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279,667 | f64b66ea775ed8fc4fcebfb00c929dc848581aae | By . Associated Press . Once-teeming Lake Mead marinas are idle as a 14-year drought steadily drops water levels to historic lows. Officials from nearby Las Vegas are pushing conservation, but are also drilling a new pipeline to keep drawing water from the lake. Hundreds of miles away, farmers who receive water from the lake behind Hoover Dam are preparing for the worst. The receding shoreline at one of the main reservoirs in the vast Colorado River water system is raising concerns about the future of a network serving a perennially parched region home to 40 million people and 4 million acres of farmland. Scroll down for video... Hoover Dam: The bathtub ring of light minerals shows the high water mark of the reservoir which has shrunk to its lowest point since it was first filled in the 1930s . Sinking feeling: The bathtub ring that delineates the high water mark is seen at Lake Mead in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada . All is revealed: Wind kicks up dust on an area that was once under water at Hemenway Harbor . The Intake Towers (Left, before) at the the Hoover Dam in 2007. Right, how they appeared last week. North America's largest man-made reservoir dropped below 1,082 feet above sea level . Marina operators, water managers and farmers who for decades have chased every drop of water across the booming Southwest and part of Mexico are closely tracking the reservoir water level already at its lowest point since it was first filled in the 1930s. 'We just hope for snow and rain up in Colorado, so it'll come our way,' said marina operator Steve Biggs, referring to precipitation in the Rockies that flows down the Colorado River to help fill the reservoir separating Nevada and Arizona. By 2016, continued drought could trigger cuts in water deliveries to both states. While water authorities say they've been saving water for potential dry days, the prospect of the first cuts is already prompting action. 'I've downsized in the last couple of years, probably a good thing the way this water shortage is going,' said farmer Dennis Bagnall, who has planted just 225 of the 1,500 acres that are typically green this time of year on his farm south of Phoenix. Boats are moored at the Lake Mead Marina in 2007 (top) but in 2008 the marina was moved - and for good reason! A buoy at what was once the Echo Bay Marina sits high and dry. The lack of rain has pushed most of California and Nevada into extreme or exceptional drought . A fish cleaning station is seen far from any water at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada. The lake supplies water to parts of Nevada, Arizona, Southern California and northern Mexico, and the supply is disappearing . (Top) Boats are moored at the Lake Mead Marina in 2007. (Bottom) A pair of rest rooms on pontoon floats rest on dirt in Boulder Harbor where the marina was once located . Last week, officials announced an $11 million pilot program involving the federal government and water agencies in Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix to pay farmers, cities and industries to reduce river water use. 'We can certainly hope for better conditions than we've experienced in recent times, but we have to actively and continue to plan for the worst case,' said Michael J. Lacey, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. This week, an update from the federal Bureau of Reclamation, the keeper of the Colorado River network's dams and reservoirs, will help set the course for water deliveries for the next two years. Administrators say they're confident they can meet current commitments next year. Federal officials and water administrators in metro areas such as Las Vegas and Phoenix say they're committed to finding new ways to make every drop of river water count — from cloud seeding to pipelines to new reservoirs to desalination plants. They point to agreements to leave surpluses unused in wet years, share pain in dry years and buy water designated for farms for city use. (Left) Lake Mead Marina is seen behind dry cracked earth in an area that was once filled with water. (Right) Lake Mead is seen in the distance behind dry cracked earth in an area that used to be underwater . At many lakes, now landlocked boat docks are upward hikes from the water . The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts some meat and produce prices will rise as much as 6% as farmers pay more money to water crops and feed livestock . Lake Mead is seen in the distance behind boats in dry dock near the Lake Mead Marina in 2007 (top) but now things are even worse (below) But they're all watching Lake Mead, the biggest in a Colorado River basin that supplies water to California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and part of Mexico. The states get annual allotments dating to the Colorado River Compact of 1922. Over the years, the amount hasn't kept pace with a post-World War II development boom in the Southwest, and pressure has increased with drought gripping the region for almost 15 years. The effect of increased demand and diminished supply is visible on Lake Mead's canyon walls. A white mineral band often compared with a bathtub ring marks the depleted water level. The lake is expected to drop to 1,080 feet above sea level this year — down almost the width of a football field from a high of 1,225 feet in 1983. A projected level of 1,075 feet in January 2016 would trigger cuts in water deliveries to Arizona and Nevada. At 1,000 feet, drinking water intakes would go dry to Las Vegas, a city of 2 million residents and a destination for 40 million tourists per year that is almost completely dependent on the reservoir. That has the Southern Nevada Water Authority spending more than $800 million to build a 20-foot-diameter pipe so it can keep getting water. Boats are moored at the Lake Mead Marina in 2007 (top) but in 2008 the marina was moved - and for good reason! Lily Yoder, 13, climbs on a boat at the Boulder Harbor boat ramp. Last week, North America's largest man-made reservoir dropped below 1,082 feet above sea level, the lowest it's been since the Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s . Nevada's Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, has hit an all time-low since it was first filled in the 1930s, raising concerns that a water shortage could be declared for a region home to 40 million people in seven fast-growing states . The dwindling supplies are easy to see in this comparison over just seven years. A 14-year drought in the Southwestern United States and a dwindling supply of water from the Colorado River . The region is also stressing water conservation, prohibiting grass lawns for new homes and fountains at businesses. Officials say the overall effort has reduced consumption 33 percent in recent years while the Las Vegas area added 400,000 residents. But severely restricting water use for swimming pools or lawns in a city like Phoenix wouldn't make much difference, said Kathryn Sorensen, the city's Water Services Department director, because conservation efforts need to be applied across the western U.S. 'The solution can't come just from municipal conservation; there isn't enough water there,' she said. If cuts do come, they'll test the agreements forged in recent years between big, growing cities and farmers. In California, home to 38 million residents, farmers in the sparsely populated Imperial Valley in southeast California have senior water rights ensuring that they get water regardless of the condition. Kevin Kelley, general manager of the Imperial Irrigation District, defends his agency's position at the head of the line and dismisses the idea that water should go to those who can pay the most or make the most compelling economic argument. The National Park Service has been forced to close or extend boat launch ramps, and move entire marinas to try to keep up with the receding water level . What was once the Echo Bay Marina sits high and dry next to Lake Mead . Imperial Valley farmers grow some 200 crops, Kelley said, from alfalfa to cotton and celery to zucchini. 'There has to be a place in a diverse economy and a diverse Southwest for a place like this that grows food and fiber year-round,' he said. In Arizona, reduced deliveries of Colorado River water would largely affect the Central Arizona Project, which manages canals supplying 80 percent of the state's population. A tiered system means farmers would face cuts first, shielding Native American tribes and big cities. Bagnall, who owns Morningstar Farms in Coolidge, Arizona, worries about the future of farming in the region. Tighter supplies mean there will be less farming and fewer dollars going to agricultural services like fertilizer suppliers. 'Eventually,' he said, 'the prices are going to hit the consumer. Sooner or later, it's got to go up. So it's just a domino effect.' | California drought having ramifications beyond the state .
Drought has depleted vast Lake Mead this week to levels not seen since Hoover Dam was completed in the 1930s .
Experts say the water levels will be enough to supply water to places like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles for only one more year .
Meat and produce prices are on the rise as a result .
Mandatory and voluntary conservation water programs being implemented in West .
Tourism businesses also are taking a hit . |
113,407 | 1e6097d526e94d269e1c32624d03ea12e8542337 | By . Daniel Bates . PUBLISHED: . 11:48 EST, 1 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:41 EST, 1 October 2012 . Military chiefs have been accused of dishonoring the war dead over plans to put 60,000 solar panels on the famous runway at Pearl Harbor's Ford Island. The Navy wants to erect a 7ft tall fence on the site and turn it into what critics claim will be a 'monstrosity' in a bid to make itself more green. It has chosen the site because it claims the airfield is not in use - even though the memory of events still lingers on. Outrage: The Navy plans to install 60,000 blue solar panels on the runway at Pearl Harbour's Ford Island. Critics say the panels (pictured in a mockup for the project) will make it look like the runway's made of Legos . Never forget: Airmen at the Ford Island Naval Air Station watch smoke billow from the USS Shaw which had just been blown up by Japanese bombers during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 . The runway at Ford Island was where the US military tried to launch planes to try and counter attack during the Pearl Harbor raid on December 7, 1941. Some 33 of the 70 craft stationed there were destroyed as Japanese aircraft slaughtered 2,402 Americans and wounded 1,282 during the surprise offensive. In 1964 the runway was designated a National Historic Landmark and its iconic red and white control tower has featured in films such as ‘Pearl Harbor’. Now, however, the Navy wants to disregard all that and turn it into a solar farm. Going green: Solar panels (like those at the Solarmine facility in Taft, California) will help the Navy reach its goal to get 50 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020 . Ken DeHoff, director of the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island, called for other sites to be considered. He said: 'We totally agree with (the Navy) being green, but we don't think they should do it where Americans spilled their red blood. 'There's plenty of room for them to create this project off to the west, which is just scrub oak and abandoned land.' He added that even though the site has not been maintained since 1999, it was still used by the local community. He said: 'This is an area that the kids play in, and they're going to cover it up and put a 7-foot high fence around it and basically make the place a monstrosity'. In Memoriam: The USS Arizona Memorial that remembers those who lost their lives on December 7, 1941 during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor . In remembrance: 2,402 Americans died in the Pearl Harbor attacks by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. Edward Boruki, 83, of Massachusetts, a Pearl Harbor survivor, remembers the dead at an event in 2004 . Under the Navy's plan 60,000 of the blue solar panels, which are 4ft by 6ft in size, would be arranged so that they still looked like the runway does now. There would also be a white cross every 1,000ft along the 4,000ft runway to create the effect. Some 14 acres of land adjoining the runway would be developed as part of the $500 million project as the Navy seeks to get 50 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020. Museum spokeswoman Barbara Bloom said that the new design was awful and claimed 'it's going to look like the runway's made of Lego'. But according to the Navy, the runway is actually an 'inactive space that is ideally located and sized' for a solar farm. Spokeswoman Agnes Tauyan told USA Today that the Navy 'remains committed to balancing our responsibility towards environmental stewardship, energy security and the preservation of historically significant facilities and structures.' | U.S. Navy plans to install 60,000 of the blue solar panels on runway at Pearl Harbor's Ford Island .
Panels are 4ft by 6ft in size - part of a $500 million project .
2,402 Americans died and 1,282 were wounded in the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941 .
'We don't think they should do it where Americans spilled their red blood,' the director of the memorial's museum said of the Navy's plan to 'go green' |
31,170 | 589c4b97b27cf39b369deea28fdcc631f7607e47 | They are among the world’s most spectacular natural phenomena. But as many travellers who have braved the sub-zero conditions in the hope of witnessing the Northern Lights will be only too aware, there is no guarantee that the swirling light show will make an appearance. However, Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten are so confident that holidaymakers will be able to witness the lights on one of their voyages that they are now offering visitors a free second trip if they are not visible. They say that anyone booking a £999 per person 11-night Classic Round Voyage around Norway between 1 October and 31 March next year before 30th November will be offered the deal. Spectucular: Travellers flock to areas such as Inari in Finland (pictured) to witness the Northern Lights . They say that if the Lights appear, an announcement will be made to everyone on-board by the Captain. If they do not make an appearance guests will be given a choice of joining the company’s seven-day Classic Voyage North, or six-day Classic Voyage South between 1 October 2015 and 31 March 2016, although they say that flights, which cost around £330 from Britain, will not be included. The company have become the first operator to offer such a promise, which coincides with an 11-year period known as ‘solar maximum’ by scientists when the Lights are more vivid than usual. Optimum Northern Lights viewings are the northern reaches of Finland, Iceland, Canada and Alaska . Displays of the Northern Lights occur when solar particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere and on impact emit burning gases that produce green, yellow and blue-coloured lights . Displays of the Northern Lights occur when solar particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere and on impact emit burning gases that produce green, yellow and blue-coloured lights. The scientific term for the Lights is the aurora borealis. The traditional places for optimum Northern Lights viewings are the northern reaches of Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, Canada and Alaska. The Lights themselves can only be seen between September and March each year. Displays of the Lights are notoriously unpredictable and cannot be forecast in advance. In addition to the absence of the Northern Lights appearing, visibility can often be reduced by cloud cover and light pollution from nearby towns. Previous attempts to appease disappointed visitors have included the introduction of The Aurora Reykjavic centre in Iceland, a huge HD projection that aims to recreate the Northern Lights. A spokesman for Hurtigruten said: ‘It has been a truly spectacular couple of years for sightings of the Northern Lights in Northern Norway. Hurtigruten are confident holidaymakers will be able to witness the lights on one of their voyages . 'If you take a Classic Round Voyage with us, you will spend seven days out of the 12 under the key “aurora oval” area. ‘We cannot of course guarantee that you will see the lights during their voyage (only Mother Nature can do that). 'But we can do the next best thing which is to promise that if the lights prove elusive, we will give you another opportunity to see them next year.’ Dr John Mason MBE, renowned astronomer, aurora-hunter and Principal Lecturer at the South Downs Planetarium in Chichester, added: ‘For the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, you need to stay in the auroral zone or be near to it. ‘This is a narrow ring, roughly around the Arctic Circle, that passes right over northern Norway. Hurtigruten's voyages spend seven days within or close to the auroral zone - no one else offers that. 'I have been incredibly fortunate that even when the weather forecast has been rather poor, I have never failed to experience the magical Northern Lights on a Hurtigruten voyage.’ | The Lights are notoriously unpredictable and can't be forecast in advance .
Coincides with ‘solar maximum’ period when they're more vivid than usual .
Northern Lights are among the world's most popular tourist attractions . |
111,854 | 1c409d2ab3bfec0cccaf1fb62d839833b60a0384 | By . Andrew Chesterton . A powerful horse tranquilliser that doubles as a dangerous and illegal party drug was so successful as a treatment for depression that it helped a 32-year-old woman leave the house by herself of the first time in over a decade. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, was part of a controversial study by the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust in which 28 severely depressed patients were regularly injected with ketamine - a powerful and hallucinogenic party drug that’s usually snorted by its users - in an effort to improve their lives. Patients injected with the veterinary tranquilliser said the treatments left them feeling ‘peculiar’, saying the injections made ‘things sound and look different’ and left them with ‘a distorted sense of time’. Tranquilliser turned party drug ketamine helped a severely depressed woman (not pictured in this file photo) leave her house alone for the first time in 10 years . A controversial UK study has found regular injections of the party drug may help treat severe depression . The mother of one patient said the injections left her daughter - who'd suffered from crippling depression for most of her adult life, leaving her unable to leave the house by herself - feeling 'chatty' and able to 'concentrate better'. 'After she’s had the treatment, she’s already feeling better before we leave the hospital,' she told the BBC's Radio 4. 'It works that quickly, and she’s sort of got a lot more confidence in herself when she’s had the treatment.' Rupert McShane (left) says the drug ketamine (right) can improve the lives of those with chronic depression . Her mum said one treatment was so successful that her daughter went for a walk outside the house by herself for the first time in over a decade. 'She’s chatty and she’ll talk to people. She’s not as withdrawn as she’d normally be,' she said. 'She can concentrate better, and after one lot of the treatment she even . went out for a walk on her own the day after - which she’s not done...in the last 10 years.' Ketamine: A powerful horse tranquilliser once used to anaesthetise humans but was largely abandoned due the hallucinations it causes. The illegal party drug is now being used as a treatment for depression. Ecstasy: The drug, which produces hallucinations and euphoric feelings, is already being trialled as a treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder but could also be used by cancer patients. Magic Mushrooms: These naturally occurring hallucinogens could be used in psychotherapy to treat obsessive compulsive disorders or depression. Cocaine: The leaves of the plant that form the base for the party drug has long been used in its raw form as a topical anaesthetic and numbing agent for injuries or operations among South American tribes. The NHS-funded study's head . researcher, Rupert McShane, said patients were given either three or six ketamine injection over three weeks. Of the study’s 28 . participants, 29 per cent reported a positive benefit that lasted between . four and seven days, while 15 per cent reported feeling better for at . least a month. He said that for some patients, the effects lasted for up to nine months. Mr McShane said the challenge now is to find a way to regulate and extend the effects of the drug. ‘That’s the thing that will be interesting in the future, how could we extend the benefit,’ he said. ‘During . the 40 minute infusion of people having a low dose of this they feel . pretty peculiar and things sound and look different and they have a . distorted sense of time. ‘Occasionally . people feel anxious during the infusion, and we also had one person who . had a nasty faint as well. But those kinds of side effects stop pretty . much as soon as the infusion stops. ‘(The . effects) are very variable, some people it may only be six hours but . for others – we had one patient who seemed to get a benefit that lasted . nine months. In the majority though it’s about two weeks. 'It looks as if (the drug) is safe enough when used in a controlled setting.' Research into ketamine as a treatment . for depression was launched in America over a decade ago, after doctors . found that the party drug blocked receptors in the same part of the . brain thought to be responsible for depression. The results have proven so successful that private clinics - like New York's Ketamine Infusions, which provides patients TV and Wi-Fi while undergoing the hour-long procedure - charge US$525 (£315) per injection. The company's website warns patients might experience 'minor visual hallucinations' while undergoing the treatment. | Ketamine is a powerful horse tranquilliser that's also snorted as an illegal hallucinogenic party drug .
The 32-year-old woman was one of 28 people who received ketamine injections as part of controversial UK study into severe depression .
She was able to leave the house alone for the first time in over a decade following one 40-minute 'infusion' with the drug .
The Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust study found the positive effects of each injection lasted an average of two weeks .
Patients report feeling 'peculiar' after each treatment, saying things 'look and feel different'
It's one of 78 similar global trials studying ketamine and depression . |
74,889 | d44eb437553bf859dc8c9aff14eedc40db9b4771 | Stevan Jovetic has accused Manuel Pellegrini of 'killing him' after the Chilean boss left him out of Manchester City's Champions League squad. The Montenegrin striker, who arrived from Fiorentina for £22million 18 months ago, was omitted from Pellegrini's European plans following the arrival of Wilfried Bony from Swansea. Jovetic insists Pellegrini has made a mistake in leaving him out of the squad and admits he will now asses his future at the club. Manchester City's Stevan Jovetic celebrates scoring against Swansea earlier in the season . The 25-year-old told mirror.co.uk: 'I deserve to play in the Champions League. I know that. 'The manager has killed me with this decision. I feel I deserve my place and other people have told me the same. 'People have told me I am a great player, but it is clear that the manager doesn't think the same way. 'I am very disappointed, even now. I don't think it was a good decision – or the right decision. 'I know that I deserve to be on the list. I told the manager this, but he didn't want to listen to me. I came here to play in the Champions League.' Wilfried Bony arrived at Manchester City last month from Premier League rivals in a big money deal . Bony's arrival meant the Montenegrin striker was omitted from Manuel Pellegrini's Champions League squad . Jovetic, who attracted interest from Italian duo Inter Milan and Juventus in January, added: 'I have not made any decision about my future. I will wait until the summer then we will see. 'But the manager has put other players ahead of me, so maybe this is a message about what he wants to do. 'It is difficult to be focused when something like this happens, but I am a professional and I want to show that I can still play a big part this season. 'This is a bad time for me, but I am working hard and I will be there for the team.' Jovetic featured heavily in the Champions' League group stages, playing five of City's six games, as the Premier League champions beat Bayern Munich and Roma. City face Barcelona later this month and Jovetic admits thinking about playing against the Spanish giants has left him upset. Jovetic and James Milner celebrate scoring against Hull City last weekend at the Etihad Stadium . Jovetic said: 'I have spent all week thinking about it and when we play Barcelona I think it will be very difficult for me. 'I think I helped the team get through the group and, because of that, I am very unhappy that I am out. 'This year, every time I have played, I think I have done well. I have score five goals in the Premier League without having too many minutes on the pitch. 'I know that we can all have disappointments – that's football – but I am hurting really bad right now. 'Of course, the squad has been made smaller, but the club knew this at the start of the season. I don't feel I have had a chance. Okay, I have had injuries but so have other players.' Pellegrini made the decision to drop Jovetic for the Champions League squad after Bony's arrival . | Stevan Jovetic was left out of Manchester City's Champions League squad .
The arrival of Wilfried Bony has seen the Montenegrin cast aside .
Former Fiorentina striker admits he will assess his options in the summer .
Manchester City face Barcelona in the next round of the tournament . |
77,479 | dbb15160770265bf202eaf87f6efd6c4ebe228f1 | About 20 Florida manatees been freed from a storm drain near Cape Canaveral, Florida, where they are believed to have gotten stuck in search of warmer water amid the Florida cold-snap. Rescue workers are continuing the effort to save the seacows today,but the total number of manatees stuck in the culvert is not yet known. Officials said the warmth-loving creatures, which can weigh up to half a ton, were likely following warm freshwater out of frigid seawater into the underground drains when they became stuck. Desperate rescue: Rescuers with SeaWorld and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission brought in earth moving equipment in a desperate bid to pull 17 trapped manatees out of a coastal community's storm culvert . Workers first hauled the endangered mammals out one-by-one before winching them up to ground level, assessing them for injuries and then lowering them back into a nearby waterway . Looking for warmth: The animals were likely trying to find warmth inside the culverts, but did not have room to turn back around, nor can they swim backwards . Video footage show a rescuer comforting one manatee floating at the opening of the pipe, which was cut open during the hours-long rescue. The footage, posted online by Central Florida News 13 and Florida Today newspaper, also showed a manatee being carried in a sling to a nearby canal, where it was released to cheers from onlookers, and two other manatees being petted after being hoisted out of the water by heavy machinery. A team from SeaWorld and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have been working along with police and firefighters,since yesterday. Inside the culverts, the manatees do not have room to turn back around, nor can they swim backwards. The Sunshine State has experienced a serious cold snap in recent days and temperatures have dropped low enough to threaten the endangered mammals' lives. Rescued: Among the first manatees pulled out were a calf and its mother. Their state of health was not immediately known but they, like all the manatees, were released back into a nearby waterway . After using earth moving equipment to pull out the manatees, a rescue worker assessed each's health before they were lifted once again and placed back in safe waters . Not winter hard: Here, scores of West Indian manatees huddle near a freshwater spring at Three Sisters Springs inside the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in Crystal River, Fla. The warm-blooded aquatic creatures which live in the shallow confines of the river seek the warmth of the 72-degree spring water when temperatures plummet . 'It's been cold lately and these canals are all filled with manatees,' Satellite Beach Fire Chief Don Hughes said. 'I wouldn't even begin to venture a guess as to how they got into the drainage pipes. They will go wherever there's warm water.' Rescuers brought heavy earth-moving equipment to the Satellite Beach neighborhood, located on a barrier island along the Atlantic Ocean. Workers were expected to be there through the evening as they desperately tried to pull the creatures from what would otherwise become their grave. Among the first of the manatees, also known as sea cows, pulled one-by-one from the drain were a mother and her calf. After using earth moving equipment to pull out the manatees, a rescue worker assessed each's health before they were lifted once again and placed back in safe waters. | At least 17 of the endangered mammals were pulled from a culvert in an Atlantic Coast barrier island community .
The animals had to be pulled out from the storm drain one-by-one .
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission worked overnight .
Manatees likely filed into drain in search of warmer water amid cold snap . |
282,405 | f9c47d5a5b7fe7be814064bfb126e8cacdd146be | LONDON, England (CNN) -- An eco-friendly French boat is hoping to successfully cross the perilous Arctic sea passage that links the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific. The old tug-boat, Le Manguier, has been converted into an eco-friendly vessel with three sails and solar panels. "Le Manguier" is attempting to navigate the icy, unpredictable Northern Sea Route, a 6,000 mile passage that skims the northern coast of Siberia. It is a trip that only a handful of leisure boats in history have successfully completed. Not only that, the modified tug boat is also attempting to do it ecologically. The boat's crew is relying partly on wind-power to complete the route, parts of which are only free of ice for two short months during the Arctic summer. Three sails have been added to the tug boat, which normally runs on gas-guzzling motors. "'Le Manguier' was the opposite of the ecological vessel," Philippe Hercher, captain and part-owner of the boat told CNN. "What we wanted to do was create a symbol and show that even this type of boat can diversify its energy sources -- even in the most extreme conditions." Conditions on the route are treacherous: Vessels that enter its waters at the wrong time can get trapped in thick ice for months in temperatures that go as low as -50C. Ironically for the eco-expedition, it is receding ice levels, thought to be caused by global warming, that has crossing the passage a possibility once again in the last few years. The voyage, which is projected to take about six months, started in the South of France in April and, if they make it through the route successfully, will end in Japan. The crew's other ecological concessions include relying on solar panels for electricity and warm water, using only long-lasting LED light bulbs and eating only organic products during their journey. On-board are seven adults and two children, including a painter, two writers, a scientist and a historian. Currently, the team's primary concern is not the fear of being trapped in ice and being forced to "hibernate" in Siberia's frigid temperatures, but getting the required paperwork in time before the approaching colder months, which cause ice to harden in the passage. "Le Manguier" is in Tromso, Norway waiting for the green light from the Russian government, which rarely allows non-Russian vessels to enter the passage. Russian reluctance may stem from the time of the Russian revolution in 1917, after which the Soviet Union was isolated from the West. The Northern Sea Route, which is the shortest passage between the West and the Far East, was also the only water the Russians could navigate without possible foreign interference. Luckily, the crew have help from veteran sailors in their race against the clock: Scientist Eric Brossier and sailor and France Pinczon Du Del who successfully sailed the Northern Sea Route during the first ever circumnavigation of the glacial Arctic Ocean in 2002. In the meantime, "Le Mangier" is gaining increasing popularity with every port-of-call. The group is publicizing the cause; inviting school children, academics and other tug boat sailors for workshops and tours of the boat. "The most difficult challenge seems to be convincing hardened tug boat captains to partially switch to wind power," said Judith Puzzuoli, who is in charge of communication and press for "Le Manguier." "But change doesn't happen in a day." Like Puzzuoli, each member of the team is responsible for delivering the message in a different way. Two books, written in the style of travel journals are in the works and a documentary is currently being filmed. Even the children have an important role -- reminding the adults why their mission is important. "I get the feeling that the two girls are really discovering life on this boat. They are learning to live simply, but beautifully." | An eco-friendly French boat is attempting to cross the Northern Sea Route .
Six-month voyage hoping to travel Arctic waters above Siberia to get to Japan .
Boats can be trapped in ice for months in temperatures that go as low as -50C .
The tug boat has been modified with three sails and solar panels . |
162,273 | 5dcdf00a6fab8288e4b684a847d09e22b093d16c | January 13, 2015 . Thirty minutes, each way, twice a day: That's how much a Haitian teenager walks to get something we tend to take for granted. Today, CNN Student News is traveling to an impoverished island nation and looking at what's changed five years after a catastrophic earthquake. We also cover headlines from Indonesia and France and look at how a British company is harnessing the power of kinetic energy. On this page you will find today's show Transcript and a place for you to request to be on the CNN Student News Roll Call. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. ROLL CALL . For a chance to be mentioned on the next CNN Student News, comment on the bottom of this page with your school name, mascot, city and state. We will be selecting schools from the comments of the previous show. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call! Thank you for using CNN Student News! | This page includes the show Transcript .
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28,335 | 5063b633f2f65e139c9d8f639ac585404a77dc35 | Oops! A learner driver smashed through a front wall and into a house in Netley, Hampshire, after losing control on a tight corner . A learner driver who lost control on a tight corner was lucky to escape injury when she ploughed her car through a wall and into a house. The motorist, a woman in her thirties, was driving with a passenger when she smashed her black Hyundai Getz, which had an L-plate on the back, into a house in the village of Netley, near Southampton. The car destroyed a garden wall and smashed a large hole in the front of the terraced property, which was empty at the time, and both the driver and her male companion walked away unhurt. Paramedics were called and assessed the pair, while emergency services cordoned off part of the road and the car was taken away on a truck. One neighbour told how he heard a loud thump at around 1.30pm on Saturday. James Myles, 63, said: 'I came round and saw the car buried in there and the couple in it were just getting out. 'I was relieved nobody was hurt. They were very lucky and it was lucky there was nobody inside.' Mr Myles, who said the junction was a difficult one to navigate because of on-road parking, said he gave the couple a cup of tea to calm them down as they sat on the wall after the smash. Neighbour Duncan Matthews, 36, was doing building work on his house when he was alerted to the crash. He said: 'I just heard a humongous thud and my wife and I both looked at each other and my wife said "What was that?". 'There were 50 people out there within two minutes. It just looked awful.' Sgt Alex Banks of Hedge End police said they would be making further inquiries to try to establish what happened. The female householder returned to her house later but did not want to comment. The black Hyundai Getz smashed into the terraced house on Saturday afternoon when it was empty . Crash scene: Emergency services closed off the road before the car was towed away and debris cleared . | Woman in her thirties lost control of car on tight bend in Netley, Hampshire .
Her Hyundai Getz smashed through garden wall and into terraced house .
House was empty at the time and driver and male passenger were unhurt .
Residents say the junction is hard to navigate because of parked cars . |
58,739 | a69f2cd363f307553366b98bee679a15aa886f36 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:04 EST, 14 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:55 EST, 14 December 2013 . A Utah man was put on notice by the federal government last month over his business where he physically mints digital currency. Mike Caldwell has spent years taking bitcoins - digital currency used in online transactions - and actually turning them into physical coins for online consumers. Caldwell's business model was simple: people would send him bitcoins over the Internet and he would send them back a physical, metal coin in the mail. Bitcoins: Mike Caldwell is suspending his bitcoin minting business after receiving a letter from the federal government . To spend a bitcoin, you need a secret key - a compilation of numbers and letters. So when Caldwell mints his physical bitcoins, he hides the key behind a tamper-resistant strip. According to Caldwell, he's minted the equivalent of roughly $82 million in bitcoins. That much business has put him on the federal government's radar and now his business of turning digital currency into physical coins could be coming to an end. In November, Caldwell got a letter from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FINCEN - an arm of the Treasury Department that interprets the nation's anti-money-laundering and financial crime regulations. Cha-ching: Caldwell charges about $50 for each bitcoin he mints for clients throughout the world . 'They considered my activity to . be money transmitting,' Caldwell tells Wired. To legally transfer money, there are a lot of regulations that must be followed, and Caldwell hasn't been following them. Since receiving the letter, Caldwell has stopped minting his coins and no longer is taking orders for his popular Casascius bitcoins. According to Caldwell, though, he doesn't think he transmits money - he doesn't accept any type of actual currency because he is paid in bitcoins. Uncle Sam: The Treasury Department's financial crimes bureau is looking into Caldwell's business . Caldwell charges about $50 per bitcoin but he's paid in digital currency. The coins he sends through the mail, he argues, are not actual money and should be viewed as collectibles. The feds, however, see things differently, and rather than cross Uncle Sam even further, Caldwell says he plans to fulfill his final few orders and then calling his lawyer before he continues to produce physical versions of digital money. | Mike Caldwell received a letter from the federal government telling him to stop minting bitcoins .
Caldwell says he isn't violating any regulations because no actual currency is changing hands .
Caldwell is paid about $50 for each coin that he makes for clients around the world . |
167,489 | 649fd1b4a9d5b3ba8894a6886b5a1eb9bbc7f275 | Bur Gabo, Somalia (CNN) -- We had tried for weeks to get access to Kenya's incursion into lawless Somalia. The go finally came from the Kenyan military in a text message late one Saturday night. We're told to be at the Nairobi's military airbase before dawn. "Bring our own flak jackets," we were told. In October, the Kenya defense forces surprised many by sweeping into Somalia to take on Al Shabaab, an Islamic militant group bent on overthrowing the weak transitional government. At first, the "spin" by generals and politicians was that it was a swift reaction to punish Al Shabaab for its suspected involvement in a series of kidnappings. But peering through the window of a rattling Mi-8 transport chopper, it is clear that what soldiers and security analysts have been telling us is true. The combat base on the Kenyan side of the border is well established -- an area of cleared ground dotted with orderly rows of tents and military hardware -- including artillery pieces. It's obvious the soldiers here have have been preparing for some time. This is no rescue posse thrown together. Kenya aims to obliterate Al Shabaab. "The reason for this campaign is to liberate the locals here from the rule of the Al Shabaab," Major Seif Said Rashid tells me, several magazines of ammo in his front pockets. "My troops are committed and they are out ready to sacrifice so that they are able to achieve the objective that has brought us here." The major says his biggest military challenge is that Al Shabaab's weakness is its strength. Militarily they couldn't match Kenya's firepower. But their small and mobile forces know the territory and terror. "The war here is a blend of both conventional and asymmetrical," he says, "and that poses some peculiar challenges." Not that the thrust of this front is being spearheaded by truly conventional forces. We are traveling with the 20th Parachute battalion -- an elite and sometimes-controversial group -- within the Kenyan army. With them are Somali militia and forces of the transitional government. Their uniforms are a bit more tatty -- but their firepower no less impressive. We drive into Somalia in Hummers and Armored Personnel Carriers-no passport control necessary. A maxim in Somalia, though, is that armies come and go. Skill and training often has little to do with it. The American military came and went in the 1990s (remember the film "Black Hawk Down"), U.N. peacekeeping forces made a hasty exit, Ethiopian ground forces took the capital and then left it, and Ugandan and Burundian soldiers have been fighting tooth and nail for Mogadishu for years. The Kenyan and Somali commanders on the front are very aware of their predicament. Winning the hearts and minds of the population will be a crucial step. But at the southern front line near Bur Gabo, a village perched right on the Indian Ocean, the elders say that it's gotten worse since the war came to their village. The charcoal trade has been suspended and fishing is discouraged by the military. There is little to put food on the table, they say. It would seem that speed is important, and Somali commanders say they hope to strike across the line "within a week." At the very front of the front line, a Kenyan paratrooper sits atop a Somali Technical (an SUV with a anti-aircraft gun bolted to the back). He peers across the river that marks the border between their territory and Al-Shabaab's. The soldiers say they are ready to go. | Kenyan forces have entered Somalia with the aim of taking on Al Shabaab .
The aim is to liberate locals from the rule of Al Shabaab, an Islamic militant group .
While Kenyan forces have the firepower, Al Shabaab know the terrain .
