini believes the striker is capable of challenging his best friend Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or. Aguero, however, accepts that he must match Messi and Ronaldo on the European stage before he can be considered a serious contender. ‘It’s great to be mentioned in the same breath as those players,’ he says. ‘But when you mention Messi and Ronaldo, for me those guys are from another planet in football terms. Maybe I need to put in some good performances in the Champions League in order to be considered seriously to win the Ballon d’Or. If we don’t do well in the next two games and get knocked out, the only way I’m going to win that award is by scoring 70 goals in the Premier League this season.’ Even in these darkest of days, you wouldn’t put anything past Aguero. Sergio Aguero: Born To Rise – My Story, RRP £18.99. Print and ebook on sale now. | Sergio Aguero convinced Manchester City can win the Champions League .
The Argentine striker has four years left on his contract at the Etihad .
He has scored 87 goals in 137 games since joining from Atletico Madrid . |
90,894 | 00e6787aab9af959eb10c2b83ccc4672784fed38 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:39 EST, 22 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:39 EST, 22 August 2013 . A star's twinkling could help uncover the sizes and gravity of the hundreds of exoplanets. A team of astronomers at the Vanderbilt University in Nashville have said the flickering can give up a host of secrets of its orbiting planets. Hundreds of ‘exoplanets’ outside our solar system have been identified in the last 20 years but estimates of their size could be 200 per cent out. Sky at night: Scientists have revealed studying a star's flickering can give up a host of secrets including the strength of gravity at its surface and the sizes of its orbiting planets . The team at Vanderbilt however has now developed a new technique of studying the star's flickering to calculate its surface gravity which could cut the previous uncertainties in half - and show if they could be rocky like Earth or gaseous and uninhabitable like Jupiter. Professor Keivan Stassun, who led the team of astronomers, said: 'Once you know a star’s surface gravity then you only need one other measurement, its temperature, which is pretty easy to obtain, to determine its mass, size and other important physical properties.' Researchers showed variations on a timescale of hours in a star’s brightness are associated with its surface gravity. The findings published in Nature are based on observations by the Kepler Space Telescope and offer a simple new way of determining a basic stellar property that has previously been difficult to measure accurately. Optical brightness variations allow a calculation of the surface gravity of Sun-like stars with a precision of better than 25 per cent - a dramatic improvement on other techniques. Brightness variations of Sun-like stars are driven by many factors including granulation - the network of small cells that cover the surface of a star that are caused by columns of gas rising from the interior. The Sun: Brightness variations of Sun-like stars are driven by many factors including granulation . On stars with high surface gravity, the granulation is finer and flickers at a higher frequency. On stars with low surface gravity, the granulation is coarser and they flicker at a lower frequency. Rising hot gases and descending cool gas create hot and cold patches that flicker - twinkling light that is detected by Kepler. Scientists can turn the light into ‘sound’, with almost no ‘hiss’ denoting a small ‘dwarf’ star.Lots of hiss meanwhile would indicate a huge 'red giant'. 'Once you know a star’s surface gravity . then you only need one other measurement, its temperature, which is . pretty easy to obtain, to determine its mass, size and other important . physical properties' - Professor Keivan Stassun . Professor Gibor Basri, of California University in Berkeley, said: 'Measuring stellar surface gravities well has always been a difficult business. 'So it’s is a very pleasant surprise to find the subtle flickering of a star’s light provides a relatively easy way to do it.' Maria Womack, the program director at the National Science Foundation in the US which funded the research, said: 'This actually could be the breakthrough we’ve needed to pin down the sizes of hundreds more stars and exoplanets. 'Getting accurate sizes is critical to measuring exoplanet density which has been a missing puzzle piece for so many planets. 'So - in addition to having implications for stellar evolution - this innovative work will be invaluable for identifying hundreds of exoplanets as either rocky or gaseous.' Prof Jorgen Christensen-Dalsgaard, of Aarhus University in Denmark, reviewed the study for the journal and described it as 'highly satisfying' given the wording of the old nursery rhyme. He said: 'Studying the twinkling of stars does indeed help us to understand what they are.' | Astronomers at Vanderbilt University say flickering gives up host of secrets .
They claim it can reveal strength of gravity at its surface .
Also reveals size of orbiting planets and therefore chances of life . |
2,182 | 065d4836be5ac806fa8792b7ab511359092c7963 | A tourist who joined in the search after a member of her bus party went missing was able to help track the woman down - when she realised it was herself they were looking forward. The woman was declared missing from a party touring the Eldgja volcanic region in south Iceland after getting off the party's bus to freshen up. She only hopped off the bus breifly, but had also changed her clothes - and her fellow travellers did not recognise her when she climbed back on again to continue the party's journey. The Asian woman had joined the search party for herself after being declared missing in the Eldgja volcanic region in south Iceland . Soon the search began for a woman described as Asian, around 160cm, in dark clothing and speaking English well, . When the details of the missing . person were issued, the woman reportedly didn't recognise her own . description and unwittingly joined the search party for herself. After a night-long operation . involving around 50 people, the 'missing woman' eventually realised she . was the source of the search and informed police. The search began on Saturday, but was . called off at around 3am on Sunday morning when the woman, who has not . been identified, realised she was the subject of the frantic efforts. | Asian traveller didn't recognise her own description and went looking for herself .
She was declared missing after changing clothes and not being recognised by fellow tourists . |
49,023 | 8a7204c8144c310b6f32b28ece9180a120cb8cd1 | By . Simon Murphy . PUBLISHED: . 20:13 EST, 30 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:13 EST, 30 March 2013 . As a fast-rising Shadow Minister in Ed Miliband’s team, Lisa Nandy is a model of earnest concern as she debates the future of Britain’s schools. But now The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the Wigan MP has not always been so careful to project a serious image. As the editor of a ‘Dear Lisa’ column in her university newspaper, Miss Nandy starred in a photo casebook which detailed her search for a male sex partner and also showed her naked in bed with another woman. Up front: Lisa Nandy certainly made an impression with this low-cut effort in the House of Commons . Miss Nandy, now Shadow Children’s Minister, was the figurehead of the column in Newcastle University’s Courier student newspaper. Styling herself as ‘The woman who likes a bit of hot mail’, the politics undergraduate appeared in a comic book-style photostrip recording her quest to bag a boyfriend. ‘I’ll never find a man!’ she moans in the strip, psimon mursimon urrinted 13 years ago. Then, when a friend suggests a suitable partner, Miss Nandy is pictured opposite the prospective male with her hands pressed against her face in exasperation. A thought bubble reads: ‘Oh, my God! I’m not . . . s******g THAT!’ Later, as she is chatted up by another student who offers her a drink, Miss Nandy says: ‘I’d love a stiff one! Actually, d’ya wanna come back to my place?’ After apparently having sex with him, the MP is pictured discussing the incident with a friend. Using her fingers to illustrate her point, she complains: ‘The smallest I’ve ever seen! I’m going back on the pull . . .’ Just as she is giving up hope, a Fairy Godfather intervenes promising to ‘sort it out’. She is then pictured naked in bed with another woman. Miss Nandy, who has her arms wrapped around the attractive blonde, says: ‘Ooh, I thought you only had your ears pierced!!!’ Torrid: Lisa Nandy's comic book search for sex in a student paper . The 33-year-old MP, elected to Parliament on an all-women shortlist, was at the centre of a sexism row shortly after winning her seat in 2010 when she sat directly behind Mr Miliband in the Commons wearing a low-cut top, prompting a storm of debate on Twitter. During her time in charge of her student column, Miss Nandy also dispensed advice to readers. In one column she wrote: ‘As I’ve said many times over the course of this year, THERE ARE NO FIT MEN AT THIS UNIVERSITY.’ She adds: ‘There’s a lot of diversity in a university – virgins, slimy b******s who offer to buy you a drink but have no intention of doing any such thing, geeks, the lot. The trick is how to spot them. You can usually identify a virgin from a thousand paces, cos they’ll be trendy dressers and well into dance music.’ Miss Nandy adds: ‘The only solution is to quit the manhunt and wait till after uni when you’re back amongst normal people.’ In another photo casebook, she appears to advocate smoking marijuana before writing an essay. A male student is pictured smoking a ‘spliff’ to ‘calm his essay crisis’, then gets a first for his essay. Miss Nandy adds: ‘Before the anti-drugs lobby gets straight on my case, I am not about to advocate getting caned before a deadline.’ In another column, a third-year student asks for advice on how to hit on first-year students. Miss Nandy says: ‘. . . you could try pulling in the Union when Red Bull and vodka is on special – it works for me.’ Last night the MP claimed her columns were meant to be humorous and did not reflect her personal views. She said: ‘This was a spoof piece published by my student newspaper over 13 years ago. It was intentionally humorous and clearly didn’t reflect my views then, or now.’ | Lisa Nandy starred in sex photo casebook during her time as a student .
Story detailed her quest to find a boyfriend - until she ended up in bed with another woman .
She bemoaned the lack of 'fit men' in her student column entries . |
182,901 | 78dd84d3309e578e2c1d2cb8387f359969ca904c | Tragic: Imam Sheik Abdullah was killed during an attack carried out against a mosque with a petrol bomb in Anderlecht . A Belgian mosque leader was killed last night as he tried to save a worshipper set alight in a brutal petrol bomb attack. Father-of-four Abdullah Dadou, 46, died from smoke inhalation after a man burst into a Shiite mosque in the Brussels suburb of Anderlecht at 7pm. Witnesses said the man, who had no ID . papers, turned up at the building, pulled out a knife and axe, poured . petrol over the floor and then set it alight. He then shouted Sunni slogans - sparking speculation that the attack was linked to tensions between them and the Shiites. Worshippers detained him and locked him in a room before he was arrested. But Adbullah failed to escape, and remained trapped in the blaze. The man was arrested - a Muslim who said he was born in 1978. No other . people are being sought in connection with the attack, which also injured one other person. As investigators sought to determine whether the arson attack was an isolated incident or a deliberate assault on the Shiite community, Belgium's Interior Minister Joelle Milquet suggested inter-religious strife may be to blame. She said: 'This person went in (the mosque) hurling statements linked to the Syrian conflict. It appears to be a problem between Sunnis and Shiites. 'Belgium will not tolerate this type of act and the importing of this type of conflict on its territory.' Islam's Sunni and Shiite movements have fuelled violence in several Muslim countries, from Iraq to Yemen and Pakistan. Scroll down for video... Ruined: The entrance of the Mosque which was set on fire last night . Destroyed: The Mosque is a shadow of its former self (left) as a lone sandal sits on the destroyed floor (right) The area around the Brussels mosque, one of four Shiite centres of worship in the city's overwhelming majority Sunni Muslim community, has a large immigrant Muslim population. Azzedine Laghmich, an official at the mosque, said the attacker was 'a Salafist', who sprayed petrol inside the mosque before setting it alight and shouting Sunni slogans on his way out - cries related to the conflict in Syria. Isabelle Praile, another senior official in Belgium's Muslim community, said the mosque 'had already been placed under police protection several years ago,' because of threats from members of the ultra-conservative Salafist movement. More than 100 men gathered near the Rida mosque after the fire, shouting Shiite slogans behind a police tape as some prayed and others hugged or cried over the death of imam Abdallah Dadou, a 46-year-old father-of-four. Grief: Women react outside of a Shi'ite mosque in Brussels on following an arson attack in which the local Imam died of suffocation in a room inside . Investigation: Police and members of a forensics team stand at the entrance to a Mosque following petrol bomb attack in Brussels . 'I brought my eight-year-old son here with me so that he can see blind hate, what it can do,' said Ismael Ben Mohammad, 40. The mayor of the city's Anderlecht ward, Gaetan Van Goidsenhoven, appealed for calm at an overnight press conference, saying it was 'not only necessary to live side-by-side, but also to allow justice and the police to do their work.' The imam was described by worshipper Abdel Adouzeyneb, a 39-year-old real estate agent, as 'a person who was loved by everybody -- he was open, well integrated, smiling and happy.' Anger: Women mourn outside of the mosque following the arson attack. One man has been arrested in connection with the attack . Anxious: People wait in the street after the petrol bomb attack. A witness saw a man setting fire to the mosque in Anderlecht, killing the mosque's imam Sheik Abdullah and injuring another person. Prosecutor Jean-Marc Meilleur said the arson suspect was detained by police after people inside locked him inside the mosque. 'At the moment, there is only one suspect,' Meilleur said, adding that it was too soon to know whether it was a one-man attack or a wider plot. The last time an imam was targeted in Brussels was in 1989 when Saudi-born Abdullah Muhammad al-Ahdal was shot dead. He served as imam in the Grand Mosque of Brussels and was killed on March of that year by an armed man inside the mosque. His killing was claimed by a small pro-Iranian group in Lebanon who accused him of being too moderate and of having rejected the death fatwa slapped on writer Salman Rushdie. Shcok: Neighbours gather as news spreads of the arson attack and people learn that the local imam has been killed . | Father-of-four Abdullah Dado, 46, died from smoke inhalation after blaze .