Commanders say they hope to strike across the line "within a week" |
100,217 | 0d20f6a2c085d12838946a7e526478590f9cbb49 | Museum Het Domein in the Netherlands. You might not think of frogs as pioneers of environmental activism. But American biologist and artist Brandon Ballengée has used deformities found in wild amphibians to highlight the damage we are inflicting on the planet. By chemically cleaning and staining terminally deformed frogs, Ballengée hopes to show how chemical run-off is harming natural wildlife. These images of deformed frogs by American artist Ballengée show how some animals are unable to grow the correct amount of limbs due to chemicals . As a biologist, Ballengée's research focuses on deformities in amphibians. The frogs were collected across the Americas, Australia, Asia and Europe. Enzymes were then used to make the tissues transparent.Injecting coloured dyes into the bones, tissues and deformities made them stand out. The specimens were then posed and imaged with a high-resolution scanner.Finally, the images were printed with water-based ink. This includes those found with more or less limbs than they should have. These mutations can be caused by chemical run-off from factories, which can wreak havoc on complex ecosystems. The chemicals make the frogs more susceptible to the invasion of violent parasites into their balanced ecosystems. Ballengée took his scientific research and combined it with his artistic talents to create the curious displays of art. 'These abnormalities are most likely caused by predatory injury or parasitic infection while the frogs were still tadpoles,' Ballengée told the Metro. 'Predators and parasites are natural, but environmental degradation appears to be increasing this phenomena.' The artistic works, known as Malamp: Reliquaries, are currently being shown at an exhibition in the Museum Het Domein in Sittard, . the Netherlands until June. Some of the frogs, including this Pacific tree frog from California, US can be seen to have additional limbs rather than missing limbs due to the mutations . Parasites can feed on young tadpoles and alter the growth of their limbs, creating deformed frogs . The entire project has taken Ballengée over 10 years to compile with the help of collaborators including Stanley K. Sessions, Peter R. Warny, Richard . Sunter and David M. Green. To find the deformed amphibians he headed to various wetlands and marshlands across the world including the UK and US. Each inch of every frog was then chemically cleaned and stained with a different colour to produce a beautiful medium for art. This colouring also helped scientists understand the nature of the deformations. From his research he found the culprit for some of the missing or excess limbs were a pair of parasites called dragonfly nymphs. A deformed English toad (left) from Yorkshire, UK and a North American green frog collected in New York, US are both seen to be missing limbs, possibly due to chemical waste . The frogs are thought to become more susceptible to parasites owing to chemical interference . Some of the frogs are seen to have an usually large number of limbs due to the mutations . These parasites feed on young tadpoles and alter the growth of their limbs. Ballengée and his partners, however, are convinced that chemical pollution has been a major contributor to the excessive deformities seen in the amphibians. Colouring the bones with enzymes revealed the unusual structure of the frogs . They believe unsavoury environment elements have increased infections and compromised immune systems, slowly debilitating the natural growth process and making the frogs more . susceptible to harmful parasites. Ultimately, Ballengée considers amphibians to . be biology's answer to the coal mine canary, a corner of life that needs to be . carefully observed to monitor our well-being. By depicting his findings as accessible art, Ballengée hopes he will be able to open the eyes of the world to the environmental issues that . concern us all. | Artist Brandon Ballengée has created art highlighting deformities in frogs .
The terminally deformed amphibians were chemically cleaned and stained to create the incredible effects .
But the deformities themselves are due to chemical waste that we have dumped into the environment .
The exhibit known as Malamp: Reliquaries is on display at the Museum Het Domein in Sittard, the Netherlands until Junet the Museum Het Domein in the Netherlands.Museum Het Domein in the Netherlands. |
260,899 | dde3ef5066ff20df2a77b036e68164940240aa93 | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 10:45 EST, 14 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:15 EST, 14 October 2013 . A deaf nine-year-old girl has defeated dozens of experienced gardeners to win first prize at a vegetable growing competition. Molly Smith came top in five out of 12 categories at this year's Houghton Feast in Tyne and Wear, including the award for the most points overall. The schoolgirl learned to grow enormous leeks and onions by spending time in the garden with her grandfather John Smith. Champion: Molly Smith has won several prizes for her vegetables at the Houghton Feast in Tyne and Wear . Impressive: Molly, who is profoundly deaf, was honoured for her giant leeks and onions . Gigantic: One of Molly's many awards was for the 9lb onion she grew in her garden . At the ancient festival Molly was given the prize for the heaviest onion, the best blanched leeks, and the best collection of vegetables. She also took the awards for top performance in the vegetable section, and for the most points in the whole competition. Molly, from West Boldon in South Tyneside, was presented with five trophies at the event. Her mother Jo Gibson said: 'It's great, she loves growing them. She is profoundly deaf so everything she knows she does by sight. She learns from watching people around her. Prestigious: Molly beat dozens of experienced gardeners to win the overall prize for most points, which was handed to her by the mayor of Sunderland Bob Heron . Proud: Molly, pictured with Mr Heron, has entered the show before but never won a prize . Keen: Molly frequently goes to visit her grandfather John in the garden and lend a helping hand . 'Molly is a bit of a granddad's girl, she goes to help him in the garden about three times a week. This is the first year she has won anything, so she is over the moon to have won so many awards.' The schoolgirl's grandmother Cathy Smith added: 'Nothing fazes her, she just gets on with it. She goes swimming, plays football and does cheerleading - she's very active. 'She has been gardening with her granddad since she was tiny. She has been going to Haughton Feast since she was a couple of weeks old. 'My husband idolises her, he has even bought her a boiler suit for the garden!' Achievement: This oversized cauliflower is one of the vegetables which helped Molly to victory . She knows her onions: Molly's vanquished opponents included dozens of pensioners . Houghton Feast dates back to the 12th century, and now runs for 10 days every year. It features traditional activities such as an ox roast, as well as more modern attractions like a fairground and carnival. | Molly Smith learned how to garden from her beloved grandfather .
Now the deaf schoolgirl has won five awards at the Houghton Feast .
Nine-year-old from Tyneside grows giant leeks, onions and cauliflowers . |
120,177 | 275088e0cbf53a55a4f313d5c6cfb4b5df69df64 | By . Anthony Hay . Follow @@Anthony_Hay . Tom Cruise took time out of his busy schedule to attend Ladies' Day at Glorious Goodwood on Thursday afternoon. The Mission Impossible actor decided to attend the annual event in Chichester, West Sussex during his time away from filming. Cruise, who was looking rather suave in his suit and sunglasses, was joined by Lord and Lady March. Dress to impress: Tom Cruise is pictured alongside Lord and Lady March at Glorious Goodwood . Ladies day: Race goers arrive at Goodwood during day three at the annual racing event in West Sussex . Celebrity watch: Cruise (left) and Michael Owen (right) were among the attendees at Glorious Goodwood . On track: Supermodel Edie Campbell wins The Magnolia Cup during charity event on Ladies' Day . Presentation: Hollywood actor Tom Cruise presents the winning trophy to supermodel Campbell . Good times: Cruise jokes around with his fellow race goers during his time at Glorious Goodwood . Former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Michael Owen was also pictured at the event. Racing fan Owen owns Brown Panther who will be running in the Goodwood Cup. Owen took to Twitter to reveal his horse is in 'great form' ahead of the showdown which takes place at 15:10. Confident: Owen believes his horse Brown Panther has a good chance of winning the Goodwood Cup . VIDEO Glorious Goodwood: King George 2013 . | Michael Owen's horse Brown Panther will race in the Goodwood Cup .
Tom Cruise was joined by Lord and Lady March at the West Sussex course . |
253,315 | d3e1545519dc2600e35ade1b6a235a7a7f114f49 | Humans have used pigeons to carry messages to desired locations for centuries, but how the birds find their way home has remained a mystery. Now experts believe they navigate using a gyroscope-like area in their brain. They say that the birds use their memory of the gravity field at their home to guide them home. Scientists believe that homing pigeons navigate using a type of gyroscope in their brain and use their memory of the gravity field at their home location to guide them back . Dr Hans-Peter Lipp of the University of Zurich in Switzerland and Kwazulu-Natal University in South Africa, said: ‘There is widespread agreement that pigeons are able to determine and maintain flight - compass - directions based on solar and magnetic cues.’ But no-one had previously explained how the birds determine their position. Previous studies have suggested that pigeons navigate using smells or magnetic fields. After decades of working with pigeons in the Swiss Army, Dr Lipp teamed up with Valeryi Kanevskyi, of the High-Technologies Institute in Ukraine. He said: ‘Valeryi had formulated a simplistic yet astonishing theory.’ The Ukrainian suggested that the birds use their memory of the gravity field at their home loft for guidance. Dr Lipp said: ‘I realised that he had solved the map problem by one simple assumption: birds must have a gyroscope in their brain.’ No-one had previously explained how the birds (stock image) determine their position. Previous studies have suggested that pigeons develop ‘map sense’ and navigate using smells, or a geomagnetic map . Scinetists believe that huge flocks of birds decide when to change direction in mid flight by using a kind of 'democratic hierarchy'. In 2010, a team from Britain and Hungary strapped tiny global position systems (GPS) to pigeons to work out how they operated as a well-ordered group rather than chaotic individuals. They recorded the flight paths of individual birds and then analysed interactions between them. Scinetists found that pigeon flocks use a flexible system of leadership where almost every member plays a part, but high-ranking birds have more power. To conduct their study, the researchers fitted miniature GPS loggers weighing less than one ounce into custom-made backpacks carried by flocks of up to 10 homing pigeons. The devices allowed scientists to analyse spatial and temporal relationships between birds and the movement decisions they made at the scale of a fraction of a second. 'These hierarchies are flexible in the sense that the leading role of any given bird can vary over time,' said Professor Dora Biro of the zoology department at Britain's Oxford University . 'This dynamic, flexible segregation of individuals into leaders and followers - where even the lower-ranking members' opinions can make a contribution - may represent a particularly efficient form of decision-making.' The scientists said more studies could help explain how such a sophisticated leadership system is able to give evolutionary advantage to individuals, compared with strategy based on a single leader or one where all members play an equal part. Their team published the discovery that homing pigeons are affected by disturbances in the gravity field, in the Journal of Experimental Biology. At the beginning of the experiment, the team set out to show that gravity anomalies - without geomagnetic contamination - would mislead pigeons. To do this, the scientists used a location in the Ukraine - a huge meteorite crater filled with sediment where gravity was weaker than usual. The researchers wondered whether crossing the edge of the crater could disrupt a pigeon’s gyroscope navigation system and send the birds off in the wrong direction. Pigeon fanciers in the nearby town of Novoukrainka trained birds and over a series of days, 26 birds fitted with lightweight GPS trackers, were released from the middle of the crater. Of the 18 birds that made it home safely, seven headed in the correct direction and managed to cross the edge of the crater without deviating much from the most direct route home. However, other birds that set off in random directions seemed to become disorientated at the edge of the crater and when they crossed a second gravity disturbance, lost their bearings again. The researchers compared the flight paths of the birds that encountered the gravity distortions with birds that had an unhindered return home. They found that the disturbed birds’ routes were much more widely dispersed than the unhindered groups and showed that the birds veered off most severely when they crossed the edge of the meteorite impact. The scientists believe that the birds initially set a bearing home by comparing their ‘home gyroscope setting’ with their ‘local gyroscope reading’. But some birds initially set the wrong bearing - taking several days to correct the error and return home – suggesting that they rarely use the alternative navigation strategy of regularly checking the difference between their actual and anticipated return routes. Dr Lipp hopes to learn more about the cellular mechanisms that allow the birds to detect the weak gravitational forces that keep them on the straight and narrow. Scientists used a location in the Ukraine - a huge meteorite crater filled with sediment where gravity was weaker than usual - near the town of Novoukrainka.The researchers wondered whether crossing the edge of the crater could disrupt a pigeon’s gyroscope navigation system and send the birds off in the wrong direction . A previous study showed that huge flocks of pigeons (pictured) decide when to change direction in mid flight by using a kind of 'democratic hierarchy' | Scientists conducted an experiment over a crater in the Ukraine with unusual gravity, to study the navigational systems of homing pigeons .
Study proved that gravity anomalies can disrupt pigeons' gyroscope navigation systems and send them in the wrong direction .
Experts believe birds first set a bearing home by comparing their ‘home gyroscope setting’ with their ‘local gyroscope reading’
How the birds find their way home was previously a mystery . |
237,994 | c00a3fe5d56015c62db180aa414307775b158e9c | Paedophilia is an illness and is linked to abnormalities in the brain’s white matter, according to one leading expert. Clinical psychologist James Cantor, studied MRI scans to look at the brains of paedophiles and believes that there is a literal ‘cross-wiring’ of the sexual response system and parental, nurturing system, in paedophiles' brains. He also noticed that people who are sexually drawn to children are more likely to be left-handed, less intelligent and shorter than average men. Scroll down for video . In another study, clinical psychologist James Cantor, (pictured) studied MRI scans to look at the brains of paedophiles and believes that there is a literal 'cross wiring' of paedophiles' sexual response system and parental, nurturing system, in their brains . Dr Cantor, of the University of Toronto, Canada, was surprised to find ‘huge differences’ in the white matter of paedophiles’ brains when compared to those of typical men. Talking on The Agenda with Steve Paikin, he explained he had expected to find differences in the brain’s grey matter, where major variations are often found. He said ‘nothing’s ever in the white matter,’ which he describes as ‘cabling tissue’ that links different parts of the brain together. Dr Cantor said that when men find women sexually attractive, they unconsciously lower their voices and widen their stance, whereas when they talk to children their voices become higher. He explained that instead of evoking the typical responses that men exhibit when seeing a child, ‘it’s as if [paedophiles’] responses are cross-wired’ so that when they see a child, their brain ‘triggers the sex response system instead of the parental, nurturing system’. A previous study by the University of Toronto, Canada, discovered 'huge differences' in the white matter of paedophiles' brains when compared to those of typical men. A cross section of a typical human brain, is pictured where the grey matter is stained blue . While the implications of his study are unclear and Dr Cantor does not suggest the cross-wiring could be fixed by an operation, he said his research adds to evidence that no man is in control of what he is sexually interested in. Dr Cantor also said that paedophiles tend to be between 10 and 15 IQ points lower than average and are typically 2.5cm shorter than a typical male. ‘Two-and-a-half centimetres in physiological terms in very, very large – double the effect we would see if a woman smoked when she was pregnant,’ he said. Interestingly, Dr Cantor also discovered that while 10 to 12 per cent of the Canadian population is left-handed, 30 to 35 per cent of paedophiles are left-handed. The only other groups that have similar left-handed rates are people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, he said. Dr Cantor noticed that people who are sexually drawn to children are more likely to be left-handed, less intelligent and shorter, than average men . He came to these conclusions by giving paedophiles different tasks from verbal and non-verbal tests to spelling exercises. Dr Cantor acknowledges that some people do exist who are evil and need to be kept out of society, but controversially thinks that this approach will not solve the problem of paedophiles attacking children. He believes mental health professionals should create situations where paedophiles can see a professional but stay anonymous, so that they can be treated with sex-reducing medication, counselling, group therapy, or any other appropriate treatments. He said that people’s gut reaction of immediately removing paedophiles from society is ‘making things worse rather than better’. ‘We need to be able to be dispassionate and clinical and think rationally about the situation, rather than give in to our instinct,’ he said. | Clinical psychologist Dr James Cantor, studied MRI scans to look at the brains of paedophiles .
He believes that there is a literal ‘cross-wiring’ of paedophiles’ sexual response system and parental, nurturing .
system in their brains .
The University of Toronto expert, also found that paedophiles are more likely to be left-handed, less intelligent and shorter, than the average man . |
144,102 | 4654712eacc61388393cf23ee93a01cb862b6fe5 | David 'Bumble' Lloyd offers his observations from the ICC Cricket World Cup. This time the former England batsman talks free trams, Steve Smith's strange dinner date and England's expectations. CO-HOSTS WITH THE MOST . I’ve been here a long time already working on the Big Bash and the Tri-series and I can tell you that Australia are an awesome side. I’ve been camped up in the fantastic city of Melbourne for the past two weeks where one of the attractions is that the trams are free (in the city centre) - which I’m sure will appeal to Nasser Hussain... Australia, here celebrating a wicket in their final warm-up against UAE, look to be an awesome side . Melbourne's trams are free of charge in the city centre, a cost Bumble says appeals to Nasser Hussain . SMITHY IS BATTY . Bumped into Steve Smith - who led Australia so well during Michael Clarke’s absence in their recent Test series against India - in a restaurant with his partner and would you believe he had his bat with him? He almost left it behind! I nearly took it but eventually called out to his young lady: ‘He’s left his bat!’ Aussies seem to take their bats everywhere. Run machine Steve Smith has such a close connection to his bat that he takes it out for dinner . COME ON ENGLAND! What about England? They’re not favourites but they are working their nuts off and reaching the semi-final would be a good effort. In their last game, against Pakistan, they hit only 250. Must do better. But all I can say is: ‘Come on England! And Scotland and Ireland, too.’ Eoin Morgan's England aren't favourites and it would be an achievement to reach the last four . | ICC Cricket World Cup co-hosts Australia are an awesome side .
The Aussies' stand-in Test skipper Steve Smith loves his bats .
For England to make the semi-final would be a good result . |
107,269 | 165ba1b382170a02e42c7ede7f7b78f0515beb11 | By . Craig Mackenzie . Last updated at 9:43 AM on 26th December 2011 . Kim Jong II's son was today reportedly in control of one of North Korea's highest decision-making bodies as he prepared to take power. Nine days after the death of his father, Kim Jong Un was named head of the key ruling Workers' Party Central Committee by the state newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Over the weekend he was hailed as the 'Supreme Leader' of the 1.2-million strong military and will be the third-generation Kim to rule the nation of 24 million. Leader in waiting: Kim Jong Il's heir Kim Jong Un visits Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang, to pay respects to his father . As the country continued official mourning until the funeral on Wednesday, two leading South Koreans have crossed the border to pay their respects to the dead dictator. Former South Korean First Lady Lee Hee-ho and Hyundai firm head Mrs Hyun Jung-Eun will spend two days in the country. South Korea has only allowed the two delegations to visit and pay condolences angering Pyongyang, which . has since warned of 'catastrophic consequences' for relations between the warring neighbours. But the two women have been given special . permission to pay their respects in person, because both families have . received personal condolences from the North in the past, according to . the BBC. Mourning: Kim Jong Un leads senior officers at Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang . Mrs Lee, 89, crossed the border with 56-year-old Mrs Hyu in a delegation of 18.They will visit Pyongyang's Kumsusan Memorial Palace where Kim's body is lying in state, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry. She said: 'I hope that our visit will help improve South-North relations.' Dictator: North Korean leader Kim Jong II who died on December 17 . Kim Jong Il's youngest son is in his late 20s and was unveiled 15 months ago as his father's choice as successor. Even as North Koreans braved icy weather to visit 'mourning stations' set up around the country, the state media were providing details about Kim Jong Un's rise to power. Koreans should become 'eternal revolutionary comrades' with him, 'the sun of the 21st century,' Rodong Sinmun said yesterday. State television also showed footage showing his uncle and key patron, Jang Song Thaek, wearing a military uniform with a general's insignia. He is normally dressed in a business suit and this is seen as the strongest indication he will play a crucial role in helping the young man hold a grip on power and inherit his father's trademark 'military-first' policy. Mourning: Crowds line up in Kim Il Sung Square to pay respects to the late North Korean leader Kim Jong II . Jang, a vice chairman of the powerful . National Defense Commission, is the husband of Kim Kyong Hui, younger . sister of Kim Jong Il and a key Workers' Party official. South Korean lawmakers say . intelligence officials have predicted that Jang and his wife will play . larger roles supporting Kim Jong Un. The North's state TV repeatedly showed footage yesterday of wailing uniformed soldiers, many with shaved heads, and other citizens professing their tear-choked longing for Kim Jong II. | Two leading South Koreans allowed to cross the border to mourn dictator . |
274,131 | ef104c7326bf34d60eea5307de9e25cdb4f7d36d | (CNN) -- A swarm of poisonous spiders has wreaked havoc in a remote town in northeast India, scaring its inhabitants and possibly killing two people. According to a report Sunday in The Times of India, a large number of spiders descended on the town of Sadiya in Assam as a local festival came to end on May 8 and sparked panic as residents tried to avoid the swarm. The report said that scores of people later visited the town's hospital with spider bites and a middle-aged man and a teenage boy died after being bitten by the spiders. The incident alarmed local officials who told residents to stay indoors and considered spraying the town with insecticide, the report said. Jintu Gogoi told The Times he felt excruciating pain and nausea after being bitten by one of the spiders and his finger was black and swollen. However, the attack has puzzled spider experts. Last month, LR Saikia and a team of researchers from Dibrugarh University visited the town to investigate what had happened. Saikia told CNN that he believed the man may have died from a snake bite, while the boy may not have suffered any bite at all. "The evidence that we gathered does not support the claim that they died after being bitten by spiders," Saikia said. Saikia added that the man's relatives appeared to have taken him to traditional spiritual healers instead of qualified doctors when symptoms appeared. He confirmed that about 12 people have visited hospitals in the area recently, complaining of spider bites. "Only two of them were confirmed bitten by spiders. But they were ordinary spiders," Saikia said. Investigators drew their conclusions from questioning relatives of the two dead people about the type of bite marks and symptoms, Saikia said. Some 20 spiders resembling tarantulas from the incident were handed over to investigators during their week-long stay. Tarantulas indigenous to the region are not known to be fatally venomous, but about five of the recovered spiders are currently undergoing tests. When asked if spiders were likely to have swarmed the town of just under 1,000 people, Saikia said, "This is just a story ... based on rumors." CNN's Harmeet Singh in Delhi contributed to this report . | Indian newspaper reports a spider attack on remote town .
Two people killed and scores bitten by tarantula-like spiders .
Expert questions whether deaths caused by spider bites .
Spiders collected from town are undergoing tests . |
103,883 | 120ee29999f6b4ec54395609f9e050ab2f385213 | By . Rob Waugh . PUBLISHED: . 07:38 EST, 6 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:41 EST, 6 April 2012 . var twitterVia = 'DailyMailUS'; . DM.has('shareLinkTop', 'shareLinks', { . 'id': '2126083', . 'title': 'Are you watching this, pandas? World\'s rarest duck breeds successfully in captivity, giving birth to 18 adorable fuzzy chicks (taking the total population to 40)\n', . 'url': 'http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2126083/Are-watching-pandas-Worlds-rarest-duck-breeds-successfully-captivity-giving-birth-18-adorable-fuzzy-chicks.html', . 'eTwitterStatus': 'Are%20you%20watching%20this,%20pandas?%20World\'s%20rarest%20duck%20breeds%20successfully%20in%20captivity,%20giving%20birth...%20http:\/\/bit.ly\/Hn6mzH%20via%20@' + twitterVia, . 'articleChannelFollowButton': 'DMAILscitech ' }); . 17 . View comments . Pandas might not find it easy, but after an anxious wait, the world’s rarest duck has bred successfully in captivity. Eighteen beautiful fuzzy chicks hatched - in a significant moment that could save the Madagascar pochard from extinction. The species was believed to have been extinct until its rediscovery by chance on a single small lake in northern Madagascar, where just 22 of the cinnamon-coloured diving duck are left in the wild. Scroll down for video . Four of 18 ducklings bred from the world's rarest duck, the Madagascar pochard . Conservationists said the species remains extremely vulnerable to extinction from single events such as pollution or disease outbreak. An emergency expedition two years ago saw eggs taken from the wild and reared in captivity at a specially built centre in Antsohihy on the island off the coast of Africa. Ducks successfully hatched from the eggs taken into captivity have now themselves bred, producing 18 ducklings which are being reared at the centre. Dr Glyn Young, a conservation biologist with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, one of the partners in the breeding programme, said: ‘The ducklings represent an incredible step forward in the fight to save the pochard from extinction. ‘Seven years ago, people thought this bird was already extinct and yet the discovery of one small population and now the arrival of these ducklings has led to real hope that the birds can one day flourish again.’ The Madagascar pochard was believed to have been extinct until its rediscovery by chance on a single small lake in northern Madagascar . Seven eggs bred from the world's rarest duck. Conservationists said the species remains extremely vulnerable to extinction from single events such as pollution or disease outbreak . Feeding time for eight of 18 ducklings, it was rediscovered by chance on a single small lake in northern Madagascar, where just 22 of the cinnamon-coloured diving duck are left in the wild . The conservation project, which also involves the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), the Peregrine Fund, Asity Madagascar and the Madagascan government, is studying the wild population to understand why it is declining and where the best place to release a captive bred group would be. Scientists have raised concerns that the birds appear to have a very low breeding success rate at Lake Matsaborimena, their last remaining wild site. Peter Cranswick, head of species recovery at WWT, said: ‘Although Lake Matsaborimena is the last hiding place for the ducks, it is far from ideal as a habitat. ‘Our initial investigations suggest there is too little food and this may be leading to the low survival of the ducklings; in effect, they are starving to death.’ Mr Cranswick said the team had identified some lakes where the physical conditions were potentially right for the pochards. But as fishing is thought to be a factor in their decline and local communities depend on fishing, the success of a reintroduction scheme depends on gaining local support and finding a solution that benefits both locals and the birds. | Species thought to be extinct but found in pond in Madagascar .
Only 22 specimens alive - but now 18 chicks have been born .
'Incredible step forward in saving Pochard from extinction,' say scientists . |
281,602 | f8cb9e4515c4ade7ffb329968a71c43d86fb4dd4 | A Northern California woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to multiple road-rage charges before asking the judge to set her bail at $100, all the while grimacing and gesticulating wildly in court. Dierdre Orozco, 50, is accused of trying to run two young women off I-80 north of Sacramento Saturday. Days earlier, she had been arrested and released because of another road-rage incident. Scroll down for video . All smiles: Dierdre Orozco, 50, was grinning in court Tuesday as she pleaded guilty to a slew of charges in connection to two separate road rage incident . Bizarre antics: The woman at one point pretended to steer a wheel while in court . Facing justice: The 50-year-old grimaced wildly and pretended to smoke an imaginary joint (left) The victims of Saturday's event filmed Orozco yelling and honking as she swerved her huge silver Ford Explorer Sport Trac pickup truck into the women's tiny Mazda. At one point, the dramatic video shows Orozco pulling her car in front of the victims — forcing them to stop — and claiming to be a highway deputy. Orozco, of Santa Clara, was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of false imprisonment, unlawful use of a badge, reckless driving and resisting arrest. At her initial court appearance Tuesday, the woman sat in her red jail garb flashing smiles and making odd gestures. KCRA cameras inside the courtroom captured the moment Orozco pretended to steer a wheel, made the horns gesture with her hand and pretended to smoke a joint and take a swig out of an imaginary bottle. Orozco's bail was initially set at $250,000, but the figure did not sit well with the woman. As the prosecutor was asking to raise the amount to $500,000, Orozco chimed in, asking the judge to 'put it at $100.' After spending the hearing pulling faces and playing with her hands, Orozco finally got a chance to speak, telling the court she would like her case to be handled in 'the most expeditious way.' The four people involved in the two separate road-rage incidents have sought a restraining orders against Orozco. Caught on video: Deidre Orozco, 50, is seen pushing two young women in California off the road and then blocking their path with her huge silver truck . Orozco got out of her vehicle and tried to convince the victims that she was a highway deputy (left). She was later arrested by the real cops and booked on traffic charges for the second time in five days (right) The Highway Patrol said the Saturday incident began after Mazda passenger Delanie Strykul made a rude gesture because Orozco’s Ford Explorer had been tailgating. Strykul said the woman cut them off twice, then slowed down to drive alongside their car. 'When she did that, I threw up my hands and flipped her off,' Strykul told CBS Sacramento. That got Orozco enraged, said Strykul and her companion, who 'feared for their lives.' 'She pulls in front of us and then pulls her car horizontal and stops us,' Strykul told CBS. The young woman frantically called the California Highway Patrol while keeping her phone camera rolling, recording the confrontation. ‘She just hit our car. She just hit our car. She's pushing us off of the road. Yes, she's pushing us off the road. She's coming for us,’ Strykul tells a CHP dispatcher on the video, her voice shaking. ‘Please help us.’ The video shows the Explorer forcing their Mazda onto the shoulder as the Mazda's driver screams. ‘I could not believe this was real. I was sitting there going, 'This has to be a joke," Strykul told The Associated Press on Tuesday. At one point, Orozco emerges from her truck and repeatedly knocks on Strykul's window and flashes an ID card claiming to work in law enforcement. Investigators said the badge was actually an ID card for a national chain of senior centers called Visiting Angels. Passenger Delanie Strykul (left) filmed the scary incident with Orozco and was eventually able to find the real cops to assist her (right) The young women manage to pull away — but Orozco gets back in the truck and begins to follow them. 'She did the whole zig-zag in three lanes with her flashers on, kind of like what a police officer would do if they were trying to slow down traffic,' Strykul told CBS. They eventually were directed to an interstate exit where a highway patrolman was waiting to make the arrest. Five days earlier, Orozco had been arrested for an alleged hit-and-run in nearby Roseville. After the accident, police told the Auburn Journal, Orozco proceeded to drive to her friends’ house where she threw rocks through the windows, vandalizing the home and threatening to kill the people inside. | California driver Dierdre Orozco, 50, is back in jail after she attempted to run two young women off I-80 near Sacramento .
Five days earlier, she had been arrested for another hit-and-run .
The victims say they 'feared for their lives' as Orozco swerved in and out of traffic to get their car to stop .
When the victims stopped, Orozco faked being a cop and demanded the women roll their window down . |
87,449 | f81949e08aa0810778dcc7ce94d027677e8d37ba | By . MailOnline Reporter . The tweens on New England's Cumberland American team were left devastated Monday after a close loss in the Little League World Series. But coach Dave Belisle wasn't about to let his boys feel like losers. 'Heads . up high, heads up high, I’ve gotta see your eyes, guys,' the coach told his players in a moving speech following the team's 8-7 defeat to Chicago's Jackie Robinson West. 'There’s no . disappointment in your effort — in the whole tournament, the whole . season. It’s been an incredible journey,' he continued, in footage captured by ESPN. 'We fought. Look at the score – 8-7, 12-10 in hits. 'We came to the last out. We didn’t quit. That’s us! Boys, that’s us!' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Cumberland coach David Belisle encourages pitcher CJ Davock (left) and catcher Trey Bourque during the fifth inning of their last Little League World Series game . Several players sobbed and cried as coach Belisle delivered his speech . Belisle's team listens in as the coach tells them to keep their heads up high and feel proud of their accomplishments in the World Series . Several of the players sobbed as the coach delivered his speech. Some had tears in their eyes. But, Belisle told his team, there was only one reason to feel down. 'The only . reason why I’ll probably end up shedding a tear is that this is the last . time I’m going to coach you guys,' Belisle said. 'But I’m going to bring back with me, . the coaching staff is going to bring back, you guys are going to bring . back that no one other team can provide — that’s pride. Pride.' The . team captivated the attention of their hometown of Cumberland, Rhode . Island, and were representing New England after winning the regional . tournament. Belisle had already stood out with his kind words of encouragement when his players were struggling, CBS Boston reported. On Monday, he took the mound just to congratulate his pitcher on a 'job well done' after he appeared to have given up. Even . Stephen Keener, the CEO of Little League international, said Belisle was . 'one of the finest examples of a Little League coach I've ever seen.' Winners: Coach Belisle wasn't about to let his team feel down about their 8-7 defeat, delivering a powerful speech to his Little Leaguers . Runs in the family: Coach Belisle's son John shows his sportsmanship as he congratulates Chicago's Pierce Jones, who led a solo homerun in his team's defeat of the Cumberland Americans . The Cumberland Americans circle around their coach for a team hug . 'It’s probably going to take them about 10 minutes, and I’ll go back there and they’ll be in the game room,' Belisle told the Providence Journal afterward. 'I think they’ll get a little bit melancholy when they go back home and . get off the bus. It’s all going to hit and they’ll say "Wow, we really . did something special."' The coach added, 'They definitely learned what the word pride is.' 'I got a lot of attention here for how I coach,' Belisle said. 'It’s . easy for me to coach like that when you have such wonderful kids that . dedicate themselves, that respect you as much as I respect them.' 'Heads . up high. Heads up high. I’ve gotta see your eyes, guys. There’s no . disappointment in your effort — in the whole tournament, the whole . season. It’s been an incredible journey. 'We fought. Look at the score – 8-7, 12-10 in hits. We came to the last out. We didn’t quit. That’s us! Boys, that’s us! 'The only . reason why I’ll probably end up shedding a tear is that this is the last . time I’m going to coach you guys. But I’m going to bring back with me, . the coaching staff is going to bring back, you guys are going to bring . back that no one other team can provide – that’s pride. Pride. 'You’re . going to take that for the rest of your lives, what you provided for the . town of Cumberland. You had the whole place jumping, right? You had the . whole state jumping. You had New England jumping. You had ESPN jumping. OK? 'You want . to know why? They like fighters. They like sportsmen. They like guys who . don’t quit. They like guys who play the game the right way. If everyone . would play baseball like the Cumberland Americans, this would be the . greatest game. 'The . lessons you guys have learned along the journey, you’re never going to . forget. We’re going to have some more fun. We have two more days of fun. When you walk around this ballpark in the next couple of days, they’re . going to look at you and say: “Hey, you guys were awesome!" 'Everybody has said: You guys are awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Absolutely awesome. 'It’s OK . to cry, because we’re not going to play baseball together anymore. But . we’re going to be friends forever. Friends forever. Our Little League . careers have ended on the most positive note that could ever be. OK? Ever be. 'There’s . only going to be one team that’s going to walk out of here as World . Series champions. Only one. We got down to the nitty-gritty. We’re one . of the best teams in the world. Think about that for a second. In the . world! Right? 'So, we . need to go see our parents, because they’re so proud of you. One more . thing. I want a big hug. I want everyone to come in here for one big . hug. One big hug, then we’re going to go celebrate. Then we’re going to . go back home to a big parade. 'I love . you guys. I’m gonna love you forever. You’ve given me the most precious . moment in my athletic and coaching career, and I’ve been coaching a long . time – a looooong time. I’m getting to be an old man. I need memories . like this, I need kids like this. You’re all my boys. You’re the boys of . summer. 'So, for the last time, we’re going to yell Americans: One, two three – Americans!” 'OK. Good job. Let’s go. Time to go.' —Transcribed by the Providence Journal. | Coach Dave Belisle, of New England's Cumberland American, shared moving words with his team after an 8-7 defeat .
His players were heartbroken after the loss, but Belisle told them: 'It's been an incredible journey' |
88,745 | fbe19a4a0d91dd7ce724ce0a351f90339fcedd80 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- Editor's note: Watch Tarantino talking about the making of "Pulp Fiction" on The Screening Room podcast. To receive regular movie podcasts subscribe here. Quentin Tarantino's first trip to Sundance wasn't exactly a success. Tarantino's hyper-violent, super cool debut feature "Reservoir Dogs" scorched audiences and critics alike when it came out in 1992. "If you do this in real life, they're going to fire your ass," scolded cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt, veteran of films like "Lethal Weapon" and "Charlie Wilson's War." The novice filmmaker was participating in a directors' workshop at the Sundance Institute -- the film trust founded by Robert Redford which also runs the Sundance Film Festival. Unfortunately, Tarantino's mentors were just not feeling his experimental approach. The following week, a new group of mentors arrived, including ex-Monty Python member and filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Tarantino and his editor steeled themselves for the inevitable disapproval: "Then Terry Gilliam comes in and goes 'Oh, your scene. Just great!'" recalls the director. He is talking at the Cannes Film Festival Cinema Masterclass, following in the illustrious footsteps of directors like Wong Kar Wai, Sydney Pollack and Martin Scorsese. "It was just like, you know what, that's gonna be my career. People are gonna either really like me or they're really not and just get f***ing used to it 'cause this is the deal," Tarantino says. A second visit to Sundance in 1992 proved more fruitful. His debut feature, "Reservoir Dogs," a sassy, hyper-violent gangster movie, was the hit of the year. French film critic and regular on the European film festival circuit, Michel Ciment still remembers the effect it had on him when it showed at Cannes later that year: "It was a big shock. I remember it was the most striking new American film since 'Mean Streets' 30 years before." Despite the impact of his droll, assured debut, Tarantino recalls being convinced he was going to get fired in the first two weeks of production. "I just thought it was too good to be true. I couldn't help but think something like 'they don't let people like me make movies,'" he says, laughing. Follow-up movie "Pulp Fiction" was awarded the coveted Palm D'Or at Cannes two years later, cementing his reputation as a movie-maker to be reckoned with. It was filled with the dark humor and bloody violence that would become known as Tarantino trademarks. The B-movie-obsessed director admits to getting a kick out of creating humor in inappropriate situations. "I'm trying to get you to laugh at things you've never laughed at before," he explains. He cites his "bigtime" influences as movie brats like Martin Scorsese and Brian De Palma, as well as Sergio Leone and Howard Hawks. In person, he is a great raconteur and his expletive-littered speech is not a million miles away from the dialogue that's so central to his movies. "I tend to think of myself as more of a novelist who makes movies than a director per se," he declares. But he dismisses his apparent love of language as a product of writing for acting classes: "I started writing as an actor and it was all about dialogue and writing scenes to do." Before moving into directing, Tarantino studied acting for six years and says learning to act for the camera gave him an insight into how directors put a movie together -- frame by frame. That was what really taught him how to write for the movies. "All of a sudden I started seeing [film] in a whole different way. When you start doing that, then it's only a few short steps until you start composing shots of your own," he explains. Tarantino has shown himself to be one of the most music-savvy directors of this generation with his use of songs like "Little Green Bag" by the George Baker Selection in the opening sequence of "Reservoir Dogs" and Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" in "Kill Bill Vol. 1." He, not immodestly, puts that skill down to his great music collection. "The thing is, I have one of the best soundtrack collections in America," he boasts. That probably accounts for his scathing determination never to use film composers: "I don't trust any composers to do it. I would just never give anybody that kind of responsibility," he says, "Who the f*** is this guy coming in here, throwing their s*** all over my movie?" And he admits that his inner film buff enjoys the cornerstones of action cinema that some of his later movies have explored. "I love action scenes, but they are hard, and in a way that's what's fun about them. These cool little puzzles. To me, action scenes are some of the most cinematic moments that you can do in film," he says. "Kill Bill Vol. One" and "Kill Bill Vol. Two," starring Tarantino muse and Hollywood A-lister Uma Thurman, are his movie-geek nod to the kung fu genre. When he started filming "Vol. One," Tarantino hadn't made a film for six years and with typical chutzpah challenged himself to choreograph astonishingly intricate fight scenes. "If I throw my hat in the ring with the greatest action directors who ever lived ... I wanna be as good as them," he asserts. He continues to work his way through his action movie checklist. In his latest movie, "Death Proof," a homage to sleazy 70s B-movies that stars Kurt Russell as a murderous stuntman, he puts his own spin on another of action film's fundamentals -- the car chase. Tarantino is critical of CGI being used so much in film today. All the seat-grippingly tense stunts in "Death Proof" are real and he specifically cast a stuntwoman, Zoe Bell, in one of the leading roles to achieve this. It may have been ambitious, but "Death Proof," which is one half of "Grindhouse," a B-movie-referencing double bill he made with fellow director Robert Rodriguez, got a critical mauling and didn't fare much better at the box office. But then Tarantino has long been resigned to people either loving or hating his movies. | "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill" director Quentin Tarantino talks about his films .
Tarantino realised early in his career audiences would either love or hate his films .
The movie geek's second film "Pulp Fiction" won the Palm D'Or at Cannes .
On his style: "I'm trying to get you to laugh at things you've never laughed at before" |
259,776 | dc5585bc7ac15764b3174da9e17917a7baec8096 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Going food shopping with your mother was only ever truly fun if you could ride along in the cart, and the animal kingdom is no different as these anteaters show. The exhausted baby giant anteater ensured it got a much-needed piggyback from its mother as the hunt for food gets all too much. The peculiar little animal slumped onto its mother to hitch a ride as she dug through the earth in search of ants and termites for dinner. Hurry up mum: Tired of hunting for food, the baby anteater has climbed up onto the back of its mother . Can we go home now? The strange-looking animals were photographed in the Pantanal wetlands in Brazil . Grand moves: The giant anteater is also known as the ant bear due to its large size and can be found across central South America . Young anteaters often travel on their . mothers’ backs, using their large claws to climb up their parents' thick . fur where they are cleverly camouflaged from predators. The one-foot-long baby was dwarfed by its mother, which measured around nine feet from nose to tail. The pair were snapped by Mario Haberfeld in Pantanal, an area of wetlands in the mid-west of Brazil. Mr . Haberfeld, 37, a former racing driver who now runs a jaguar . conservation project, was visiting the region with his son when they . stumbled across the scene. Dinner time: The giant anteater is an insectivore and uses its tongue to eat ants and termites . Are we there yet? A baby anteater normally stays with its mother until it is nine or ten months old, after which they wander off independently . Safe haven: Baby anteaters use their large claws to climb up their parents' thick fur and onto their backs where they are cleverly camouflaged from predators . He said: ‘I was in the Pantanal wetlands in mid-west Brazil working on my jaguar conservation project. ‘One day I was walking with my son Roberto and we came across a giant anteater with its baby on its back. ‘Giant anteaters have terrible eyesight and as long as you stay upwind of them you can get quite close to them. ‘We . slowly walked over to the anteater until we were about six feet from . it. They are very docile creatures and it just kept going about its . business, looking for ants.' Score: The mother dives down, nose first, after finding insects in a small bush on the Pantanal wetlands . Heading back: Having eaten, the mother looks to find a safe place where she in turn can feed her baby . He added: ‘Giant . anteaters have very long nails and the adults have thick fur, so the . baby had just clambered up onto its mum's back for a rest. ‘I . have been going to the region for ten years and sights like this are . not uncommon. It seems that as long as the babies are small enough, the . mums are happy to have them on their backs.’ The giant anteater is also known as the ant bear due to its size and is the largest of the four species of anteaters. They have one of the longest tongues per body size in the animal kingdom, measuring more than two feet long. They are native to Central and South America and live in a range of different environments from grassland to rainforest. | Mother anteater gave its tiny baby a ride on her back .
The pair were photographed in the Pantanal wetlands, west Brazil . |
285,832 | fe5c0497813f6fc986afc423b39b3ea842619b2b | (CNN) -- For some people, it's been an open question: Is six seconds, the limit before a Vine video starts looping over and over again, enough time for real creativity? The answer is yes. About 24 hours into the existence of Vine, Twitter's appropriately brief video-sharing app, it's already clear that users are doing really cool stuff with it -- in much the same way that people found ways to be funny or insightful with just 140 characters of text. Sure, a lot of the Vine posts we're seeing are random images of crap on people's desks, their lunches or their cats. (Would it really be the Internet without cats?) But why focus on the negative when you can accentuate the positive? Here are a few of the most interesting Vines we've seen so far. Let us know of ones we missed in the comments. . | Twitter's video-sharing app, Vine, launched Thursday .
Already, some folks are finding ways to be creative with it .
From Jimmy Fallon to the Australian Open, Vine clips are flooding Twitter . |
132,098 | 36d74708fabb4ce6f78694014d4c820983b64d87 | "We were shouting for help, but nobody listened," said Muhammad Iqbal about the slaying of his pregnant 25-year-old wife, Farzana Parveen, at the hands of her relatives, who gathered to kill her in front of a courthouse in Lahore, Pakistan. More than 20 members of the woman's family stoned her to death for the "crime" of "dishonoring" her family by choosing to marry someone she loved rather than a husband her family had chosen. A police officer said "one family member made a noose of rough cloth around her neck while her brothers smashed bricks into her skull." Social media immediately picked up on the horrific and very public killing. #Farzana became a hashtag that provoked a conversation about the crime of so-called "honor killings" and society's tolerance and the police's alleged indifference to it. Suddenly a crime that not long ago would barely have elicited a headline was now a source of conversation and consternation among those on social media both within and outside Pakistan. And discussion about the slaying turned up another grim fact: Iqbal told CNN he killed his first wife so he could be free to propose to Farzana. The #Farzana hashtag comes on the public heels of another long-known and rarely noted issue that caught fire in the public's imagination and provoked a storm of well-deserved outrage: the kidnapping of schoolgirls in northern Nigeria by the militant group Boko Haram. A Nigerian lawyer created the #bringbackourgirls hashtag to call attention to the mass abduction of young women who gathered at school to take their exams. Once the word got out, people around the world began talking about the issue over social media. Reporters and politicians rushed to follow their lead, and discussions about girls' education and the crimes of Boko Haram at last punctured public indifference. In America, another horrific crime unleashed a gush of online discourse. This time it was a 22-year-old man on a quest for what he called his "day of retribution," when he would torture and kill "good-looking people" before launching a "war on women" to punish girls and women who he said had "starved (him) of sex." The misogyny in the killer's more than 100-page diatribe led women to begin using the #Yesallwomen hashtag to push forward a conversation on Twitter and Facebook and Tumbler about the rarely discussed though frequently experienced issues of violence against women, from sexual assault to harassment to domestic brutality. The #Yesallwomen hashtag went global and began trending on Twitter. Once again the mainstream media picked it up from there and followed the lead of women who had had enough of crimes and abuses perpetrated against them to speak publicly on the toll they have taken on their lives. Yet, for all the hashtag consciousness-raising and social media meet-ups of the like-minded the question remains: Will what happens in cyberspace stay there? Or will online outrage lead to real world change? Will crimes committed against women and girls across the globe finally come to be seen as harming and hampering not just women, but the communities in which they live? Much could be done if online activism led to real-life campaigning for concrete progress, such as: . -- Enacting and enforcing laws to protect girls as young as 8 and 9 from being married against their will . -- Providing aid and incentives to keep girls in schools -- built near their homes -- and to combat traditions that keep them out of the classroom . -- Pushing for more stringent laws in the United States and abroad to punish traffickers rather than children . -- Highlighting as role models the many fathers and brothers who value their daughters and allow them to pursue their futures unfettered, sometimes at the risk of their own safety and standing in society . And these are only the start. The hashtag activism and social media outrage is an important start to addressing issues to which the world for so long had remained indifferent. But it is just one step. It falls to each of us to see whether all the talk about the power of women and girls and the shame of harming them translates into on-the-ground change. The stakes are high -- for all of us. | In Pakistan, a pregnant woman who wanted to marry for love was killed by relatives .
Gayle Lemmon: In Nigeria, as well as U.S., we see crimes and hatred against women .
She says the hashtag activism and social media outrage is a start, but it's not enough .
Lemmon: There should be laws that can protect girls and punish abusers . |
240,351 | c32844c7885210d186b1b9f836df479f7a3b96f2 | (CNN) -- Five years ago, to show her gratitude for U.S. troops serving overseas, teenager Kaylee Radzyminski started sending them donated CDs and DVDs. The project grew into her nonprofit, Tunes 4 the Troops, and she was recognized as a CNN Hero in 2008. At the time, she and her team had collected and shipped 200,000 discs. This week, Tunes 4 the Troops celebrated a major milestone when it prepared its 1 millionth disc for shipment. Radzyminski, now 19 and on an Army ROTC scholarship at Tennessee Tech University, spoke with CNN's Danielle Berger about reaching this goal. Danielle Berger: Did you do anything special to mark this milestone? Kaylee Radzyminski: We had a very special guest. One of the guitarists from Lynyrd Skynyrd (Mark Matejka) showed up at our packing party to actually pack the 1 millionth CD. The CD was actually a Lynyrd Skynyrd CD, and he signed it to the troops. Berger: Where will these discs be headed? Radzyminski: These CDs and DVDs will be going places all over the world. I know for a fact that we have boxes going to the Horn of Africa, which many people don't know (that) we do have troops there. They'll be going to Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of the boxes are going to military hospitals in Germany. These CDs are going to all four military branches. They're going to everybody, because they all serve our country and are all greatly appreciated. Berger: Why was it important to you to continue this work when you went on to college? Radzyminski: With all the hard work that I had put in, I wanted to make sure it would continue after graduation from high school. The troops have always had a special place in my heart. I'd do anything for them ... because they sacrifice so much. Even when I graduate (college), there will still be troops serving overseas. When I graduate, I'll be one of them. Berger: Tunes 4 the Troops is now based at Tennessee Tech. How does it work? Radzyminski: Tunes 4 the Troops is part of the Service Learning Center here at the university, so there's basically a staff and student workers who volunteer for community service hours that are able to work on Tunes 4 the Troops. So this way, Tunes 4 the Troops will be able to continue even once I graduate. It's a wonderful feeling. I'm very grateful for Tennessee Tech University. If I could do Tunes 4 the Troops all over again, there's absolutely nothing I would change, because it has made a difference in so many people's lives. Berger: Around the holidays last year, Tunes 4 the Troops was included in a story on CNN.com about ways people could donate to charities without giving money. Did you see much response? Radzyminski: After the CNN article on the 12 ways of giving, we got an increase in donations that helped us reach our 1 million goal. That was definitely one of the big things that helped us knock six months off our goal of collecting 1 million CDs and DVDs. (And) we got some local artists and major record labels to donate as well. It got the word out there that we are still doing this. To donate to Tunes 4 the Troops, visit its website at www.tunes4thetroops.org. To read the original story about Radzyminski, visit her archive page at CNNHeroes.com. | Kaylee Radzyminski, a 2008 CNN Hero, is still shipping CDs and DVDs to U.S. troops .
Her nonprofit, Tunes 4 the Troops, is about to send its 1 millionth disc overseas .
The group is run out of Tennessee Tech University, the school Radzyminski attends .
Radzyminski says she'll soon be a soldier herself; she's on an Army ROTC scholarship . |
183,907 | 7a37e591a3250e5791f1238e0092e728decf7100 | (CNN) -- The hospital where actor Gary Coleman died said Thursday it confirmed his former wife had legal authority to authorize his doctor to disconnect his life support last week. Coleman's parents are working with lawyers to gain custody of his body, their spokesman told CNN. Coleman divorced Shannon Price in 2008, but he signed a document giving her power to make the decision, according to a statement from the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. "Mr. Coleman had completed an Advanced Health Care Directive that granted Shannon Price permission to make medical decisions on his behalf if he was unable to do so," said the statement, which Price authorized. Coleman's attorney confirmed for CNN that the couple divorced nearly two years ago, but he did not know if they had remarried since then. Coleman, 42, and Price, 24, were living together in Santaquin, Utah, when he suffered a fatal fall last week. "An Advanced Health Care Directive remains in effect regardless of a patient's marital status, unless modified by the patient," the hospital statement said. The document was in effect when the decision to remove Coleman from life support was made last Friday, the hospital said. Coleman suffered from a brain hemorrhage from a fall at his home on May 26. He died two days later after he was removed from life support, a hospital spokeswoman said. While he appeared "lucid and conscious" Thursday morning, his condition worsened by the afternoon, leaving him unconscious and on life support, she said. He died Friday after he was removed from life support, she said. His parents, who live in Chicago, are hoping to learn more about how their son died, their spokesman, Victor Perillo, said. SInce Coleman was not married when he died, they believe they have a right to his remains, Perillo said. They are working with a lawyer to get the paperwork done so Coleman can be transported to Chicago, he said. Coleman is best known as the wisecracking youngster Arnold on TV's "Diff'rent Strokes" from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. "There was a touch of magic and a different stroke in Gary Coleman," said TV legend Norman Lear, who produced the show. "He was the inspiration behind his show's title." CNN's Brittany Kaplan and Jack Hannah contributed to this report. | Lawyer: Gary Coleman and Shannon Price divorced in 2008 .
Hospital: Coleman gave Price written authority to make medical decisions .
Coleman, 42, died two days after fall at home . |
88,492 | fb26e935bdae287813cb1e26126f32882cccf437 | (CNN) -- It's time for some tiger cubs to approvingly roar for our strict parents, their domineering ways and their inflexibly high standards. The current depiction of tiger parenting is decidedly negative. Kim Wong Keltner's book on "Tiger Babies Strike Back" and Su Yeong Kim's report "Does Tiger Parenting Exist? Parenting Profiles of Chinese Americans and Adolescent Developmental Outcomes" suggest that strict Asian-style parenting produces an army of disengaged or emotionally stunted robots. While I can't speak for everyone, my own experience suggests that such upbringing also gives us the smarts to recognize our emotional and social deficiencies and to address them. My parents are immigrants from Taiwan. I was an only child, and I was expected to excel academically and extracurricularly. So, I delivered. I got straight A's. I played violin for hours. I did extra math, chemistry and physics problem sets under the eagle-eyed gaze of my mother. Through it all, I cried and screamed. A lot. My mom yelled back. A lot. I told her I hated my life, my teachers, my school and all my activities. She yelled that I just had to get through it. Quitting was not an option. And of course she was right. Opinion: Tiger moms, don't turn your kids into robots . I owe everything I am and have accomplished to my parents. My family expected a lot from me only because they believed in me and wanted the best for me. They pushed me to excel because they valued me as an individual. Tiger parents express their love through expectation of greatness, not in acceptance of mediocrity. Some people interpret such expectation as parental rejection of their worth as individuals. I always interpreted such crushing expectation as the ultimate belief in my self-worth. I knew that I was not being set up to fail. My mother did not push me to excel because she prized my accomplishments more than my feelings. She listened to my feelings, but she also knew that my teenage feelings were volatile and irrational. She knew better than to let my future be derailed by such feelings. My mother also knows that life has many obstacles, some external, many internal. She loved me too much to let me give up easily when confronted with those obstacles. For that I am eternally grateful. I gained confidence and resilience from tackling my endless workload and from fighting through sleep deprivation. I knew that I was capable of getting through seemingly impossible situations. I knew that if I failed, then I just had to try harder. Failure is not a permanent state, but merely a temporary challenge that had to be tackled creatively. The knock against tiger parenting style is that it does not foster emotional and social development. Well, it partly comes down to expressing love and affection differently. Tiger parents may not often say "I love you," but actions speak louder than words. My family never would have spent the time, money and effort—not to mention the emotional energy—on me if they did not love me. They never said this, of course. But I knew. Sure, my mother viewed socializing with others as a waste of time. She wanted me to be valedictorian, not homecoming queen. I didn't attend my homecoming. I was probably studying or working on my science project. Now, I readily acknowledge that there is great value in socializing with others, and that my current social skills probably would be better if I had more time to hang out at the mall or at Denny's. But childhood hours are limited. Each child only has about 157,680 hours before he/she turns 18. The opportunity cost of being an accomplished child is that it takes away time from making friends and nurturing relationships. For me, the tradeoff was worth it. There are skills that can only be learned in childhood. It is hard for a student to catch up academically if she is significantly behind in high school. But someone can become more self-aware, work on social skills and learn negotiating tactics later in life. Without the skills and expertise that is a result of excelling, I would never have the chance to sit at the important tables to participate in the discussions, no matter how great my social skills. I value my tiger cub upbringing mostly for the tools it gives me to make a difference in my community. I know plenty of grown up tiger cubs who tutor at-risk youth, advocate for the disadvantaged, and generally strive to improve the world. Our childhood accomplishments enable us to meaningfully contribute to our communities. And isn't that where self-awareness and proper socialization lead us all? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Grace Liu. | Grace Liu: Some suggest that tiger parenting style produces emotionally stunted kids .
Liu: It's time for some tiger cubs to approvingly roar for our strict and demanding parents .
She says by working hard as a child, one can gain confidence, resilience and smarts .
Liu: With self awareness, one can learn social skills and negotiating tactics later in life . |
138,387 | 3efac1c64cfb333d5a5c2a0fb44dbee56dd3cd73 | London (CNN) -- The election of Jorge Bergoglio as Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church and spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, has dominated CNN.com's coverage over the past 24 hours. You can read all about the first Latin American pope here. But while all eyes were on the Vatican, watching for the white smoke that signalled the announcement, there was plenty going on elsewhere. Here are five stories you may have missed while you were getting to know the new pontiff. 1. Xi Jinping was formally named as China's new president, as part of the country's once-in-a-decade leadership change. Xi, who took over as General Secretary of the Communist Party four months ago, replaces outgoing president Hu Jintao. Xi's new role was rubber-stamped in a vote by 3,000 deputies at the National People's Congress. China's premier, Wen Jiabao, is also stepping down as part of the leadership overhaul; he will be replaced by Li Keqiang. 2. Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu formed a new government following weeks of negotiations. Netanyahu and his conservative Likud Beitenu Party forged a coalition deal with centrists and ultra-conservatives, which excludes ultra-religious parties. The ultra-orthodox Shas Party will join the Labor Party on the opposition benches of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, while former opposition leader and government minister Tzipi Livni makes a return to government, as the coalition's Justice Minister. 3. Plans to embalm the body of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and put it on public display like Lenin and Mao Zedong appear to have hit a snag, with acting president Nicolas Maduro admitting the process might be "quite difficult." Maduro reported that scientists had said "the decision should have been taken much earlier," though it is not clear why. He insisted, though, that Chavez, who died earlier this month after a battle with cancer, would always remain in the country's collective memory. 4. One of the leaders of Cambodia's brutal Khmer Rouge died while on trial for war crimes at a U.N. tribunal. Ieng Sary, who served as foreign minister of the regime, was the brother-in-law of infamous dictator Pol Pot. Ieng Sary's passing, at the age of 87, leaves just two defendants facing judgment by the tribunal investigating the actions of the Khmer Rouge, which terrorized Cambodia in the 1970s, killing more than one million people. 5. The bloated carcasses of 6,000 pigs were found in China's Huangpu River, sparking health fears over contamination, after traces of porcine circovirus were found in a water sample. Sanitation workers, clad in masks and plastic suits, were called in to fish the bodies from the river, as Chinese state media reported that a farm had admitted dumping the dead pigs. | Xi Jinping formally named as China's new president as part of once-in-a-decade change .
Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu forms a coalition government excluding ultra-religious groups .
Plans to embalm the body of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hit a snag .
Ieng Sary, one of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge, dies while on trial for war crimes . |
265,653 | e40d5e2bfd45d3a53011d757bbbf3fcd96259f28 | In 2009, Shanghai participated for the first time in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the tri-annual survey of the world's school systems. And when Shanghai's teenagers proved their math, science, and reading were much better than their peers in the United States, Germany, and Japan, the world was shocked and awed. Here, much more so than the 2008 Beijing Olympics or Shanghai's skyscrapers or China's double-digit growth, was proof positive that the future belonged to China. The latest PISA results released this week show that Shanghai schools are still number one, but, as I argued after Shanghai's first placing in 2009, the triumph comes at too great a cost. The dog-eat-dog and winner-take-all mentality of China's school system isn't just making children unhappy and unhealthy -- it's also causing cheating and bribery, leading to an unfair and unequal school system. The teachers . A tour of any Shanghai junior high school offers an easy explanation as to why Shanghai placed first on the PISA. They may be crammed and overcrowded, but the halls are clean and tidy, classrooms packed with attentive and focused students, and meeting rooms filled with university-educated and highly-motivated teachers trading notes on how to better design their 45-minute lesson. The incentives to succeed bind the school together, and guide it. Teachers are paid about 10,000 yuan a month ($1,640), which makes them solidly middle-class in Shanghai. In their PISA performance, Shanghai's students show "a high level of resilience," which is to say that poor students do better than expected. That's in large part because the Shanghai government is committed to leaving no child behind: It funds all schools equally, partners high-performing schools with low-performing ones and offers fast-track promotions to administrators who can turn around bad schools. In one Shanghai junior high school I visited, teachers stayed after school to tutor failing students -- and the head teacher there honored those teachers in school assemblies. But these teachers can drive Audis if their students do well enough on tests: Yes, administrators can give teachers bonuses, but the real money is in grateful parents and moonlighting at for-profit cram schools (after school tutoring programs). And the head that honored teachers who tutored failing kids told me that in her experience, the best indicator of a student's school performance is his/her socio-economic background. She said the tutoring of poor kids is just a bandage, a way to get them through the system and not have them drag the school down. The parents . Because Shanghai's schools are so good, Shanghai parents have to pay -- even if it's not exorbitant tuition fees. Shanghai's real estate market is notoriously expensive, but it's downright unaffordable in the neighborhoods of Shanghai's very best public elementary schools, and when families can't use real estate to buy into the best schools, they try to bribe their way in. This culture of bribing public school officials means I can't maintain friendships, make new ones, and date -- a girl I dated in 2010 told me she'd give me 200,000 yuan ($32,800) to get her sister into my school. And because Shanghai's elementary school classrooms have 30 or 40 students, parents trip over each other in the mad rush to take teachers out to dinner and offer gifts in the hope that their only child gets a little more attention. The bribery is on top of every other advantage that Shanghai's wealthy parents have bestowed upon their only child: Weekend piano, math, and English classes, private tutoring, summer camp in America, vacations in Europe and above all a born-to-succeed attitude. The students . For the students, the race is to see who can enter Shanghai's best two universities -- Fudan University and Jiao Tong. But it's just not the prospect of a good job that drives students on. Scoring highly on tests in Shanghai is like scoring a lot of touchdowns in Texas -- it's what wins you social respect, and soon comes to define your identity and self-worth. There's substantial social science research -- popularized in books such as Daniel Pink's Drive -- that suggests performance-based incentives are bad for students and teachers. Incentives do not just make students stressed, lonely, and unhappy -- they also kill student's innate curiosity, creativity, and love of learning. And high-stakes testing has led to a culture of cheating in China. Last year, when authorities tried to stop cheating, a riot broke out -- parents were angry that their children were being singled out when everyone was cheating. The best model? In the excitement over Shanghai's PISA victory we tend to forget the real lesson to be learned: How Finland can be the real model for education reform in the world. Finland, which ranked 12th in the 2012 math rankings, may not be number one, but, in my experience from visiting the country, it's succeeded in equipping all Finnish students with the tools to succeed in the knowledge economy without sacrificing their childhood, curiosity and creativity. After Shanghai children leave school at 4 p.m., they go on to cram school and do homework until bedtime. In stark contrast, when Finnish children leave school at noon, they just go play for the whole day. That Finnish students do almost as well as their Shanghai peers on PISA suggest that long school days, cram schools, and homework are not really about helping students learn -- it's more about pleasing anxious, demanding, and hyper-competitive parents. Of course, there's a rising tide of Chinese parents who care more about their child's well-being than his or her test score. And these wealthy and well-educated parents who understand the costs and sacrifices of Shanghai's PISA victory are emigrating abroad or opting for new private Western-style schools that have sprung up in major Chinese cities. That's bad news for Chinese education reform because those who are in the best position to make a stand are instead voting with their feet. | Shanghai schools came top in the OECD's internaional education rankings .
Shanghai's triumph comes at too greater cost, argues teacher Jiang Xueqin .
Cheating and bribery are problems at Chinese schools, he says.
"Dog-eat-dog" mentality makes schoolchildren unhappy and unhealthy . |
206,445 | 974499d1d62279831c92309a40f8d5d3228286c9 | By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 06:54 EST, 16 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:40 EST, 16 January 2013 . Anysha Panesar, from the Vale of Glamorgan, was given a celebrity lifestyle funded by her father's insurance business . A big-spending father who showered his teenage daughter with luxuries - including a £20,000 Super Sweet 16 birthday party which was filmed for television - has been fined more than £200,000. Schoolgirl Anysha Panesar, now 19, from the Vale of Glamorgan, was given a celebrity lifestyle funded by her father's insurance business. But the court heard father Harby Panesar's financial empire crumbled - leaving him bankrupt and banned from trading. Anysha - who featured on reality television programme My Super Sweet 16 - had a lavish 16th birthday bash with a personal video from Hollywood star Nicole Kidman and guest singer Tulisa from N-Dubz. Her businessman father, 45, then bankrolled her dream to be a top teenage model and beauty queen. Anysha went on to be crowned America's Perfect Teen - and became the first international cover girl on SuperModels magazine. But less than three years later Panesar was declared bankrupt when his finance business collapsed. He was hauled up in front of the High Court in London after he set up a new company in defiance of court orders. The insurance broker was let off jail but was yesterday fined £212,000 after a Financial Services Authority investigation. The High Court heard that Harby Panesar's financial empire crumbled - leaving him bankrupt and banned from trading. But he set up a new company . The insurance broker (left) was let off jail but was yesterday fined £212,000 after a Financial Services Authority investigation. He has previously been spared jail after an impassioned plea from his daughter (right) He was also banned from working in the industry after they found he'd left thousands of customers without the breakdown cover they had paid for. Tracey McDermott, The regulator's director of enforcement and financial crime, said: 'Harbinder Panesar has left a trail of destruction behind him. 'He was misappropriating funds from his businesses, acting recklessly towards consumers, and taking two firms into liquidation. 'So egregious were his actions that even though he has only recently been discharged from bankruptcy, we will not reduce the fine because of financial hardship. 'Such dishonesty and recklessness not only posed a risk to consumers but also to other market participants and to confidence in the financial system as a whole. 'Panesar is learning the hard way that we will not stand for this kind of activity.' Panesar doted on Anysha, lavishing her with gifts and encouraging her to live a life of luxury.He bought his daughter a Gucci handbag for her birthday, along with a £1,500 personalised mobile phone and a pair of £400 sunglasses. He threw a Moulin Rouge-themed party and Anysha wore a £3,000 replica of a Nicole Kidman dress from the hit film. Musicians N-Dubz and DJ Ironik provided entertainment while there was a £500 rotating Moulin Rouge cake. Panesar doted on Anysha, who went on to be crowned America's Perfect Teen (left), lavishing her with gifts and encouraging her to live a life of luxury - including hiring Tulisa (right) for her birthday . At the time of her birthday party, he said: 'If any parents are going to have a Super Sweet 16 party I would suggest that they have very long pockets and very long arms to reach in to those pockets.' But Panesar financial empire crashed after it was discovered he had left 6,000 customers without the motor breakdown insurance cover they had paid for. He was found to have misappropriated more than £180,000 from his two car insurance firms - Motorcare Elite and Motorcare Warranties. Panesar was hauled up in front of the High Court in London where he was let off jail after Anysha, now 19, begged the Judge in a personal letter not to send her father to prison. Panesar, 45, who lives with wife Caroline, 43, in a luxury £500,000 home and six-acre estate in the Vale of Glamorgan, has recently been discharged from bankruptcy. But the Financial Services Authority said that they would put him back into bankruptcy if he couldn't pay the fine. | Harby Panesar, from the Vale of Glamorgan, gave daughter Anysha a celebrity lifestyle .
But his financial empire crumbled - leaving him bankrupt and banned from trading .
He has been spared jail but fined £212,000 after a Financial Services Authority investigation after setting up a new business . |
21,793 | 3deefbf800520ff8a3d5504de01a7e7ecbefed53 | (CNN) -- "You don't back a horse called Striding Snail, you don't name your boat Titanic II." Sound advice from a 1996 Beautiful South tune, "Little Blue." One man, however, seems hellbent on ignoring such plain folk wisdom in an audacious pursuit to rewrite history. At a Tuesday press event in New York, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, chairman of Blue Star Line shipping company, unveiled blueprints for his company's planned Titanic II. It's an exact replica of the haunted 1912 cruise liner that ... well, you've seen the movie. Palmer claims Titanic II will be the safest cruise ship in the world when it sets sail in 2016 from Southampton, England, bound for New York, following the ill-fated Titanic's original planned route. Respect, remembrance mix with the macabre on Titanic anniversary cruise . The press event, held at New York's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, was part of an ongoing campaign to promote the Titanic II launch. Blue Star held a Titanic II Gala Dinner at the Venetian in Macau this month to drum up interest among wealthy Chinese. Best cruises for 2013 . As reported last year, Palmer has commissioned a Chinese shipyard to build the replica. The mining magnate won't say exactly how much money he's sunk into the project, but he doesn't appear worried about those who might be leery about boarding such a dubiously named vessel. Palmer says he's received offers of up to $1 million for passage on the ship's maiden voyage. We assume that's not for steerage. No word yet on deck chair arrangements. What do you think of Blue Star Line using the name of the sunken Titanic? Would you sail aboard the Titanic II if given the chance? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. | A replica of the doomed ship will sail in 2016, says Blue Star Line Chairman Clive Palmer .
Titanic II set to follow the ill-fated original's planned route from England to New York .
Palmer vows Titanic II will be the safest cruise ship in the world when it sets sail . |
206,173 | 96e1bc017e3086d0e3af1690c43266d44586bf51 | (CNN) -- Houston prosecutors are asking a court to formally exonerate a Texas man after DNA tests ruled out his guilt in a rape for which he served 17 years in prison. George Rodriguez was freed in 2004 after an appeals court found that faulty scientific evidence had been used against him in his 1987 trial. Prosecutors didn't retry him, citing concerns about having the victim -- who had identified Rodriguez as one of her two attackers in a police lineup -- testify again. State officials had denied his request for a pardon, but Harris County District Attorney Patricia Lykos agreed to review his case after she took office in 2009. New DNA tests on the forensic evidence in the case came back February 22 and conclusively ruled out Rodriguez, now 50, Lykos said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "When this scientific inquiry began, there was no legal requirement or mandate for any further work to be done by our office, because the case had been dismissed," Lykos said. "Instead, we acted on the most important obligation of all -- to see that the truth emerges, and that justice is done. Today, we can state that an innocent man has been vindicated." The Harris County District Attorney's office will ask a judge to formally declare Rodriguez innocent at a Thursday hearing, she said. Lykos, a Republican, campaigned on promises to reform the prosecutor's office in Texas' largest city, and she has drawn praise from defense lawyers for creating a post-conviction review process to examine new evidence. The Innocence Project, which won Rodriguez's release in 2004, gave her an award in 2010 for that program. Another man, Manuel Beltran, is now serving a 60-year prison term in connection for rape. The DNA testing also confirmed that another man, now dead but long considered an alternative suspect, also assaulted the victim, who was 14 at the time. | George Rodriguez was released in 2004 but never formally cleared .