Speculation attack linked to tensions between Shiites and Sunnis . |
64,066 | b5ed031f2c9dca4fc417f5c672d99603da27a112 | One member of the public dies at the hands of the police in Jamaica every day, the Daily Mail can reveal. Since the start of the year, officers from the island’s notoriously corrupt force have killed someone every 24 hours. The shocking figure comes after a local newspaper last weekend alleged there are ‘police death squads’ operating in the country. Similar accusations have been around since the 1980s. Amnesty International has called for an urgent inquiry into the fresh claims, which have been denied by senior officers. Starling figures have revealed Jamaican police forces have killed one person a day since the start of 2014. Police patrol the streets of Kingston in 2010 after two officers were killed . A former Scotland Yard murder squad chief is already conducting an independent investigation into dozens of fatal police shootings in Jamaica – more than half of which are said to be suspicious. Ex Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell moved there six months ago, shortly after retiring from the Metropolitan Police. He describes the number of police killings on the island as ‘just incredible’. In response to claims of death squads in the Jamaica Constabulary Force he told the Mail there was a widespread belief that the police were killing people because they knew they wouldn’t get them into court. ‘There is a widespread belief that the police are killing people who can’t otherwise get to the courts.,' he said. 'The courts have huge backlogs. Trials are years and years behind. Some cases are dismissed by the courts, because the police evidence is simply not up to scratch. 'It is difficult finding people who are brave enough to sit on juries. Generally speaking, the police say they ‘all the people we shoot are criminals, they have guns, we have an encounter with them and they are killed’,’ said Mr Campbell. ‘But the obsessive deadly force does not match up with the witness testimony in many of the cases.’ ‘A long-term culture has developed (in the police) that these judicial killings will cleanse the ranks of criminals. It is a completely unacceptable and inappropriate approach to take.’ Armed police enter Kingston Public Hospital in May 2010. This year's figures reveal a rise in the number of people killed by officers since last year . Mr Campbell described a 'long-term culture' in which police officers are accused of killing criminals who can't get to court. Above, officers in Kingston tote guns while patrolling streets and stopping citizens . Mr Campbell pointed out the differences between the island's police force and that of London where the shooting of Mark Duggan by Metropolitan police sparked riots and an inquest . And he points out that the police’s method is not working as the murder rate on the Caribbean island is as high as ever. Mr Campbell, who led a series of high-profile Met investigations including those into the murder of BBC presenter Jill Dando and the ‘spy in the bag’ death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams, added: ‘Around 1,100 people were murdered in Jamaica (population 3million) last year. ‘I can put that into context by saying that across the whole of London (population around 8-9million), there were 100 murders in the year before I left.’ At the current rate, the number of people killed by police on the Caribbean island this year could surpass the 258 of 2013. That figure – which included 40 people in October alone – represented a sharp rise on deaths in the previous two years. In 2012, 219 people were killed by police while the corresponding figure for 2011 was 210. Mr Campbell, 56, knows he and his team of 37 investigators at Jamaica’s Independent Commission of Investigations – a watchdog set up in 2010 – are facing an enormous challenge as they bid to bring down the number of people killed by police. Hamish Campbell (left) said he was not concerned for his safety but for that of his investigators within Indecom. His team are pictured in Denham Town, West Kingston after two men were killed by police . After 40 people were killed in October last year, Mr Campbell¿s watchdog held a press conference to express concerns about the wave of shootings, which only merited three paragraphs in a leading local newspaper . Since he arrived on the island, six police officers have been charged with murder and he is aware that in a country where a contract killing can cost as little as £12, his job is not without its risks. He said: ‘I am not worried about my own safety. I am more concerned about my investigators.’ Last year all but 13 of the 258 people killed by the police were shot. The majority of those who died could be described as criminals, with some record or other, said Mr Campbell. He said the people killed by police . ‘are generally unemployed, criminals, individuals convicted or acquitted . at court. They are not middle-class Jamaicans. ‘Individuals . who give evidence against corrupt officers have also been killed, as . have completely innocent people gunned down by mistake.’ Mr Campbell described the stark contrast between policing in London and the Caribbean island. Former Detective Superintendent Hamish Campbell described the situation as 'just incredible' He said: ‘I was watching the aftermath of the Mark Duggan inquest in London on TV. I thought it was quite interesting how people reacted to one single shooting by the police, which admittedly caused a riot, but which inquest jurors decided was a lawful killing. 'I saw how the Commissioner of the Met went on TV and there was a lot of media interest in the case. ‘I almost wrote to Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, because the Duggan case had all the hallmarks of an accountable shooting – an audit trail, video recording, statements and evidence of police planning and it all came before an inquest to be explained and in that case justified. ‘Over here, in the first 13 days of January, we had 13 people shot dead by the police. ‘But very little, if anything is said. There is no police response, There is no coroner’s inquest. No public inquiries. The level of response, or lack of it, is simply alarming. ‘Indecom was established by the Government here to redress the Jamaican police investigating themselves and to try to bring down – through training and education and examination of police practices – the level of shootings. ’ After 40 people were killed in October last year, Mr Campbell’s watchdog held a press conference to express concerns about the wave of shootings. It merited only three paragraphs in a leading local newspaper – a sign, perhaps, of how even the media in Jamaica are not shocked by the frequency of police killings. At a public meeting in November, he spoke of his frustration that three years after his watchdog was set up, many in the police still oppose the crackdown on shootings. ‘In the UK and elsewhere, an independent body is just that, it sets out to investigate on behalf of the public matters of death, brutality, all sorts of things and doesn't allow the police service to interfere with the laws which have been settled,’ he added. | A person has been killed by police every 24 hours since the start of 2014 .
A local newspaper recently alleged there are 'police death squads' on island .
Amnesty International has called for an urgent inquiry into claims .
Former Scotland Yard murder squad chief described 'obsessive deadly force'
Ex Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell spoke of 'judicial killings' |
268,737 | e81ba341129f360919ebc7b7d746d7e2fc0e74ad | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:54 EST, 6 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:16 EST, 7 June 2013 . Television presenter Gail Porter had to be consoled by friends after witnessing ugly scenes outside a bar. She was photographed looking shocked and upset while police and paramedics treated a man believed to be her friend. The 21-year-old was taken to hospital after being apparently hit in the face with a glass. The incident happened outside Forty Dean Street restaurant and bar in Soho, central London - yards away from the famous Groucho Club. Gail Porter is consoled outside the Forty Dean Street restaurant and bar after a man was glassed on Tuesday . The 42-year-old had earlier made an appearance with her friends at the Society of Golden Slippers - an exclusive club for entertainment industry 'insiders'. Miss Porter has had a well publicised battle with depression and drink. She has been sectioned under the mental health act, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had to battle the emotional trauma of losing her hair to alopecia. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'Police were flagged down by members of the public at 11.40pm on Tuesday June 4 after a man was injured following an altercation outside a restaurant in Dean Street, central London.' Out and about: Gail Porter was pictured out in Piccadilly, London yesterday following Tuesday's attack . The man receives treatment from police officers and paramedics yards from the famous Groucho Club in Soho . The 21-year-old was taken to hospital and remains in stable condition after being glassed . 'Police and London Ambulance Service attend and a 21-year-old man was taken to hospital suffering from a cut to the head. He remains in hospital in a stable condition. 'A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing GBH. Detectives from Westminster are investigating.' | Television presenter consoled by friends after witnessing bloody scenes .
Photographed looking shocked and upset while paramedics treated man .
Incident happened just yards from the famous Groucho Club in Soho . |
133,774 | 38fab6cfb8ba9c83bfc596a7552f32dcfdfac956 | (CNN) -- The release of the first half of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit elicited waves of joy Tuesday from relatives of the prisoners. In Israel, where the soldier's homecoming was greeted with celebration, the deal enjoys widespread support. But many Israelis are asking why so many prisoners, many with violent pasts, should be freed. One minister who voted against the agreement called it "a great victory for terrorism," and there are fears among Israelis that the release of convicted murderers will lead to further attacks on Israeli civilians. So who are the most controversial prisoners being freed? Yihia Al-Sinwar: Was serving four life sentences for his role in the kidnapping and murder of Sgt. Nachshon Wachsman in 1994. Al-Sinwar's brother Mohammed was reportedly involved in the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, and was a founding member of Hamas's military structure in Gaza. Muhammad al-Sharatha: Was serving three life sentences for his involvement in the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers, Sgt. Avi Sasportas and Cpl. Ilan Saadon. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Sasportas was kidnapped on Feb. 16, 1989 and shot dead. His body was found in May 1989. Saadon was abducted on May 3, 1989, his body was discovered in 1996. Both cases were also associated with senior Hamas militant Mahmoud al-Mabhouh assassinated in Dubai in May last year. Ahlam Tamimi: Was serving life terms for being an accomplice in the 2001 bombing of the Sbarro pizzeria restaurant, killing 15 Israelis. Amneh Muna: Plotted the killing of a 16-year-old Israeli boy Ofir Rahum in 2001 by luring him into the West Bank over the internet, was serving life in prison. Nasser Yataima: Was convicted of planning the 2002 Passover Seder suicide-bomb attack on the Park Hotel in Netanya, killing 30 civilians and wounding 140. Husam Badran: Reported to be involved in the planning of the 2001 bombing of a Tel Aviv nightclub in which 21 youths were murdered, the Park Hotel bombing, and the 2002 bombing of a restaurant in Haifa, in which 14 civilians lost their lives. The most notable name not on the list is that of jailed Palestinian lawmaker Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for murder and other charges related to his role in planning attacks on Israelis during the second Intifada. He had been considered by many Palestinians the most important prisoner who might have been released in exchange for Shalit. | Release of Palestinian prisoners in swap for Israeli soldier elicits joy from relatives .
Many Israelis ask so many prisoners, many with violent pasts, should be freed .
Some of them are convicted murderers, or plotted terror attacks against Israel . |
113,191 | 1e1b9aab283bfdb4f785bcb6c44d344e199eefc7 | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 13:18 EST, 30 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:19 EST, 30 May 2013 . Microsoft is bringing back the Windows 'start' button following a massive consumer backlash, it has been revealed. The world's largest software company is . hoping to kickstart sales of its latest Windows version, which has not . made the splash with computer users it was hoping for. Many complained it was too complicated, and sales of iPads and tablets have also eaten significantly into Microsoft's profits as users move away from desktop computers. A leaked screenshot of the Windows 8.1 software posted on Paul Thurett's Windows Supersite reveals the return of the start button in the bottom left of the screen . Windows 8.1 also includes a vastly . improved 'search' function, which allows a user to search for documents, . apps, or items on the Internet from a single search bar. It . also allows users to see all their applications immediately in a grid . by swiping down or pressing a button on-screen. Users . can also customize the start screen much more easily, changing sizes of . app icon 'tiles' or controlling which apps appear. For the first time, it will be possible to open two windows simultaneously in the new-look interface. Windows . 8.1 includes Microsoft's latest browser, Internet Explorer 11, and lets . the user restore the address bar and tabs to the screen view. However, leaked screenshots of a new new version today revealed the button has returned. 'It’s back, baby,' said Paul Thurott, who posted the image to his blog. 'And if you are familiar with how Start 8 looks and works, this will look awfully familiar. 'Here, confirmed for the first time, is the Windows 8.1 Start button.' Executives say the plan is now to update Windows periodically, rather than waiting three years or so between big releases. Although Microsoft has sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses since October, broadly in line with Windows 7 three years ago, the company must tackle a dwindling PC user base and its inability to make a mark in the exploding tablet market. Shipments of traditional PCs - the most reliable gauge of Windows' popularity - are expected to fall almost 8 percent this year, while Microsoft's Surface has taken less than 2 percent of the tablet market. Windows 8 was designed to be used both on touch-screen tablets and traditional PCs. But while touch-screen users tend to like the new 'tile'-based interface, many mouse and keyboard users complained that the new design was confusing. Confirming speculation, Microsoft said the Windows 8.1 update will have a button in the bottom left corner of the screen that acts like the 'start' button in previous versions of Windows. Although it will not be labelled 'start', it features the Windows logo and takes the user straight to a grid of applications. 'The work you are seeing us do here is continuing to advance the modern (interface), while really taking into account some of the things we've learned from people who still want to use the desktop, to make the transition easier,' Antoine Leblond, corporate vice president of the Windows unit, said in an advance briefing on the Windows 8.1 update last week. The windows 8 start screen, which many users complained was confusing to use . Windows 8.1, previously known by the code name 'Blue', will be available for free to all Windows 8 users some time later this year. Microsoft will make a test version available at its annual developer conference on June 26. Windows 8.1 also includes a vastly improved 'search' function, which allows a user to search for documents, apps, or items on the Internet from a single search bar, like a souped-up version of Apple Inc's Spotlight feature. It also allows users to see all their applications immediately in a grid by swiping down or pressing a button on-screen, which should make it easy for unfamiliar users to get to the app they want quickly. Users can also customize the start screen much more easily, changing sizes of app icon 'tiles' or controlling which apps appear. For the first time, it will be possible to open two windows simultaneously in the new-look interface. Windows 8.1 includes Microsoft's latest browser, Internet Explorer 11, and lets the user restore the address bar and tabs to the screen view. That feature was missing in the initial version of Windows 8, which was designed to make the most of limited screen space on a tablet but tended to disorient traditional mouse and keyboard users. Users will also no longer have to switch to the old desktop view to make changes in their default settings. But they will still have to switch back to a traditional desktop set-up to use some programs such as Word or Excel, which have not been redesigned to function in the new Windows 8 style. | Windows 8.1 set to be made available later this year .