Prosecutors say DNA tests rule out his participation in the 1987 rape . |
199,380 | 8e19d3631fa6daeb47d49d9c7a699e442779b6c9 | Britain's boardroom bosses saw their pay packets swell by 50 per cent last year, shocking figures show. A huge rise in bonuses and other share awards has seen the average pay of a FTSE100 chief executive hit £2.8million. The figure compares to £1.9million for the year before, and comes as the rest of the country is still seeing wage increases lagging behind inflation. Britain's boardroom bosses saw their pay packets swell by 50 per cent last year, shocking figures show . Analysis by accountancy firm Grant Thornton showed that the value of bonuses and other lucrative awards have almost doubled in a year for the UK’s best paid bosses. The increase comes at a time when company shareholders are expressing anger over boardroom largesse. Some of Britain’s biggest firms, including fashion house Burberry and oil producer BG Group, have seen revolts over pay. The report showed basic pay for the average FTSE 100 boss has risen from £578,000 to £583,000 – an increase of just one per cent. But the amount of bonuses and lucrative share awards they were handed has risen by some 80 per cent to £1.9million. Burberry was singled out in the report by Grant Thornton over its handling of a gigantic pay row with investors. The fashion house awarded its designer-turned-chief executive Christopher Bailey £20million in shares, taking his total package to £28million. Shareholders branded the move ‘obscene’, and a majority rejected Mr Bailey’s pay package. Burberry was singled out in the report by Grant Thornton over its handling of a gigantic pay row with investors over designer-turned-chief executive Christopher Bailey being awarded £20million in shares, taking his total package to £28million . The report said: ‘Surprisingly, some companies still rely on the annual report and AGM to communicate with shareholders over executive pay.’ BG Group, which emerged from British Gas following privatisation, was last week forced to whittle down its proposed £25million welcome package for its new chief executive to a potential £18million. The windfall for Helge Lund had been described as ‘excessive and insensitive’ by business groups and had angered shareholders. Advertising giant WPP saw more than a third of its investors refuse to back a £30million pay award for chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell last year. The review is based on analysis of companies’ annual reports, in which they detail annual pay awards for executives. Following a wave of investor revolts two years ago, companies are now forced to publish a single figure for the amount their top executives could stand to earn. Basic pay for the average FTSE 100 boss has risen from £578,000 to £583,000 – an increase of just one per cent. But the amount of bonuses and lucrative share awards they were handed has risen by some 80 per cent to £1.9million . The report also breaks down the levels of bonuses available by sector. While mining companies tend to the have the highest average basic pay at £598,000, banks and financial services firms have the highest levels of bonuses. On average, bank chief executives can earn up to four and a half times their basic pay in bonuses and share awards. Technology companies tend to have the lowest level of bonuses, which bosses able to earn up to two and a half times their basic pay in extra awards. RBS, the taxpayer-backed bank, ignited outrage after quietly handing its new chief executive Ross McEwan £1.5million in free shares on New Year’s Eve last year. Mr McEwan, who is already paid a basic salary of £1million, was being reimbursed for missing out on bonuses after leaving his previous job. The controversial move came on the same day that Goldman Sachs revealed ‘obscene’ £3million pay deals for a clutch of its top bankers. Last year the Church of England vowed to ‘turn the tide’ on a culture of lavish bonuses for bankers and business chiefs. The Church, led by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, promised to use the significant financial firepower of its investments to vote against excessive pay packages and criticised the ‘culture of entitlement and greed’ in big businesses. Despite attempts to cap bankers’ bonuses, many City banks have found ways to circumvent the new rules by offering staff lucrative share deals and other perks. | A huge rise in bonuses and other share awards have driven up salaries .
Comes as company shareholders express anger over boardroom largesse .
Report singled out fashion house Burberry over its pay row with investors . |
146,729 | 49bebd30ce28bbb27e33ad0759ebb4b5a80243b7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:09 EST, 16 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:14 EST, 16 January 2014 . An NFL football player with a history of social media faux-pas appears to have posted a picture on Twitter that shows a small pile of marijuana sitting on a coffee table. Davone Bess, a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, posted the photo Thursday morning. In addition to the supposed marijuana, there is also a cigar and what appears to be an alcoholic beverage of some kind. Dope: This is the photo Davone Brown posted on Twitter Thursday before quickly deleting it . Trouble: Bess could face disciplinary action from the NFL and the Cleveland Browns for posting the photo to a social media website . Accompanying the photo, the 28-year-old Bess wrote the caption 'we da real dons!' Marijuana is on the NFL's list of banned substances, so Bess could potentially face consequences with his employer. In December, Bess again made headlines for sharing a photo on Instagram that appears to show him smoking marijuana. The date of that photo is unknown, but Bess promptly erased his entire Instagram account. 'Dons': In addition to the photo, Bess included the caption 'We da real dons!" The Twitter photo Bess posted Thursday also has been erased from Bess' account. Last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that he was open to the idea of removing marijuana from league's list of banned substances for players living in states where the drug is illegal. Additionally, 7-time Pro Bowler Lomas Brown last week said that he suspects roughly 50 percent of all active NFL players currently use marijuana even though it's on the league's list of banned substances. The vast majority, however, aren't dopey enough to post pictures of the drug on their social media accounts. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cleveland Browns organization already is looking into the photo. | Davone Bess accompanied the photo with the caption 'We da real dons!'
Bess made headlines last month for posting another photo of him smoking marijuana on his Instagram page .
One former NFL star says he suspects 50 percent of current players use marijuana . |
133,380 | 3876874251ab2b3b8ed4dbe231e4787b4360a0b1 | President Barack Obama said Wednesday that the world set a red line against chemical weapons use that he now seeks to apply to Syria, while a Senate committee approved a resolution authorizing the U.S. military attack that he is planning. By a 10-7 vote, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the resolution that authorizes a limited military response, giving Obama an initial victory in his push to win congressional approval. The measure now goes to the full Senate for debate next week. The Democratic-led chamber is expected to pass it, but the outcome is less clear in the Republican-led House where top diplomatic and military officials made their case on Wednesday for action. Liberal Democrats, tea party libertarians and moderates from both sides questioned Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey about whether limited military attacks can change anything and if they will lead to U.S. involvement in another war. "What are the chances of escalation? Are different scenarios accounted for? If our credibility is on the line now as is argued what about if Assad retaliates?" asked GOP Rep. Ed Royce of California, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In Sweden on the first of a three-day overseas trip that includes the G-20 summit in Russia, Obama told reporters that the red line he spoke of last year regarding Syria's use of chemical weapons came from international treaties and past congressional action, rather than something he "made up." Obama also insisted he had the authority to order attacks -- expected to be cruise missile strikes on Syrian military command targets -- even if Congress rejects his request for authorization. America "recognizes that if the international community fails to maintain certain norms, standards, laws, governing how countries interact and how people are treated, that over time this world becomes less safe," Obama said. "It becomes more dangerous not only for those people who are subjected to these horrible crimes, but to all of humanity." He cited World War II as an example, saying "the people of Europe are certainly familiar with what happens when the international community finds excuses not to act." At the same time, "as commander in chief, I always preserve the right and the responsibility to act on behalf of America's national security," Obama said. Conservative critics have said Obama painted himself into a corner with his statement last year that Syria's use of chemical weapons was a red line that would change his approach to its civil war. Obama: It is the world's red line . "A red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized," Obama said in August 2012. "That would change my calculus." Now, critics on the right say, he must respond to an alleged chemical weapons attack outside Damascus by the Syrian regime that Kerry said killed more than 1,400 people or lose credibility. The administration and top congressional leaders attempted to blunt that criticism on Tuesday during debate on Capitol Hill. Even House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the chamber's No. 2 Republican, said any president would have drawn that red line based on international norms. Obama made that same argument on Wednesday, saying: "I didn't set a red line. The world set a red line." "The world set a red line when governments representing 98 percent of the world's population said the use of chemical weapons are abhorrent and passed a treaty forbidding their use, even when countries are engaged in war," he said at a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt on the first day of a four-day trip that includes the G-20 summit in Russia. "Congress set a red line when it ratified that treaty," Obama continued. "Congress set a red line when it indicated that in a piece of legislation entitled the 'Syria Accountability Act' that some of the horrendous things that are happening on the ground there need to be answered for." Sounding exasperated, Obama added: "That wasn't something I just kind of made up. I didn't pluck it out of thin air. There's a reason for it." Obama prods international community to act . Asked about whether he was seeking to save face, Obama insisted that "my credibility is not on the line -- the international community's credibility is on the line." He framed the question for the United Nations and the global community at large as: "Are we going to try to find a reason not to act? And if that's the case, then I think the (world) community should admit it." Opposition by Russia, a Syrian ally, has scuttled U.S. and British efforts to get the U.N. Security Council to authorize a military response against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. U.N. inspectors returned from Syria last week from their mission to confirm if chemical weapons were used, but Kerry said Wednesday it would take three weeks for samples collected to analyzed and results announced. "I respect the U.N. process," Obama said while standing next to Reinfeldt, who opposes military intervention without U.N. approval. "We agree that the international community cannot be silent," Obama added, saying also that the U.N. investigators had done "heroic work." Noting the U.N. team's mandate was only to determine the use of chemical weapons, and not identify who used them, Obama repeated past statements that U.S. intelligence has confirmed chemical weapons use beyond any reasonable doubt and has further confirmed that al-Assad's regime "was the source." "I do think that we have to act, because if we don't, we are effectively saying that even though we may condemn it and issue resolutions and so forth and so on, somebody who is not shamed by resolutions can continue to act with impunity," Obama said. International norms then "begin to erode," he added, and "other despots and authoritarian regimes can start looking and say, 'that's something we can get away with.'" He described the intended U.S. response as "limited in time and in scope, targeted at the specific task of degrading (al-Assad's) capabilities, and deterring the use of those weapons, again." More than 100,000 killed in Syrian conflict . The United Nations has said more than 100,000 people -- including many civilians -- have been killed since the popular uprising spiraled into a civil war in 2011. In Washington, the resolution passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee set a 60-day deadline for use of force in Syria, with an option for an additional 30 days. An amendment accepted by the panel from Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democratic Sen. Christopher Coons of Delaware added language to say the military response was intended to reverse Assad's battlefield momentum, a stronger objective than degrading the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities as Hagel told the committee on Tuesday. If Assad "remains in an advantageous position, he will never leave Syria," said McCain, who has been pushing for a more robust U.S. response. "He has to know that he is losing and that way you get a negotiated settlement for his departure." The resolution also makes clear there would be no U.S. boots on the ground as part of a response in Syria. A White House statement welcomed the panel's vote, saying "the military action authorized in the resolution would uphold America's national security interests by degrading Assad's chemical weapons capability and deterring the future use of these weapons, even as we pursue a broader strategy of strengthening the opposition to hasten a political transition in Syria." After the vote, senators on the panel made statements that explained their thinking, with some calling for more efforts to build an international coalition before any attack takes place. "Vietnam started with U.S. advisers and a limited Naval presence. It led to an all-out war," noted Democratic Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, who opposed the resolution. Kerry, Hagel and Dempsey appeared before the Senate panel on Tuesday to press for approval of authorization. Tough questioning by House panel . The same trio then faced questions on Wednesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, with Royce saying the administration's Syria policy had been adrift for two years. At the same time, Royce acknowledged there were "no easy answers" on Syria, and attempting to deter chemical weapons use was worth considering despite public skepticism for U.S. military involvement. Kerry said Obama sought authorization for a response to the use of banned weapons, not a full military intervention. "We are not asking America to go to war," he said. "We all agree, there will be no American boots on the ground." In response to a question, Hagel put the cost of the limited response under consideration at "tens of millions" of dollars. Most of the focus of administration lobbying has been on the House, where opposition by liberal Democrats and libertarian conservatives, as well as the bitterly partisan political environment of the Republican-led chamber, make passage of Obama's authorization proposal uncertain. House Speaker John Boehner and Cantor, the No. 2 Republican, both have endorsed a U.S. military response, but Wednesday's hearing showed widespread concerns and outside opposition from across the political spectrum. Polls also show that a majority of Americans oppose a U.S. military strike on Syria. In the Senate, a Democratic source familiar with Majority Leader Harry Reid's thinking told CNN that Reid is confident any authorization measure will pass his chamber. The source said it is likely 60 votes will be needed to overcome a filibuster, and Reid thinks the votes are there. Before that, however, lawmakers will hear from the Russian government, which is moving ahead with its efforts to lobby Congress in an attempt to undercut Obama on Syria. Moscow has sent an official request to congressional leaders to meet with them. "We're planning the visit," a Russian Embassy spokesman told CNN, "We can't tell you the exact time but it will be next week." Boehner will not meet with the Russians, his spokesman said. | The White House welcomes Senate panel's support for a limited Syria strike .
A House committee questions top administration officials .
President Obama calls on the international community to act on Syria .
Obama kicks off a trip to Sweden and Russia as Congress debates Syria . |
134,071 | 3953c7753f4aa8725f5867c79496d0aa64b0ab0f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:25 EST, 31 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:41 EST, 31 December 2013 . If you want to keep that New Year's cheer tonight, wrap up warm - because 2014 is expected to start with freezing temperatures and a generous dusting of snow. Revelers watching the ball drop in New York City will see just a sprinkling of snow as a blizzard moves north before blanketing Chicago with as many as ten inches throughout the night. Party-goers celebrating the start of the year at the city's Navy Pier midnight fireworks can expect to see a significant snow storm, WLF meteorologist Mike Caplan warned. 'We're forecasting 6 inch snowfall totals . widespread across the area and, in some cases, it will be 10 inch or more . from the looks of it,' he said. Blizzard: A woman battles snow in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania as the country prepares to welcome 2014 . Fighter: Tony Orelski clears snow from around vehicles in his neighborhood in Erie, Pennsylvania on Tuesday . The Weather Channel said temperatures in Chicago should reach around 15 degrees, while New York City is expected to endure temperatures around 23 degrees and clear skies. 'Temperatures across the central U.S. will continue to be 10-30 degrees below normal as an arctic airmass remains in place,' the National Weather Service said. 'Gusty winds in this region will contribute to extremely cold wind chills.' One of the coldest celebrations could be in Plymouth, Wisconsin, where the city will drop a large ball of cheese to mark the start of 2014, and where temperatures are expected to hit 0 degrees. But in other parts of the country, celebrations will be graced with balmier temperatures. The warmest welcome for 2014 may take place in Key West, Florida, where party-goers watching a six-foot conch shell being dropped, can expect temperatures of 72 degrees. Forecast: Meteorologists warned heavy snow could hit the Midwest and the northern states tonight . Blanketed: A Toronto street is covered with snow and broken tree limbs ahead of New Year celebrations . Over on the other coast, revelers in Los Angeles can expect temperatures of 48 degrees. But . the rest of the country should brace itself for two weather systems . which are expected to merge and bring a major snowstorm as early as . Thursday. According to AccuWeather . Canada Weather Expert Brett Anderson, 'Some all-time record lows could . be challenged in parts of southern Quebec, northern New England and . northern upstate New York, when the core of the cold air settles in . Wednesday night.' Highs in Chicago will only just reach the teens. Confetti or snow? Revelers at New York's Times Square will need to dress warmly . Getting ready: A police officer uses a metal detector to search a person entering the Times Square pens . Joy: Veronica Boshen and Brittany Wells, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, get ready to party in Times Square . The National Weather Service says . there will be bitter cold across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, . as well as light to moderate snow. The Gulf Coast can expect cold and wet weather, spreading eastward. High . temperatures for the northeastern half of the Dakotas into Minnesota . will remain in the single digits or below zero - which is a good 20 to . 30 degrees below averagefor this time of year. Across the southern United States it will be cold and wet with light rain on Tuesday night and heavier falls Wednesday. Prediction: Two storms will converge on the Northeast on Thursday with the potential for a major snowstorm. How quickly they get together and strengthen will determine which areas are hit with very heavy snow and which areas will have a more manageable snowfall . The storm could have a major negative impact on travel for people returning from holiday destinations, heading back to school or resuming business activities . | Freezing weather is predicted around the country for the new year and parts of Chicago could see between six and 10 inches of snow .
Temperatures will remain 10-30 degrees below normal, but temperatures in the south and on the West Coast will be balmy and wet . |
106,802 | 15c595e5baf463ddf02afa76ce4b886ea72fb699 | Washington (CNN) -- The federal government will recognize gay marriages in Michigan that occurred between recent conflicting court rulings, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Friday. Holder's statement said couples married on March 22, before an appellate court blocked a previous ruling allowing gay marriage in Michigan, "will be eligible for all relevant federal benefits on the same terms as other same-sex marriages." His decision is the latest move by the Obama administration toward legalizing gay marriage in the United States. The divisive issue pits social and religious conservatives against liberals and moderates, with polls showing a majority of Americans in support of gay marriage. On March 21, U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman struck down Michigan's gay marriage ban as unconstitutional. His ruling cleared the way for same-sex couples to marry immediately, and scores did the next day until the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order to temporarily stay, or put on hold, Friedman's decision. The same appeals court extended its stay on Tuesday, causing confusion over the status of the couples married over the previous weekend. Holder noted that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder "has made clear that the marriages that took place on Saturday were lawful and valid when entered into, although Michigan will not extend state rights and benefits tied to these marriages pending further legal proceedings." "For purposes of federal law ... these Michigan couples will not be asked to wait for further resolution in the courts before they may seek federal benefits to which they are entitled," Holder said, citing a previous decision in a similar situation in Utah. Voters in Utah, Michigan and nine other states passed constitutional amendments in 2004 defining marriage as one man and one woman. Friedman's ruling was the latest in a series of recent similar decisions affecting marriage restrictions in states including Texas, Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma. In most of those cases, the judicial orders did not take effect immediately. However, Michigan's did and, as in Utah, same-sex couples immediately got marriage licenses before later court decisions halted such unions -- at least for now, as higher courts weigh in. Last June, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision that rejected parts of the federal Defense of Marriage Act while ruling same-sex spouses legally married in a state may receive federal benefits. | After a court ruling, scores of same-sex marriages occurred in Michigan .
Attorney General Holder says those couples are eligible for federal benefits .
The issue is now in limbo due to a legal appeal . |
283,339 | fb08af39c29b834be982af6a5eb83725db6deac4 | (CNN) -- From supermarkets to the office supply store, it's hard to miss those tiny bottles of 5-hour Energy. The makers of 5-Hour Energy call it a "no-nonsense drink." "It would be easier for me to tell you where we didn't sell them in the U.S. than list all the places we do," said Carl Sperber, spokesman for Living Essentials, the Detroit, Michigan-based manufacturer of 5-hour Energy shot. The small, shot-glass size bottles promise to provide energy and alertness without jitters to fatigued Americans. Unlike other popular energy drinks that market to college students, 5-Hour Energy's audience is multitasking, working professionals. The market demand has skyrocketed since the product hit store shelves in 2004. The company expects to move more than 350 million shots this year, Sperber said, up from 174 million in 2008. "This is a no-nonsense drink," Sperber said. "It is not a fashion statement. It doesn't have a cool name; it is just a simple grab-and-go product to help busy adults when they can't afford a letdown." Each 2-ounce bottle contains zero grams of sugar, 4 calories and about the same amount of caffeine as a small coffee. It also contains about a dozen ingredients that are broken down into B vitamins (B3, B6, B9, B12) and what the manufacturer lists as an "energy blend." But don't expect superhuman results, one expert said. "The B vitamins are given at extraordinarily high levels, and people need to know they are not some magic potion that's going to immediately raise your energy level," said Dr. Brent Bauer, Mayo Clinic director of complementary and integrative medicine. "There is no data that show that." The overall health impact of the shots' energy blend is a little fuzzy, according to some experts, because little data has been collected about the effectiveness or safety of the natural compounds. The blend contains: citicoline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, taurine, malic acid, glucuronolactone and caffeine. Phenylalanine, taurine, tyrosine are all amino acids our bodies naturally produce. Malic acid is a natural chemical substance found in food. Glucuronolactone is a byproduct of glucose produced in the liver. Citicoline is a natural compound that produces a chemical in the brain. "These energy shots have over a dozen ingredients all together, and consumers are ingesting them at very high doses but there is no research of how the ingredients react all together," Bauer said. "It's plausible if you put these 12 things together you will get a good result but it's also possible for them to cause major interactions to medications, or have a negative impact on the liver or kidney. We just don't know at this point." Watch Dr. Gupta talk about the the safety of 5-hour Energy » . Consumers of 5-hour Energy probably won't ever drink enough shots to reach toxic levels of the B vitamins, experts said, but side effects can occur. The maker notes on its Web site the potential "niacin flush reaction" from vitamin B3. It would be noticeable but temporary, one expert said. "If you have too much B3 it can cause tingling in your whole body. You will turn red, flush, but it would only last for about 30 minutes," said Jim White, spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. "Research also shows high doses of vitamin B6 can cause nerve spasm, also temporary trouble with muscle coordination." 5-hour Energy's spokesman says that his company doesn't have safety data on the specific blend of ingredients in its product, but believes that side effects are "rare." "None of our ingredients are synthetic drugs," Sperber said. 5-hour Energy also advises consumers to check with their health care provider before taking the booster. Medical experts acknowledged that if taken modestly, the products are unlikely to have a negative impact on health. "In moderation, it can give you energy. But the problem is people drink coffee, then take these energy shots, then down Red Bull, take Hydroxycut, and it is just too much in the body at one time," White said. The makers of 5-hour Energy agree. "There is no law against stupidity and there is always that person out there that is going to push the envelope and consume too many of them or combine our product with others, but we can't really control that," Sperber said. | 5-Hour Energy promises energy, alertness without jitters to fatigued Americans .
Each bottle contains caffeine, high doses of B vitamins, and "energy blend"
Expert: No research of how the ingredients react together . |
38,559 | 6d0e22b7534e58d88ff87ee01a64cddf5d58f6f3 | World leaders at the G20 summit have agreed to a series of measures aimed at boosting the global economy by more than $2 trillion. The plans, if they're fully put into action, would lift the combined gross domestic product of G20 nations by an extra 2.1% by 2018, a communique from the summit said on Sunday. "We can do more for our people and the wider world when we work together," Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who hosted the summit, told journalists. The G20 is a group of the biggest advanced and emerging economies on the planet, accounting for two-thirds of the world's population, 85% of global gross domestic product. 'Millions of jobs' The action plan from the summit, held this weekend in the city of Brisbane, contains more than 800 separate reform measures, Abbott said. The strategies include "major investment initiatives, including actions to strengthen public investment and improve our domestic investment and financing climate," according to the communique. But international leaders agreeing to do something is one thing, actually putting it into action is another. "We will do everything we humanly can to make them happen," Abbott said of the measures, which are specific to each member country. The International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development "will be regularly reviewing our progress to achieving these measures to keep us accountable," he said. If all of it is successfully put into practice, the overall package will "add more than $2 trillion to the global economy and create millions of jobs," the communique said. Climate change commitment . The statement also voiced support for "strong and effective action to address climate change." G20 members said they agreed to work to successfully adopt a measure "with legal force" under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The deadline is a major conference in Paris next year. That commitment follows the historic climate change deal announced last week by the United States and China, the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases. "There was a lot of pressure here in Brisbane that the G20 follow through, continue the momentum about climate change," said CNN's Andrew Stevens. Under the U.S.-China agreement, the United States would cut its 2005 level of carbon emissions by 26-28% before the year 2025. China would peak its carbon emissions by 2030 and will also aim to get 20% of its energy from zero-carbon emission sources by the same year. Obama: Success . President Obama who spoke to journalists after Abbott, commended the summit for its work but also took the opportunity to wrap up his entire trip to Asia with a few words of self-praise. "From trade to climate change to the fight against Ebola, this was a strong week for American leadership, the result will be more jobs for the American people, historic steps towards a cleaner and healthier planet, and progress towards saving lives not just in West Africa but eventually in other places," he said. "If you ask me I'd say that's a pretty good week." The trip contrasts with the political reality Obama faces in Washington, after his party suffered heavily in the midterm elections this month. Obama said of his Asian trip that he planned to "build on that momentum" after his return to Washington. | G20: The planned measures would lift the combined GDP of G20 nations by 2.1% .
If fully implemented, the raft of policies will create millions of jobs, a communique says .
Australian Prime Minister: "We will do everything we humanly can to make them happen"
G20 nations also agree to work to adopt a measure with "legal force" on climate change . |
108,629 | 1810bc1863a43aa3513ca710e7a8ca2a962516d2 | MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- A federal grand jury has indicted two Minnesota men in connection with the recruitment of Somali immigrants to fight with Islamic insurgents in their home country. Jamal Bana is one of several missing Somali-Americans believed to have fought with an Islamist insurgency. Salah Osman Ahmed and Abdifatah Yusuf Isse are charged with one count each of providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim or injure people overseas, the indictment states. The recruiting effort took place between September 2007 and December 2008, according to the charges. Ahmed also is charged with two counts of making false statements to investigators. According to the indictment, he told FBI agents that he had traveled alone on a flight to Somalia when, in fact, he and another person were going together "so that they could fight jihad in Somalia." Ahmed was arrested Saturday, FBI Special Agent E.K. Wilson told CNN. Isse had been in custody for some time, said Omar Jamal, the head of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis. Both were from Minnesota and in their 20s, Jamal said. Jamal said Ahmed and Isse were "foot soldiers" carrying out the work of others, and that he expected more indictments "in a week or two." The FBI has been investigating what appears to be a massive recruiting effort by the al Qaeda-linked Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab in immigrant communities in the United States. More than a dozen young men of Somali descent have disappeared from the Minneapolis area in recent months, and at least three have been killed in Somalia, community leaders have said. The latest, Jamal Bana, was confirmed dead over the weekend, his family said Sunday. The same day, Somalia's president -- a former member of the Islamist movement himself -- issued a plea to Somali-Americans not to join the fight in his country. "I am saying to those young men from abroad: 'Your families fled your home to America because of insecurity. You should not return here to foment violence against your people,' " President Sheik Sharif Ahmed said. Al-Shabaab has ties to al Qaeda and has recruited foreign fighters to join its battle to overthrow the Somali government, U.S. officials said. It remains entrenched in the northeast and in sections south of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, after fighting that has uprooted more than 200,000 people since early May, according to the United Nations. Wilson said the number of missing men believed to be in Somalia is "in the 10s," but their recruitment is "a significant concern and one that we're giving our highest priority." In October, Shirwa Ahmed, 27, a Somali-American believed to have been radicalized by al-Shabaab, traveled from Minneapolis to Somalia and blew up himself and 29 others. It was the first suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen, and it raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community and sparked an investigation by the FBI. Burhan Hassan, a 17-year-old Somali-American high school student in Minneapolis, went missing eight months ago, around the same time as Bana. Last month, his family learned that he was killed in Somalia. Neither family has any idea why the young males left the United States, where they came as young boys, and Bana's family believes he was being held against his will, said Omar Jamal, head of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis. "Only one time he placed a phone call [in mid-November], he didn't say much," Jamal said. "He spoke as if he was being held hostage. He couldn't be speak freely. They asked him to cut the conversation short." Hassan's uncle, Abdirizak Bihi, said a fourth man -- 30-year-old Zakariya Maruf -- was killed Friday, but Jamal said Maruf may only be injured. Maruf was the first of the missing Somalis to head overseas, said Bihi, who has become a spokesman for the families of the missing men. Bihi called him a "leader" whom the others consulted on travel plans. Many of the missing Somali-Americans are believed to have left for Somalia when Ethiopian forces were still on the ground. Ethiopia invaded Somalia to push the Islamists out of Mogadishu in December 2006, but their presence in the country was an outrage to most Somalis and became a rallying cry for al-Shabaab. Ethiopian troops left Somalia this year, leaving Ahmed's weak transitional government to battle the insurgents. CNN's David McKenzie and Tricia Escobedo contributed to this report. | Two defendants were mere "foot soldiers," their legal advocate says .
Two charged with conspiracy, providing material support to terrorists .
FBI investigating Somali militants' recruiting effort in immigrant communities in U.S.
The militant group in Africa has ties to al Qaeda . |
150,413 | 4e784a653885f1d6778eba803a5b24191821a525 | Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a towering figure in postwar British and world politics and the only woman to become British prime minister, has died at the age of 87. She suffered a stroke Monday, her spokeswoman said. A British government source said she died at the Ritz Hotel in London. Thatcher's funeral will be at St. Paul's Cathedral, with full military honors, followed by a private cremation, the British prime minister's office announced. Thatcher served from 1975 to 1990 as leader of the Conservative Party. She was called the "Iron Lady" for her personal and political toughness. She retired from public life after a stroke in 2002 and suffered several strokes after that. She made few public appearances in her final months, missing a reception marking her 85th birthday hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron in October 2010. She also skipped the July 2011 unveiling of a statue honoring her old friend Ronald Reagan in London. In December 2012, she was hospitalized after a procedure to remove a growth in her bladder. WORLD REACTION: Tributes paid to 'great leader, great Briton' Thatcher . Thatcher made history . Thatcher won the nation's top job only six years after declaring in a television interview, "I don't think there will be a woman prime minister in my lifetime." During her time at the helm of the British government, she emphasized moral absolutism, nationalism, and the rights of the individual versus those of the state -- famously declaring "There is no such thing as society" in 1987. Nicknamed the "Iron Lady" by the Soviet press after a 1976 speech declaring that "the Russians are bent on world dominance," Thatcher later enjoyed a close working relationship with U.S. President Reagan, with whom she shared similar conservative views. But the British cold warrior played a key role in ending the conflict by giving her stamp of approval to Soviet Communist reformer Mikhail Gorbachev shortly before he came to power. "I like Mr. Gorbachev. We can do business together," she declared in December 1984, three months before he became Soviet leader. Having been right about Gorbachev, Thatcher came down on the wrong side of history after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, arguing against the reunification of East and West Germany. Allowing the countries created in the aftermath of World War II to merge would be destabilizing to the European status quo, and East Germany was not ready to become part of Western Europe, she insisted in January 1990. "East Germany has been under Nazism or Communism since 1930. You are not going to go overnight to democratic structures and a freer market economy," Thatcher insisted in a key interview, arguing that peace, security and stability "can only be achieved through our existing alliances negotiating with others internationally." West German leader Helmut Kohl was furious about the interview, seeing Thatcher as a "protector of Gobachev," according to notes made that day by his close aide Horst Teltschik. The two Germanies reunited by the end of that year. A grocer's daughter . Thatcher -- born in October 1925 in the small eastern England market town of Grantham -- came from a modest background, taking pride in being known as a grocer's daughter. She studied chemistry at Oxford, but was involved in politics from a young age, giving her first political speech at 20, according to her official biography. She was elected leader of the Conservative Party in 1975, when the party was in opposition. She made history four years later, becoming prime minister when the Conservatives won the elections of 1979, the first of three election victories to which she led her party. As British leader, Thatcher took a firm stance with the European Community -- the forerunner of the European Union -- demanding a rebate of money London contributed to Brussels. Her positions on other issues, both domestic and foreign, were just as firm, and in one of her most famous phrases, she declared at a Conservative Party conference that she had no intention of changing her mind. "To those waiting with bated breath for that favorite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: 'You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning,'" she declared, to cheers from party members. The United Kingdom fought a short, sharp war against Argentina over the Falklands Islands under Thatcher in 1982, responding with force when Buenos Aires laid claim to the islands. WATCH: Remembering Margaret Thatcher . Announcing that Britain had recaptured South Georgia Island from Argentina, Thatcher appealed to nationalist sentiments, advising the press: "Just rejoice at the news and congratulate our forces." A journalist shouted a question at her as she turned to go back into 10 Downing Street: "Are we going to war with Argentina, Mrs. Thatcher?" She paused for an instant, then offered a single word: "Rejoice." Controversy over Falklands war . The conflict was not without controversy, even in Britain. A British submarine sank Argentina's only cruiser, the General Belgrano, in an encounter that left 358 Argentines dead. The sinking took place outside of Britain's declared exclusion zone. In her first term, Thatcher reduced or eliminated many government subsidies to business, a move that led to a sharp rise in unemployment. By 1986, unemployment had reached 3 million. But Thatcher won landslide re-election in 1983 on the heels of the Falklands victory, her Conservative Party taking a majority of seats in parliament with 42% of the vote. Second-place Labour took nearly 28%, while the alliance that became the Liberal Democrats took just over 25%. A year later, she escaped an IRA terrorist bombing at her hotel at the Conservative Party conference in Brighton. She was re-elected in 1987 with a slightly reduced majority. She was ultimately brought down, not by British voters, but by her own Conservative party. Brought down by the poll tax . She was forced to resign in 1990 during an internal leadership struggle after she introduced a poll tax levied on community residents rather than property. The unpopular tax led to rioting in the streets. She married her husband, Denis Thatcher, a local businessman who ran his family's firm before becoming an executive in the oil industry, in 1951 -- a year after an unsuccessful run for Parliament. The couple had twins, Mark and Carol, in 1953. She was elected to Parliament in 1959 and served in various positions, including education secretary, until her terms as prime minister. Thatcher was awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. Bush in 1991, a year after she stepped down as prime minister. She was named Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven after leaving office. She retired from public life after a stroke in 2002 and suffered several smaller strokes after that. Her husband died in June 2003. Though her doctors advised against public speaking, a frail Thatcher attended Reagan's 2004 funeral, saying in a prerecorded video that Reagan was "a great president, a great American, and a great man." "And I have lost a dear friend," she said. In the years that followed she encountered additional turmoil. In 2004, her son Mark was arrested in an investigation of an alleged plot by mercenaries to overthrow the president of Equatorial Guinea in west Africa. He pleaded guilty in a South African court in 2005 to unwittingly bankrolling the plot. WATCH: Kissinger: Thatcher's strong convictions . U.S. political figures react to Lady Thatcher's death . | Thatcher, Britain's "Iron Lady," died after suffering a stroke Monday, her spokeswoman said .
She retired from public life in 2002 after a stroke .
As British PM from 1975 to 1990, she played a key role in ending the Cold War .
But Thatcher opposed reunification of Germany . |
183,319 | 7972469e00616968a6d4adfab481782fd0e25edc | There are times in life when the mirror is seriously not your friend, and the moment I catch sight of my reflection as my eyebrows are being dyed is certainly one of them. Clouds of black foam are clumping in gigantic globs, Norman Lamont-style, where I used to have normal arcs of facial hair. Fortunately, there is no cause for alarm. This is merely the first step in the uber-fashionable HD Brows treatment I am receiving, in a quest for striking, Cara Delevingne-inspired arches. My own brows have always been a somewhat shapeless and nondescript shade of mouse, barely tweaked by tweezer and never touched by make-up, despite the amount of slap I habitually trowel on everywhere else. I just didn’t think it would make any difference. Scroll down for video . Kate Battersby (pictured before the treatment), who has rarely plucked her eyebrows or used make-up on them, visited eyebrow stylist Nilam Patel . Now, however, my humble follicles are being tended by go-to eyebrow stylist Nilam Patel, who founded the HD Brows brand in 2008, and whose bespoke technique has seen celebrities trampling over one another for an appointment. Nicole Scherzinger, Mel B and girl band The Saturdays are all on her books. Amanda Holden is the latest of her clients to grab headlines with her dramatically resculpted brows. Two weeks ago she was spotted on the red carpet without the barely-there blonde arches which usually curved above her eyes. In their place she flaunted thick, straight and strikingly darker brows — the result of 18 months of HD Brow appointments, every four to six weeks. ‘She began with really slim brows,’ says 43-year-old Nilam. ‘I convinced her a fuller brow would suit her deep-set eyes and frame her face. ‘So I put her on a regrowth serum and wouldn’t let her tweeze anything herself between appointments. She loves the power brow she has now, though it doesn’t suit everyone — it usually complements a fuller, wider or long face, and also girls who wear minimal make-up, for example Emma Watson and Keira Knightley.’ Cara Delevingne's (pictured in October 2014) famous brows have inspired a trend in bushier and darker eyebrows . Actually, I’m not the biggest fan of Holden’s new look — it’s a tad over-stated for my taste. However, I am intrigued to see what Nilam will make of my weedy brows. ‘I notice everyone’s brows,’ Nilam admits. ‘I talk to their brows. Jennifer Lopez is top of my customer wish-list. Kate Middleton too — I love her, but her brows look too strong for her face, too done. She could do with them lighter and softer.’ I have to apply a patch test at home 48 hours before my appointment to ensure there’s no reaction to the dye, then we begin the first step in the HD process — consultation. Nilam asks if I know what colour and style I’m looking for (my answer: nothing too terrifying) and what my usual maintenance regime is (barely any). Amanda Holden (pictured in December 2014) is the latest celebrity to grab the headlines with her new thicker brows thanks to eyebrow stylist, Nilam Patel . ‘Of course there is only so much we can do with just this one appointment,’ she says. ‘I can get you on track but 80 per cent of clients have to follow a regrowth plan lasting for up to 18 months. ‘When I dye your brows I will include some of the downy, fluffy hair you have around the edge of your brow, then cheat by using some of it to make the brow look thicker. ‘I’ll show you how to achieve the shape with a bit of make-up. We fake it until we make it.’ I am told I should not tweeze anywhere at all after the first session, and that in 12 to 18 months the brows will be much thicker. However, she adds that about 20 per cent of clients never achieve full regrowth and always have to enhance their brows with make-up. I point out what Nilam has, of course, already noted — that my left brow is far more arched than my right. ‘No one’s brows are naturally symmetrical and if they were it would look strange,’ smiles Nilam. ‘That said, I always prefer the shape of one brow, and on you it’s your right. ‘Think of your brow in two parts, the body and the tail. The body — the wider part — should form two thirds of the length, with the tail — the thinner part — as the last third. At the moment the body of your left brow reaches under halfway. ‘Also, the bulb of your right brow begins nearer the bridge of your nose, which I like. So I’ll fill that in on the left to match, and also widen the thin arched part.’ Nilam then starts step two, the custom-blended colouring, by cleansing my eyebrow area and decides on a medium ash brown, from around 100 available shades. For the four minutes or so while the dye is on, I look like the lovechild of Groucho Marx and longtime Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev — and when Nilam wipes off the dye, the resulting brows are startlingly dark. Step three is browmapping, where Nilam judges how much of the tinted fluff can be incorporated into the new brow shape. Step four sees the application of eyebrow wax to the surplus dyed fluff, then step five is the slightly painful threading, which removes the waxed hairs to create a natural look. Her final step is to add pencil and powder to make the brows bolder and fill in any gaps. And after 45 minutes of her hallowed ministrations, I have to admit: I’m a total convert to the church of the HD Brow, singing non-stop happy-clappy hymns to the utterly transformative effect of her method. Nilam says powder brows usually complement a fuller, wider or long face, or girls who wear minimal make-up, for example Emma Watson (left) and Keira Knightley (right) The mirror is my friend again, after all: my unbecomingly small eyes are somehow enlarged by the darker, thicker brows that Nilam has created. Suddenly I understand why I have always looked vaguely peculiar without my habitual heavy fringe — because my eyebrows were so unformed that it almost appeared I didn’t have any. Not any more. Even without make-up, surely the ultimate test of hideousness, I no longer resemble a boiled egg. My previously blancmange-like features have been reframed by new, defining contours. Kate (pictured after the treatment) feels the work done on her eyebrows has reframed her face, giving it 'new, defining contours' I am an instant junkie. I know I don’t want to give this up. Fortunately, there are now around 4,000 accredited HD Brows stylists nationwide, all of whom have paid £1,200 to attend Nilam’s three-day course and receive instruction in the technique. Many HD stylists charge £40 per appointment, so maintenance visits every four to six weeks, as recommended, may require the thick end of £500 a year. Before seeing Nilam, I would have thought that sum an absurd expenditure on eyebrows. But now I completely get it. More to the point, so does my new best friend, the mirror. | Kate Battersby rarely plucks her eyebrows or uses make-up on them .
She had her eyebrows dyed during the HD brows treatment .
The process also includes custom-blended colouring and browmapping .
80 per cent of Nilam's clients follow a regrowth plan for up to 18 months . |
219,646 | a85484f351fc1a6560f7d8480a6e5b1abf2bc82a | The beds are made up, but this abandoned mansion has not had an occupant sleeping in its grand rooms for years, . The tenants at the Round Mansion in western Belgium are long gone, but the bedrooms are still occupied by expensive furniture and ornaments. These eerie photographs were captured by London urban explorer Andre Govia, 37, after he decided to start documenting his love of abandoned buildings. Spooky: With an abandoned tricycle sitting in an empty corridor, this derelict but once grand mansion could be the setting for The Shining . Silence: Piles of clothes lie abandoned on a chair in one of the many bedrooms alongside papers and even a wine glass . Past: The bedrooms looks like the occupants have just left, but tell-tale signs of decay and dust suggest another story . 'This mansion was an amazing place to visit,' said Mr Govia. 'It was very cold and creepy, heavy damp air and noises from the wind made it seem so chilling. 'The most interesting part for me was the sheer size of the mansion. 'I couldn't believe the nine bedrooms and large rooms were used by just the one family who lived here.' Mr Govia explains: 'When people see these photographs they think that it's a waste of a building and history. I like this reaction as I always try to capture the ambiance and textures of the location so people can feel what it's like inside' 'The most interesting part for me was the sheer size of the mansion. I couldn't believe the nine bedrooms and large rooms were used by just the one family who lived here,' said Mr Govia . 'This mansion was an amazing place to visit,' said Mr Govia. 'It was very cold and creepy, heavy damp air and noises from the wind made it seem so chilling' Project: These eerie photographs were captured by London urban explorer Andre Govia, 37, after he decided to start documenting his love of abandoned buildings . Disrepair: Peeling wallpaper and dusty debris on the furniture shows the extent of the decay to the grand house . Abandoned: A once grand staircase now stands alone in the beautiful abandoned mansion . With . everything from worn slippers to books and old clothes, this old . mansion has apparently lay abandoned since the early 1990s. Mr Govia explains: 'When people see these photographs they think that it's a waste of a building and history. 'I . like this reaction as I always try to capture the ambiance and textures . of the location so people can feel what it's like inside. 'I try to create images that will place people with me on my visits and see what I feel and see. 'This particular building made me feel on edge and so there was no time to relax when I was inside.' A child's toy is left on a table. With everything from worn slippers to books and old clothes, this old mansion has apparently lay abandoned since the early 1990s . Eerie: The tenants at the Round Mansion in west Belgium are long gone, but the bedrooms are still occupied by expensive furniture and ornaments . | The tenants at the Round Mansion in west .
Belgium are long gone, but traces of their lives still remain in rooms .
Eerie photographs were captured by London urban explorer Andre Govia, 37 . |
212,496 | 9f2ab0f0b7593c11386421955b52c60b425b0569 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery, plans to be back on the bench when the Supreme Court resumes oral arguments in 17 days. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also had surgery for colorectal cancer in September 1999. Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said Friday that the 75-year-old justice is expected to be on hand for the next public session February 23, when the court will hear appeals in two cases. Ginsburg remains hospitalized at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center a day after undergoing surgery for the disease. Sources close to Ginsburg say that she continues to do well after surgery and that doctors and family remain cautiously optimistic. Those sources said she was resting comfortably and speaking with her staff about the court's upcoming caseload. Watch friends talk about Ginsburg's resilience » . The justice could be released from the hospital next week. A court statement Thursday said she will probably remain in the hospital for seven to 10 days, according to her attending surgeon, Dr. Murray Brennan. "Justice Ginsburg had no symptoms prior to the incidental discovery of the lesion during a routine annual check-up in late January at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland," the court said. The justices are on a month-long recess but return for a closed door conference February 20. There is no word on whether Ginsburg will attend that meeting, among just the nine members of the court, to go over pending appeals. President Obama was hoping to speak with Ginsburg by phone later Friday, said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. Ginsburg underwent surgery for colorectal cancer in September 1999. Court sources said she continued to work on pending cases while in her hospital bed and her subsequent recovery. Less than a month later, she appeared in public to give a speech and said, "I am still mending but have progressed steadily." She never missed a day on the bench. The Brooklyn, New York, native has been on the federal bench since 1980, the past 15 on the high court, where she is the he only female justice. | Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg expects to return to the bench by February 23 .
The only woman on the Supreme Court is hospitalized with pancreatic cancer .
It is her second bout with cancer .
She was treated for colon cancer in 1999-2000 . |
266,674 | e56aaab3fbb109e5b315a41c1adbd8269509fd8a | By . Harriet Arkell . Fiona Taylor, 44, bought fake bags from China and sold them as the real thing, making a huge profit . A woman who made more than £400,000 selling fake designer handbags spent the money on school fees for her children and luxury goods for herself. Fiona Taylor, 44, of Newton on Ouse, North Yorkshire, organised 'handbag parties' where she sold counterfeit bags for hundreds of pounds each, telling buyers they were the real thing. The mother of two laundered cheques through her son's bank account and spent the money on luxury goods, private school fees, holidays and a new car, a court heard. Teesside Crown Court was told that Taylor sold fake Mulberry bags at the parties which she organised across North Yorkshire, telling one woman they were sourced through a contact at Mulberry's own factory. In fact, the bags came from counterfeiters in China, and they quickly fell to bits, prompting complaints from customers. Richard Bennett, prosecuting, said Taylor paid more than £250,000 to Chinese counterfeit suppliers over five and a half years. He told the court she made regular substantial payments between November 2007 and May 2013 totalling £273,071. Mr Bennett said she had earned £418,687 by selling fake goods, which meant she'd made a profit of £145,616. He told the court that one complainant attended a handbag party at the home of a friend in October 2009, buying a handbag which subsequently fell apart. Another woman paid Taylor £585 for two Mulberry bags, a Jimmy Choo purse and another purse. She later found that the serial number on one of the bags, bought for her daughter, was fake and when it was sent to Mulberry they confirmed it was counterfeit. So many of Taylor's customers contacted the genuine Mulberry store in York that the firm contacted Trading Standards. Mr Bennett said Taylor signed a declaration stating she would stop selling such goods, but it had little effect in discouraging her. In June last year Taylor's home was searched and a large number of fake Mulberry, Gucci, Louis Vitton, Prada and Chanel bags and other items were seized. Susanna Proctor, defending, said Taylor had been made redundant from her job in a bank and - without a source of income - began buying bags for friends. Video courtesy of Pink 2 Paris . The real thing: But Taylor wasn't selling genuine bags by Louis Vuitton, left, or Mulberry, right, like these . Ms Proctor said: 'People were texting her and asking for bags and it snowballed out of her control. 'She is incredibly ashamed of her behaviour and is terrified of going to prison.' Taylor admitted two counts of selling counterfeit goods, two counts of concealing criminal property and 14 counts of possessing criminal property. Judge Peter Armstrong said organised criminals were benefitting from the counterfeit trade. 'That is why these offences are so serious,' he said. The judge said he took into account Taylor's early guilty pleas, references and previous good character, and handed her a three-month jail sentence, suspended for two years. He also ordered Taylor to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, and a proceeds of crime hearing will take place at a later date. | Fiona Taylor, 44, organised 'handbag parties' where she sold the fake goods .
She bought them from counterfeit suppliers in China and sold them as real .
Fakes included Mulberry, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel .
Was overheard telling one buyer she had a contact at the Mulberry factory .
Bags fell to bits and customers contacted Trading Standards in Yorkshire .
A raid on Taylor's home found large numbers of fake designer handbags .
Taylor's lawyer said she found bags for friends but it spiralled out of control .
She admitted 18 charges relating to counterfeiting and criminal property .
She was given three-month suspended jail term and 200 hours' unpaid work . |
15,643 | 2c6afdc1bbe32b700a3f0384321a8397ed405972 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- The wrongful death trial of concert promoter AEG Live filed by Michael Jackson's mother and three children will not be televised, a judge decided Friday. CNN had requested its camera be allowed in the courtroom during the trial, but Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos issued a ruling Friday denying the request. California law leaves the decision to the trial judge's discretion based on 19 factors to be considered. Palazuelos did not say in her ruling what factors swayed her decision. AEG Live to put Michael Jackson on trial in his own death . AEG Live's lawyer argued televising the trial could create a frenzy among Jackson fans at the courthouse that could pose a threat to witnesses. Jackson lawyers argued in favor of having a camera in court, saying it would be the best way for the world to see justice done. Without cameras, only a handful of journalists will have seats in the small courtroom in downtown Los Angeles. The Jacksons' lawsuit accuses AEG Live of liability in Jackson's death through the negligent hiring of Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician who is serving a prison sentence after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Conrad Murray from jail: 'I was in the wrong place at the wrong time' AEG Live contends Murray was never its employee, but was chosen and hired by Jackson. If AEG Live is found liable by a jury, it could mean a multibillion dollar judgment for the Jacksons, based on the potential earnings of Michael Jackson had he lived past his 50th birthday. Opening statements and the first witness could be heard in about two weeks in the trial that is expected to last for two to three months. The pool of potential jurors reached 60 Friday afternoon after four days of eliminating jurors for hardship reasons. The process will continue Monday and Tuesday or until about 100 potential jurors are identified. On Wednesday, the lawyers will start the voir dire process of eliminating jurors based on cause or their jury strikes allowed under court rules. Until then, the lawyers are studying their answers to a long questionnaire the potential jurors completed. The process is expected to continue for another week, perhaps ending around April 16 or 17. It is unclear how soon after a jury is seated that the judge will have lawyers deliver opening statements and call the first witness. Some judges allow the jury a day or so to take care of personal business after being selected. | CNN asks the judge to allow its camera in the trial .
AEG Live argues televising trial could create a Jackson fan frenzy .
Jackson lawyers argue in favor of having a camera in court .
Jackson's mom and kids say AEG Live is liable for his death . |
132,708 | 379b02e3fa828727641114b2316e3944c6cc7ba3 | Washington (CNN)The 2016 calculations of three potential candidates -- two Republicans and a very senior Democrat -- plus big tests for President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filled our Sunday trip around the "Inside Politics" table. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida skipped the big weekend GOP gathering in Iowa, and some believe Jeb Bush's presumed candidacy makes it hard for Rubio to find his 2016 footing. But Jonathan Martin of The New York Times shared reporting on how Rubio is still very interested in running, and hopeful that perhaps the interest from Mitt Romney offers him a new place in the growing GOP field. "One of the things that is really keeping him intrigued by this race is the possibility that Mitt Romney will run," said Martin. "If you have a Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney scenario, that could open up a door for Rubio because it divides the center right and also it makes Rubio look more conservative, less establishment." No offense to TV anchors, but what a politician says during a morning show interview may not tell you as much as what he or she says -- or doesn't say -- once the camera stops rolling. A case in point just might be Vice President Joe Biden, who told ABC News the other day he is still thinking about another run for president in 2016, notwithstanding polls showing Hillary Clinton with an overwhelming advantage among Democrats. The Atlantic's Molly Ball, however, says she went looking for evidence the VP is doing the work necessary to actually run and, well, she's still looking. "So I talked to some well-placed Democrats in Iowa who would be hearing from him if he were serious about this, because that's what he would be doing," said Ball. "They haven't got the call saying, 'Hey, do me a favor, keep your powder dry.' So all the signs out there -- this is the time when he would need to be reaching out to those people that he's known for a long time, and they're not hearing from Joe Biden." The emails started midafternoon and kept coming into the evening. "Palin?" was all one said. "Do your people there think she is serious?" was part of another. When Donald Trump told Iowa Republicans he is seriously thinking about a 2016 run, serious Republican operatives just laughed. Again. The way they did when Trump said the same early in the 2012 cycle. Or the 2008 cycle. Most also think Palin, like The Donald, just likes the attention and wants to keep her name in the mix but isn't really serious about running. But, unlike their reaction to Trump, many GOP operatives take a minute, or three, to consider the impact Palin could have if she actually did run. Again, that's highly unlikely -- but it would be wrong to "misunderestimate" her potential in Iowa. Imagine a field of Palin, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Ben Carson and others competing for tea party and evangelical voters. Iowa doesn't pick nominees, but it does winnow the field -- and the competition on the right in the GOP Class of 2016 is already intense. New Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised he would run things differently -- and it's true that in the first big debate of his tenure, there has been a more free-flowing debate and more amendments. But McConnell apparently didn't mean limitless free debate, and his moves late last week to shut down debate on some Keystone XL amendments annoyed some Democrats -- including some the GOP leader needs on his side to pass his bill. So Ed O'Keefe of The Washington Post took us inside the Senate as we wait to see whether McConnell can get his first legislative priority to the finish line. "Expect to see Republicans allow for a few more (debates on amendments), at least this week, partly because the moderate Democrats, that Republicans are going to need to pass this bill, expressed some displeasure about it over the weekend," said O'Keefe. "There's some concern that if they get upset, either they part ways on this bill or they won't be there in the future." One ask in President Obama's State of the Union address was for Congress to authorize the military campaign under way against ISIS targets in the Middle East. It was a jarring moment if you recall how Barack Obama broke out in 2008 by being the candidate who opposed the Iraq war and wanted to get the U.S. out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Just watching him ask for authorization of military force was a reminder the world has not unfolded as Obama had hoped. Julie Hirschfeld Davis of The New York Times shared reporting about whether the President's request was an important shift in administration thinking. "Some people think he goofed a little when he said we need that authority. That's actually a change in position for him," said Hirschfeld Davis. "But now he really wants Congress to give him some legislation that would authorize that fight. Internally in the White House, the discussions are really heating up about what that should look like. They're anticipating quite a fight on Capitol Hill both with Republicans and Democrats." | Why Rubio is excited about a potential Romney run .
2016 tea leaves: Biden's not in touch with top Democrats in Iowa .
The impact of a Palin candidacy on a crowded conservative field . |
233,526 | ba4fa83724281f32ed6328f92589838d809faa03 | Lake Turkana, Kenya (CNN) -- Richard Leakey has spent a lifetime exploring Kenya's Turkana Basin searching for the origins of man. Each layer of sediment, says the paleoanthropologist and founder of the Turkana Basin Institute, helps to tell the narrative of human evolution. "You get the whole story of life represented going back from the present right back to the beginnings of an ape that has two legs as opposed to four," Leakey said. "So the whole story of humanity you can actually trace to the Turkana Basin." But Leakey says these ancient hills tell another story, a history of climactic changes that gave rise to some species and led to the extinction of others. With climate change, he says, this history could be repeated. "The future of humanity is not going to be in the sediments, it is going to be in our minds and our thinking and unfortunately what we find here is that evidence," Leakey said. "What we find here that is scientifically provable, immutable facts doesn't necessarily get absorbed for the moment by the political class who simply don't want to know the ugly truth that the world is a mess." On the shores of Lake Turkana -- the largest desert lake in the world -- they don't need to know the science of climate change. For more than 1,000 years, fishermen have been bringing in their catch, but, in less than a generation, they have witnessed disturbing changes. "When I was young this lake was full, says Lazarao Maraka, a local fisherman. "The water just keeps going down. We used to get big fish every day, now they are tiny." Maraka has reason to worry. Sometimes it is hard to see the effects of climate change, but not at Lake Turkana. Global human impact on Earth . Thirty years ago the area was covered with water. Now, it is just sand and gravel. And scientists believe that in just a few decades it will be reduced to a couple of puddles. Upriver dam projects could further hasten the retreat, a potential catastrophe for the entire region that depends on the lake for food and economic survival. "I think the prospect of many of these half million people living around the lake today of having to relocate to cities and to slums and to abandon their culture, abandon their ancestral land, become paupers in their own land, I think it is very real," Leakey says. "I think the way of life is gone...I have no doubt about that at all. I think if you came back here or my grandchildren came back in 50 years we wouldn't recognize what we are talking about today." Leakey's Turkana Basin Institute is trying to understand how climate change is affecting the Turkana. More: Could big cities lead fight against climate change? Sometimes the best thing to do is listen. The Turkana say the rains are less frequent and the droughts come more often. The unpredictable weather and vanishing pasture has decimated their herds. Climate change does affect the Turkana people, says Ikal Angelei from the Turkana Basin Institute. "With the increase of drought it has made the communities unable to adapt to the changes, because it happens so often," Angelei said. Leakey says that anyone skeptical about climate change should visit the Turkana Basin. "Coming to a place like this, I think you actually show people what happens. These are real issues that you can see and feel and almost touch that may make people understand that we are on the edge of a precipice and we are going over," he said. "We have accelerated a process and it is based on the belief that somehow we can maintain control. I think our carbon dioxide emissions are out of control." Even with the changes around Lake Turkana, fishermen like Lazaro Maraka still try to eke out a living the only way they know how. He worries what will be left for his son Eroo if the lake continues to recede. "If there is no lake or no fish, then the people will not survive around this lake. This lake is the Turkana's life," Maraka says. This place has helped unlock humanity's past. Today, it could also be providing a window on its future. | Conservationist Richard Leakey has been working in Kenya's Turkana Basin for years .
Leakey says fishermen have seen evidence of climate change in the water as levels recede .
Potentially catastrophic as entire region is dependent on the lake for food and economic survival . |
95,349 | 068b7db8b4a4ec75b1dddf663f07a30aca95f645 | By . Jennifer Newton . Lying in a bridal gown friends gather around the open casket of a teenage AIDS victim in the sewers below Bucharest. Catalina collapsed and died in the tunnels below the city last week and friends and family came to pay their last respect to the 18-year-old, who was dressed in a wedding gown, as is the custom for Roma girls who die before they marry. The extraordinary pictures of her wake and funeral procession in the underground tunnel system, which is home to a gang of drug addicts, were captured by Channel 4 News reporters Paraic O'Brien and Jim Wickens. The reporters exposed the underground world in the Romania in a film last month, but they returned to city following the death of Catalina, a drug addict who featured in the report. This is their story. Victim: People gather around the coffin of 18-year-old Catalina, an AIDS victim, who died in the underground tunnels of Bucharest . Last respects: Friends gather around the casket of Catalina, who is dressed in a wedding gown, as is custom for Roma girls, who die before they marry . Burial: A small crowd, weeping and placing flowers over the casket surrounded the final resting place of Catalina as her coffin is lowered into the ground . Deep beneath the streets of Romania’s capital, a living hell exists. The last time we met Catalina had been underground, deep in the Bucharest tunnel system that Bruce Lee and his gang of homeless drug addicts call home. She was in the queue to buy drugs, perched on one of the heating pipes in front of an icon of the Virgin Mary. The ring of infected syringe sores around her neck a jagged reminder of her drug-addicted life in the sewers. 'This is where I destroyed myself', she had told us almost prophetically that day. She featured as one of the main characters in our film broadcast on Channel 4 News last month. A story that has shocked over two million people who have viewed it around the world and has ramped up the pressure on authorities charged with managing Romania’s homeless youngsters. Catalina, before her death, who featured in a Channel 4 News report exposing the underground world beneath the streets of Bucharest . Fellow inhabitants of the sewers hold up a picture of the 18-year-old, who was born into acute poverty and abandoned by her parents as a baby . Over two million people watched the original film on Romania's homeless youngsters and the authorities are facing pressure to do more for those in the underground world . Mourners taking part in Catalina's funeral procession led a slow march to through Bucharest to Gare du Nord . The mourners carried photographs of Catalina, as well as a cross and religious imagery during her funeral procession . But it is . too late for Catalina. She is dead. She collapsed and died in the . tunnels last week after suffering from AIDS, chronic pneumonia and heart . failure which cut short her painfully short life. She had just turned . 18. Channel . 4 News was invited back to Romania and to her wake. We were ushered . through the cobble stones and courtyard, past children playing in the . dust and adults weeping by the door of the tiny tin roofed shack. Catalina . lay in the open casket veiled in a bridal gown, as is custom for Roma . girls who die before their wedding day. A priest stood to one side, . chanting prayers as her sisters stood over her, fussing over the veil, . or rearranging her beloved pink CD player that they had stuffed under . her pillow, music to keep her company in the grave. During the procession, mourners stopped at the at the sewer entrance, which led to the place she once called home . The sewers are home to hundreds of homeless people, with many HIV positive and drug addicts . The so-called 'king of the sewers' Bruce Lee, right, attended Catalina's funeral with his head painted in Aurolac, a bright silver paint that the addicts sniff . Authorities in Bucharest say Bruce Lee has been removed from the city several times by the police but keeps on returning faster than the police return to take him away . As the . candles flickered late into the night, Catalina's friends began to . arrive in the house, familiar faces from her home in the tunnels coming . to pay their last respects. We . found Eliza, one of Catalina's best friends whom we filmed joking . around in the tunnels weeks earlier. 'We met in a foster house named . Pinocchio. I hanged out with her everywhere. She was like a sister to . me,' she told us tears streaming down her face. One . of five siblings born into acute poverty, Catalina's parents had . abandoned her as a baby, sending her to live in a children's institution . on the edge of Bucharest, for the first years of her life. It was a factor we were told later by the head of the institution that had impacted deeply upon her life, a lifetime lacking in love that had drawn her deeply into life within the sewers. Bruce Lee and the tight knit gang underground she said had become the family Catalina had never had. 'For her getting some attention was an extraordinary experience,' said Carmen her sister, 'because now she felt valued in those moments. She was happy if anybody was looking out for her or giving her any attention,' she said. The underground world of homeless people living in the sewers and tunnels beneath Bucharest was exposed by Channel 4 News last month . Everyone living in the sewers is HIV-positive and a quarter have TB, yet they are left to rot in the darkness, huddling against heating pipes and sniffing glue to stay warm . Some even keep pets such as this dog in the tunnels, even though there is barely enough room for all the people living beneath the city . The procession of mourners continued to stream in, silent faces, clutching her hand, kissing her forehead, whispering their goodbyes. The following morning, the day of Catalina’s funeral, it was the turn of Bruce Lee – the self-styled 'King of the Sewers'. Never shy of a spectacle, he arrived barefoot with his head painted in Aurolac, a luminous helmet of bright silver paint that the addicts sniff. A stark reminder of the crazed drug-infested atmosphere where Catalina had died. A window was removed from the house and the coffin was pulled out amidst wails and mournful chaos. Carried in the back of an open transit van, a small gaggle of mourners led a slow march to the Gare Du Nord, stopping at the sewer entrance, the hole she had once called home. For a hearse, a black transit van. Then a procession through the city, where the pallbearers were drug addicts. Many of the drug addicts sniff . a metallic paint called Aurolac and the smell of the substance is overpowering in the tunnels . One of the underground residents inspects a needle ready to inject containing a synthetic drug similar to methadone . The same sewer entrance we had disappeared into weeks earlier appears empty. Nobody stirred until her sister calls down into the tunnel: 'Catalina is here, this is where she lived with you, come and see her for the last time.' Gradually they begin to emerge, weary-eyed in the bright light above ground, clutching Aurolac bags to steady their nerves. A gaggle of diseased and destitute individuals who have lost their way in life, gathering around the body of one of their own who had lost her life. We followed the group to the funeral where Catalina’s coffin was lowered into the ground. A small crowd surrounded her coffin, weeping and placing flowers over the casket. Her family she was torn from as a baby and the homeless family that had welcomed her in - briefly united in a moment of tragedy. The next day we interviewed Cosmina Nicolescu, the Director General of the Social Assistance in Bucharest who told us: 'For them life no longer matters. They are outcasts, renegades that are avoided and they are primarily lacking love and understanding. It wasn't their fault that they were born into this situation, or that they ended up in this situation.' The homeless and drug gangs enter the underworld via a hole in the pavement on a traffic island in front of the station . We asked why more wasn't done to intervene before Catalina's death: 'As far as we know from the tunnels she didn't want to be brought in the daylight. Her dying wishes, to die in the place where she had found family.' Ms Nicolescu says that they can't close the tunnels, for fear of pushing the vulnerable people who find sanctuary underground, into ever-more precarious places and situations. But she claims that Bruce Lee is banned from Bucharest, and has been removed several times before by the police. He just keeps on returning faster than the police return to take him away. Today the tunnels alongside Bucharest's central station remain open for both business and sanctuary, attracting youngsters like Catalina, who struggle to exist at the very bottom of Romanian society. Drug addiction and premature death the price paid for those who choose to live underground. Watch 'Catalina: A Life Lost in the Tunnels of Bucharest' in a special report on Channel 4 News tonight at 7pm. The leader of the underground world, Bruce Lee, pays protection money to a local gang and also says addicts are less likely to die down in the tunnels because he offers them a sort of safety . | Drug addicts paid their last respects to Catalina, an AIDS victim who died in the underground tunnels below Bucharest .
She was dressed in a bridal gown, as is custom for unmarried Roma girls who die before they marry .
Pictures were captured by Channel 4 News who exposed the underground world last month .
But authorities say they can't close the tunnels for fear of pushing vulnerable people into more precarious places .
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . |
230,161 | b6090c3f5f7a8d98eb5c8adbd3c2cf75fbe5778f | Scotland and Glasgow fly-half Duncan Weir will miss the RBS Six Nations championship and be sidelined for up to four months after undergoing surgery on his right bicep. Weir suffered an injury to his arm during the league clash with Edinburgh on December 27 and a scan showed the 23-year-old would require surgery to fix the problem. A statement on Glasgow's official website said: 'Following an injury sustained in the game against Edinburgh Rugby at Scotstoun on Saturday 27 December and a subsequent MRI scan at BMI Ross Hall Hospital, it was advised that Duncan Weir required surgery to repair his right biceps. Duncan Weir kicked a dramatic last-ditch drop goal to secure a 21-20 win over Italy in Rome last season . 'Duncan has successfully undergone surgery and will be out of action for up to four months.' Weir was Scotland's starting fly-half in the 2014 Six Nations championship and kicked a dramatic last-ditch drop goal to secure a 21-20 win over Italy in Rome. The Glasgow stand-off also played in the Scotland side that defeated Argentina 21-19 in Cordoba last June, kicking 11 points in the victory, before being on the losing side to South Africa. The Glasgow fly-half will miss the 2015 Six Nations Championship after undergoing surgery on a bicep injury . Weir was named in Vern Cotter's squad for last year's autumn internationals, although he lost his starting berth to Glasgow team-mate Finn Russell. Scotland finished fifth in last year's Six Nations tournament thanks to their narrow win over Italy. Glasgow also announced that loose forward Tyrone Holmes will be out for up to six weeks after he underwent a procedure to repair a fractured eye socket suffered in the game against Edinburgh on January 2. Weir's Glasgow team-mate Finn Russell (left) looks set to continue at fly-half for Scotland . | Duncan Weir will be sidelined for up to four months with the injury .
The Glasgow fly-half has undergone surgery .
Weir picked up the injury playing against Edinburgh in December .
Weir was Scotland's starting fly-half in the 2014 Six Nations championship .
Scotland finished fifth in last year's Six Nations tournament thanks to their narrow win over Italy . |
264,991 | e33b61ad1764abd4e3d24a0aa680c26d6807823f | A transgender woman known as 'The Duchess' who performed illegal cosmetic surgery on women's buttocks could face up to a 100 years in prison if she is convicted of manslaughter. Oneal Ron Morris, 33, is accused of leaving women ill and disfigured after she injected them with a mixture of substances including cement, bathroom caulk, tire sealant and Super Glue, at homes in Florida. The most serious charge faced by Morris is manslaughter, after one of her 'patients' died from acute and chronic respiratory failure caused by the silicone used in the illegal surgery. Oneal Ron Morris - who earned herself the nickname ‘toxic tush doctor’ - now faces seven counts of practicing health care without a licence as well as one count of manslaughter . Morris - who earned herself the nickname ‘toxic tush doctor’ - now faces seven counts of practicing health care without a licence as well as one count of manslaughter, the Sun Sentinel reports. If convicted of all charges and sentenced consecutively, she faces up to 100 years behind bars. Shatarka Nuby, 31, who paid Morris $2,000 for as many as 10 injections, died in 2012 while serving a prison sentence for using fraudulent credit cards. Before she died, the mother wrote to the Florida Department of Health complaining about her severe medical problems, including the hardening and discoloration of her buttocks. Morris was arrested in 2011 for practicing medicine without a license with serious bodily injury after a patient complained the bogus doctor pumped tire sealant into her rear. Police say that up to 30 people from across the United States came forward with claims they were scammed by the bogus doctor after her arrest. Shaquanda Brown, of North Miami, told the Miami Herald she had to be hospitalized for over a month after receiving the injections, and then continued to suffer from sickness. She said she recalled seeing a tube of Super Glue, a black hose and a syringe but she said Morris instructed her not to look so she continued to lay face down. She also said she remembered seeing Morris squeezing Super Glue onto gauze and placing the tape on the site of each injection, but the procedure stopped before she receive all of them, because they were so painful. Morris, who called herself 'The Duchess', also treated her own face and body with the toxic injections . According to the Herald, Ms Brown was admitted to a Tampa hospital shortly after, where she stayed for over a month to recover from a series of surgeries to treat multiple abscesses. She says she also contracted a staph infection. Ms Brown's story comes after another 'patient', Rajee Narinesingh, accused Morris of making her 'into a monster' after she received several procedures from the 'doctor' in 2005. Ms Narinesingh, a transgendered woman, wanted fuller lips, cheeks and chin, but could not afford an operation by a licensed plastic surgeon, using medical silicone. She said she had heard about the 'fake doctor' by word of mouth through the transgender community. After being injected with a cocktail of toxins she allegedly left with lumpen shapes in her cheeks, a misshapen chin and a ballooning upper lip. She later had to pay a real surgeon to repair the botched job. A court was told that Morris used Super Glue to patch up entry wounds in the skin. In October 2013, Morris accepted a plea deal of 366 days in prison for one count of the illegal practice of healthcare. On November 5 this year she was extradited to the Broward Main Jail where she is currently being held without bond. | Oneal Ron Morris, 33, left women ill and disfigured after the illegal surgery .
She injected the women with a mixture of substances at homes in Florida .
Shatarka Nuby, who paid Morris $2,000 for up to 10 injections, died in 2012 . |
124,265 | 2ca3b05bc4ccc4f2a551a9092e1ece9f55f8b4e0 | Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Seeking to identify the man who shot dead another man outside a store in Naples, Italy, in the spring, an anti-mafia prosecutor distributed on Thursday a video showing the execution. The surveillance-camera video, shot May 11, shows a man wearing a baseball cap, dark jersey, blue jeans and running shoes entering a store, walking to the back and looking around, then walking out. As he exits, he pulls a pistol from his right front pants pocket and shoots a man standing outside the store. As the victim buckles to his knees and then sprawls headlong on the pavement, the killer approaches him from behind and squeezes off a second round into the back of his head, turns and strides unhurriedly out of camera view. Passers-by appear unfazed. One woman tries to lift the victim's head in an apparent attempt to see whether she knows him; a man steps over the body. "Indeed, it is ugly to see people behaving as if that was not a dead body and going on their daily routine," a police spokesman said. "Unfortunately, this is not an anomaly in Naples and in that neighborhood." He said fear led people to behave that way. The spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said anti-mafia prosecutor Sergio Amato released the video to the media in hopes that someone would recognize the killer and his apparent accomplice: a man who had been standing next to the victim and walked off just before the shooting. Police said no motive has been determined for the killing, which took place in the poor neighborhood of Rione Sanita, where Camorra -- the name for organized crime in Naples -- is strong. The victim was a bank robber, the spokesman said. Italian Minister for Equal Opportunities Maria Rosaria Carfagna called the video "tragic." "It shows us, finally, without any censorship, a disgusting side of the Camorra, which along with all the rest of its disgusting faces, has forced a city, a region, a territory, to be ashamed of itself and to hide its real face. "A street homicide, in broad daylight, in the center of a great European city cannot be considered normal and even less be accepted by the conscience of all Italians as if it were a TV show," she said. "The police forces are waging a battle against organized crime, as the number of arrests shows us. The state is there and in strong force. But, and I speak here as someone from the Campania region, Naples and all of Campania need not only a strong political force but the courage of all its citizens." Roberto Saviano, author of the book "Gomorrah," which details the Camorra, called the video "shocking." "What is shocking about this video is the absolute serenity of the people around the victim," he told the daily newspaper La Repubblica. Saviano, who has lived under police protection since shortly after his book was published in 2006, added, "Unfortunately, though, when a city is at war, its citizens undergo and live almost with normal indifference." Italy's Green Party is offering 2,000 euros ($2,963) to whoever helps investigators identify the suspects. "The Camorra pays them to keep quiet; we pay them to speak," said Francesco Emilio Borelli, head of the Green Party in the Campania region. The police spokesman said Camorra has been blamed for about 60 killings this year in Naples and its surrounding county. | Video shows man shoot another man twice outside Naples store during day .