Update, codenamed Windows Blue, will be a free download for Windows 8 owners . |
64,452 | b6fb8aa198cb91958f8b2b636e453a1bc848d97d | Blindfolded, his hands bound, a condemned prisoner puffs desperately on a final cigarette. Just a few minutes later he and two others are led up a short flight of stairs, nooses are placed around their necks before a trapdoor opens beneath their feet. This is justice Kuwait-style. The Gulf-Arab state hanged three convicted murderers today, the first executions to take place there since 2007, state news agency KUNA reported. Sentenced to death: Three men hang from the scaffolding in Kuwait in the first executions in the country since 2007 . Last cigarette: A Saudi man is allowed a final smoke before being led to the gallows . Final minutes: One of the three convicted murderers is seen before being led to his death . The three were a Pakistani, a Saudi . and a stateless man who were hooded and bound before being hung from . gallows outside the Central Prison, official pictures showed. They had been found guilty in three separate murder cases. Authorities had invited journalists from Kuwaiti publications to witness the executions. The last recorded case of the death . penalty being carried out in Kuwait was six years ago when a Pakistani . man was executed for drug trafficking, according to Amnesty . International. No escape: The Saudi prisoner is held by two executioners as he puffs on his final cigarette . The sentenced prisoner is pictured blindfolded and smoking as he led away to his execution . Final minutes: Two of the three men are walked up on to the scaffolding platform to their execution . Kuwait, which has a population of . around three and a half million people, operates a judicial system which . is a mixture of Islamic Sharia law, English common law, and the Ottoman . civil code. The state carried out 72 executions (69 men and three women) between April 1964 and May 2007. Crimes that carry the death sentence . include drug trafficking, murder and treason. Sentences are not carried . out publically however members of the media act as witnesses and . pictures are published in the hope it will act as a deterrent . KUNA said 48 people remain on death row in Kuwait. A medic prepares to examine one of the executed men to confirm sentence has been carried out . Medics check one of the executed men to ensure his heart has stopped . Lifeless: Undertakers arrive to remove the bodies of the three men . |No escape: The feet of two of the men are seen dangling above the ground after the sentence was carried out . An executioner, his hand still on the handle that operates the trap door through which the prisoner falls to his death, looks down with a colleague at the lifeless body . | Three men convicted of murder hanged today in the Gulf Arab state .
One from Saudi Arabia, one from Pakistan and one without a nationality .
Last execution was a drug trafficker in 2007 but 72 have been killed since '64 . |
4,550 | 0d1a2ab65660a39de9dc577d5f6a7cb302e8a10b | (RollingStone.com) -- Louis C.K. will host "Saturday Night Live" on November 3 along with musical guest Fun., NBC announced during the show's Saturday broadcast. While the episode will mark C.K.'s debut as an "SNL" host, he's no stranger to the show, having worked as a writer for Robert Smigel's animated "Saturday TV Funhouse." Louis C.K. selling Tig Notaro's instantly legendary comedy set . The comedian, who is currently in the midst of a national standup tour, recently announced that he will be taking an extended hiatus from "Louie," the award-winning show that he writes, directs, produces, edits and stars in. 'Louie' going on hiatus until 2014 . He expects to resume shooting in October 2013 with a return to the air in May 2014. His "SNL" appearance will come just after the end of his standup tour's seven-night run in New York City. See the full story at RollingStone.com. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | Louis C.K. will host "Saturday Night Live" on November 3 .
The group Fun. will join Louis C.K. as the musical guest .
NBC announced the news during this weekend's broadcast .
The comedian is currently in the midst of a national standup tour . |
279,546 | f623c7185851d5258e3b1052942e19c8979f107d | By . Richard Kay . PUBLISHED: . 18:42 EST, 17 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:54 EST, 18 April 2013 . Dramatic plans: Heiress Fawn James wants to turn one of her father's lap-dancing clubs into a theatre . Five years ago she inherited a 60-acre property and publishing empire in the heart of London, including, of course, the site of Britain’s first-ever strip club, the Revuebar. But now, as a film starring Steve Coogan as ‘King of Soho’ porn baron Paul Raymond is launched, his gamine granddaughter Fawn James, 27, is turning her back on the girlie shows on which her fortune was based in favour of serious theatre. Fawn, who with her younger sister India Rose inherited a vast chunk of the red-light area, will next month ask Westminster Council for ‘a change of use’ for a table-dancing club she owns above the infamous former Revuebar, which is now the home of the louche Box nightclub, much loved by the young royals. Fawn plans to kick out the lap-dancers and create a new, 120-seat theatre which, I can reveal, she will manage herself. ‘I am really excited about it,’ says Fawn who has ambitions to become an actress. Last year, she took a course at the Lee Strasberg Institute of Film in Los Angeles and has since appeared in a play called Riot Night about the summer riots of 2011. Her grandfather opened the Revuebar in Walkers Court in 1958. The club upstairs was previously the Boulevard Theatre, which launched the careers of many comedians in the Eighties. Fawn tells me: ‘The Boulevard was the platform for the Comic Strip, Eddie Izzard and Steve Coogan. It’s our intention to introduce this space as an off-Broadway style fringe theatre in the heart of the West End.' The table-dancing club above the former Revuebar could be about to undergo a major change of entertainment . Dancers in action at Raymond Revuebar in Soho, central london . She wants her new theatre to showcase up-and-coming young playwrights and directors and I am told: ‘Fawn is going to manage the venue herself, although it may be in partnership with someone else who will be artistic director.’ She has, meanwhile, acquired an agent, Kenneth Earle, to help pursue her acting career and she will be performing in the West End chorus for The Night Of 1,000 Stars at the Royal Albert Hall on May 5. Fawn, who shares her life with Nottingham University graduate Nick Lawson, whom she met backpacking in Thailand, is planning to overhaul Walkers Court, cleaning up the facades of the buildings and improving the lighting and paving. Work will begin as soon as she gets planning permission. Prime time: Paul Raymond with girlfriend Fiona Richmond, left, made a fortune in the porn business . Steve Coogan is set to play the role of Paul Raymond in new film The Look of Love . | Fawn James, 27, inherited vast chunk of red-light area along with sister .
Will apply to Westminster Council for 'change of use' next month .
Wants to turn table-dancing club into 120-seat theatre . |
71,825 | cb928f1d1a622a17a4e756f772e80e942af3ccc6 | Somewhere on a film studio’s cutting room floor is a six-minute scene showcasing the hitherto unheard and unappreciated opera-singing talents of Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins and Billy Connolly. Their rendering of a song from Verdi’s Rigoletto was to have been the climax of their new film, Quartet, but director Dustin Hoffman decided to scrap it — much to the relief of all concerned — because, as Connolly puts it: ‘Let’s face it, we weren’t very good.’ And Tom Courtenay adds: ‘The film is better without our singing. The irony is that all the extras in the film were real opera singers. Any of them could have sung perfectly well while we mimed. But Dustin wanted realism.’ Dustin and the Dame: Director Dustin Hoffman and his leading lady Dame Maggie Smith at the BFI London Film Festival premiere of Quartet . Hoffman — making his full debut as a director at the age of 75 — says: ‘It was all huge fun, and none of us took ourselves at all seriously. I have never enjoyed myself so much.’ The story centres on four elderly opera singers — played by Smith, 78 today, at her Downton Abbey-style best; Courtenay, 75; Collins 72; and Connolly, 70 — living out their twilight years in a retirement home for musicians, Beecham House, named after the celebrated British conductor Sir Thomas. They’re troubled by dementia, creaky joints, terminal tetchiness and bittersweet memories of the past. Smith and Courtenay’s characters, Reg and Joan, were briefly married, which doesn’t help matters. ‘All I want is nothing more than a dignified senility,’ complains Reg. Imperious Joan sneers at having to spend the rest of her days in a home associated with Beecham. ‘His father made laxatives,’ she says. ‘Seems rather apt for a nursing home.’ The four are being persuaded to sing together in a fundraiser, organised by the pompous Cedric Livingstone, played by another septuagenarian, Sir Michael Gambon, 72. Resting voice: Billy Connolly plays a retired opera singer in Dustin Hoffman's Quartet which hits the cinema on New Years Day . Hoffman had long wanted to direct a movie. His first attempt was in 1978, with Straight Time, in which he also played the leading role of a newly released criminal. ‘I got very confused with both jobs, so I fired myself from directing to concentrate on the acting,’ he says. ‘I was so traumatised that it’s taken me nearly 35 years, and almost the rest of my life, to get back in the director’s chair.’ Quartet had been in the planning stages for some time and already had a director, and a leading actor in Albert Finney, but they dropped out and the script was sent to Hoffman. Before filming, he had to tackle one major problem. As an actor, he has a fearsome reputation for standing no nonsense from directors; so has Dame Maggie. Was he scared of her? ‘I’d been forewarned that she can destroy you if you bull**** her, and I promised myself I certainly wouldn’t do that. ‘When we met, we sat on a couch and I said: “I think we have the same reputation for being hard on directors.” And she said: “Some.” I told her: “Yes, I can say the same thing.” And she was brilliant. We understood each other. ‘Mind you, she was the biggest diva of us all,’ he jokes. ‘While we all had a two-hour commute every day between London and where we were shooting in Buckinghamshire, she managed to bag herself a house less than ten minutes away from the set.’ Dame Maggie is up for a Golden Globe award next month for best actress in Quartet, and so the idea of another hit film about OAPs is very welcome. Having starred in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, about a group of British seniors who settle in India, which was well received by audiences and critics (she’s been nominated for Screen Actors Guild awards for it and Downton), she’s hoping it’s the start of a new trend. ‘There haven’t been many films made about the elderly, yet the ones that have been done have all been very successful,’ she says. This is all good for Maggie, as she’s normally the first in the queue to be offered such parts. ‘I don’t know why I’ve always been cast as an old lady — but I’m not complaining,’ she says. ‘I’m all too aware that this is a very tough business and my advice to anyone looking to come into acting is “try not to cry too much”, because it is hard and can be heartbreaking. So, to have worked as much as I have, in any role, is a real privilege.’ Always the Lady: Dame Maggie Smith, seen as Dowager Duchess Lady Violet Grantham on Downton Abbey, said she does not mind being typecast as an old lady . With Dame Maggie and Sir Tom already . cast, Dustin had to find two more actors to play the other members of . the quartet, Wilf and Cissy. ‘I asked Maggie who should play Cissy, and . without missing a beat, she said Pauline Collins.’ Dustin . had not seen Shirley Valentine or anything else Pauline had appeared . in, so he watched her in Woody Allen’s Tall Dark Stranger and was . suitably impressed. But there were a few cultural differences to . overcome. ‘I don’t think he really understood me at the beginning,’ says Pauline, who rose to fame as parlour maid Sarah in Upstairs, Downstairs. ‘I remarked that, unlike Maggie, I seemed to have spent my career “downstairs”, meaning that I was always playing parts under the stairs. ‘But he took it to mean I was always billed below the title, and he said: “After this film, you won’t be any more.” It took a while, but we totally get each other now.’ Pauline’s character, Cissy, has vascular dementia. She says Hoffman gave her free rein to interpret the role how she liked and she partly based it on her mother, who had dementia. ‘He is a dynamo and one of the kindest and most inspiring directors I’ve ever worked for,’ she says. Billy Connolly jokes: ‘On the other hand, I found him to be a complete nightmare. He threw tantrums, we had to endure long silences and he has a habit of touching you inappropriately.’ Hoffman had long been a regular at Connolly’s stand-up gigs, so the two of them were friends. ‘When Dustin asked me to join the cast and he reeled off all the other names, I thought: “Oh, Jesus, I can’t do it,” ’ says Connolly. ‘But I thought about it and remembered how much I’d enjoyed working with another big name — Judi Dench, in Mrs Brown. That brought out the best in me, so I told myself not to be a coward and I hoped Maggie and the rest would do the same for me in Quartet.’ Dustin laughs as Billy goes on to explain how he found playing the tactless, over-sexed yet loveable Wilf. ‘Dustin let me throw in my own ad-libs, which is generous. ‘It worked for me because I think people get to a certain age and feel they’re finally able to say what they want.’ Hoffman says he never had any doubts about the film’s box-office potential. ‘Quartet is no different from a film about dancers or athletes in that it’s about having an extraordinary gift that goes and then no one wants you any more. It looks at people who become invisible because of age. ‘Every member of the supporting cast really is a retired musician or singer, whose phone stopped ringing with offers of work a long time ago, even though they can still deliver. ‘These guys are 70, 80, 90 years old, yet as soon as they arrived on set, they brought such energy and verve we all felt it. Directing the film didn’t seem like a job and I don’t know if I’ll ever feel like that again. I truly lucked out. ‘Life is a game with God,’ he says, pointing to the skies. ‘It’s like saying: “Don’t be so sure that you’re gonna stop me.” To me, that’s what this film is all about.’ Quartet opens nationwide on New Year’s Day. | Dustin Hoffman on directing Dame Maggie Smith in new film Quartet . |
268,056 | e72a25c3b36a8ec97f115d7c2dd2354912d52216 | Ronny Deila insists he does not care if Celtic edge the title by a single point – so long it's part of a domestic Treble. The Parkhead side find themselves embroiled in a title joust for the first time in three years, with second placed Aberdeen just two points behind going into the New Year. Expected to romp to four-in-a-row, the champions lost to Dundee United and only managed a home goalless draw with bottom club Ross County on Saturday. Celtic manager Ronny Deila insists he isn't concerned how his side win the Scottish Premiership . Conceding it would be 'unthinkable' to surrender the championship, Deila admitted he would settle for limping over the line by the slenderest of margins. 'If we win the Treble – yes,' he said. 'I don't care if it's one point or ten points as long as we win the Treble. 'It's all about trophies. No-one asks how many points do you win by, it's all about trophies. 'That's always been the case in history. You never remember who is No2 or how many points you win by. Peter Pavlett (left) wheels away after scoring the winner in Aberdeen's recent 1-0 defeat of ICT . 'Aberdeen are getting better and are on a good run – we will see in the end how many points they get and we can get. A challenge could be a positive thing for the league but we want to win as many things as possible as soon as possible. 'I think it's important to have experience of a title race and to know what is expected of you to win things.' Accepting Celtic are engaged in a genuine title dogfight for the first time since the financial collapse of Rangers, the Norwegian said he understands the importance of retaining the title. 'Of course, I say it all the time – winning the league is the most important thing here and that's what we are aiming to do,' he said. It was a feisty affair with tempers flaring on both sides as bottom side Ross County held Celtic on Saturday . 'I'm totally aware about the demands for the league – that's from everyone here at the club. 'The mentality is to win and we are leading. We are ahead and if we win by 20 points that's good but the most important thing is to win. 'I think it's a transitional period. You have to compare us with the team in the first year of the previous manager. 'It's not fair to judge me against last season, If I can be here for four years then hopefully I can keep going and get a better and better team. 'We are top of the league and fighting for every single trophy in this country and still in Europe but I'm totally aware of the pressures to win the league and that's the most important thing.' Leigh Griffiths lies dejected on the floor after a missed opportunity in the 0-0 draw with Ross County . Aberdeen face St Johnstone at Pittodrie tomorrow with the chance to go top before Celtic kick-off at 5.30pm against Partick Thistle at Firhill. Deila believes the Pittodrie side are equipped to put his side under pressure. 'They have consistency and they won a trophy last year. They are a big club and of course they have a chance,' he explained. 'But we have to do everything we can to make sure they can't cope with it. 'We can't do anything about Aberdeen or Dundee United. We just have to win games and go on a run of good games. 'If you take the last 10 games, they have been good. But two haven't been good and we have to get back on track again and get the three points against Partick Thistle. Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk (left) has attracted strong interest from a number of Premier League sides . 'If we keep doing that it is going to be tough to follow us.' Celtic, meanwhile, have been linked with a move for Ajax defender Stefano Denswil. A Dutch under-21 international Denswil has been told he can leave the Amsterdam Arena as a free agent this summer, with Dutch newspapers claiming the Parkhead side and Juventus have made early enquiries. A potential replacement if Virgil van Dijk goes in January, Denswil's agent Winny Haatrecht said: 'Stefano's preference is basically to finish the season with Ajax. 'If he is still playing at the beginning of March then Ajax might change their mind.' ends . | Reigning champions Celtic are just two points clear of Aberdeen .