Passers-by appear unfazed by shooting in neighborhood where organized crime is strong .
"Unfortunately, this is not an anomaly in Naples," police spokesman says .
Italy's Green Party offers reward for information on shooter and accomplice . |
135,595 | 3b6d91780c6e9e26ccf9165551f77a1eb9130185 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:31 EST, 6 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:51 EST, 6 June 2013 . George Zimmerman revealed his dramatic weight gain during his latest court appearance today as a judge denied his attorney's request to let some witnesses testify in private. Photographs taken inside the courtroom show the former neighborhood watch officer is drastically heavier than he was in mugshots taken after he gunned down Trayvon Martin last year. Zimmerman, who has been in hiding since his arrest, appeared in court on Thursday as his lawyer asked the judge for some witnesses to give their testimony out of the public eye. Defense attorney Mark O'Mara said the witnesses have concerns for their safety about testifying at Zimmerman's trial, which starts next week. Changed: George Zimmerman, who has been in hiding since his arrest for the killing of Trayvon Martin, arrives in Seminole circuit court for a hearing on Thursday - revealing his dramatic weight gain . Photographs taken inside the courtroom show the former neighborhood watch officer is drastically heavier than he was in mugshots taken after he gunned down Trayvon Martin last year . O'Mara said that the seven witnesses he wanted to keep hidden include one eyewitness to the altercation between Zimmerman and Martin on the night of February 26, 2012. He said their testimony could impact the jury's decision, but prosecutors and attorneys for media groups objected to the request. Prosecutor John Guy had opposed the request, explaining it might be 'alarming and confusing to a juror and might otherwise highlight their testimony when it shouldn’t be highlighted'. O'Mara also called Ben Kruidbos, a former IT director in the state prosecutor's office, to the stand. The defense claims Kruidbos is a whistleblower who revealed deleted texts, photographs, and video found on the teenager's phone which prosecutors failed to disclose to the defense. Different: Zimmerman, pictured left on Thursday, shows his weight gain since a hearing in April 2010, right . In court: A judge denied his attorney's request that some witnesses testify in private . The information includes Martin possibly holding a gun and smoking marijuana. With the photos and text messages, Zimmerman's attorneys hope to show . that Martin wasn't the 'angel' he's been made out to be by his family, . attorneys, and the media, but rather an experienced fighter who used . drugs. O'Mara also told the judge that Martin's marijuana use and past fighting . was central to the argument that Zimmerman used self-defense when he . confronted Martin last year at a gated community in Sanford, Florida. 'We have a lot of evidence that marijuana use had something to do with . the event,' O'Mara said. 'It could have affected his behavior.' Rejection: Circuit Judge Debra Nelson talks with defense and prosecuting attorneys at the pre-trial hearing. She denied a request from Zimmeman's attorney Mark O'Mara, left, to allow confidential testimony . But the judge ruled that the photos, . messages and social media records cannot be mentioned in Zimmerman's . opening statement, although they could be looked at later in the trial. An . attorney for Martin's family, Benjamin Crump, said the teen's parents . were pleased with the judge's rulings. 'Trayvon Martin is not on trial,' Crump said. Circuit Judge Debra Nelson also refused to allow jurors to travel to the . shooting scene during trial, and rejected a defense request to delay . the trial set to begin June 10. The judge called the request to let jurors see the crime scene 'a logistical nightmare.' Drastic: An image taken a day after the shooting shows a much slimmer Zimmerman as he recounts the attack . Killed: Trayvon Martin, 17, was unarmed when he was shot dead as he walked home in February 2012 . Zimmerman, 29, is pleading not guilty, claiming he shot the unarmed teenager in February 2012 in self-defense when the boy fought with him and went to grab his gun, he said. A delay in Zimmerman's arrest led to protests nationwide. Martin was black. Zimmerman's father is white, and his mother is Hispanic. Jury selection begins on Monday. The trial is expected to last more than a month. | Attorney had requested confidential testimony as some witnesses said they were concerned for their safety .
But judge rejected request after arguments from media and prosecutors .
Zimmerman's trial for 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin starts next week . |
151,422 | 4fc4ce2ac87cb849fd56b090e4bb32aa75c4185e | Between 1,000 and 2,000 officers have been suspected of tipping off criminals, stealing and fabricating evidence, says a Home Office report. The Home Office Select Committee will launch an investigation next month into police corruption after claims officers also used their power to get money and sex. The probe comes amid a series of police scandals that have related to recent inquiries involving phone-hacking and the Plebgate scandal. A Home Office report revealed that the government estimate that at least 2,000 officers of all ranks could be corrupt (file picture) In a Home Office report analysis by researchers revealed that the government estimate that up to 2,000 officers of all ranks could be comprimising the police by dealing with criminals. The report states that intelligence over a one year period from some forces involved in their research showed that between 0.5 per cent and one per cent of the 200,000 police staff were 'potentially corrupt.' It explains: 'Corrupt activities across these examples have included the protection of criminals for financial payments, the theft and recycling of drugs to criminals, the stealing of money from crime scenes, and the fabrication of evidence to obtain convictions.' It also adds how some officers 'used their powers to obtain money or sexual favours from the public.' Among the corrupt practices listed by the 2003 report are dealing and using drugs, fraud and domestic violence as well using 'sexist, racist and homophobic behaviour.' It also pointed to raids where suspects could have been tipped off because when officers arrived there was no incriminating evidence and they already 'had the kettle on'. Critics say the 2003 Home Office report shows why no Home Secretary Theresa May is trying to tackle historical scandals . The report also adds that corruption could be taking place at all levels and suggests that police should be dealt with behind closed doors if they commit crimes, to make it 'less damaging'. Critics say this Home Office report shows why now Home Secretary Theresa May is having to deal with historic police scandals. Member of the Home Affairs Select Committee and Conservative MP Lorraine Fullbrook told the Independent: 'Labour's kid-gloves treatment of the police bred a lack of accountability which ultimately let down the public. 'There has been a loss of confidence in the police as a result, which is quite dangerous. Theresa is trying to tackle these historic issues to restore the public's trust.' Earlier this year, it also emerged that dozens of corrupt police officers helped organised criminals hide evidence, intimidate witnesses and access details of ongoing operations. Earlier this year, an internal investigation at Scotland Yard by the Metropolitan Police claimed some officers helped organised criminals to hide evidence . An internal investigation by the Metropolitan Police claimed officers were bribed to destroy surveillance logs and some officers even co-owned houses and racehorses with suspected gang leaders. The 2002 report, produced as part of Operation Tiberius, an investigation into police corruption, named 80 corrupt officers. More than half of them were still serving at the time. However, a statement issued by Scotland Yard said said that the Met continued to investigate corruption, and has 'no complacency' about the matter. Policing minister Mike Penning told the newspaper: 'The public expect the police to act with honesty and integrity and it is right that the full force of criminal law is available to punish and deter acts of corruption by police officers.' | Report estimates that up to one per cent of officers are 'potentially corrupt'
Says examples of corruption include tipping off criminals and stealing .
Adds that some officers have also used their power to get money and sex .
Also points to raids where suspects were awaiting the arrival of the police .
Home Affairs Select Committee are set to launch probe into police corruption next month .
An earlier version of this article said at least 2,000 police are ‘potentially corrupt’. To clarify, the figure is in fact between 1,000 and 2,000. |
182,806 | 78bd2c01ad99e511873d9b9c2f97fdd5dd67eb54 | Dr Nemat Shafik said more should be done to punish traders following a series of 'truly shocking evidence' The woman charged with cleaning up the City of London has launched a stinging attack on ‘outrageous’ behaviour in the financial markets. Bank of England Deputy Governor Nemat Shafik said last night that more could be done to punish traders following ‘a series of appalling cases of misconduct’ over recent years. The 52-year-old highlighted ‘truly shocking evidence’ of traders manipulating the prices of everything from gold and oil to lead and coffee, as well as fixing interest rates and currencies. ‘I find this behaviour outrageous,’ she said in her first speech since being brought in by Governor Mark Carney to root out wrongdoing and restore trust in financial markets. Speaking at the London School of Economics last night, Dr Shafik said: ‘The initial argument that it is just the case of a few bad apples is no longer credible. It seems there were deep-rooted problems.’ Dr Shafik, who studied at the LSE and Oxford and was permanent secretary at the Department for International Development for three years before joining the International Monetary Fund, is now leading a review into the Fixed Income, Currency and Commodity markets (FICC). She said: ‘It is clear that, in the run-up to the crisis, some firms in FICC markets had allowed the culture on their trading floors to get out of control.’ Egyptian-born Dr Shafik said she was particularly struck at the ‘casual’ attitude of traders involved in the scandals, and that the review she is heading to tackle their ‘anything goes’ attitude should think about imposing harsher punishments. ‘The review wants to consider whether more needs to be done to punish misconduct,’ she said. She highlighted the case of one Lloyds trader who sent a message to his manager about a request to manipulate Libor interest rates – used to set savings and borrowing rates throughout the economy. Playing on the Tesco slogan, he joked: ‘Every little helps… it’s like Tesco.’ Dr Shafik pointed out that, far from being concerned, the manager simply replied: ‘Absolutely, every little helps.’ The damning exchange was published by regulators in July as the state-backed lender was fined £217million for rigging Libor. Barclays was fined £290million in June 2012 for its part in fixing the rate, and another £26million in May this year for rigging gold prices. Dr Shafik cited the example of one Lloyd's trader who sent a message to his manager about a request to manipulate Libor interest rates (The Lloyd's Building in the City of London is pictured) It is also fighting a £300million penalty in the US for manipulating electricity prices. Dr Shafik, who is known by her nickname Minouche and is arguably the most powerful woman in the City, said progress has been made to clean up the financial markets, including a clampdown on bumper bonuses, however, she added: ‘The risk is that, as memories of recent enforcement cases fade, bad practices may re-emerge. Some say that may already be happening.’ Although the string of financial scandals has cast a shadow over the lenders, not a single senior banker has been jailed. But the manipulation of the Libor interest rate has now been made a criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to seven years. The Government now wants to extend this to cover the rigging of other markets. | Dr Nemat Shafik said she had 'truly shocking evidence' of misconduct .
The 52-year-old described 'outrageous' behaviour which needed addressing .
Particularly struck with 'casual' attitude of scandal-hit traders in the City . |
70,894 | c8ff5543fefbed0a13b7f49da723d5ed66fd5585 | By . Simon Tomlinson . Savaged: Seven-year-old Aaron Kudray shows the injuries to his face and arm after a dog attack that has left him unable to smile . A seven-year-old boy was savaged by a dog in an horrific attack which has left him unable to smile. Aaron Kudray, from Moston, Greater Manchester, was playing in the garden when the boxer-bull mastiff cross mauled his face and arms. The youngster managed to fight the dog off but was left with severe injuries to his face. He has had to undergo plastic surgery so he will be able to smile again when he's fully recovered. But the owner of the dog will not be prosecuted - because the attack happened two days before changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act. The act now says dog owners whose animals attack someone in their own home or on private property can be prosecuted. But the changes in legislation came in on Tuesday - and Aaron was attacked on Sunday. Aaron's mother, Paula, is furious the neighbour who owns the dog will not be prosecuted. The 33-year-old mother-of-four said: 'It's horrific. I am absolutely fuming. 'Aaron . has had to stay at my mum's, he's so shaken and he can't play outside . it's not fair for him sitting at home while all the other children play . out.' The owner of the dog, an 18-month-old boxer-bull mastiff cross, voluntarily destroyed her pet on Monday. She attacked Aaron after one of the children he was playing with let her out of the back yard. Paula said: 'She went straight for Aaron, I think in hindsight because he was holding sweets. 'He . said he was trying to beat her away with his left arm but every time he . got up she pinned him back down. I'll never know how he got away.' Aaron has been left with deep puncture wounds to his left arm and the left side of his face. Mauled: Aaron has had plastic surgery so he will be able to smile again but doctors said that if the wound had been even a millimetre over the tendons he uses to smile would have been severed, possibly permanently . Doctors . told Paula if the wound had been even a millimetre over, either left or . right, the tendons Aaron uses to smile would have been severed, . possibly permanently. Paula . added: 'He came running in holding . out his arms and then I just saw blood start coming out of his wounds. They were so deep.' The . changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act, which have been welcomed by Greater . Manchester Police (GMP) and Police Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd, mean . there are harsher sentences for people whose dogs attack a person and . now include attacks which take place on private property. Paula . said: 'I think the change in the law is brilliant, but I think there . should be a loophole that means this woman can be prosecuted. Livid: Aaron's mother, Paula, is furious the neighbour who owns the dog will not be prosecuted because the attack happened two days before changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act . Aaron was attacked by a boxer-bull mastiff cross like this one. The dog has since been destroyed (file picture) 'She is . playing the victim because she has had her family pet put down but Aaron . is the one suffering.' GMP confirmed there would be no prosecution due to the law only changing two days later. A . spokesman said: 'A seven-year-old boy suffered puncture wounds to his . left arm and a deep bite on his left cheek, he was taken to hospital for . treatment. 'A second child aged seven was also bitten and had injuries to her leg and scratch marks. 'The owner of the dog voluntarily had the dog destroyed.' | Aaron Kudray mauled by boxer-bull mastiff cross while playing in garden .
Owner won't be prosecuted because attack happened before law change .
Dangerous Dogs Act now allows charges over attacks on private property .
Aaron hopes to be able to smile again after undergoing plastic surgery . |
249,236 | ce83b5e54cbad907f5c133fd320b98cc846d6197 | This is the moment a mysterious flying object was caught on camera as it hovered in the night sky. Footage of the UFO - a dome-shaped object with pulsating lights - was taken from outside a home in Tynemouth, North Tyneside. Craig Lowther, a venture capitalist, said he was letting his dog into the garden at about 11.30pm on Monday when he spotted the unidentified object hanging in the distance. Scroll down for video . Mysterious: This flying object was caught on camera as it hovered in the night sky over Tynemouth . Pulsating: Craig Lowther spotted the UFO as he was letting his dog out into the back garden on Monday . He went back inside to grab his camera in the hope of taking a closer look at the flying object - and managed to capture it on film. The object, which is made up of flashing white and purple lights, hovers in the sky for two minutes while Mr Lowther records its movements. The 43-year-old told Chronicle Live that he originally thought it was a plane travelling on 'an unusual flight path'. But he quickly realised it was 'an unusual colour for a plane' and 'it was not moving as you would expect a plane to move'. Mr Lowther said it was at this point he went into his house to find his video camera. He said: 'I used the zoom so I could get a better look, and what I saw surprised me. It appeared to be a dome with a bulge in the middle and it had pulsating lights on it. 'I am out at night a lot walking the dog but this was like nothing I have ever seen before.' Flickering: The video first shows this speck of white light apparently flying somewhere in the distance . Hovering: The shape grows and appears to move closer to the camera - transforming into this purple dome . Clear: Mr Lowther continues to film as it hovers for two minutes and moves erratically across the sky . In the video, the object at first looks like a white speck of light that is somewhere in the distance. It then grows larger, and transforms into a diamond, or dome shape, as it hovers closer to the camera. The UFO appears to glow purple and white in the night sky, with a light quality that resembles static on a TV screen. Mr Lowther continues to film as it disappears back into the distance, before once again reappearing. Last month, a similar unidentified object was captured as it hovered in the sky over Tynemouth. In the video, posted on YouTube, the white pulsating light hovers in the sky, much like in Mr Lowther's footage, but it never grows into a larger object. And in 2006, another UFO was photographed by a man in nearby Northumberland. The spooky shot was captured by two men as they were taking photos of the sunset. | Mysterious flying object was filmed from a back garden in North Tyneside .
Craig Lowther was letting his dog out when he saw the flashing light .
The 43-year-old captured it on his video camera as it hovered in night sky .
Are you Mr Lowther or did you see the same mysterious light? Please email [email protected] .
Are you Craig Lowther or did you see the same object hovering over North Tyneside? Please email [email protected] . |
94,990 | 0610a891fe9f83eb18255dc4ef84032cf58a24fd | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a congratulatory letter to president-elect Barack Obama, French President Nicholas Sarkozy writes, "Your election raises in France, in Europe, and beyond throughout the world, immense hope." President-elect Barack Obama faces a litany of foreign policy problems when he takes office January 20. Similar statements from dozens of world leaders and images of people around the world celebrating his election make clear Barack Obama will enjoy a good deal of international goodwill when he takes office on January 20. Obama's election offers a monumental transformation of America's face to the world. Many see him as the epitome of the American dream. But his appeal is not solely based on the fact that he is black or that his middle name is Hussein or that his father was Kenyan or that he spent part of his childhood in Indonesia. The global excitement over Obama's election is as much about the fact that he isn't President Bush. In his victory speech Tuesday night, Obama said, "To all those watching from beyond our shores, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.'' Watch CNN's Zain Verjee report on the world's reaction to Obama's election » . Those were welcome words to those who resented what they viewed as eight years of "unilateralist" Bush policies. His words spark hope that an Obama administration will repair America's relations with the rest of the world. But as high as those hopes are, so too are the sky-high expectations. The world has been seduced by Obama's vision of change. But will "Obamamania" survive the realities of governing? It is difficult to think of a U.S. president who has come to power with a more complex and pressing web of domestic and international burdens. He inherits a global financial meltdown, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a global struggle against terrorism, and a military already stretched to its limits. Add to that, a simmering crisis with Iran, renewed tensions with Russia, and the rise of China as a global economic powerhouse, and Obama's plate starts to get pretty full. Obama also takes the reins at a time of enormous anti-American sentiment after the stains of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and, closer to home, Hurricane Katrina. U.S. power is declining, and not entirely by fault of its own. The concept of a single-superpower world no longer fits. Developing countries like China, Brazil and India, coupled with a stronger European Union belong to a new world where many players call the shots. Globalization requires more cooperation with a wider range of countries and organizations. Obama's speech in Europe this summer about the need for reconciliation, signaled he wants to strengthen ties with Europe damaged during the Bush administration, especially over Iraq. His pledge to withdraw from Iraq and his promise for strong action on climate change is bound to make European allies happy. But issues like trade and increased troops for Afghanistan could spark new differences with Europe. Obama has pledged to make Middle East peace a priority from Day One. Arabs are already calling for a more even-handed approach, while Israel is expecting Obama to stay true to the pro-Israel posture he showed during the campaign. And there are other complications -- like politics on the ground. Israeli elections early next year could bring hawkish former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back to power. And if moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is unable to win support from Hamas next year to extend his term, his re-election is far from certain. Obama has promised to engage Iran's leaders on a multitude of issues, but it remains to be seen if Iran would accept any deal to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Obama could be forced into a devil's choice between military action (or supporting an Israeli strike) and living with a nuclear Iran. There is a long list of other pressing issues. Obama is likely to continue the Bush administration's policy of going after extremists in Pakistan. And in Africa, conflicts in Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to churn. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Countries around the world will compete for Obama's attention. Africa, elated over the election of America's first black president, may expect increased attention and aid from the United States. Additionally, Muslims familiar with Obama's Kenyan father and middle name, "Hussein," may think he will be more understanding of their concerns. Will he embrace them or distance himself from them, in an effort to prove he does not hold any bias? The president-elect must navigate this minefield of expectations. Once the gloss of this historic election wears off, the world will find Obama cannot be president to the world. He can only be president of the United States and Americans will expect him to protect their interests first and foremost. | Analysis: Many see Obama as the epitome of the American dream .
Analysis: Global excitement over Obama's election is also about Bush's exit .
Analysis: Obama faces complex foreign policy issues when he takes office .
Analysis: Americans will expect Obama to protect their interests first and foremost . |
35,105 | 63c8b2663853ddffd0256b9c32ce8af920e460c0 | By . James Nye . Result: Jason Omar Griffith, looks on after a guilty verdict was read during his murder trial at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, May 22, 2014, in Las Vegas . A former Las Vegas Strip performer was found guilty Thursday of second-degree murder for killing and dismembering his dancer ex-girlfriend in a closely watched case that offered a lurid glimpse behind the scenes of the Sin City stage community. Jason Omar Griffith sat motionless as the verdict was read in Clark County District Court, but blew a kiss to his mother, Charlene Davis, as he was handcuffed to be taken to jail. Defense attorney Abel Yanez characterized Griffith's reaction as 'numb. Not upset, not happy.' The jury deliberated for about 14 hours over two days after hearing nine days of testimony about the strangulation death of Deborah Flores Narvaez during a December 12, 2010, argument at Griffith's home. Flores' sister Celeste Flores Narvaez sobbed into her mother's shoulder as the verdict was read. She had said she wanted Griffith to be convicted of first-degree murder. The family left the courthouse without speaking with reporters. Griffith's defense attorneys said they will appeal, and Yanez added that his client was not the person the killing suggested he was. Goodbye mom: Jason Omar Griffith, (center), blows a kiss to his mother before being lead away and after a guilty verdict was read during his murder trial at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, May 22, 2014, in Las Vegas . Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo said he respected the verdict and understood it was difficult for jurors to decide guilt in domestic violence cases. He also said he expected Griffith to receive the maximum 10 years to life in prison at sentencing July 23. 'You don't get to dismember a body and not serve life in prison,' DiGiacomo said. Griffith could also get a definite 10- to 25-year sentence. He could have faced up to life in prison without parole for first-degree murder. Deborah Flores' disappearance in mid-December 2010 drew intense attention for almost a month before Griffith's housemate, Louis Colombo, led police to her dismembered remains in tubs of concrete in a vacant house. Prison: Jason Omar Griffith, (right), is comforted by his attorney Jeff Banks after a guilty verdict was read during his murder trial at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, May 22, 2014, in Las Vegas . The trial was a tale of sex, lies, betrayal and violence between two passionate and ambitious Las Vegas Strip dancers. Griffith spent four days testifying that Flores' death was self-defense. He said he grabbed her from behind with his arms around her neck when he thought she was reaching for a purse that may have contained a gun. No weapon was found. He said he panicked afterward and asked Colombo to help dispose of the body. DiGiacomo derided Griffith's self-defense claim as a fabrication and said he did nothing to resuscitate Flores. Griffith, 35, is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He went by the name 'Blu' as a performer in the Cirque du Soleil show 'Love,' based on Beatles music at The Mirage resort. Accused: Griffith, pictured in court last week, has been found guilty of the murder of Deborah Flores Narvaez . Horrific: The dismembered body of dancer Deborah Flores Narvaez was found encased in concrete in 2011 . He testified that he juggled girlfriends and sexual acquaintances before and after he met Flores at a football halftime show in November 2009. Flores, who went by Debbie, moved to Las Vegas from Maryland. She worked her way from go-go club work to a stage role in the racy 'Fantasy' revue at the Luxor. Evidence showed that by the time they became intimate in early 2010, Flores thought their relationship was monogamous. But Griffith was meeting several women for casual sex and pursuing Agnes Roux, a performer in the Cirque show 'Zumanity' at the New York-New York hotel. Griffith testified that his relationship with Flores had movie-style 'Fatal Attraction' characteristics. He said she stalked, threatened, harassed and assaulted him when he tried to limit their time together, and that no one took him seriously despite more than a dozen calls to police for help. Relief: Celeste Flores Narvaez, (second right), sister of Deborah Flores Narvaez, is comforted after a guilty verdict was read during the murder trial at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday . Prosecutor Michelle Fleck said Griffith fanned Flores' anger by deceiving her about his sexual relationships, pulling away after accompanying her to an abortion clinic in May, then resuming their intimacy about the time of her 31st birthday in early July. The two continued an off-and-on relationship until her death. Flores had a temper, and several of Griffith's friends and co-workers testified that she became violent when she was angry - drawing stares and sometimes security officers during outbursts in public places. Roux testified that she broke up with Griffith after learning that he was sleeping with other Cirque dancers. End of the ordeal: Celeste Flores Narvaez, sister of Deborah Flores Narvaez, reacts after a guilty verdict was read during the trial of Jason Omar Griffith . She said she told Griffith in early December 2010 they couldn't be together if he was still seeing Flores. On the witness stand, Griffith testified the fatal argument developed after Flores told him she was pregnant for the second time in about six months and wanted another abortion. He said it escalated after Flores demanded he quit seeing Roux and devote his full attention to her. Flores' arm hit his face, Griffith said, as she reached past him toward her purse. Griffith said he grabbed her from behind, fell backward to the floor and held tightly until she stopped struggling. Colombo testified he helped entomb and move the remains. He received immunity from prosecution before leading police to the tubs of concrete on Jan. 8, 2011. Griffith was the one who sawed Flores' legs from her torso, Colombo said. Griffith said it was Colombo. | Jason Omar Griffith found guilty of second-degree murder of his girlfriend, Deborah Flores Narvaez in December, 2010 .
The dancer's dismembered body was discovered in several cement tubs weeks later .
35-year-old Griffith said he was acting in self-defense and that he feared victim was reaching for a gun .
Flores' sister Celeste Flores Narvaez sobbed into her mother's shoulder as the verdict was read .
Cirque du Soleil dancer, Griffith, will be sentenced on July 23 .
Murder was motivated by Flores' posessive nature and Griffith's insistence on having casual relationships . |
64,192 | b64d6f72ec0d8bca1c5c2ac9afc5a03cce69d041 | By . Phil Casey, Press Association . A month after insisting it remained 'some distance' from being able to stage the Open in Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951, the R&A is set to announce Royal Portrush will host the championship in 2019. Rumours of the Open returning to Portrush have been circulating for some time, with reports on May 11 claiming a deal had been done for 2019, 68 years after Max Faulkner won the only Open staged outside England and Scotland. The R&A's initial response on Twitter labelled such reports as 'Portrush rumours' and a statement issued later read: 'As part of our commitment to examine the feasibility of staging an Open Championship at Portrush, The R&A continues to discuss this at a conceptual level with Royal Portrush Golf Club and the Northern Ireland Executive. Magnificent: The green on the par 4, 5th hole 'White Rocks' at Royal Portrush . 'Discussions have been positive but we are still some distance from being in a position to take The Open to Northern Ireland.' However, it is understood an announcement is expected to be made shortly, possibly on Monday to coincide with the first day of the Amateur Championship which is being staged at Portrush and Portstewart. The R&A denied reports last summer that the Open was set to be held at Portrush in 2018. R&A chief executive Peter Dawson admitted that it is 'a fantastic golf course', but concerns remained over the infrastructure required to stage a major and Dawson feels the current nine-course Open rota is 'about right.' Portrush has not hosted a major championship since the 1951 Open, but the Irish Open drew massive crowds there in 2012 and the likes of major champions Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell have been lobbying on Portrush's behalf. It has also been suggested that the R&A would hasten their decision after Portrush emerged as a surprise contender to stage the US PGA Championship. Picturesque: A view over the 4th fairway and 7th green in evening light on the Valley Course at Royal Portrush . The PGA of America is studying the impact of holding the event outside the United States, with the earliest possible date in 2020. It had been thought that Asia would be the most likely venue, but PGA of America president Ted Bishop said in November last year that he was interested in Portrush. Portrush native McDowell, whose brother works at the club, said at the time: 'It's always been a dream of mine to play the Open there but the US PGA would do nicely. 'It's very bizarre and an amazing statement. I couldn't believe it and read it three times. I had heard the US PGA was looking at going global, which is a very positive step forward, but I was expecting Asia, not the north coast of Ireland. 'Even if it never comes to fruition it's a great boost to be mentioned in that breath. My brother Gary is on the greenkeeping staff there and he will have a spring in his step.' | The R&A is set to announce Royal Portrush will host the Open Championship in 2019 .
Portrush has not hosted a major championship since the 1951 Open, but the Irish Open drew massive crowds there in 2012 .
The likes of major champions Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell have been lobbying on Portrush's behalf . |
158,550 | 58f889f74119c74f335ae979fc267ec85d77491f | (CNN) -- Removing a stranded U.S. minesweeper from an environmentally delicate reef off the Philippines may take until April, the state-run Philippines News Agency reported Wednesday, citing the Philippines Coast Guard. The U.S. Navy is preparing to extract the USS Guardian from the Tubbataha Reef, a Philippine national park and UNESCO World Heritage site where the 224-foot-long ship ran aground on January 17. The Navy plans to cut the 1,312-ton minesweeper into pieces and then, with the help of two contracted crane ships, lift the pieces and carry them away. Philippines Coast Guard Rear Adm. Rodolfo Isorena said Wednesday that he hopes the salvaging will begin soon so that further damage to the reef will be limited, the Philippines News Agency said. One of the crane ships has arrived in the area, about 80 miles east-southeast of Palawan Island in the Sulu Sea, and the other is on its way, the news agency reported. Navy spokesman: Reef's location misplaced on chart . The ship is estimated to have damaged about 4,000 square meters (about 43,000 square feet) of the reef, the news agency said. Various U.S. officials, including Navy Vice Adm. Scott Swift last month, have apologized to the Philippines for the incident, which the U.S. Navy and the Philippines Coast Guard are investigating. Philippine officials said last month that the country would seek compensation for reef damage. The U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, Harry Thomas Jr., assured the Philippines on Monday that the United States "will provide appropriate compensation for damage to the reef caused by the ship." The reef is home to a vast array of sea, air and land creatures, as well as sizable lagoons and two coral islands. About 500 species of fish and 350 species of coral can be found there, as can whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles and breeding seabirds, according to UNESCO. Originally, only the ship's bow was on the reef, but waves pushed the entire ship onto it. The ship's wood-and-fiberglass hull was penetrated, allowing a significant amount of water into the ship, the Navy said. Crews have been working to remove hazardous materials from the vessel and anything that could still be useful to the Navy. The Navy has reported no oil slicks; the ship's 15,000 gallons of diesel fuel have been removed. One of the environmental concerns is that algae will grow on dead or scarred corals, park Superintendent Angelique Songco said. "Their presence makes it hard for other corals to regenerate as they cover the substrate," Songco wrote in an e-mail to CNN on Wednesday. "We expect an increase in the incidence of grazer fish species in the area that feed on the algae. Hopefully they are hungry enough to control algae populations to enable hard corals (to) take root in the substrate. "So you see, the balance we have been trying to maintain has been upset. For that particular area at least, coral evolution starts all over again -- but not until salvage operations are over." The salvage operation also may hurt tourism, because it will happen at the start of the park's main tourism window of March to early June, Songco said. Songco said she hasn't heard of any pre-booked tourists canceling. But the park, which is celebrating its 25th year, will have to close two of its 15 major diving sites during the operation, she said. "We will not (be) able to offer divers the full measure of the Tubbataha experience," she said. CNN's Brad Lendon contributed to this report. | The USS Guardian ran aground on a reef off the Philippines on January 17 .
The U.S. Navy plans to cut the ship into pieces, then haul them away .
The Navy is awaiting the arrival of a crane ship .
The U.S. has assured the Philippines of "appropriate compensation" for reef damage . |
84,206 | eece34502e652f46d64cfb927cdfa63062092c18 | It's where the future of the British monarchy is decided, but the finer points of what goes on inside the Royal bedroom remain, thankfully, private. And yet it hasn't always been that way. In Medieval times, travelling kings used their mobile royal bedchamber as a meeting place, conducting day-to-day business with courtiers on their bed. Moreover, kings and queens would sleep separately, meeting only for conjugal visits. During the Tudor and Stuart periods - from when Henry VII came to the throne in 1485 - the bedroom quickly took over from the battlefield as the stage where the long-term success of the dynasty would be secured: what happened behind closed doors became a matter of intense public scrutiny. The bed of Queen Caroline, Queen Consort of King George IV from 1820 until her death in 1821 . The bed of Mary of Modena Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of James II and VI from 1685 to 1688 . Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries the royal bedchamber became a place where aspiring courtiers could gain influence and status: if you were admitted to see the king or queen in their undergarments, you knew you were pretty important. Now inquisitive historian Lucy Worsley has journeyed into the late night lives of the Royal family, peeking behind the bedroom doors of Medieval kings right through to Queen Victoria. Tales From The Royal Bedchamber, screened on BBC4 next week, explores the history of the Royal bedroom, its significance, its style, who was allowed into it and what it meant if you were. Worsley visits palaces around Britain, from Hampton Court to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, investigating how the bedrooms of the royal family were regarded throughout history. The bed of Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, who died in 1818 at Kew Palace . During the reign of Henry VIII the royal bedchamber became a matter of intense public interest, as the nation became as obsessed as the king was with securing the royal dynasty with a male heir . Speaking to MailOnline, Worsley said: 'The royal bedroom used to be a very, very public place. It was only with Queen Victoria that the bedroom doors really swung closed, and that was partly to do with her character - she really didn't like the human body very much - and partly to do with the chastity and modesty of the age. 'Until the Victorian period there were always people trooping through the royal bedroom.' Speaking about the current royal family, Worsley said: 'There is still a big overlap between the nation and the . monarchy, but they're not quite the same thing. The body of the royal . family doesn't represent the nation as much as it used to. 'They keep a big boundary between us and them, and although it sounds surprising given media coverage, they are very private - especially by comparison to the monarchs of the past.' Describing the wedding night of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, Worsley said: 'Catherine was led from the wedding feast by ladies in waiting, then courtiers de-robed Henry in the bedchamber. 'Until the very last minute the room would have been full of people cheering them on. Then, in the morning, there would have been the "inspection of the sheets" by the ladies of the bedchamber to see if the marriage had been consummated and maybe an heir was on the way.' The bed Queen Anne commissioned as her death bed, but which wasn't ready until after she died . Historian Lucy Worsley travels into the most intimate rooms used by the Royal family to uncover the history of the royal bedroom . Lucy Worsley travels through Britain visiting royal palaces in search of the history of the royal bedroom . She laments the fact that none of Henry VIII's bedrooms remained in tact, marvels over the extraordinarily ornate bed commissioned by Queen Anne as her deathbed - but, unfortunately, not completed in time - later heralded by George III as 'the most splendid bed in the universe'. 'When King James II's wife Mary gave birth to a healthy baby boy in Hampton Court Palace in 1688, the protestants were not happy. 'James II was catholic . and very unpopular, so the new baby meant there was an heir to the throne who would continue his catholic reign. 'To cause trouble, protestants spread a rumour that Mary's baby had died during childbirth, and that an impostor baby had been snuck into the bedroom by a servant who had carried the swapped baby through the palace in a bed-warming pan. 'They released enormous amounts of detail, including a map of the route the pan had travelled, and although it was, of course, total rubbish, James II was forced to print the accounts of 40 witnesses who had been in the room for the birth: having witnesses was important then, as people needed to be there to check an heir had been born. 'The thing was James . was so unpopular that people wanted to believe the story, so they did, and eventually they knocked him off the throne. 'James lost control of the royal bedroom, and thus lost his kingdom. The story reveals the power of what happens in the royal bedroom.' Lucy Worsley . The documentary pairs up with an exhibition of Royal bedrooms currently underway at Hampton Court Palace. Secrets of the Royal Bedchamber explores the bedchamber of the 17th and 18th century royal court, focusing on six magnificent royal beds, including Queen Anne’s magnificent velvet state bed; the state bed of James II's Queen, Mary of Modena, where the famous 'warming pan' incident occurred; and the 'travelling bed' of George II, which . comes apart into 54 pieces and is testament to a time when the King and . his court were often on the move. A palace spokesman said: 'For the first time ever the world’s largest and rarest collection of early state beds will be presented in one dramatic display which tells the story of how and why the bedchamber became the most public and important destination in the Palace. 'The exhibition will also offer a chance to view architect John Vanbrugh's Prince of Wales’s Apartments - opened for the first time in 20 years. 'Through the stories of their royal owners and servants, visitors will be able to explore the elaborate, sometimes bizarre bedchamber rituals, unusual sleeping arrangements and enjoy the luxurious excesses of the Stuart and Hanoverian courts.' Historic Royal Palaces' exhibition curator, Sebastian Edwards, said: 'Visitors to the exhibition will discover that, far from being restful places of privacy, the state bedchamber was the seat of power - the equivalent of the modern day boardroom, from which the business of the Kingdom was conducted. 'Events which took place in and around these beds had enormous consequences for society, politics and history. 'Courtiers were knighted, wars were brokered, marriages consummated and mistresses wooed all in the shadow of the royal bed. These are extraordinary beds - but not as we know them today.' Watch Tales From The Royal Bedchamber on Monday at 9pm on BBC4 . Visit the Secrets Of The Royal Bedchamber exhibition at Hampton Court Palace until November . | Historian Lucy Worsley delves into the late night lives of the Royal family .
From Medieval kings and travelling beds, to Tudor wedding nights .
Tales From The Royal Bedchamber documentary appears on BBC4 . |
205,038 | 956e13a5d4e24750db8506fce1ece43168b1c6fd | The controversial hike would go ahead despite the Prime Minister's warning that the increase would be 'completely unacceptable' MPs are likely to incur public fury with an inflation-busting ten per cent pay rise next year – an increase supported by the new head of Parliament's expenses watchdog. The plan will see annual pay rise from £67,060 to £74,000, as predicted by The Mail on Sunday in May last year. But Marcial Boo, who took up his post as chief executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in June, insisted: 'It is not an excessive amount of money at all.' He is reported to have said the controversial hike would go ahead despite the Prime Minister's warning that the increase would be 'completely unacceptable'. Mr Boo said politicians should not be paid a 'miserly amount' for their important job and their salaries needed to 'catch up' with their counterparts overseas. But the proposal is likely to meet with outrage at a time when public sector workers' wage rises have been capped at one per cent. In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Boo said: 'This is an important job, the job of an MP. They are there to represent us all, to form laws, to send young people to war. It is not an easy thing to do. We want to have good people doing the job and they need to be paid fairly. 'Now, that's not paid in excess but it's not being paid a miserly amount either ... 'It's our job to reach the judgment of what the right amount is. There are lots and lots of professionals in public life and in the private sector who earn a lot more than that - so it is not an excessive amount of money at all.' MPs are already due a one per cent increase to £67,731 next April, and under Ipsa's plan is will rise again a month later to £74,000. The watchdog has said it will conduct one further review of the pay rise after the election - as it is legally obliged to do - but Mr Boo made clear its conclusions were unlikely to shift. 'We were allowing for any change in economic circumstances,' he said. 'At that time we had only just emerged from recession, it wasn't quite clear we were going to have the growth that we have got now as a country, so we left the option open to change the position. 'As of now, September, it doesn't look like there is any major economic factor that would change the determination that we reached in 2013.' He added: 'Parliament as a whole has created an independent body to set MPs' pay. We have gone through the process in a really rigorous way. It is not an arbitrary figure that we have come up with. 'Obviously, it is for parliament to decide whether they want to take back responsibility for setting their own pay. I don't believe that's right. Scroll down for video . MPs are already due a one per cent increase to £67,731 next April, and under Ipsa's plan is will rise again a month later to £74,000 . 'I think we are in a better position as a country now when we have an independent, transparent regulator that is tasked with determining MPs' remuneration. 'This is the number that we've come up with and we talked both to the public and to MPs about it. But if Parliament wants to change its mind and to change our remit then that's clearly for them.' Mr Boo - whose own £120,000 salary is £10,000 more than that of his predecessor - insisted a change in the law would be needed to prevent Ipsa following through on its proposals. Another potential block to the pay rise was removed over the summer, when Ipsa chairman Sir Ian Kennedy was reappointed for another 18 months - meaning he will remain in post after the general election. | Increase is supported by the new head of Parliament's expenses watchdog .
Marcial Boo said it is not an 'excessive amount of money at all'
Hike would go ahead despite Prime Minister saying it is 'unacceptable'
MPs are already due a 1% pay bump in April next year - to £67,731 . |
149,785 | 4dabfded8c7f4438bd7cefc5c5fbea0b21486a54 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:29 EST, 31 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:26 EST, 1 April 2013 . A rabbit named Ralph has reclaimed his crown as the world's fattest Easter bunny after munching his way to almost FOUR stone in weight. Hungry Ralph, aged four, held the title in 2010 before being overtaken by fellow Continental Giant Darius, who ballooned to three-and-a-half stone. Owner Pauline Grant says Ralph, who is over three-foot long and weighs more than an average three-year-old child, now tips the scales at 3-st 8lbs. Scroll down for video . King rabbit: Cindy Winson, 17, struggles to hold her record-breaking monster rabbit Ralph with his huge Hobbit-like feet. He is believed to be the biggest bunny in the country . Run rabbit run: Cindy looks after Ralph at the Sussex Horse Rescue Trust in East Sussex . Pauline said: 'Ralph has matured now and is the heaviest he has ever been. He is fine and healthy. The worst thing is that he is malting at the moment so everyone is covered in rabbit hairs. 'His diet has not changed much over the years. I have been told by one or two vets that I should not give him all the food but it does not seem to give him any harm. 'He is fit and healthy.' Ralph's mother Amy was recognised in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's biggest rabbit before she died four years ago. Big foot: Ralph feasts on a diet of cabbage, broccoli, corn on the cob, sweetcorn, half a cucumber, a carrot, half a bag of watercress, two sweet apples, two slices of brown bread topped off by . Weetabix with cream crackers every single day. Big star: Ralph is 'fit and healthy' according to his owner Pauline Grant who says he is the heaviest he has ever been . Dad Roberto is also a former holder of the record after weighing in at 3-stone 5lbs. Record weight: The four-year-old continental rabbit's parents were heavyweights like their son . Pauline spends an incredible £50 pounds of her weekly shopping budget just to feed Ralph's enormous appetite. He feasts on a diet of cabbage, broccoli, corn on the cob, sweetcorn, half a cucumber, a carrot with a top, half a bag of watercress, two sweet apples, two slices of brown bread and Weetabix with cream crackers every single day. Pauline cares for him at the Sussex Horse Rescue in Uckfield, East Sussex and relies on donations from visitors to foot the bill. She . added: 'We have got a big place here and he can go anywhere he wants. He has a fantastic life and is not just kept in a hut. His diet is . incredible. It is all dear at the moment. But it is worth it. We have him know and his welfare is paramount for us. 'He will not get any bigger now. 'Our . visitors really like him and are fascinated by him and his family. His . mother was in the Guinness book of records which they love. He is a big . celebrity.' Feeding time: Ralph keeps his weight up by helping himself to this menu of twice a day . | He eats a diet of cabbage, broccoli, corn on .
the cob, sweetcorn, half a cucumber, a carrot, half a bag of .
watercress, two sweet apples, two slices of brown bread and Weetabix .
with cream crackers EVERY single day. |
65,969 | bb3a531ff57a39417f4ec913c40bc3fb9302f841 | Bill and Hillary Clinton's charitable foundation reportedly received as much as $81million from clients with accounts with at HSBC's Swiss bank in Geneva. The contributions - including $1million in exchange for Bill attending a lavish fancy-dress party in Russia - come from wealthy clients who are protected by Switzerland's robust banking secrecy laws. Details of 30,000 accounts have come to light after an enormous banking leak - which brought with it the names of seven donors to the charitable Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation. Donor: Bill Clinton, center, received substantial contributions to his foundation from people with accounts at the secretive Swiss bank - such as Richard Caring, left, who paid $1million after Clinton dressed as a Russian general for a lavish fundraiser, pictured above . According to the Guardian, chief among the donors was Canadian mining magnate Frank Giustra, who reportedly handed over $50million to the presidential organisation. Michael Schumacher, the racing driver seriously injured in a 2013 skiing accident, was listed as another donor, as was billionaire Eli Broad and French financier Arpad Busson. Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who flew President Clinton round in his private jet, also gave tens of thousands of dollars, according to reports. The most colorful Clinton anecdote from the leaked files, however, involves Richard Caring, a regular political donor in Britain, who paid out $1million to get Clinton to a costume party in Russia. Caring is a British businessman who has large interests in fashion, property and fine dining, mostly in the United Kingdom. He is one of the richest men in the country. Caring, whose dealings with HSBC's Swiss bank involve a much-scrutinized $3.4million cash withdrawal, gave the Clintons' foundation the large donation following his attendance at a ball in St Petersburg's Winter Palace in November 2005. Clinton, dressed as a Russian general, was seen celebrating alongside Caring at the bash, which featured music by Tina Turner and Elton John. Friends: Sir Philip Green, Richard Caring, his wife Jackie Caring and Bill Clinton at the 2005 bash . Clinton addressed the lavish event, which was attended by some 450 VIP guests. The donation to his foundation followed a month later. The Guardian reports that HSBC’s notes contain an instruction to ‘transfer [$1m] to Bill Clinton’s Foundation as a contribution following his involvement in the charity function.’ Though Swiss accounts are often involved in tax-dodging scheme, there has been no evidence to suggest any of the Clinton foundation donors evaded tax. A statement from the foundation said that all donations are carefully vetted. The Clintons and individual donors declined comment to the Guardian. Caring did not comment on his Clinton donation. Speaking to the Daily Mail about the large cash withdrawal, he said: 'I appreciate it was a large amount of money but I was put in that position at the time because the people I was dealing with did not want to use HSBC in a particular transaction. Spotlight: HSBC is facing scrutiny after a vast cache of Swiss bank account documents was leaked . | Bill and Hillary's foundation received large donations from seven people .
Some $50million allegedly came from Canadian mining boss Frank Giustra .
British fashion magnate Richard Caring also gave $1million in 2005 .
Caring reportedly made donation so Clinton would go to party in Russia .
Former President was pictured in 2005 at fancy dress fundraiser .
Other donors include Michael Schumacher and French financier .
Accounts at controversial bank caught up in tax-dodging allegations .
There is no suggestion any Clinton donors used accounts to evade tax . |
244,598 | c88c4999cef3a1eaffe488ce6619a4c18f8a994a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:22 EST, 13 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:54 EST, 14 October 2013 . Liz Eswein, 24, has possibly one of the best jobs in the world: She gets paid 'to Instragram'. The New York native owns the handle @NewYorkCity, which she created a few years ago because she was not sure she wanted to put her full name as her profile name, according to Business Insider. Eswein, who calls herself a 'New Yorker obsessed with New York' on Instagram, started taking . everyday photos around the city and posting them to the social . photography platform mobile app. Now, she has 960,691 followers and is one of the most followed, non-celebrity, people using Instagram. Since then, Eswein and two other Instagrammers in New York, Brian DiFeo and Anthony Danielle, started their own company, Mobile Media Lab, which brands can hire to help them create Instagram campaigns. So, if there is a big event in town, Eswein is there. New Yorker Liz Estein has almost one million followers on Instagram. Here she is at Grand Central Station . 'Exploring the city on a glowing day' NYC taxi cab at dusk . New York Fashion Week runway model . On a sail boat with a view of the State of Liberty . The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree at night . Empire State Building seen through a rainy window . Chrysler Building at night . Birds flying over New York City . A man stands with the Empire State Building in the background . The Metropolitan Museum of Art . The sun reflects off a building in the lower part of Manhattan . The city during sunset . The Metropolitan Museum of Art on a quiet day . A view of the lower part of Manhattan from a boat . A man sits in the 'dunk tank' at a carnival hosted by bag maker, Coach, at the High Line in Chelsea . Pink-tipped shoes and the Empire State . A Revlon model backstage at the bridal fashion show for design house, Marchesa . A taxi cab drives in New York . Skate boarders in an ad campaign for Nike . A man rides his bike while on his phone . | Liz Eswein, 24, has almost one million followers on the social media photo sharing app .
The New York native owns the handle @NewYorkCity .
She started a company with two others, Mobile Media Lab, which brands hire to run their Instagram campaigns . |
149,916 | 4dd10bbe971562bfebabaa75f660a2e3d50e8de9 | By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 03:33 EST, 20 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:20 EST, 20 April 2012 . The widow of a bomb disposal expert killed in Afghanistan has defended war widows' rights to move on and find love again. Christina Schmid, from Hampshire, said it was 'sad' when women were criticised for finding new partners and said it was easier for men to move on than women. Her comments follow the condemnation of Kirianne Curley, who had a relationship with two of her dead husband's best friends after the Royal Marine was killed by a bomb in Afghanistan. Widows: Christina Schmid, left, said it was 'sad' when women were criticised for finding new partners and moving on. Right, Kirianne Curley had a relationship . with two of her dead husband's best friends . Mrs Schmid, who has now found love with . new partner Mark Clarke, 30, told BBC Radio Four's Woman's Hour: 'It's . just the nature of people to judge. It's very sad.' Speaking about her relationship she said: 'It just means that I'm allowing somebody into my life again and that I'm ready to love again.' She said she'd received support in the last few weeks, and said some widowers she had spoken to had . moved on in three to six months. Stephen Curley, left, who died in an Afghan roadside bomb blast. His wife began a relationship with his colleague Corporal Ben Wilmott, right, and his fellow Marine Matthew Cotterill . Corporal Curley poses with his wife and son before his death . Mrs Curley, 28, who had been left to bring up the couple’s 17-week-old son . William alone, soon began a relationship with her husband Corporal Stephen Curley's friend and colleague Corporal Ben Wilmott, after he died in 2010. Unknown to her new lover, however, she also became involved with his fellow Marine Matthew Cotterill. When Wilmott found out, he began a . campaign of harassment against Mrs Curley and his rival, bombarding them . with offensive and threatening text messages, emails and phone calls. Christina has fallen for military man Mark Clarke, pictured, who she met in a coffee shop queue, and she believes Oz would give them his blessing . He was sentenced to six weeks in jail by magistrates in Exeter, suspended for two years. All three servicemen had previously . enjoyed a strong friendship and were compared to the Three Musketeers during the court hearing in Exeter. Mrs Schmid met Clarke, 36, who is also a serving member of the Armed . Forces, six months ago and believes her late husband would give them his . blessing. Her husband Staff . Sgt Olaf Schmid, 30, died while trying to defuse a bomb in Afghanistan . in October 2009, 24 hours before he was due to fly home. Has his blessing: Christina with Oz, whom she still loves and misses everyday . He was awarded a posthumous George Cross for his bravery, which saw him disarm more than 60 explosive devices in six months. Mrs Schmid was left devastated but knew she had to be strong for her son Laird, who is now eight. Speaking to Hello magazine earlier this month she said: ‘I didn’t know if I would ever be able . to love again after I lost Oz, but Mark has taught me that I can; that I . have a lot of love still left to give and a lot of life left to live.' She said her love . for her husband has ‘not in any way diminished’ and she misses him . every day. But she added: ‘I . have been lucky enough to meet this lovely man who cares deeply for me . and wants to be with me – and I adore him.’ | Mrs Schmid said it was 'sad' when women were criticised for moving on .
She said it's harder for women to start new relationships than men . |
170,618 | 68daa4112c6f3b1a6bf4762a546319de2617af3e | Manchester City's squad have arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of their post-season tour. The players, fresh from their title parade through the streets of Manchester, arrived in the capital of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday morning, before being immediately greeted by a swarm of autograph-hungry fans eager to greet the newly-crowned English champions. The club plan to host an open training session for fans in the capital on Wednesday, before playing Al Ain - the team of former Sunderland and Ghana star Asamoah Gyan - a day later. VIDEO: Scroll down for Manchester City players celebrating in their dressing room . Touchdown: Manchester City players arrive in Abu Dhabi ahead of their end of season celebration tour . Posers: Man City players stop for pictures after stepping off the plane in Abu Dhabi . Chilled out: City fplayers wore half-scarves as they disembarked the plane . Captain's role: Skipper Vincent Kompany signing autographs for City fans . Swarmed: Joe Hart and Jesus Navas signing autographs for fans upon their arrival . City will be playing the Arabian Gulf champions at their newly opened Hazza Bin Zayed stadium, a game they were due to play in January of this year, only to be held by Blackburn in the 3rd round of the FA Cup and have a replay scheduled at the same time as they were due to make the trip. It seems as though the tour will be a . fitting end to an excellent season for Manchester City, after adding the . Premier League - which they regained following a 2-0 victory over West . Ham on Sunday - to the Capital One Cup they won after beating Sunderland . at Wembley in March. And it is expected that England stars Joe Hart and James Milner - after being called into Roy Hodgson's World Cup squad on Monday afternoon - will not play a part in Thursday's exhibition match. The Three Lions manager will be hoping both players will be fit ahead of their meeting up with the rest of the squad next Monday. Lapping it up: Fernandinho and Aleksandr Kolarov being interviewed in the sunshine . Room with a view: City striker Stevan Jovetic relaxes after a long(ish), hard season . Scenic: Edin Dzeko admiring the view of his non-Manchester surroundings . Thumbs up: Joe Hart also makes the journey, even though he is not expected to play . Departing: Sergio Aguero preparing to leave for the Middle East on Monday night after the trophy parade . Going off on one: Man City captain Vincent Kompany heads to the airport ahead of the trip . Journeyman: Edin Dzeko managed 26 goals in all competitions this season . The Departed: Samir Nasri with team-mate Joleon Lescott, who is expected to leave City this summer . All together now: Manchester players celebrate during the Barclays Premier League victory Parade . Turnout: The streets of Manchester were lined by City fans as the team paraded the trophy . On tour: Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart, James Milner and Vincent Kompany look on during the victory parade . Party time: Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini and his players appear with the trophy . Champions of England: Manchester City have been crowned Premier League champions for the second time in three seasons after beating West Ham 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium . Champagne moment: Joe Hart sprays the bubbly as Man City celebrate their second title in three years . | The English champions landed in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday .
Set for an open training session Wednesday before playing Al Ain day later .
Hart and Milner not expected to play after being named in England squad .
City won the Premier League with 2-0 victory over West Ham on Sunday . |
253,952 | d4acd7d2429be56d8654e44b93661a2b27c22ee0 | Uncapped Hull defender Brian Lenihan has been called up by the Republic of Ireland for the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Germany, with injuries having taken their toll on Martin O'Neill's squad. The 20-year-old full-back will meet up with the Ireland party at their base in Portmarnock on Tuesday evening and train with his team-mates on Wednesday morning, with Seamus Coleman having joined Everton colleague James McCarthy and Aston Villa keeper Shay Given on the injured list. Coleman has been nursing a hamstring problem for several weeks, while club boss Roberto Martinez has indicated that midfielder McCarthy needs rest and recuperation as he battles a thigh injury. Hull defender Brian Lenihan, in action for Cork City, has yet to play for the Premier League side after his move . Seamus Coleman has pulled out of the squad after failing to recover from a hamstring injury in time . Given is struggling with a hip problem and O'Neill has effectively written off the trio's chances of being involved against either Gibraltar in Dublin on Saturday evening or Germany in Gelsenkirchen three days later. He said: 'I haven't spoken to Roberto Martinez, but I had a word with Seamus - Seamus doesn't feel fantastic at the moment - and James . 'There was talk about James being available, or trying to be available, for last Sunday's game against Manchester United, but I think that was a long shot. Manager Martin O'Neill (right) and assistant Roy Keane have been hit with a string of injury problems . James McCarthy has been in need of a rest for some time and missed Everton's last two games . 'At the moment, you would say that there is no chance of them being available.' Asked about Given, O'Neill said: 'He's picked up a hip injury that needs some sort of attention, and he thinks now might be the best time to get it done, to get it sorted out. It's been bothering him for a little while. 'We talked it over ourselves and thought maybe this might be the best chance so that he is clear, just in case anything happens to him in the next couple of months at club level, for instance if he did go out on loan or something like that, that he would be absolutely right for it.' Shay Given will miss out on the games with Germany and Gibraltar to 'sort out' a hip injury . World Champions Germany are the toughest test Ireland will have to face, while Gibraltar should be the easiest . The remaining 25 members of the squad trained in Malahide on Tuesday morning with Lenihan due to boost their ranks. O'Neill, who admitted he had not seen much of the Under-21 international, said: 'We are going to bring up young Brian Lenihan at Hull because we don't have any natural right-back in the team at the moment, so he will come in later on today and train with us tomorrow. 'I was speaking to some of the lads here at Hull, who said he has settled in well, and of course he is delighted to be coming.' | Lenihan has not played for Hull since joining from Cork City this summer .
Manager Martin O'Neill said he needed to call up a natural right-back .
James McCarthy and Shay Given also out injured for Republic of Ireland .
Given needs treatment on a hip injury, and may go out on loan later this season . |
191,306 | 83b8077d8110f1bfbaac9fa6a61a34a2c11e64fe | Liberty Ross, who is being awarded a multi-million pound settlement in her divorce from film director Rupert Sanders . She was left devastated when her philandering husband was caught publicly cheating on her with Twilight starlet Kristen Stewart. Now stunning model Liberty Ross has had the last laugh with a multi-million-pound divorce deal which hits her cheating ex where it hurts … in his wallet. Ross, 35, was heartbroken when her director husband Rupert Sanders was photographed in an intimate embrace with 24-year-old Stewart in a Hollywood car park in 2012. But in court papers filed in Los Angeles last week she proved revenge is a dish best served cold as it was revealed she will keep three of the couple’s four homes, earn £23,000 a month in spousal and child support and a percentage of some of his future film earnings. The 31-page document filed in LA Superior Court – which cites the grounds for divorce as ‘irreconcilable differences’ – also awards Ross eight per cent of Sanders’ gross income exceeding £1 million a year, half his pension plan – and even half of his credit card reward points. Vogue model Ross, who will remain in the couple’s £1.2 million Hollywood Hills home and gets ownership of two other properties in London’s Waterloo and Ladbroke Grove, will also receive half of Sanders’ ongoing earnings for Snow White And The Huntsman in which, ironically, she played Stewart’s mother Queen Eleanor. The film has earned more than £230 million at the box office. Sanders, 43, who issued a grovelling apology to his ‘beautiful wife and heavenly children’ after being caught cheating, keeps just the couple’s Malibu home, a 1970 Volkswagen van and a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder. The pair have agreed to joint custody of daughter Skylar, nine, and son Tennyson, seven, with Sanders agreeing to pay 75 per cent of their school and medical fees. Ross will receive £14,700 a month in spousal support until 2018 or her remarriage and £8,235 a month in child support. Ross was represented by Laura Wasser, a lawyer dubbed a ‘pitbull’ in Hollywood, who secured a reported £150 million settlement for Maria Shriver when husband Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted fathering a child with their maid. She has represented a Who’s Who of stars, including Heidi Klum and Angelina Jolie. Ross and Sanders, both British born, married in 2003. Ross had a thriving career as a model in London, appearing alongside Kate Moss in a 2002 Burberry campaign. She moved to Hollywood to support Sanders’ career. The divorce document puts his ‘gross wages’ at £88,000 a month and hers at ‘zero’. The model was heartbroken when this picture surfaced of Mr Sanders pictured in an intimate embrace with Twilight star Kristen Stewart . Sanders embarked on an affair with Stewart, the lead in Snow White And The Huntsman. Ross later revealed she learned of the affair 20 hours before paparazzi pictures of her husband embracing Stewart went public. The affair also led to the breakdown of Stewart’s relationship with Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson. Ross later told Vanity Fair the split was ‘horrible... I have no words to describe what we went through. ‘But, I think, for me, something has to completely die for there to be a rebirth. I visualised [being] this sort of Masai warrior. I was just going to stand very still and very strong.’ The model is dating Interscope record boss Jimmy Iovine, who has a fortune of about $1 billion, according to Forbes. The affair also led to the breakdown of Miss Stewart's relationship to her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, pictured . Top divorce lawyer Raoul Felder, who represented Larry Fortensky in his split from Elizabeth Taylor, said last night: ‘This is an extraordinary settlement. She has taken him to the cleaners. When I see this sort of settlement, it is usually because the husband has a high degree of personal guilt. ‘Maybe he just wants to do the right thing. He is a relatively young man and so he is probably confident of his future earning potential.’ Representatives for Ross and Sanders did not respond to requests for comment last night. | Liberty Ross has been awarded a multi-million pound divorce deal .
Husband, Rupert Sanders caught in intimate embrace with Kristen Stewart .
Ross gets three of their four homes, £23,000 a month and part of his film profits .
Model is also entitled to half of his credit card reward points too .
Mr Sanders gets to keep the Malibu home and a 1970s Volkswagen camper van . |
94,025 | 04e101ca8fe7341bfec810cec72774c45e9c4eaa | By . Jessica Jerreat . A 44-year-old woman who nearly caused two police officers to crash while they were on their way to an emergency call, told officers she was 'awesome' and asked if they wanted to dance. Julie Kay Harper, who was pulled over in the early hours of Saturday after nearly driving into a car, admitted to having a few beers with a friend before driving home. The Florida woman, who told police she thought she was in trouble, was arrested for driving under the influence after failing a roadside sobriety test. Arrested: Julie Harper said she was too fat to walk in a straight line when asked to do a roadside sobriety test . Police were first alerted to Harper as they responded to a call about a house being burgled on Saturday, according to TC Palm. Her driving allegedly caused two police cars to swerve out the way as she negotiated a turn in the road, police reports said. When a Sergeant with the Indian River County's sheriff's office approached Harper in her car, and asked how she was, she replied 'awesome'. The officer who first stopped Harper allegedly had to reach in her car and put it in 'park' after the woman let her foot off the brake of the car, causing it to lurch forwards. When the 44-year-old was asked where she lived she told officers '53' adding that she had lived there for 'a minute'. As the Sergeant asked her to confirm she had lived there only sixty seconds she said: 'That's it, yeah I know I'm f*****,' before adding that she felt like she was in trouble. Matters took a turn for the worse for Harper after she was asked to complete a roadside sobriety test, which included following a light with her eyes and walking in a straight line. When the Sergeant asked her to follow the light with her eyes she chucked and asked 'Are we gonna dance' before swaying in a small circular fashion as she continued the test, the police report showed. And, as she attempted to walk in a straight line she complained: 'I can't, my fat, my legs are fat.' Finally, the police asked her to stand on one leg which, after failing to do, Harper said: 'It's not gonna happen. Just f****** take me to jail.' Harper refused a chemical breath test when she was taken to the police station. She was also charged with driving an unlicensed car on a suspended license. | 44-year-old from Florida complains she is too fat to walk in straight line .
'I know I'm f*****' driver says before being arrested for DUI . |
57,543 | a31c4dc52cf3ca3b85379e579cb1238c2de2b2ad | (EW.com) -- Break out the bubbly and avoid the questionable meat: "Bridesmaids" is officially the most in-demand movie available on video-on-demand (or VOD). The Oscar-nominated comedy has racked up 4.8 million rentals in just over four months, according to Rentrak (via a Universal Pictures release), which adds up to over $24 million in VOD grosses. When you factor in VOD over the Internet, pay-per-view cable, viewing in hotels, and paid digital downloads (i.e. electronic sell through), "Bridesmaids" has amassed $40 million in domestic grosses for viewings that weren't from DVD or Blu-ray. Those traditional formats still account for the lion's share of the film's home video market -- Universal says the film's taken in over $100 million in DVD and Blu-ray sales. But for an industry anxious to know whether the VOD market will prove to be a viable revenue source for the future, this is most welcome news indeed. "Bridesmaids" grossed $169 million over its domestic theatrical run. See the full article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | "Bridesmaids" has racked up 4.8 million rentals in just over four months .
According to Rentrak, this adds up to over $24 million in VOD grosses .
"Bridesmaids" grossed $169 million over its domestic theatrical run . |
241,750 | c4e20d4d7440cc33324686a840030c3b608af71d | By . Rob Waugh . PUBLISHED: . 04:34 EST, 18 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:43 EST, 18 July 2012 . Sitting pretty? Satisfaction with the site has plunged, according to a recent survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index . Facebook's new Timeline profile pages - a much-hyped feature unveiled by Mark Zuckerberg which expose a user's past - have hit a sour note with site users. Satisfaction with the site has plunged, according to a recent survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. 'The big . drop in user satisfaction - coming on the heels of Facebook’s somewhat . disorderly IPO - doesn’t bode well for reversing the company’s sliding . stock price,' says the institute. Just 61% of site users are now happy with Facebook's service - and, astonishingly, the service is nwo less popular than Google's often-derided Google Plus network. 'Facebook’s drop coincides with the release of its Timeline profile, a . significant change to the look and organization of its pages,' says the ACSCI. 'Users . complain that they cannot opt out of the new profile design.' Facebook is also less popular than Twitter, Wikipedia and Pinterest. Because social media so frequently involves the sharing of personal information, privacy remains a major concern for users,' says the ACSCI. The sheer volume of advertising on these sites is another contributor to low satisfaction. Many users are uneasy about how their personal information is used and often do not see value in the advertising messages that are targeted to them.' Google's Plus network appears to be one of the biggest gainers in the market. It has grown to 250 million users in a year - far above rivals such as Twitter - and now has 75 million daily visitors. Practising what he preaches: Facebook's creator Mark Zuckerberg has already opted-in for the new profile feature . The 'timeline' view will give your Facebook page a more 'magazine-like' feel - and will, Mark Zuckerberg promises, 'tell the story of your life' Timeline allows you to organise your life into a chronological view - and you can even add the years 'pre-Facebook' 'Google+, however, has grown to 250 million users in about a year and appears to benefit from a mobile app that is well liked, along with its ability to integrate other Google services like search, YouTube, and mail via the Google+ platform,' says the ACSI. 'In addition, the Google+ social network is not inundated with the kind of advertising that seems to irritate many Facebook and other social media users.' | Satisfaction plunges in wake of unpopular 'Timeline' profiles .
Google Plus, Twitter and Wikipedia all mroe popular .
Users unhappy with revealing 'Timeline' profile and adverts . |
123,654 | 2bdcb63f504d3e92e2ad67eb197c96daa66b70ea | (CNN) -- At least 14 people were killed in 48 hours in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, including the Tuesday deaths of a municipal police officer and a newspaper vendor who police believe was targeted because of her job. In a statement Tuesday, federal police said they believed the female newspaper vendor was targeted by an area gang because she was seen as a threat to the gang's control of street vendors. "La Linea thought she was discriminating against newspaper vendors they were extorting," municipal police spokesman Adrian Sanchez said. The woman, identified as Maribel Hernandez, distributed the El Diario de Juarez newspaper, the most widely circulated paper in the city. Police said they had arrested a suspect who told them he was paid about $250 for the killing. Also Tuesday, municipal police officer Ciro Puga Cruz, 39, was killed after armed gunmen shot him 15 times at a crowded intersection while his car stopped at a red light. The killing happened in front of dozens of people and caused panic, said journalist Arturo Chacon who was at the scene. The brazen shooting occurred after the officer left the police station at the end of his shift, Sanchez said. The shooters fled the scene and are still at large, police said. More than 100 police officers were killed in 2010, 67 of which were municipal, according to Sanchez. | Police: A newspaper vendor is targeted by an area gang in turf war .
A police officer is killed at a crowded intersection .
More than 100 police officers were killed last year, Sanchez says . |
275,382 | f0c283b2c5659de23f6669128bc7a094375f6333 | Smitten: Newsreader Laura Safe was so engrossed in texting her boyfriend she walked straight into a freezing canal - and the hilarious episode was captured on camera . This smitten newsreader was so engrossed in texting her boyfriend she walked straight into a freezing canal - and the hilarious episode was captured on camera. CCTV footage shows Laura Safe, 27 - who joked that she should change her name to Unsafe - plunging into the icy water of the canal in Birmingham. A passing businessman is seen trying to warn Miss Safe to look out, but by the time she takes her eyes off her phone, it is too late. The heroic passer-by, 34-year-old Neil Edginton, rushed to Miss Safe's aid as she flailed about in the water, watched by open-mouthed diners at the . city's Mailbox complex. The Capital FM Breakfast Show newsreader emerged unharmed and merely embarrassed at falling into the water in front of so many onlookers. 'I thought ice on the canal was pavement because it looked dark in the corner of my eye,' the newsreader said. 'I heard a man called out "stop" to me and I looked up at him, but it was too late by that point. 'I tried to get my balance and ended up slipping into the canal. But not before I'd saved my handbag and mobile phone.' After her fall, Miss Safe tweeted: 'Oh dear. I should really be called Laura UNsafe after the day I've had! Lol.' Scroll down for video . In love: Miss Safe was texting her boyfriend, left, instead of looking where she was going when she fell in, right . Shocked: The Capital FM newsreader's mishap was seen by diners at Birmingham's Mailbox shopping centre . Going: The CCTV footage shows Miss Safe making her way down the steps leading down to the canal . Going: The newsreader continues texting, oblivious to the fact she is about to walk straight into the canal . Gone: The footage shows the splash as Miss Safe falls into the freezing water . The newsreader praised Mr Edginton for saving her, 'Baywatch style'. 'This man came running up Baywatch-style, grabbed my hand and pulled me up. He was a hero and saved my life,' she said. Mr Edginton, from Solihull, is a . director at the company that developed the Mailbox complex where Miss . Safe tumbled into the water. Accident: CCTV footage shows Laura Safe, 27, who joked that she should change her name to Unsafe - plunging into the icy water of the canal in Birmingham . She added: 'I brushed myself off and . hoped that no one saw. But I turned around and the whole of Pizza . Express at the Mailbox were there and the staff came running out. 'I told them I was fine, but they dragged me in, put me in the disabled toilet and gave me a cup of tea and a towel. 'I've learned my lesson and I'm a lot more cautious. I don't text any more, I'm too scared.' CCTV Laura walks towards the freezing canal, and then... Helping hand: Businessman Neil Edginton rushed to Miss Safe's aid when he spotted her flailing in the water . Rescue: Mr Edginton helped develop the complex where Miss Safe took her tumble . The newsreader lost her footing after walking down the steps of the Mailbox shopping centre, pictured . Following her topple, she spent . over an hour drying off and staff at the pizza restaurant even gave her a . spare pair of shoes to wear. Miss Safe, who has been reading the news . on the radio station for several months, phoned her rescuer on-air to . thank him for his heroic efforts. Birmingham is thought to have more . canals than Venice in Italy. There were 174 miles of canal in the . city in the middle of the 18th century, but it now only has 114 miles of them, with each remaining navigable water. | Footage shows Laura Safe walking straight into the icy water of the canal .