Ross County restricted the league leaders to a 0-0 draw on Saturday .
Celtic manager Ronny Delia isn't interested how his side claim the title . |
177,538 | 71d4978e5368fd4dfe94524efbdf58b0a42b0c58 | There have been some memorable winners in the 58 renewals of the Hennessy Gold Cup but few have sparked the raucous and heartfelt emotion that flooded through the Newbury winner’s enclosure after Many Cloud’s win. Focus of the adulation was trainer Oliver Sherwood, who must have feared his days in the spotlight were history. It is 50 years since the great Arkle landed the first of his two wins in this prestigious steeplechase. Many Clouds (right) ridden by Leighton Aspell won the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury . Many Clouds (left) beats Houblon Des Obeaux (right) over the line at Newbury . You don’t have to delve that far back for the Sherwood glory days but, until a revival was reignited in the last two years, memories of Sherwood big-race stars like Coulton, Large Action, Young Snugfit and Arctic Call, his previous Hennessy winner in 1990, were beginning to gather dust. Rising stars like Puffin Billy and Deputy Dan have injected fresh optimism into the Sherwood set-up and Many Clouds, brought down when still going well at last season’s Cheltenham Festival, had suggested a big prize was within his scope. It all came together as the 8-1 shot, with jockey Leighton Aspell in the colours of owner Trevor Hemmings, collared gallant top weight Houblons Des Obeaux at the last and forged three and a quarter lengths clear. A length back in third was Merry King as the Hennessy remained one of the few prizes to elude champion jockey AP McCoy. Well-backed Willie Mullins-trained 5-1 favourite Djakadam faded from two fences out to finish eighth and Aspell later picked up a seven-day ban and £1,800 fine for excessive use of his whip. An emotional Sherwood said: ‘There have been a few bare patches in the last 10 years. When things go bad you doubt yourself and wonder whether you are doing things right. ‘But I remember Fred Winter telling me years ago if you have been successful what you have been doing don’t change it.’ Many Clouds (right) jumps over the last fence before heading to victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup . Having had a hard race, Sherwood said Many Clouds might not run again until the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, for which sponsors Betfred make him a 14-1 shot. To complete a good afternoon for the Sherwoods, Oliver’s nephew Jack landed the Bet365 Handicap Hurdle on Paul Nicholls-trained Silsol. Nicholls-trained Rocky Creek never threatened in the Hennessy but Nicholls could still reflect on the day with satisfaction as Nick Scolfield-ridden Irving won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, the 100th grade one success of his training career. | Many Cloud, ridden by Leighton Aspell, won the Hennessy Gold Cup .
The Newbury win sparked emotional scenes from trainer Oliver Sherwood .
The 8-1 shot beat Houblons Des Obeaux and Merry King over the line . |
280,962 | f7f6b8484b443ad3ed63bcf303af9376449246b0 | Thousands of patients face being left without a doctor’s surgery after two GPs suddenly quit, complaining about their workload. Dr Holly Hardy and Dr Karen Houghton have handed in their resignations to NHS England, blaming the Government's NHS reforms and cutbacks. But the move means 6,000 patients will be left without a GP unless the NHS finds replacements - something the Bristol, surgery has failed to do since January 2012. Dr Holly Hardy (left) and Dr Karen Houghton (right) have resigned in protest at their workload - blaiming the Government's NHS reforms and cutbacks . There is growing dissatisfaction with GP services, a new poll has revealed. Patients' ratings of services have fallen across the board, according to the survey of 900,000 people across England. Families are less satisfied with their overall experience of the GP surgery, how they make appointments and their out of hours care, the poll found. Fewer people would also recommend their practice to someone else, according to the GP Patient Survey. While the levels of satisfaction have dipped, 85.7% of patients still rate their overall experience of their GP surgery as good. But this is a one percent down on last year. The number of people who thought making an appointment was good, meanwhile, dipped 1.7 percent. Satisfaction levels about out-of-hours GP services has also fallen four percent since June last year to 66.2%. Meanwhile, less than eight in 10 would recommend their GP surgery to someone who had just moved into their local area - a decrease of 1.3 percent. Dr Hardy, 49, blamed NHS restructuring which she said is putting off new recruits and driving older doctors into early retirement. She said the last two years at St Martin’s Surgery in Knowle had been 'horrible'. The doctor said: 'For the last six months it has been another doctor and myself who are supposed to work just three days between us, running a practice for 6,000 patients. 'It has been a very difficult decision to resign our contract with NHS England but we have been running at a third capacity. It has been horrible. 'We’ve been working extra hours - sometime till midnight - to clear paperwork.' Asked for the reasons behind the shortage in staff, she said: 'I think it is a reflection on a national issue that has been in the background. 'There is more work for GPs than ever before. There has been a move to bring services out into primary care from secondary care which is great, but the funding and resources have not followed. 'Also there is an issue with recruitment. Young doctors don’t want to go into GP practice because they are seeing how difficult it is. 'And a lot of GPs are retiring early because it is just too much.' South Bristol Labour MP Dawn Primarolo has written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt demanding action. She said: 'There is no doubt this will cause significant anxiety and distress for patients registered at St Martins, which I know has an outstanding local reputation. 'They will want to know why young doctors don’t want to join a well-run successful surgery and what action NHS England has taken. 'The bigger question is how many GP surgeries in Bristol and in other parts of the country are under similar threat? 'Rather than focusing on patients, this Government has created chaos within the NHS with a massive reorganisation which has created a crisis in primary care. 'Jeremy Hunt should stop criticising GPs and get a grip of what is really happening.' St Martin's Surgery in Knowle, Bristol, is now facing closure - leaving thousands of people without a doctor's surgery . A spokeswoman for NHS England said the move does not necessarily mean the surgery will close. She said: “While the resignation of the current contract holders at St Martin’s Surgery has been accepted, this does not mean that the surgery will close. 'We will be seeking a provider for an interim GP service whilst options for the long-term future of the surgery are considered. 'We will engage with stakeholders and patients about these options as they are developed. 'We are committed to ensuring that patients have access to high quality, local GP services.' | GPs have quit leaving up to 6,000 patients without a doctors surgery .
Dr Holly Hardy and Dr Karen Houghton can no longer cope with work load .
Pair blame the Government's NHS reforms and cuts for crisis . |
149,082 | 4cc2f495ba32427cee41dbf2a9b5ee43e6256120 | (CNN) -- Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc., a California-based food supplier for six retail chain stores, has announced the recall of grape tomatoes produced by a grower who said the vegetables might be contaminated with salmonella. The recall applies to 29 brand-packaged salads sold at Albertson's, Raley's, Sam's Club, Savemart, Signature Cafe and Wal-Mart, the company said in a statement Monday. The affected products have expiration dates ranging from April 27 to May 9, according to the news release. The recall applies to 13 states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, according to a spreadsheet attached to the news release. Salmonella is a form of bacteria found in food that can cause serious illness and even death if ingested. Taylor Farms has urged consumers not to eat these products and to return them to where they were purchased for full refunds. Taylor Farms said customers with questions should call the company at 209-835-6300 or contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. | Recall affects 29 types of packaged salads sold at six retail stores .
The six are Albertson's, Raley's, Sam's Club, Savemart, Signature Cafe and Wal-Mart .
The recall applies to products sold in 13 western U.S. states . |
33,228 | 5e760b81a9c1a7e8b08ca760c3cf30f6397b9600 | James Bond goes into battle with invisible cars and guns that recognise his own hand. In 1942, the gadgets dreamed up by Britain’s secret services were a little more primitive. For their time, however, they were probably equally impressive to those whose lives depended on them. The 1942 classified catalogue contains top secret designs for such covert equipment as playing cards that, when placed together, form a map. Fewer than 100 of the manuals were printed . The gadgets were placed in food parcels and sent to British PoWs in camps such as Colditz or the 'Great Escape' prison, Stalag Luft III . Tiny compasses hidden inside buttons . or gold teeth, a map of Germany in a pack of playing cards, and a camera . concealed in a cigarette lighter are among the secret weapons listed in . a highly classified catalogue that has just come up for auction. Many were the brainchild of . Christopher Hutton, who had a similar role to Q in the Bond films. He . worked for the government’s secret MI9 agency, set up to help resistance . fighters and escapees. The inventions in the catalogue, . compiled to teach US intelligence officers the secrets of British . espionage, were hidden in food and supply parcels delivered to British . PoWs by the Red Cross. Some of the fascinating gadgets include maps of Germany printed on silk, so they didn't rustle, which could be crammed inside pencils, vinyl records, cigars and pipes . Christopher Hutton's kits are credited with helping 316 escape attempts from Colditz which saw 32 men return home . The rare copy of the book, Per Ardua Libertas - Liberty Through Adversity - was a dummy version retained by the London printing company . They included pencils and cigars which . concealed maps of Germany printed on silk so they wouldn’t rustle when . unravelled. Hacksaws were hidden inside dart boards and tiny radio . receivers were concealed in cigar boxes. Fewer than 100 of the 76-page . booklets, called Per Ardua Libertas (Liberty Through Adversity), are . believed to have been printed. One dummy version kept by the . printers, the London-based Sun Engraving Company, was inherited by a . Devon man, who is now selling it through auction house Bonhams, with a . pre-sale estimate of £800. The document, described as an exceptionally . rare find, includes a page explaining how the top layer of a set of . playing cards could be removed to reveal the pieces for a map of Europe. Other inventions included service . uniforms and boots that could be converted into civilian suits and . shoes. The agents also designed a white cotton handkerchief which, when . dropped into a special chemical, revealed a map of Germany. Many of the maps included instructions for escaping from a specific camp. Other notes told soldiers: ‘If pursued on open mountains, make for the loose rocks which can be rolled and avoid solid rock. ‘Besides the cover, one near miss with a 10lb rock will often scare off a man.’ Prisoners play volleyball in Colditz . Around 135,000 British PoWs were held by Germany in camps such as Colditz (above) in WWII. Most . were treated relatively well, as both nations were signatories to the . Geneva Convention (1929) and the Red Cross had access to camps. Officers were never made to work, and other ranks were usually compensated for forced labour. This relatively humane treatment resulted in a 3.5 per cent death rate . among British PoWs in German camps, the lowest of any Allied nation. Most . PoWs were held in camps in Germany, some in Poland. Under international . law, PoWs were entitled to try to escape. However the German 'bullet . decree' allowed guards to shoot those who did. The . secret MI9 unit was set up to assist with escape attempts by British . PoWs. Stalag 383 was regarded as the best camp. Guards left its . day-to-day running to British officers, and pets were allowed. Stalag . IX-B, meanwhile, was one of the worst. PoWs slept 160 to a room, . sharing a single tap and a hole in the ground for a toilet. The book, printed by the Sun Engraving Company, is being sold by Bonhams next January with a pre-sale estimate of £800 . | Many inventions in catalogue, Per Ardua Libertas, were brainchild of Christopher Hutton, who worked at little-known MI9 government agency .
Other gadgets include radio receivers in cigar boxes and silk maps that could be rolled up .
Fewer than 100 manuals printed and given to US intelligence officers who were way .
behind British in espionage design .
Dummy version of 76-page guide owned by London printing company is now set for auction . |
93,101 | 03c63b868fc06c3321227ba58a7e6de0a9e2e057 | By . Sara Smyth . PUBLISHED: . 14:16 EST, 24 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:40 EST, 25 May 2013 . Convicted: Stuart Worvell was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter at Cardiff Crown Court today . A 22-year-old man was today jailed for 12 years for stabbing a stranger who knocked on his door while he was having a bath. Stuart Worvell was convicted of manslaughter for the killing of 20-year-old Thomas Sutton, who mistook Worvell's house for the venue of a party. Cardiff Crown Court heard that Worvell was playing loud music and taking a bath when Mr Sutton and his friend Kyle Harris, 18, presumed there was a party in his house. The 22-year-old, known as Womble, stabbed the pair with a six-inch kitchen knife after they argued on his doorstep near Bridgend, south Wales. He claims he acted in self-defense because the men were armed with wooden stakes. Mr Sutton was stabbed nine times and is believed to have died within minutes. Mr Harris was seriously injured after being stabbed three times. Judge Mr Justice Wyn Williams KT told . Worvill: 'Moments after stabbing Thomas you stabbed Kyle Harris three times causing him life threatening injuries. 'You committed a significant, serious, unlawful attack on Kyle. 'Nothing leads me to believe you have . shown any remorse. 'Certain aspects of your behaviour in court lead me . to the opposite conclusion.' A jury at Cardiff Crown Court cleared him of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter. Prosecutor Gregg Taylor QC described the knife attack at Worvill's house in Maesteg, near Bridgend, South Wales. He said: 'Stuart Worvell was in the bath with the music up loud so he could hear it from the other room. Victim: Thomas Sutton (pictured left) was stabbed nine times in his head, neck and chest. Police found the two men outside Worvill's home in (pictured right) Maesteg, south Wales. Investigation: Police at the scene of double stabbing last June, where Worvell killed Mr Sutton and attempted to kill Mr Harris . 'He heard knocking and went downstairs to open the door to two young men he didn't know. 'He grabbed the biggest knife he could find from the cutlery drawer in the kitchen and stabbed Thomas Sutton twice. 'The first blow was to the left hand side of the neck severing the main artery between the heart and the brain. 'The second was a wound to the left side of the chest which went deep into his lung. 'Worvell continued to stab his victim, twice to the top of the head and five times to the back.' | Stuart Worvell, 22, stabbed Thomas Sutton nine times with a kitchen knife for knocking on his door and asking if he was having a party .
Unprovoked attack on Mr Worvell and friend who sustained serious injuries .
Friends mistook home for party venue because they heard loud music being played . |
116,885 | 22e3f39a5f2c534fb76194cd4fbc0cd67c773f01 | A sheriff deputy's body camera captured dramatic video of him and another officer pulling a man out of a burning car. It was Christmas Day when Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputies Joseph Trimboli and Eric Keyes responded to a traffic crash with injuries on Main Street in Destin, Florida. The cops found the car ablaze with heavy flames around the rear of the car. Scroll down for video... Feeling the heat: Deputies credited with saving the life of a man trapped in a burning car. His rescue was captured on video by a body camera . Shocking scene: Two Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a car wreck in Destin. When they got there they saw a vehicle covered in flames and a man locked inside . The fire was spreading to the inside and the driver was still behind the wheel with the door locked. The video that was released this week shows the officers yelling for the driver to get out of the car and then to unlock the door. Deputy Keyes had to hit and shatter the passenger side window to get the man out alive. The individual’s clothes were already on fire. Quick thinking: As the flames quickly spread Deputies Joseph Trimboli and Eric Keyes worked together to get the 45-year-old from Brandon, Florida out . Smash and grab: Deputy Keyes shattered the passenger side window, and they both pulled him through the broken glass to safety. The man's clothes were already on fire . Relief: Thanks to quick thinking by the deputies the man trapped inside the car is alive. He was treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation at Sacred Heart Hospital and released . With the car fully engulfed, deputies Keyes and Trimboli pulled him thrown the broken window, risking their own lives to save the driver’s. The video ends with emergency personnel taking the man away and firefighters extinguishing the flames. The rescued man was treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation, according to police. He later expressed his gratitude for their heroic efforts. Their actions - putting their own personal safety aside to save the life of another individual - has earned deputies Trimboli and Keyes the respect of their co-workers and supervisor . The Sheriff Office gave the deputies its Medal of Merit award for their actions. Heroes: The heroic actions of deputies Joseph Trimboli and Eric Keyes, by putting their own personal safety in jeopardy to save someone else's life, earned them special honors Thursday . | Dramatic video from a Florida deputy's body cam showed a man being pulled out of a burning car on Christmas Day .
Okaloosa County deputies Joseph Trimboli and Eric Keyes were responding to a car fire in Destin, Florida .
Video shows them rescuing the man, who was treated for minor burns .
Both deputies received the 'Medal of Merit' from the Sheriff's Office . |
126,219 | 2f225f63fbf4e18f212def1c897e87721fe178b4 | By . Annabel Grossman for MailOnline . Two men and a woman are being charged in the beating of a gay couple during a late-night encounter on a Philadelphia street. The case gained attention when police posted a video of the well-dressed suspects out on the town that night, and used social media sites to help identify them. Several of the approximately 12 men and women in the group have since met with police. Police released a CCTV image of the group alleged to have hurled gay slurs and beat a second group . District Attorney Seth Williams said yesterday that charges have been approved for three of them: 24-year-olds Philip Williams and Katherine Knott and 26-year-old Kevin Harrigan, all of suburban Bucks County. 'This vicious attack shocked the entire country. An assault on people because of their sexual orientation has no place in Philadelphia,' the district attorney said in a statement. The victims told police that the group hurled gay slurs and beat them when the two parties passed on the street on September 11. One man suffered serious facial injuries, including an orbital fracture, and needed his jaw wired. District Attorny Seth Williams said an assault on people because of their sexual orientation has no place in Philadelphia . All three suspects are being charged with criminal conspiracy and two counts each of aggravated and simple assault, and reckless endangerment. Defense lawyer Louis Busico, who represents Knott, denied that the dispute was motivated by anti-gay bias. He also said his client, who has relatives in law enforcement, did not throw a punch. 'She in no way participated in the assault of anyone,' he said. '(And) she didn't hurl an insult or a slur, of any kind.' Like others seen in the group, Knott graduated from Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster. One man in the group has since stepped down as a part-time basketball coach at the Roman Catholic school. He was not charged Tuesday. 'Violence against anyone, simply because of who they are, is inexcusable and alien to what it means to be a Christian,' Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, speaking about the case, said last week in a statement. The couple, who have asked not to be named, thanked law enforcement and the community for their support in a short statement released after the charges were announced. 'We are thankful the D.A. is working so hard to make sure this doesn't happen again in Philadelphia,' they said. 'Finally, we ask you to keep your comments regarding the suspects respectful and non-hateful.' Pennsylvania's hate-crimes law does not cover crimes motivated by a person's sexual orientation. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, along with openly gay state Rep. Brian Sims of Philadelphia and others, have said the case illustrates the need for a change in the law. | Police posted video of the well-dressed suspects out on the town that night .
Several of the approximately 12 men and women in group met with police .
Philip Williams, 24, Kevin Harrigan, 26, and Katherine Knott, 24 are accused of multiple charges, including aggravated assault .
Victims said group hurled gay slurs and beat them in the street .
One man suffered serious facial injuries and needed his jaw wired . |
112,093 | 1c961d89f5c30c0b57cacbbcbbcfc5662fbb8a30 | (CNN)When Barack Obama issued just the third veto of his presidency on Tuesday, of a bill allowing construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, Republicans were outraged, or at least pretended they were outraged. House Speaker John Boehner called it a "national embarrassment," and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised a vote to override the veto, as doomed an effort as every other piece of legislation Republicans hope to pass in the next two years. But maybe Obama wasn't cruelly crushing Republicans' hopes for the limitless economic bounty that the pipeline would bring, as it turned America into a tar-sands-fueled paradise of high wages and economic opportunity. Maybe he was actually doing them a favor. I say that because Republicans have really gone off the deep end when it comes to the Keystone XL, and they'll be well served to move past this issue and see if they can come up with some real economic ideas that might not only appeal to the public, but could have a chance of adding momentum to the economy. Because if you've listened to them for the past couple of years, you'd think that America's entire economic future depended on this one project. Any time a Republican politician was asked what we should do to improve the economy, the first thing that would come out of their mouth would be, "We need to build the Keystone XL pipeline." That's despite the fact that even under the most optimistic assessment, Keystone would have created 42,000 temporary jobs, and as few as 35 permanent jobs maintaining it. And those 42,000 included indirect jobs created by the spending on the pipeline, in every industry anyone could think of, from apparel to entertainment. To put it in a broader context, the U.S. economy created 3.2 million jobs in 2014, or 76 times as many as the temporary job number Keystone would have created under even the most generous accounting. If everything went well, Keystone could have increased the total number of jobs in the United States by a grand total of three one-hundredths of one percent. You can believe it was a good idea, but you can't honestly say it would have had a meaningful impact on an economy the size of America's. So why did Republicans become so invested in the Keystone XL? It isn't hard to understand. Once environmental activists seized on the pipeline as an organizing issue, one worth fighting about not only for its own sake but also as a concrete representation of climate change (which can sometimes seem like an abstract problem whose effects are mostly in the future), Republicans felt an obligation to join the battle, fire right back and say that it was absolutely vital to the nation's economic health. And of course, it meant supporting the fossil fuel industry, and the GOP is still the party of "Drill, baby, drill!" The longer the controversy dragged on, the more convinced Republicans became that building the pipeline was the most important thing we could do to get America back on its feet. But now that the Keystone drama is approaching its end, Republicans are going to have to come up with a new answer to the question of what they'd like to do to improve the economy. They have their old standbys — cut taxes, reduce regulations — but those are sounding rather stale at a time when people are concerned with inequality and stagnant wages. So perhaps now that they have no choice but to move beyond the Keystone XL, they'll come up with some creative ideas that might actually have a real impact on Americans' economic lives. Stranger things have happened. | Paul Waldman: Obama did GOP a favor with veto of Keystone, a project with claim to boosting economy that didn't hold up .
He says veto gives GOP an opportunity to come up with new ways to help grow economy and benefit all Americans . |
270,328 | ea1c2e70230aba7aedd8230908ad5dc2e67054d1 | Mother of ex-Navy SEAL says Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is exploiting her son's death on the campaign trail . By . Hayley Peterson . PUBLISHED: . 14:16 EST, 10 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:34 EST, 10 October 2012 . Mitt Romney’s campaign has said he will stop talking about his meeting with a former Navy SEAL killed in last month’s terror attack on the . U.S. consulate in Libya after the victim’s mother protested his use of her . son’s death. Barbara Doherty, the mother of 42-year-old Glen Doherty, who was killed alongside the U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three others last month, said: 'I don’t trust Romney. He shouldn’t make my son’s death part of his political agenda.’ ‘It’s wrong to use these brave young men, who wanted freedom for all, to degrade Obama,' she added. Scroll down for video . Respect: The mother of slain ex-Navy SEAL Glen Doherty has . asked Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to stop talking about . her son on the campaign trail . After Mrs Doherty's complaint was broadcast on WHDH-TV in Boston, Romney's campaign said the election hopeful will no longer mention Doherty’s name in public. ‘Gov. Romney was inspired by the memory . of meeting Glen Doherty and shared his story and that memory, but we . respect the wishes of Mrs Doherty,’ said Romney campaign spokeswoman . Amanda Henneberg. Until this week, Romney hadn't mentioned Doherty's name on the campaign trail. But in recent days, Romney revealed on several occasions while campaigning that he had met Doherty several years ago near his home in La Jolla, California. Reflection: Romney remembers meeting Glen Doherty at a holiday party near his home in La Jolla, California . Killed: Doherty was one of four Americans killed in last month's attacks against the U.S. consulate in Benghazi . 'He came from Massachusetts, where I’d been governor, had family there,' Romney told factory workers in Mount Vernon, Ohio. 'He also had skied in some of the places that I had found during the Winter Olympics in Utah. And we had a nice chat together.' He told the crowd that Doherty was working in Benghazi as a private security contractor when he was killed. 'And you can imagine how shocked I was to learn that he was one of the two Navy — former Navy SEALs killed in Benghazi, just a couple of weeks ago,' Romney said. 'And I read on CNN International that when the report came that our consulate had been attacked, that he and the other SEAL that was killed with him, that they were in a different place, they were about a mile away, an annex somewhere else in the city. 'And when they heard that the consulate was under attack, they went to the attack. They didn’t hunker down and hide themselves. No, they went there. That’s what Americans do. When there’s a challenge, when there’s a threat, we go there. When things are tough, we don’t give up, we keep fighting. There’s a saying that I’ve found pretty compelling. Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose.' Wreckage: Doherty exemplified the unwavering courage of American troops when he rushed to the site of the attack in Benghazi, Romney says . One of Glen Doherty's best friends says the former Navy SEAL remembered his meeting with Romney much differently than the way Romney described. Elf Ellefsen, who said he has been friends with Doherty for more than two decades, told MyNorthwest.com that Romney unknowingly reintroduced himself to his friend several times throughout the evening. 'He said it was very comical,' Ellefsen said. 'Mitt Romney approached him ultimately four times, using this private gathering as a political venture to further his image. He kept introducing himself as Mitt Romney, a political figure. The same introduction, the same opening line. Glen believed it to be very insincere and stale.' | Mother of ex-Navy SEAL says Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is exploiting her son's death on the campaign trail .
Romney revealed this week that he had met the former soldier who was killed last month in the Libyan terror attacks .
Romney campaign says the nominee will no longer make reference to Glen Doherty . |
82,084 | e8a201e3abfdf4e8626dbf13a5e901225345f58b | One of rugby's greatest larrkins, Nick Cummins, has made headlines again - not just for his football skills but also his entertaining lingo that has gained him an army of adoring fans. Nicknamed Honey Badger, the former Wallabies cult hero, was interviewed after the Barbarians’ 40-36 loss to Australia at Twickenham Oval in London and delivered his well-loved fair dinkum Aussie style. His impressive performance with the Barbarians, that brings together players from all over the world in the annual entertainment match, has put the spotlight on attempting to bring the winger back home from his recent move to the Coca Cola West Red Sparks in Japan's top league. Nick Cummins gives entertaining interview after playing against his old team - the Wallabies - with the Barbarians team - which brings together players from all over the world . The Honey Badger talks through his try as it is replayed on the screen after the match . Cummins' stellar performance has prompted calls for the winger to be coerced back to Australia . The Badger did not disappoint when being interviewed by a British reporter, Fox Rugby reported. 'It was back and forth it was up and down it was bloody everywhere and mate it was just ah bloody enjoyable rugby mate,' he started off saying to describe the match. 'I was on Animal Planet one night and this thing has come up. It's an absolute machine, it has no natural predators and is the size of a house cat. I just thought: "This is me. I need to be a badger",' he told News Corp. 'I sat there and looked at him on the TV running around doing his thing, and I just went, "I want what he has".' 'One of the stories which inspired me is that it is documented that a honey badger killed a male lion in a one-on-one battle,' he told Fairfax Media. 'What happened was that he clawed the canastas off the big fella, going the old one-two. The big fella walked around the corner and fell over. The honey badger got up, shook himself, and just trotted off. For me, that was outstanding." The reporter then asked the Badger to talk through his try during the mach while it was replayed on the screen. 'Basically it was Oi! Look - no give it here!' he said with great enthusiasm. And as he watched himself fly over the line and score the try on the screen- he got even more excited. 'Oh you beauty! She’s opened up and he’s over! Bit of meat under the posts!' The Badger was asked if he was going to join his former Aussie team mates after the match. 'We'll go to some sort of function we’ll have a few schoots and who knows what can happen from there mate' the character quipped causing the reporter to start laughing. It was pointed out that Cummin's father was in the crowd to watch the game. 'Thank god he just got here in time – we went out last night and saw him and he’s over the moon mate,' he said. 'He come down here today and he almost had a little tear in his eye which bloody means a lot to me, so mate tonight I’ll enjoy it with him.' The in-form 26 year old decided to move to Japan in August after his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer - he is a single dad with has eight children - two of whom suffer from cystic fibrosis . The in-form 26 year old decided to make the big move to Japan in August after his father, Mark Cummins, was diagnosed with prostate cancer, as the Japanese league is known for offering massive cash incentives usually taken up by players nearing the end of their careers. Named The Queensland Father of the Year in 2012, Mark, who became a single dad five years ago, has eight children - two of whom suffer from cystic fibrosis. Cummin's latest stellar performance has prompted Barbarians coach John Kirwan to call on Australia to do everything they can to get the valuable player back in time for next year’s World Cup, Fox Rugby reported. Kriwan said if he was Michael Cheika (Wallabies caoch) he would be trying to get Cummins 'home as quick as I could' who he described as a 'special athlete'. 'He just knows how to sniff out a try and I thought what he did defensively today was incredible,' Kirwan said. However, Cheika said the decision was up to Cummins, who had signed a two year contract with the West Red Sparks, whether he moved back Down Under in order to be eligible to represent Australia in the World Cup next year. The Honey Badger is also known for his entertaining lingo which has gained him an army of adoring fans . | Nick Cummins gave entertaining post-match interview .
Nicknamed Honey Badger, he spoke in his signature Aussie lingo .
Former Wallabies winger planned to join Aussie players for a drink .
Cummins was playing with Barbarians against his old team .
Barbarians’ 40-36 loss to Australia at Twickenham Oval in London . |
286,052 | fea560cef2ae4240ccb7ef62e340191691944716 | By . Emily Davies . PUBLISHED: . 07:09 EST, 17 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:26 EST, 18 March 2013 . Danny Boyle nearly quit as artistic director of the London 2012 Olympics on multiple occasions due to rows over penny pinching, it has been revealed. He has also threatened to resign in order to get his own way, he has said in a new book which delves into Boyle's experience of last year's Games. Boyle said he became 'unbelievably unpleasant' in meetings with Locog and refused to work from their 'bland corporate' offices in Canary Wharf. Danny Boyle nearly resigned over frustration with penny pinching by Locog, a new book (pictured right) reveals . In Danny Boyle: Creating Wonder - in conversation with Amy Raphael, it is revealed that despite running up costs of £27million for the opening ceremony, the Oscar-winning director said one of the main causes for disputes with organisers was over costs. He became riled after organisers tried to sell volunteers their ceremony costumes, rather than allowing them to keep the outfits as souvenirs. He said: 'Of course, Locog decided to ditch the tradition in favour of selling the costumes to the volunteers. I said they must be joking. 'We won in the end, and they took them home without having to pay.' Despite running up a bill of £27million for the opening ceremony, Boyle said the biggest clash with Locog was over costs . Boyle clashed with organisers after they tried to sell volunteers their costumes, rather than letting them keep the outfits as a memento . Boyle was also riled when the . organisers made the 'ridiculous' proposal of providing one drum for . every five drummers due to budget constraints. 'I . wasn't asking for high-quality drums. Just the kind you see guys . playing outside Liverpool Lime Street or McDonalds...We decided to use . plastic drums,' he said. Boyle . also admitted his threats of resigning were 'useful' in getting his own . way. Organisers initially wanted the Olympic cauldron to be on the . roof, but Boyle demanded the structure be fixed to the stadium floor. But . throwing his weight about did not always work for Boyle. One of his . greatest triumphs of the ceremony was persuading the Queen to take part . in a comical film with James Bond actor Daniel Craig. Boyle . lamented that his original plan to use a Paul Farley poem in the scene . was vetoed because it ends with the line: 'Jesus, I'm the f****** . Queen!' He said: 'For some reason the powers that be weren't keen.' The line: 'Jesus, I'm the f****** Queen!' was omitted from the clip featuring Daniel Craig and the Queen . The threat of resignation was 'useful' to help Boyle get his own way, he said in a new book about his experience of the Games . After ground-to-air missiles were deployed on buildings in east London close to the Olympic stadium the 56-year-old director said he came 'close to walking away'. Similar moral quandries also led artist Damian Hirst and scriptwriter Frank Cottrel-Boyce to threaten resignation from their roles as part of the Games. The two were appalled after details emerged of a £7million sponsorship deal with Dow chemicals, the firm linked to a company involved in the Bhopal gas disaster in India which killed 15,000 people. Hirst pulled out of designing a fabric wrap for the stadium, which was set to transform the venue into a Hanging Garden covered in ivy. But Hirst did subsequently provide other works for the closing ceremony. Danny Boyle nearly quit over the positioning of surface-to-air missiles on the roof of Fred Wigg Tower in Leytonstone . The deployment of ground to air missiles was cause for concern for artistic director Danny Boyle . | Boyle nearly quit when 200 drums were provided for 1,000 drummers .
He spoke up for volunteers after Locog tried to make them pay for costumes .
Queen persuaded to take part but original plan vetoed by 'powers that be'
Damien Hirst and Frank Cottrel-Boyce also came close to quitting the Games .
Danny Boyle: Creating Wonder - in conversation with Amy Raphael published by Faber and Faber will be released on April 4. |
235,836 | bd486fc3a8a1ed2137995cb0e190a40053e6b5a1 | By . Leesa Smith . Being held at gunpoint, pretending to be drunk so he can slip away from his minders and being woken up every day by hypnotic music and propaganda blaring out of speakers - these are just some of the everyday goings on witnessed by an Australian tourist in North Korea. Mark Fahey has had a 40-year fascination with the communist country that is shut off from the world, crossing the border four times in four years in an attempt to see what life is really like for the country's oppressed citizens. On one visit, he had a soldier's rifle stuck in his back after he strayed from his tourist party - but escaped with some amazing and unsanctioned images. Mr Fahey, 54, a business developer from Sydney, told Daily Mail Australia the country wakes to eery, ear piercing music which is played through speakers in the street at 6am for about 20 minutes. Scroll down for videos . Mark Fahey visited North Korea four times in four years to access photos and information to reveal the true North Korea to the outside world . Tourists never saw the true side of North Korea with the capital city Pyongyang portrayed as the perfect world . A propaganda mural in a high school floor, normally not accessible to tourists, that encourages students to study hard so they can have a chance to kill the enemies: the Americans and Japanese . That strange alarm clock is followed by propaganda speeches at 7am and then marching music at 8am as downtrodden citizens make their way to their jobs, which usually involves 12 to 14-hour shifts working for state-run companies. And there's no rest from Kim Jong Un's message at work either as propaganda continues to play on more speakers throughout the day. One of Mr Fahey’s most surreal moments came when he asked one of the minders about the early morning music and was met with an unexpected response. ‘He looked at me like I was crazy and said “what music?”,’ he said. ‘Instead of being educated they are trained – they are not taught to be inquisitive like we are in the west.’ Mr Fahey also questioned why the buildings were not labelled with its function but with yet more propaganda about the Supreme Leader and his army. ‘Their thinking is if I needed to know I would be told,’ he explained.'The minder couldn't understand why he would need to know such a thing.' Fahey witnessed first hand the unequivocal power North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wields over the communist country . Mark Fahey and a soldier at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (commonly known as the DMZ), a buffer zone between North and South Korea . A propaganda painting shows what North Korean girls dream of: missiles . The dimly-lit hallway of a high school in Pyongyang. The country has a limited production of electricity, so buildings use as little energy as possible . Just like most people who visited North Korea, Mr Fahey joined a travel group with two tour guides, or minders, who controlled everything that the tourists saw. It was a punishing itinerary, often as long as 14 hours a day of sightseeing in the hope visitors would be worn out and pass out in the evening, preventing them from sneaking out on their own. But Mr Fahey, who was an expert on the propaganda long before landing in the country, played the part of a ‘useful idiot’ and would regurgitate the country’s brainwashed beliefs about their devotion to Kim Jong Un and his army to the naive minders. Once befriending his trusty travel guides with a tipple or two in the evening, Mr Fahey pretended to drunkenly stagger off to bed - but would in fact sneak off for up to hours at a time. 'The whole country is a mass religious cult - it’s very much like The Hunger Games, you don’t choose where you live or travel outside of a 25-30km radius without a permit,' he said. ‘I was never fearful as I thought the worst would that happen is I would get detained and deported.’ Although Mr Fahey never got caught being out at night, there were a few occasions when he was found sneaking off during the day, including on a visit to the sacred mountain of Mount Baekdu on his first trip. ‘The minders let us look around on our own for two hours only because we were so remote but I found military tunnels then next thing I know I had a gun in my back,’ he said. ‘They marched me away from the area and took my photos but not my memory card so I was able to retrieve the photos back in Australia – this is one of the many ways the North Koreans are so inept.’ The portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in a subway car in Pyongyang . A shrine celebrating the Kim family in the entrance of a building in Pyongyang. These shrines are present in practically every building, Fahey says . A propaganda painting showing Kim Il Sung, the first leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,his wife, Kim Jong Suk and and baby Kim Jong-Il, who would later succeed his father as Supreme Leader . Another daring daylight moment was when Mr Fahey managed to sneak away during a tour of a high school when he pretended that he urgently needed a toilet. 'They let me go on my own but only because I had known them for a couple of weeks,' he said. 'I saw a propaganda mural in a high school floor, normally not accessible to tourists, that encourages students to study hard so they can have a chance to kill the enemies: the Americans and Japanese.' When he quickly dashed up the stairwell on his supposed bathroom break, he also saw a confronting poster of North Korean students stabbing members of what represented the American army with a fountain pen. 'Occasionally when I would sneak away for three or four minutes during the day I would get caught but I would play the stupid tourist and act confused,' he said. 'I took about 10,000 photos on each trip and about 60 per cent of those were taken without permission.' He recalls not being allowed to take photos of an ox pulling a hoe on the street because it didn't symbolise an advanced country. Mr Fahey is satisfied with never being able to return to North Korea after going public with his agenda because he feels he has all of the information he was hoping for. Each trip took up to 12 months of preparation with his modes of transport varying from planes, a train and even one time by walking over the border from China. He had to conceal his electronic devices including radio and TV receivers inside consumer products such as cameras, USB stick and Ipods to ensure the equipment wasn’t confiscated at the borders. Fahey had to conceal his electronic devices including radio and TV receivers inside consumer products such as cameras, USB stick and Ipods . Fahey snuck off to the hidden fifth staff floor of his hotel where the propaganda posters against westerners were bold and blatant . Propaganda blares through speakers in the streets all day long throughout North Korea . The mysteriously missing fifth floor of of the Yanggakdo Hotel . North Koreans are taught not to think for themselves but follow the wise teachings of their king . ‘They say they are going to destroy the world but they don’t have the capability,’ he said. ‘You are not encouraged to think for yourself as they don’t have a wide variety of information sources – you are to follow the wise teachings of the king.’ Mr Fahey couldn't understand why the hotel he was staying in didn't have a fifth floor until he went snooping and found the floor, which was for staff only, adorned with propaganda posters filling the walls of the hallways. 'A group of us were suspicious so we went to check it out one night,' he said. 'There was a poster saying: "Get revenge 1,000 times against the Americans".' Mr Fahey said it alarmed him how quickly he was conditioned to a conformist's life. ‘It was really mind-blowing when I got to China and could walk wherever I wanted – I hadn’t even realised what I had lost,’ he said. ‘I gave into my freedoms without even realising – all of sudden there was a sense of colour, advertising and neon lights.’ Mr Fahey said the country’s capital, Pyongyang, is showcased as the perfect city and home to a utopian society. ‘You never saw anything bad because in the capital city Pyongyang is where only the elite live who are part of Kim Jong Un’s army,’ he said. ‘You never got to meet the true North Koreans you only ever saw them working in fields when you were on a train.’ The forced image was clearly working with a good portion of visitors as Mr Fahey was surprised by how many within the tour group believed the facade that was put on for the westerners. 'I would say half of the tour group swallowed the propaganda,' he said. 'They became apologists for the most vile regime on the planet.' Mr Fahey described the country as a surreal fantasy land. ‘The tour is like a theme park where you are being taken to different propaganda rides,’ he said. ‘The leaders are like cartoon characters always in the same clothes like Bart Simpson.’ Children dancing during an elementary school propaganda concert . Mr Fahey's contraption: a coathanger used as a radio antenna . The interior of a fertilizer factory, which is believed to be a covert chemical weapons plant . Performers dance during North Korea's annual Arirang or 'mass games' celebration . | Australian Mark Fahey visited North Korea four times in four years under the guise of a tourist .
Being held at by gun point on his first trip did not stop the 54-year-old from returning .
He was an expert on the propaganda before landing in the country .
Fahey played the ‘useful idiot’ and would regurgitate the country’s brain washed beliefs to the naive minders .
He would sneak out at night when the minders thought he was asleep .
Fahey said many tourists believed the facade portrayed during the visit . |
187,514 | 7ed48ee4ddfb2831ae606b089da9999e7ef88692 | The crowded season of sports awards is one ceremony lighter this year with a glittering FA event quietly kicked into the long grass. The FA England Awards were launched with much ballyhoo at St George’s Park two years ago, with gongs for all age groups and Steven Gerrard voted player of the year. There was even a prize for the best England newspaper reporter in honour of the late Brian Woolnough. However, there was no such function last February because England were fully focused on their World Cup preparation. And the woeful performance by Roy Hodgson’s side in Brazil is the primary reason why a big England bash is not considered appropriate for 2014. England manager Roy Hodgson endured a torrid World Cup with his side in Brazil in the summer . The FA say the first awards night was part of the FA’s 150th anniversary celebrations and they did not commit to an annual event — although that was the strong impression given at the time. The England men’s and women’s 2014 player of the year plus the Under 21 choice are collecting votes on the FA website. Meanwhile, the Sports Journalists’ Association British Sports Awards, held yesterday at the Connaught Rooms in London, has a long tradition. But the ever-declining number of current sports stars who attend makes it debatable whether the lunch is worth sustaining in its current guise. The nadir came when interviewer Sybil Ruscoe, charged with chatting to the ‘great names of sport’ in the room, started with the England Rugby 2015 spokeswoman. James Taylor has been in superb form, hitting 68 on Wednesday as England beat Sri Lanka in an ODI . England's in-form one-day batsman James Taylor has the strength of character to survive Kevin Pietersen saying he would be better off as a jockey. But Taylor does have to make one allowance for his 5ft 6in stature. He cuts an inch-and-a-half off the top of his short-handle bats to stop them catching on the ground when he drives the ball. British rugby already looks to be in danger of missing out on a proper challenge for the Olympic rugby sevens in Rio, which would be a major lost opportunity to grow the format. RFU chairman Bill Beaumont needs to decide how to take Rugby Sevens forward for the 2016 Rio Olympics . England, charged with qualifying, are struggling to get into the top four of the world group while coached by the low-profile Simon Amor, with the formation of a GB side still at the paperwork stage. So a combined GB team will have neither enough preparation time nor competitive games to mount a realistic challenge. Ben Ryan, regarded as a top sevens brain, has been lost to Fiji, while the word inside Twickenham is that RFU chairman Bill Beaumont is lukewarm on sevens since losing the last IRB chairmanship election to France’s Bernard Lapasset, who champions the format and led the successful bid for an Olympic place. The RFU say forming a GB team is a complex process and Beaumont is a fan of sevens. Sergey Bubka was supposed to be challenging Lord Coe for the IAAF presidency next year . Sergey Bubka looks to be holed below the waterline before he has even officially declared himself a challenger to Lord Coe for the IAAF presidency. Bubka has had close links for years with Russian federation chief and IAAF treasurer Valentin Balakhnichev, who stepped down from the IAAF board yesterday after being heavily implicated in covering up a serial Russian doping scandal. That, and other explosive revelations in a German TV documentary, are being investigated by the IAAF ethics committee. England coach Peter Moores (left) takes his Test side to the West Indies next April at the same time of the IPL . Sky Sports already promoting the Indian Premier League, which starts in April, helps demonstrate why Test cricket is in crisis. England’s series in the West Indies that same month looks like it will be contested by a second-XI home side, with their best players wanting to maximise IPL earnings. And if England do well in the World Cup, they will have to go straight from that tournament to the Caribbean — such is the crazy scheduling — and some mainstays of the side will have to be rested. A series in the West Indies always attracts a lot of England fans, so the ECB have an obligation to ensure the travelling supporters are not short-changed by substandard Test line-ups. Coincidentally, new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison comes from IMG — agents for the IPL. | England exited the World Cup this summer at the group stages .
FA England Awards launched two years ago but have been halted .
IPL threatens to overshadow England's Test tour to the West Indies . |
110,767 | 1acce9bde83205a6b5fb335052c55a015abb93f2 | England are heading to a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with all the attention on their captain and his form — and that’s worrying. The issue with Alastair Cook I’m afraid is the same as it was last summer. I said then I was concerned that the captaincy came at the expense of his best form and it is particularly relevant in one-day cricket ahead of the World Cup. We are talking about a world-class batsman, a player whose stats stood comparison with Sachin Tendulkar’s at the same age, but one who has now failed to score a century in 59 innings in all cricket for England. England captain Alastair Cook (centre) watches the presentations after losing to Sri Lanka on Tuesday . Cook shows his frustrations as he walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal against Sri Lanka . Cook (right) walks past a lion mascot ahead of the final one-day international in Colombo on Tuesday . VIDEO Alastair Cook on England's loss to Sri Lanka . If Cook was a Mike Brearley-type figure as a leader you might understand England’s desire to keep him at the helm in Test and one-day cricket, but is it worth sacrificing his batting so that he can be an ‘OK’ captain? Cook is a fighter and wants to prove people wrong again and you have to admire that. The loyalty of the selectors is admirable in many ways, too, but it has led to issues, not least whether the captain is worth his place in the side. In the last one-day international in Sri Lanka, for instance, Cook would have had to go up to Ravi Bopara and tell him he was leaving him out. But Ravi could have been forgiven for thinking: ‘Hang on, why are you still in the side?’ If the World Cup were in the sub-continent there is no way Cook should be captain — it is all too obvious what would happen to him in Sri Lanka — but as it’s in Australia and New Zealand he might do reasonably well. It is whether it is enough in the modern world of one-day cricket for England to reach the latter stages and as it stands the selectors are simply left hoping that it will be ‘all right on the night’. It would not be too much of a gamble to replace him now. It should have happened months ago, of course, and more dynamic players should have been given time to bed into the side, but England do not have much to lose now. It is a question of whether they want to rock the boat and hurt the captain they have put such store in by admitting they were wrong and giving the captaincy to Eoin Morgan or, at a push, Joe Root. It’s understandable that the focus should be on Cook, but that does mask a lot of problems that are just as serious as his lack of runs. Morgan’s form is key among them. He is such an important player, England’s most important batsman in the one-day game, but his form has in many ways been worse than Cook’s and that’s a huge concern. If England are going to have any chance at this World Cup they simply have to have Morgan at his best because he is vital to them reaching the scores of 300-plus that are going to be required. The captaincy seems to have brought something like the best out of him in recent times so maybe that would galvanise him now, but if it is not to be that, then England have to sit Morgan down and work through what’s wrong. Eoin Morgan makes signs to his team-mates during the match against Sri Lanka in Colombo . Joe Root (right) bats as England took on Sri Lanka in the final match of the ODI series . Sri Lanka players embrace as they celebrate their victory over England on Tuesday . To me, though, the bowling is an even bigger worry than the batting because England are lacking wicket-takers in this form of the game. They are pointing to Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson coming back — but hang on a minute. Broad has traditionally taken time to work his way back to his best after injury, while if the white ball does not swing, Anderson may struggle for wickets. If England do not take wickets they will always be chasing more than 300 in this World Cup — or will have to try to set that, and then we come back to whether the batting is dynamic enough to reach those heights. These problems, of course, are nothing new. We put Test cricket first in this country and that means that predominantly Test batsmen in myself, Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss have been in charge for the last three World Cups. Perhaps the selectors wanted to stay loyal to their Test leaders on those occasions, too, and we were all grateful about it at the time —but it didn’t work for us all then and you have to say the odds are against it working for England now. When I helped compile the Schofield Report seven years ago, we were saying one-day cricket should be treated just as seriously as Test cricket and I see that Paul Downton was saying the same thing this week. Well, if England really mean it this time then they have to put faith in the younger, more dynamic batsmen who have grown up with Twenty20. England bowler Stuart Broad appeals during the fifth Test against India at the Kia Oval in August . Bowler Jimmy Anderson (right) appeals for lbw against India during the summer Test series . Why, for instance, has it taken them so long to get James Taylor in the side when he has consistently delivered the goods at a high level of domestic one-day cricket? Alex Hales may have been ‘found out’ to an extent but England have to be bold and back their one-day players with the same loyalty they have shown their Test players. That means understanding that the peaks and troughs are more extreme with younger players and understanding that they must be given a decent run in the side to show that they can adapt and grow into international cricket. As it is, Test batsmen who play so much international cricket that they don’t have time to work on their one-day skills are having to do just that with a World Cup on the horizon, and that’s all wrong. The fact that Cook is still having to work out his best way to play spin in one-day cricket is a disgrace. England’s best Test players, such as Cook and Ian Bell, do not play enough white-ball cricket either domestically or around the world, and that means they are standing still while other nations are enhancing their one-day skills. Captain Cook reacts as England disappointingly go on to lose the series in Sri Lanka . Cook (left) hits a shot as Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara (centre) and Mahela Jayawardene watch . Another recommendation of the Schofield Report was that the calendar should be changed to avoid World Cups following Ashes series and while that has been done this time I can’t think of worse preparation than a seven-match, 50-over series in Sri Lanka. All that was ever going to do was show up England’s shortcomings and affect their confidence, which is exactly what has happened. It would have been far better if all England’s players had gone off to play in the Big Bash in Australia — if they had been able to get contracts — because that is the type of limited-overs cricket that England must play if they are ever to make an impact. As it is, we are still far too ‘English’ in the way we play one-day cricket and it is difficult to see that being the way forward at this World Cup. With or without Alastair Cook in charge. | England lost the one-day international series 5-2 against Sri Lanka .
Alastair Cook has failed to score a century in 59 innings for England .
It's a disgrace that Cook is still working out how to play spin .
England worryingly head to the World Cup with all the attention on Cook .
Cook should have been replaced as captain months ago . |
102,327 | 0fe01cf86451369146ab201dbc67721ed92faa91 | By . Anthony Hay . Follow @@Anthony_Hay . Floyd Mayweather has taken to Twitter to reveal his new Audemars Piguet (AP) watch. The boxer's daughter Iyanna posted a snap of her new watch along with her dad's latest purchase. AP watches, which are manufactured in Switzerland, are high quality products which retail for around £20,000. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Mayweather singing happy birthday to girlfriend Doralie Medina . Money man: Floyd Mayweather's latest purchase would have set him back at least £20,000 . Matching set: American boxer Mayweather also purchased a watch for his daughter Iyanna . Mayweather also uploaded a picture of himself in a onesie accompanied with the message 'MR. MY LIFE IS THE SH*T'. The 37-year-old's next fight is scheduled for September 13 when he will take on Marcos Maidana. Mayweather, who remains unbeaten, defeated Maidana in a bout at the MGM Grand Hotel back in May. VIDEO Mayweather challenges 'Maidana to put his money where his mouth is' Unbeaten: Mayweather will be hoping to extend his unbeaten record when he takes on Marcos Maidana . | The American boxer has splashed the cash on two new AP watches .
Mayweather's next bout will come against Marcos Maidana in September .
Maidana was beaten by Mayweather at the MGM Grand Hotel in May . |
3,592 | 0a64e134f8f636a8309af1e9049983a38c4a18bb | A former Apple employee named Sam Sung has raised more than $2,500 for charity by auctioning off his old business card after an initial bid of $80,200 was revealed to be fake. Mr Sung, 25, worked for three years as a specialist at the Pacific Centre Apple store in Vancouver, where customers couldn't help but notice his distinctive name on his ID badge and employee T-shirt. When he left the store, he decided to set up an eBay auction to sell off of his old personalized business cards - with the money raised going to The Children's Wish Foundation. Novelty name: Sam Sung, 25, worked for three years at an Apple store in Vancouver and auctioned off his business card for charity . As the news of his coincidental name and charity auction spread across the world, the bids shot up to a staggering $80,200. However, they were later revealed to be fake - with Mr Sung's card eventually selling for a lower sum of $2,653, with the winner also receiving his old uniform and lanyard. But even though his donation to the charity is much less than he thought, he is still pleased with the money raised. He told CNBC: 'I'm so pleased at the amount that was raised and, according to Children's Wish, anything over $2,000 is considered a major gift. So for me, that's a major win and it will go towards granting a terminally ill child's wish. 'I don't think we're supposed to keep any of that stuff [featured in the auction] but working for Apple was honestly one of the funnest jobs I've had, and I wanted to keep it as a memento.' Good cause: Mr Sung had hoped to raise up to $80,000 after receiving the bid on eBay, but it turned out to be fake . In the post on the eBay page, where people were invited to bid, Mr Sung posed next to his business card, which is framed alongside his employee T-shirt and ID badge. He wrote that he came up with the idea after one of his old business cards fell out of a book. At first the auction created quite the buzz with bids rapidly flying up to $80,100 just few hours later, although this subsequently turned out to be a fake. Hoax: The post on the eBay auction site for $80,000, which turned out to be a fake . Mr Sung says he became interested in the Children's Wish Foundation, which aids children with serious illness, after attending an inaugural gala last winter. Since then, he has volunteered on numerous projects and made it his mission to help out. 'Sam has clearly been touched by what we do and come up with a creative way to support us,' said Jennifer Peterson, the director of the charity's British Columbia branch. 'One of our recent wish children, who sadly passed away just after his travel wish, summed up his experience so profoundly by saying "I forgot I was sick,"' explained the charity director. 'Sam has made a choice to help us give another child and their family this gift.' | Sam Sung, 25 worked as a specialist at an Apple store in Vancouver .
On leaving his job, he decided to auction off his distinctive badge for charity .
Attracted bids of up to $80,200 on the online auction site eBay .
But the bid turned out to be a fake and it eventually went for $2,500 . |
104,367 | 12a604e74a75093832a5d91cc61201900213d823 | Green and purple lights flicker across the star-strewn sky in these striking images of Iceland. The photos were taken by Finn Beales, 36, who has accumulated more than 340,000 followers on Instagram thanks to his talent for capturing some of the world's most astounding scenery. The professional photographer from Wales was in Iceland in late September and managed to spot the elusive Aurora Borealis. He said: 'Iceland is probably the closest you can get to another planet without having to leave this world. 'It definitely has otherworldly characteristics anyway - the bizarre colours, desolate lava fields, ever changing weather, active volcanoes, tremendously powerful waterfalls. 'The earth itself feels so alive up there and it makes the perfect backdrop for my style of work.' His Tumblr and Instagram followings have been instrumental in turning his hobby into a fully-fledged career. He said: 'I have been an active user of Instagram for about three years now. I certainly realised it was possible to develop a large following but didn't anticipate it happening to myself. 'I guess I learned on the job, what worked, what didn't, and over time developed a style that resonates with folks. 'I receive an overwhelming number of comments on the work I post to Instagram - tens of thousands of likes and shares on other platforms like Tumblr too. 'It's all rather humbling, but I do find it difficult to maintain meaningful conversations with more than 340,000 people.' The purple and green streaks of the Northern Lights appear above the Jökulsárlón glacial lake on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park . Moody skies and darkened ice: The Aurora Borealis light up the night sky over the serene glaciers of the Jökulsárlón lake . The Strokkur fountain geyser, beside the Hvítá River, erupts every few minutes and can reach up to 40 metres in height . An Icelandic horse. 'Iceland is probably the closest you can get to another planet without having to leave this world,' says Finn Beales . Blue and white ice at Jökulsárlón: Beales has accumulated more than 340,000 followers on Instagram thanks to his remarkable talent . Great heights: Dettifoss waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park, Northeast Iceland, which was featured in Ridley Scott's Prometheus . Pure breed: Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return . Stark: The wreck of a United States Navy plane which crashed in 1973, in Sólheimasandur, on Iceland's south coast . Other wordly: The bizarre colours, desolate lava fields and active volcanoes lend Iceland the feeling of being on another planet . Zooming in: The remains of the United States Navy plane which has been ravaged by the elements over four decades . In detail: A close up view of the United States Navy plane which ran out of fuel and crashed on the black beach at Sólheimasandur . Popular: The photographer receives and 'overwhelming' number of comments on the work he posts to Instagram and Tumblr . | Landscapes photographed by Finn Beales, a Welsh photographer who travels the world in search for beauty .
'Iceland is probably the closest you can get to another planet without having to leave this world,' he says .
Images of exploding geysers, Icelandic horses and celestial Northern Lights have proved immensely popular online . |
268,109 | e739454b5abfd582ae03cc174bca56d72e74bad8 | Lewis Hamilton believes his spin on lap 28 of the Brazilian Grand Prix cost him victory. Hamilton, who was bidding to leapfrog Nico Rosberg during the second round of pit-stops, posted the fastest lap of the race, but then lost control of his Mercedes under braking at Turn 4 on the following lap – the incident cost him six seconds. While the Briton managed to reel Rosberg back in, he was unable to pass his team-mate meaning the gap between the championship rivals now stands at 17 points ahead of the title decider in Abu Dhabi in a fortnight’s time. Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton celebrate with their Mercedes team after recording another 1-2 finish . Hamilton is 17 points ahead of Mercedes team-mate Rosberg with just one race, in Abu Dhabi, remaining . Hamilton lost roughly six seconds when he spun in his Mercedes and ran off the circuit on lap 28 . 1. Lewis Hamilton - 334 points . 2. Nico Rosberg - 317 points . *If Lewis Hamilton finishes second at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he will win the title even if Nico Rosberg wins the race. ‘I think ultimately it did cost me the win,’ said Hamilton, who now must finish second at the season finale to guarantee this year's title. ‘I was much quicker up until that point and then on that lap I had gone a second quicker. I thought I was going to pit at the end of that lap so I had used up everything in the tyres and on the next lap I had nothing left. ‘I made a mistake and locked the rears into Turn 4 and without the rotation it just spun me around - the second time it has happened this weekend. It was nobody's fault but mine.’ The British driver believes this spin on lap 28 of the Brazilian Grand Prix cost him the race victory . Rosberg (back) celebrates with his Mercedes mechanics after claiming his first grand prix win since July . The victory was Rosberg’s first since July, and the German was delighted to have ended his team-mate’s five-race winning streak. 'It was a great weekend all in all,' Rosberg, who saw Hamilton overtake him for the race victory last time out in Texas, said. ‘Austin was a tough day for me, so it was important for me just to improve. I didn't do a good enough job in Austin and today I managed to do that. That I'm happy about.’ VIDEO Brazil boost for Rosberg as he edges out Hamilton . | Nico Rosberg won the Brazilian Grand Prix ahead of team-mate Hamilton .
Briton reckons he would have won but for his spin during the race .
Only 17 points now separate the Mercedes duo ahead of the final round .
Hamilton must finish second at season finale in Abu Dhabi to secure title . |
107,901 | 171a9c483a07090f533b8a164f070776078e8981 | Many celebrities, including Will Young, have claimed to have a porn addiction but a clinical psychologist claims there is no evidence to suggest such an addiction exists . From Will Young to David Duchovny, many celebrities have claimed to have a porn addiction. But new research has revealed there is no strong evidence that such an addiction actually exists. Dr David Ley, a clinical psychologist, and Executive Director of New Mexico Solutions, a large behavioural health programme, has reviewed research into pornography addiction. He found only 37 per cent of research articles about excessive use of porn describe it as an addiction. He also discovered that just 27 per cent of articles on the subject contain actual data. As a result, he concluded that experiments carried out into the topic have been poorly designed and lacked the rigour to provide any proof. Consequently, he concluded that very little, if any, actual evidence had been found to suggest the addiction exists. He noted that pornography addition was also not included in the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders because of a lack of scientific data. This manual is published by the American Psychiatric Association and is seen as the 'bible' of mental health disorders. Dr Ley also discovered there is no evidence to suggest there are negative side effects of excessive porn viewing. He said there was no sign that it was linked to erectile dysfunction or that it changes the brains of users. Instead, Dr Ley says it can actually improve attitudes towards sexuality, increase quality of life and increase pleasure in long-term relationships. He added that it provides a legal outlet for illegal sexual desires and that its use has been associated with a decrease in sexual offences, especially child molestation. The research also showed that people . who claim to have a porn addiction are usually male, not heterosexual . and have a high libido. They also often have religious values that conflict with their sexual desires. X-Files star David Duchovny has famously battled a porn addiction. But new research has found there is no evidence to suggest there are side effects of excessive porn viewing . ‘We need better methods to help people who struggle with the high frequency use of visual sexual stimuli, without pathologising them or their use thereof,’ wrote Dr Ley. ‘Rather than helping patients who may struggle to control viewing images of a sexual nature, the “porn addiction” concept instead seems to feed an industry with secondary gain from the acceptance of the idea.' While Dr Ley is sceptical about the existence of porn addictions, many celebrities have claimed to have one. Will Young told Style that he couldn't stop himself looking at x-rated videos online. He told the magazine: 'It never moved into sex addiction. For me, it was love addiction and fantasy. I was probably addicted to porn.' In 2011 Cameron Diaz also told Jimmy Kimmel Live that she 'loves porn'. | Dr David Ley says only 37% of research articles about excessive porn use describe it as an addiction and just 27% contain actual scientific data .
He says experiments that have been carried out were poor quality .
So, he says there's no scientific evidence for the addition's existence .
Added there is 'no evidence excessive porn use has negative side effects, such as erectile dysfunction, or that it changes the brain'
In fact, he says watching porn can improve someone's quality of life . |
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