Newsreader was looking down at her phone instead of paying attention .
'Embarrassed' Miss Safe was helped from the water by a passer-by .
He was one of the directors who helped develop the complex where she fell .
Staff at a Pizza Express rushed out of the restaurant after her tumble . |
61,698 | af3fb1cf2a8adc3d38a95996cd020613f7387cf3 | CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) -- Latin American leaders assembled Monday to mark the 10th anniversary of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's rise to power, a period described by state-run television as "a decade of successes." Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, center, is flanked by Bolivia's Evo Morales, right, and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega. Chavez and representatives of the leftist group Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our Americas, or ALBA, walked through the National Pantheon, a square on the edge of the old town of Caracas that holds the sarcophagus of Simon Bolivar, whom Chavez credits with inspiring him as "the father of the revolution." In 1819, Bolivar founded Gran Colombia, a federation of what is now Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. In attendance were presidents Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Jose Manuel Zelaya of Honduras and Evo Morales of Bolivia; Roosevelt Skerrit, prime minister of Dominica; and Cuba's first vice president, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura. Absent was Chavez's friend and mentor, former Cuban President Fidel Castro, who has been sick. But that didn't stop Chavez from addressing him. "Fidel, from here I salute you," he said. "Revolutionary father, from here we, your sons and daughters, salute you!" Chavez and his allies founded ALBA several years ago as a response to U.S. influence in Latin America. Chavez had a rocky relationship with former President George W. Bush, whom he once called "the devil." Dressed in a dark suit and red tie, Chavez stopped frequently to embrace and kiss children, some of whom chanted, "Chavez! Chavez! Chavez!" As he held Bolivar's jewel-encrusted sword in his white-gloved hand, Chavez reaffirmed his commitment to the leftist path that has guided him: "There is no other path to redemption for the human being than socialism," he said. With the day declared a national holiday, hundreds of people jammed the square to survey the pageantry. The leaders were to discuss the world economic crisis. Venezuela has been hit particularly hard by the recent drop in oil prices: Oil revenue accounts for about 90 percent of its export earnings, about half of federal budget revenue and some 30 percent of gross domestic product, according to the CIA Factbook. Chavez was elected president in 1998, six years after a failed coup attempt to depose then-President Carlos Andres Perez. Chavez was sworn in on February 2, 1999. He was re-elected in a special election in July 2000 after a new constitution was adopted and again in 2006. The new constitution limits him to two consecutive six-year terms, but the Venezuelan congress recently set a referendum for February 15 that would allow Chavez to run for a third term in 2012. Venezuelans narrowly rejected a similar measure in a December 2007 referendum. Chavez has been campaigning hard in favor of the referendum, which he called for in November, a week after candidates he backed won a majority of seats in local elections seen as a test of his influence. Skerrit brushed aside the possibility that Chavez might lose. "I want to say to you, my friends in Venezuela, that we will be back to celebrate the 20th, the 30th, the 40th and the 50th anniversary of President Chavez in office," he told Chavez supporters who braved a steady downpour to hear him. "Chavez forever!" The opposition on Monday denounced Chavez's effort to amend the constitution to get rid of term limits and criticized the declaration of February 2 as a national holiday that resulted in most stores being shut. "Even today, as we are in this news conference, the national guard is on the streets asking who has opened their stores in order to make enough to carry food to their house, demanding and ordering their closure because today is a holiday, because we have 10 years of bad governance," said Tomas Guanipa, director of the opposition party First Justice. But Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, credited Chavez with helping the country. "These revolutions don't go backward," he said. "We can make mistakes, I can make mistakes, but the people don't make mistakes." | Latin American leaders visit Caracas, Venezuela, for celebration .
Socialism only "path to redemption," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says .
Chavez trying to get constitutional change to allow him a third term . |
1,131 | 03370cbe41beec9a94ee195cc884dd70ca1de3ba | I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! has been criticised for its lack of ‘diversity’ as the show kicked off its new series in the African jungle starring ten white celebrities. Radio presenter Yumi Stynes renamed the Channel 10 reality show ‘I’m A White Celebrity Get Me Outta Here’ as the new series started on Sunday night starring the likes of The Brady Bunch's Maureen McCormick, famous for playing Marcia Brady, and model Laura Dundovic. After weeks of guessing games, the celebrities flew into view in ten helicopters whirring over Kruger National Park where they'll be staying for the next six weeks. The line-up includes Olympic swimmer Leisel Jones, 29, Australian cricket legend Merv Hughes, former Big Brother runner-up and Gold Logie Award winner Chrissie Swan and 24-year-old comedian Joel Creasey. Scroll down for video . I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! kicked off on Sunday night with ten stars entering the African jungle . They will appear in the jungle contest alongside TV personality Andrew Daddo, 48, AFL legend Barry Hall, 37, and lesser known stars Lauren Brant, former Hi-5 member, as well as 27-year-old model and 'professional traveller' Tyson Mayr. ‘Loving @joelcreasey and of course @ChrissieSwan but there are other races in Oz!,’ Stynes wrote. She also commented: ‘I've never watched Brady Bunch. Too white. #ImaWhiteCelebAU.’ Radio presenter Yumi Stynes renamed the reality show 'I'm A White Celebrity Get Me Outta Here' The Feed host was disappointed with the lack of diversity in the show's line-up . TV presenter's Yumi Stynes (left) and Marc Fennell (right) took to Twitter to comment about the show . ‘Apparently The Block is all white contestants but have never watched it because I live in a cave with no tv but lots of interesting brown pe [sic],’ she added. One of Stynes' followers responded: '#ImACelebrityAU even the butterflies are white @yumichild #ImaWhiteCelebAU.' And comedian Mark Williamson said: 'Shouldn't the show be called I'm a White Celebrity get me out of here? #ImACelebrityAU.' Film critic Marc Fennell posted a picture of the full cast on Twitter, writing: ‘And people tell me there’s no diversity problem on Australian TV.’ The Feed host told Daily Mail Australia that although he is a big fan of I’m A Celeb and likes ‘a number of people on it’ he was not so happy with the lack of diversity in the line-up. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! Former Brady Bunch actress Maureen McCormick (left) jumped into the jungle on Sunday alongside model Laura Dundovic (right) 24-year-old comedian Joel Creasey (left) and TV personality Andrew Daddo (right) are ready for the challenge . ‘In general there is a problem in Australian TV,’ Fennell said. ‘Reality TV often leads the way, if you look at MasterChef, X Factor, The Voice, those shows are really good… the big event shows people watch in general are getting a lot better… I wish they’d been able to do this on this show,’ he explained. Fennell said he had no problem with I’m A Celeb ‘over all’ and enjoys watching it but believes there should ‘at least be an attempt to represent the full diversity of Australia’. ‘It’s a big, fun, cheesy reality event that could do really well… I wouldn’t have put it to air without at least an attempt at some diversity,’ Fennell said. The 29-year-old SBS anchor admitted that the show’s producers would have had a tough time casting for I’m A Celeb. ‘The talent they are after needs to be universally known but not busy... That’s a hard ask,’ he said. Chrissie Swan (left) was expected to be on the reality show after being spotted on a flight to South Africa last week. AFL player Barry Hall (right) is also playing along . Male model Tyson Mayr (left) seemed excited as he entered the jungle with former Hi-5 star Lauren Bryant (right) Howzat! Cricket legend Merv Hughes and his infamous handlebar mustache have made their way into the jungle. Olympic Swimmer Leisel Jones (right) has also joined the cast of the reality series . Adding: ‘I bear no malice to the production company I just don’t think in 2015 it’s OK to put out a show that’s just white people and bears no resemblance to the diversity of Australia.’ Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment. Stars who reportedly tuned down offers to appear on the show include former radio star Sophie Monk, who turned down a proposed $60,000 per week salary, along with beauty queen Tegan Martin, cricketer Shane Warne and former Bachelor Blake Garvey. I'm A Celeb achieved an impressive 1.306m viewers for its opening show and 1.199m for its Welcome to the Jungle special on Sunday. It rated as the fourth most-watched show after the Australian Open final presentation and match on Channel 7 and Nine News's Sunday show. Jungle beauty queen: Laura Dundovic was among the Australian celebrities sent into the jungle . Red hot: The former Miss Universe Australia is set to be a fan favourite in the competition, while former Big Brother runner-up and Gold Logie Award winner Chrissie Swan was expected to be on the reality show after being spotted on a flight to South Africa last week . Going into the jungle: The ten celebrities, inlcuding Merv Hughes (left) and Leisel Jones (right) get ready to jump into croc infested waters . | A new series of the jungle reality show kicked off in South Africa on Sunday .
Radio presenter Yumi Stynes commented on the all-white cast line-up .
She renamed the Channel 10 show 'I'm A White Celebrity Get Me Outta Here'
Film critic Marc Fennell is disappointed in lack of diversity amongst 10 celebs .
'I don't think in 2015 it's OK to put out a show that's just white,' he said . |
135,761 | 3ba1e2781987b5810f9b5a4916ced109cf4200a4 | By . Michael Powell for The Mail on Sunday . Leading charities are defying demands to reveal details of their top executives’ six-figure salaries. Four months after the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) said the information should be available online within two clicks from a charity’s home page, The Mail on Sunday has found that only one complies with the guidance. Even then, a British Heart Foundation spokesman had to explain where the information could be found as it was not obvious. Only compliant charity: Most organisation still appear not to have published the information in an easy-to-access way . It also disclosed only the £165,000 salary paid to chief executive Simon Gillespie, despite calls for all top salaries to be featured. Save the Children – whose chief executive, Justin Forsyth, earned £140,000 last year – posts the information on its website, but not two clicks away from the home page. The 161,000 registered charities in England and Wales have a combined income of more than £39billion a year, with 15,000 staff paid £60,000 a year or more. Last night, NCVO chief executive Sir Stuart Etherington said: ‘We’ve asked for some pretty simple information – the details of what senior staff are paid, and an explanation of how the charity sets its pay levels. ‘It is straightforward to add this to a website.’ | National Council for Voluntary Organisations said pay should be published .
Despite guidance being four months old, hardly any charities have complied .
Mail on Sunday searches found only the British Heart Foundation gave info . |
107,105 | 162369507eccece283fa4052d33d3804d2c2105c | An elderly couple accused of illegally possessing 271 artworks by Pablo Picasso worth up to £80 million are to appear in court in France. Pierre Le Guennec, 75, and wife Danielle, 72, from Mouans Sartoux, near Cannes, claim the artist's last wife Jacqueline gave them the treasure trove of works while Mr Le Guennec was working at Picasso's house as an electrician in the 1970s. They claim on one occasion, Mrs Picasso handed them a box crammed with paintings and sketches and said, 'Here, this is for you'. Scroll down for video . Pierre Le Guennec (pictured right) and wife Danielle (left) claim the artist's wife Jacqueline gave them the treasure trove of works while Mr Le Guennec was working at Picasso's house as an electrician in the 1970s . The couple then kept the hugely valuable horde of art stashed in their garage in southern France for 40 years. They were arrested after they took a suitcase crammed with canvases to the painter's heirs in Paris in 2010 to have them authenticated. Within days of art experts proving the works were genuine, police swooped on the elderly pair at their home and arrested them on suspicion of receiving stolen goods. They were released without charge while an investigation was launched to establish how the couple had come by the paintings, but eight months later they were formally charged. This painting of a hand by Picasso was among the 271 undocumented, never-before-seen works . The artworks are estimated to be worth around £80 million. They spent 40 years in the Le Guennec's garage . Mr Le Guennec has continued to insist that the artworks were gifts from his former employer in gratitude for his electrical work. He has now told Le Parisien newspaper ahead of his trial: 'I worked for Monsieur and Madame Picassso from 1970 to 1973. 'One day Jacqueline called me and said "Here, this is for you". 'I looked and saw it was sketches, drafts and other pieces from his studio. There were 271 of them, which I put in my garage. 'It was not until 2010 when I had a prostate operation that I decided to do something with them. 'I wrote to the Picasso Foundation and they asked me to bring them to Paris. 'Then we were accused of stealing them. But in fact they were a gift. Pictured left is drawing by Picasso in a notebook. Right, the artist himself - Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) 'We could have sold them at any time, but didn't because they had a sentimental value.' Mrs Le Guennec added: 'We are sure these artworks are our property and we are confident that our lawyers will prove that.' After the couple were charged Christine Pinault, spokeswoman for Picasso's son Claude, told of the 'astonishment' at the Picasso Foundation when Mr Le Guennec arrived with the haul of artworks in a suitcase. She said: 'He made an appointment to come and see us and arrived on September 9 with an unlocked suitcase full of paintings and sketches. 'We could hardly believe he had simply got on a train with something so valuable. 'He first claimed it was Picasso himself that had given them to him, but he didn't seem to be able to describe a single occasion when a painting was handed to him. 'When we asked him why he thought Picasso had been so generous, he told us simply that the artist must have thought he deserved them for all his hard work.' A drawing of a horse by Picasso, which was among the 'treasure trove' collection kept by the Le Guennecs . This picture shows 'Papier colle pipe et bouteille' which was also part of the hidden collection . Picasso's son Claude and five other relatives of the Spanish-born artist have dismissed Mr Le Guennec's claim that he could have received the paintings as gifts. Claude Picasso has insisted his father would 'never' have given such a large quantity of works to anyone. He told French daily Liberation: 'That doesn't stand up. These works were part of his life.' Picasso family lawyer Jean-Jacques Neuer added: 'Claude Picasso was astounded. He couldn't believe his eyes. 'Just about everybody has felt that way. When you have 271 Picasso works that were never seen, never inventoried, that's just unprecedented. The Le Guennecs are due to go on trial in Grasse, southern France, over the artworks, on February 10. Tney are charged with receiving stolen goods . 'The most important thing is re-discovering important artworks for the good of art history as a whole.' A spokesman for France's Central Office for the Fight against Traffic in Cultural Goods, part of the Interior Ministry, said the paintings were seized in 2010 and are being held in a secure location. The seized Picassos include a watercolour from his Blue Period, and nine cubist works which experts believe are worth £33 million alone. Also in the collection are portraits of his first wife Olga, as well as a number of gouaches and lithographs. The Le Guennecs are due to go on trial in Grasse, southern France, on February 10 charged with receiving stolen goods. Picasso, who lived from 1881 to 1973, is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century. He is the world's most stolen artist due to his prolific output and the value of his works. Picasso produced more than 20,000 works of art during his long career, but hundreds have been listed as missing, either because they were stolen or given away. The Art Loss Register lists 550 missing Picassos. | Pierre Le Guennec, 75, and wife Danielle, 72, to appear in court next month .
They are accused of illegally possessing 271 artworks by Pablo Picasso .
The 'treasure trove' of art is believed to be worth up to £80million .
But couple claim the artist's wife gave them the works as a 'thank you'
Mr Le Guennec worked as an electrician for the artist in the 1970s .
They were arrested after taking the works to be authenticated in 2010 . |
69,411 | c4ccd781e61c2367ba0461082dc57b5bd916a274 | By . Sean Poulter, Consumer Affairs Editor . PUBLISHED: . 19:59 EST, 3 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:57 EST, 4 January 2013 . Vodafone is one of the major networks that has raised monthly charges on fixed-price contracts in the past year . Watchdogs are to stop mobile phone firms making £90million a year by imposing sneak price rises on supposedly fixed-fee contracts. Under plans unveiled by Ofcom, customers faced with unexpected increases in their monthly bill will be able to cancel their contracts without penalty. The new escape clause will be available to those with fixed-price home broadband and landline deals too. The cost-of-living squeeze has made deals with a set monthly fee extremely attractive because – in theory – they make it easier for customers to manage their money. But smallprint in the contracts has allowed telecom companies to get away with pushing through controversial price rises. Ofcom also says the networks should change their advertising to ensure new customers are given a clear warning that the monthly charge could go up. Some 10.5million customers on fixed-price contracts have suffered rises in the past year. At the moment, those who cancel their contract as a result are hit with penalties of £200 to £300. These would be swept away under Ofcom’s radical shake-up, which is expected to come into effect in the autumn. Most of the major networks – Vodafone, Three and Orange and T-Mobile, which are now known as EE – have raised monthly charges on supposedly fixed-price contracts in the past year. In most cases the increase is less than £2 a month per customer, but this has generated tens of millions in extra income for the industry. It means that customers buying the latest handsets on expensive long-term contracts end up paying more than they expected. The mobile networks are unlikely to accept the changes without a fight. Customers who reject a price rise and decide to leave a contract will probably have to hand back their handset. The networks may also retaliate by raising the monthly charge for new contracts from the current typical level of £25 to £30 for 24 months. Ofcom will announce a final decision on its plans in the summer, and the new regime will come into effect in September. Claudio . Pollack, of Ofcom, said: ‘Many consumers have complained to us that . they are not made aware of the potential for price rises in what they . believe to be fixed contracts. ‘Ofcom is consulting on rules that we propose would give consumers a fair deal in relation to mid-contract price rises.’ Some . 38,000 people signed up to a ‘Fixed Means Fixed’ campaign run by . consumer group Which? calling for Ofcom to outlaw the price rise . rip-off. Which? estimated . that price rises on supposedly fixed-price deals have cost consumers . more than £90million over the past 12 months. The . mobile networks insist that their terms and conditions are clear and . customers understand prices can go up. EE said: ‘We are carefully . considering Ofcom’s consultation.’ | Customers to be allowed cancel their contracts without penalty if bills go up .
Ofcom said many customers do not know bills can rise in fixed term contract .
New escape clause to be available to people will fixed-price broadband too . |
243,279 | c6d8a6a079bc9a66f418e113442926d28e571950 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 16:05 EST, 2 March 2012 . Just days after a terrifying shooting claimed the lives of three teens at an Ohio school, students still mourning the deaths of their classmates bravely returned to class today. Police were on hand as the traumatized youngsters arrived under cloudy skies at Chardon High School for the first time since Monday's shooting which was allegedly carried out by 17-year-old student T.J Lane. Students from neighboring schools and parents stood outside applauding as encouragement as they entered the building. Hundreds of supporters, parents and students had marched to the school on Thursday in honour of those who were killed in the shooting, before classes resumed today. Scroll down for video . Support: Rebecca Bennett (L) holds up supportive signs with her children Jack and Sara as students return to school for the first time since the shootings in Chardon . Students joined by parents and supporters arrive at Chardon High School after three students were killed in a random attack there on Monday . Residents of Chardon, Ohio applaud as hundreds of students and parents march to the high school in Chardon, to honor the victims of suspected gunman T.J Lane, 17 . T.J. Lane was charged on Thursday with killing three students; Demetrius Hewlin, 16, Russell King Jr., 17, and Daniel Parmertor, 16. He is also charged with wounding Joy Rickers and Nick Walczak. While Ms Rickers was released from hospital, Mr Walczak's family said the 16-year-old he has been left paralysed by the shooting and has two bullets still lodged in his body. Scroll down for video . T.J. Lane, 17, pictured here being led from Juvenile Court, has been charged with the murders of three students and wounding two others . Nick Walczak, 16, left, has been left paralyzed after being shot and Daniel Parmertor, 16, right was killed . Demetrius Hewlin, 16, right, and Russell King Jr, 17, left were also tragically killed after a shooter open fired in the Ohio school cafeteria . Lane, who attends an alternative school for students who haven't done well in traditional schools, admitted taking a .22-caliber pistol and a knife to Chardon High and firing 10 shots at a group of students sitting at a cafeteria table, prosecutor David Joyce said. No motive has been determined. Joyce has said that victims were selected randomly and described Lane as someone 'who's not well'. Children convicted of juvenile crimes in Ohio are typically behind bars only until they turn 21 in the most serious cases. But Joyce has said he plans to charge Lane as an adult, meaning he could face life in prison without parole if convicted of similar adult charges. Minors are not eligible for the death penalty in Ohio. Scroll down for video . Two students hug on the town square in Chardon, Ohio, on Thursday, before marching to the high school to honor their class mates who were killed in the random shooting . Students and parents gather outside a memorial remembering the victims before returning to school . People clap for students and parents walking from a memorial remembering the victims of the Chardon High school shootings, which has rocked the local community . Earlier Thursday, students had gathered around a courthouse square gazebo, quietly singing their alma mater before marching by the hundreds to their reopened school, holding hands and linking arms. 'I'm just scared for everybody, and I don't know how everybody is going to act going back into school,' said freshman Theodore Rosch, 16. Friday also marked the start of a series of memorial services for the slain students. A visitation was scheduled in Eastlake for Daniel Parmertor, and his funeral Mass is Saturday morning. Scroll down for video . The school and local community has come together after the shooting took the lives of three young people and severely injured one teen . Chardon High School students join with parents and supporters and march from the town square to the school on Thursday in tribute to the innocent victims of the unprovoked shooting . Students hold hands at memorial for their murdered school mates before returning to school for the first time since their violent deaths . Visitation is on Monday evening in Chardon for Demetrius Hewlin, and his funeral Mass is on Tuesday morning. Visitation for Russell King Jr. will be on Wednesday, with a funeral the next morning in Chardon. Frank Hall, assistant football coach, said he prayed with the victim's in their last moments . Hewlin attended Chardon High. King and Parmertor were vocational school students, waiting in the Chardon High cafeteria for their daily bus when they were shot. The assistant football coach credited with chasing the gunman from the school said Thursday that he wanted the victims' families to know he had tried to comfort the children. 'I prayed with them. I wiped their tears and I know God was with them,' an emotional Frank Hall said. The motive for the shooting is unclear, though the prosecutor appeared to rule out theories involving bullying or drug-dealing. Lane was a normal boy who excelled in school and played outside often with his sister, building snow hills and skateboarding, according to Steve Sawczak, a family friend who's a pastor and has worked with troubled children. Lane came from a broken family and began . living with his grandparents on and off several years ago. The grandparents are reported to feel terrible about . what happened and have no explanation for the teen's alleged role in the . shootings. A police report said 33 officers from . around the area responded to what was first described as a 'shooting . accidental.' Emergency crews from four fire departments also responded. Grief: Two students embrace during a march on Thursday attended by hundreds of children and parents . Support: Faculty members from the school joined their pupils on Thursday's demonstration . Watch video here: . | Students from neighboring schools and locals applaud pupils as they return to Chardon High School for the first time since the fatal shooting on Monday .
T.J Lane. 17, is charged with murdering Demetrius Hewlin, 16, Russell King Jr, 17, and Daniel Parmertor, 16 .
Nick Walczak, 16, has been left paralyzed after being shot and has two bullets lodged in his body .
Assistant football coach Frank Hall, who tackled the shooter, says he comforted victim's in their last moments and prayed with them . |
206,364 | 97281a3c29de24a8629481e061dfa23cce0818c0 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 5:03 PM on 7th February 2012 . A holiday jet carrying 175 people made an emergency landing at Belfast International Airport after its wheels failed to retract on take-off. The Thomas Cook Airbus A320, which . had been bound for Tenerife, came down just before 11.30am after . developing the problem with its undercarriage. It had been circling nearby Lough Neagh to burn fuel for an hour-and-a-half before making a final descent. Touchdown: The Thomas Cook plane makes an emergency landing at Belfast International Airport today after experiencing technical problems shortly after takeoff . Standby: Nine fire engines, paramedics and police waited near the runway as the plane came down . Holidaymakers were alerted there was a problem and instructed how to brace themselves for an emergency landing. Airport staff evacuated the runway and nine fire engines and ambulance crew were on standby at the site, which is about 20 miles from Belfast city. However, the captain was able to bring it down safely before taxiing to a stand at the terminal.There were no injuries. The . airport said the plane was inspected by fire officials before . passengers were allowed to disembark. A helicopter from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was aso scrambled to examine the undercarriage from the air. Thomas Cook, one of Britain's . biggest tour operators expects them to fly on to Tenerife at 3pm. A . spokesman for tour operator confirmed the emergency had been caused by a . 'minor technical difficulty with the landing gear shortly after . takeoff. 'We're pleased to confirm that flight . TCX 8126, which turned back after developing technical problems, has . now landed safely at Belfast International Airport,' she said. 'A replacement . aircraft is on its way and we expect to get everyone off on their . holidays to Tenerife this afternoon.' Investigation: The plane was being checked over by fire service staff and Thomas Cook technical teams . Arrivals: There were delays at Belfast International as a result of the emergency . The . flight took off from Belfast International at 9.40am today. It is . understood that the pilot realised there were technical problems almost . immediately. A spokesman for the airport said: ‘An emergency . stand-by was declared on board by the pilot shortly after take-off. 'The . plane has landed safely and has been taxied on to its stand. We have no . idea what was wrong with the plane.’ She told the Belfast Telegraph there had been 'huge relief' when the aircraft touched down. 'Thankfully we have had a safe landing and everyone is okay,' she said. I am sure there will be a few passengers on board who will have found this . experience a bit daunting however, thankfully everyone is safe and well.' The Police Service of Northern Ireland was one of the emergency services that responded to the alert. A . PSNI spokeswoman said: 'At approximately 10.13am this morning police . responded to reports from Belfast International Airport that an aircraft . had reported difficulties shortly after taking off. 'Emergency services were put on stand-by. However, the plane was able to land safely at the airport at approximately 11.30am. 'There have been no reports of any injuries.' Flight path: The plane burned fuel by circling over Lough Meagh . | Thomas Cook flight .
TCX 8126 to Tenerife took off at 9.40am .
Pilot realised there was technical problem almost immediately .
Circled for an hour-and-a-half to dump fuel before descent .
Came down safely at 11.30am with no reports of injuries . |
140,895 | 4234278fde27e8db63f95f23b6bdbe3273b03272 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:11 EST, 16 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:21 EST, 16 December 2013 . A burglary suspect has been given away by his stomach - after a trip through the jail's body scanner showed up two gold necklaces he had allegedly stolen. Joseph Bravo Ramos, 21, was arrested on December 11, the day after a home invasion was reported in Safety Harbor, Florida. Although he was initially arrested for reckless driving, police officers realized that his 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe had been reported stolen following the burglary. Joseph Bravo Ramos, 21, was arrested on December 11 after he swallowed two necklaces that he stole during a home invasion in Florida - which later showed up on the jail scanner . Ramos was charged with grand theft. At the jail, he was ordered to walk through SecurPass X-Ray which showed up a 'large dark mass' in the thief's stomach, according to Tampabay.com. The mass turned out to be two gold chains which the 21-year-old had swallowed before entering the jail. Ramos underwent surgery to remove the necklaces at a local hospital before the jewellery was identified by the burglary victim. The 21-year-old has been charged with grand theft and tampering with physical evidence. He is being held at Pinellas County jail on $15,000 bail. Ramos, 21, was forced to have surgery to remove the two gold necklaces from his stomach after he swallowed them on entering jail . | Joseph Bravo Ramos, 21, was arrested on December 11 driving a stolen car in Florida . |
77,947 | dcf60c3e179153a66b05989f51015697a50cc2a6 | Helen Croydon went undercover on a marital affair website to find out reasons men cheat . Helen Mirren recently said: 'Marriage doesn't need sex.' But one sexpert begs to differ, saying a marriage may not need sex - if you don't mind your husband playing away. Now Helen Croydon, author of controversial tell-all book The Sugar Daddy Diaries, has gone undercover to ascertain exactly why men stray from long-term relationships - and to lift the lid on how to prevent it. Helen undertook the project as research for her new book, Screw The Fairytale, in which she explores modern models of relationships as alternatives to marriage. She worked along with adult lifestyle website Bondara to discover why men stray from long term relationships and reveal how to deal with it. Helen says: 'While researching my next book I spoke to hundreds of men and women about their relationship blips, successes, affairs or their choices not to commit at all. 'I’ve targeted men on the UK’s largest . cheating website, maritalaffair.co.uk and even been undercover on that . and so-called sugar daddy websites to get to grips with common male . motivations for straying.' Helen found that sexual dissatisfaction was the most common 'complaint' cited by men as a reason to stray, with men saying things like, ‘the physical side has faded,’ or ‘our sex has become routine’. In this case Helen advises you need to make time for sex - and the more you orgasm, the more you'll want to. She also says if you have relationship problems - another big reason men cheat - try counselling before splitting. But some of her findings are a lot less predictable. Sexual dissatisfaction was the most common 'complaint', with men saying 'the physical side has faded' Here, FEMAIL reveal Helen's top five surprising reasons why men cheat... 1. Feeling surplus to needsCommon amongst new fathers and the partner of someone with a demanding job. The less busy partner feels unneeded. Think bored housewife and a husband who doesn’t even notice when she gets a haircut. Or the hard-working husband whose weekend is filled with nothing but more chores. These types complained that their relationship had become functional. They craved the freshness of new romance and went elsewhere to find it. What to do: . Relationships should make us feel loved and energised otherwise we’re better off alone. So make your partner feel that way. Stop keeping tabs on who’s done what. In the long run it doesn’t matter. Take time every day to talk and listen to each other - even if it’s just for 15 minutes over dinner or while you have pre-bedtime cup of cocoa. 'Take time every day to talk and listen to each other - even if it's just for 15 minutes over dinner' 2. In love but lacking romance . I was surprised by how many men said they loved their wives deeply and were not looking to end their marriage, but wanted ‘something extra’. Not necessarily sex but the romance - dinners and dates. Many expressed they wanted to ‘feel like they looked forward to seeing someone again.’ What to do: . Sadly familiarity can cancel out passion even though familiarity is what we all want from a relationship. It’s easy to steer your relationship away from dreary domesticity though and become fascinated in each other again. Many expressed they wanted to 'feel like they looked forward to seeing someone again' 3. Partner health issuesWhen one partner has health problems which limit their sexual life, the other partner may consider this as an amnesty on fidelity. Any previous guilt is removed by the fact that their partner can no longer fulfil roles in the relationship that they once could. I met several men who claimed their wives had consented to them seeking sexual - but not emotional - fulfilment outside of marriage. What to do: . Consent is key here. Just because you think you’re not cheating, doesn’t mean your partner wouldn’t feel cheated. There’s nothing wrong with a negotiated open relationship but for those that can’t handle the thought of that, you’ll have to address the sex imbalance some other way. Just because you think you're not cheating, doesn't mean your partner wouldn't feel cheated . 4. The ‘one last time’ syndromeCommon amongst men and women who are about to get married or make a similar commitment. They feel they can hold onto their previous identity with one last experience of their old life. They mistakenly believe that one final memory will sustain them for years ahead of ‘being good.’ What to do: . This is just a fantasy. ‘One last time’ won’t make them feel any more experienced than they already felt when they committed. If you suspect your partner is daunted by the idea of long-term sexual fidelity, embrace their sexual appetite rather than try to repress it. Encourage them to talk about things they would like to try and to share their fantasies so they feel you will help them fulfil them rather than hanker them. Why not organise a naughty weekend away with sexy lingerie and some fun masks and ropes and pretend you’ve just met. Even if it’s just ten minutes from home. Opportunism is rarer than people may think . 5. OpportunismThankfully more rare than people may think. A man or a woman is out of town and a new, exciting and novel experience comes up and they think ‘no one will ever know.’ It does happen but not often. To act on a fantasy usually requires mental preparation and lots of suppression of guilt so it’s unlikely a quick chat on a bar stool in a strange hotel will make someone jump into bed. In my experience, people who stray on a whim have done it before or already given it some thought. What to do: . It’s easier to say what not to do. Don’t keep tabs on your partner. Don’t be controlling or demand they phone. Too much control only makes someone want to break free. Trust builds respect and there’s no better defence to cheating than respect. | Sugar Daddy Diaries author Helen Croydon goes undercover on extra-marital affair and sugar daddy websites .
British sexpert finds cheaters crave freshness and romance .
She advises couples to make time for sex and 'embrace their sexual appetite rather than try to repress it' |
231,214 | b759222274f50b64a23f5923295baa430380ddb8 | A 72-year-old woman got a shocker Sunday when her Dell laptop exploded on her while sitting at her desk . Loretta Luff of Langhorne Manor, Pennsylvania says she was in the middle washing of loads of laundry when she sat down at her living room desk to check emails and play spider solitaire on the 6-year-old laptop, a gift from her daughter. Unexpectedly, the laptop blew backwards and send battery acid flying as far as six to eight feet away. 'The next thing I knew, my shirt was on fire, I grabbed that and took that off and I think that's when I singed my hair,' Mrs Luff told CBS Philly. Scroll down for video . Shock: Loretta Luff of Langhorne Manor, Pennsylvania was using her computer Sunday when it unexpectedly exploded and sprayed battery acid across her living room. Mrs Luff was taken to the hospital and treated for first- and second-degree chemical burns . Power: Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company Chief Frank Farry says it appears the six-year-old computer's battery pack exploded and caused the fire. On the right, burn spots are visible on the floor near Mrs Luff's living room desk . When she got up, Mrs Luff stepped on a mini fire that started, burning her foot. Mrs Luff was able to douse the patches of flames erupting all over the carpet with water from her toy poodles' dog bowl, and responding firefighters put out the rest of the hot spots. Mrs Luff was taken to the hospital where she was treated for first- and second-degree chemical burns to her face, arm and foot. She was released later that night. Langhorne- Middletown Fire Company Chief Frank Farry says he's been fighiting fires for 25 years and has never seen anything like a computer explode. He says it appears the battery back inside the computer went off like a bomb, but that it's too early to know for sure what caused the fire. Chief Farry also said the neighborhood suffered a power outage earlier in the day and that the laptop was plugged into an extension cord at the time. Faulty battery? Mrs Luff holds up what remains . of her computer's battery. Dells says laptop owners can increase the . chance of fire if they replace batteries from a third-party company. Mrs . Luff says she replaced the battery three years ago, but is not sure . where it came from . Incendiary: The battery acid sprayed onto Mrs Luff's cotton tank-top, and lit it on fire . Dell has issued a statement saying they are investigating the incident, but that lithium-ion batteries rarely explode. 'It's also important to note that, in our product documentation, Dell tells customers that “using an incompatible battery or a third-party battery may increase the risk of fire or explosion and that they should replace the battery only with a battery purchased from Dell that is designed to work with their Dell computer.”' Mrs Luff admits she replaced the computer's battery about three years ago, but isn't sure if it came from the company. She says she's just glad she was at home when the computer exploded, as she fears it could have burned the house down if it weren't for her quick action. When she gets a new computer, she's going to be taking the battery out every night. 'I would never take the chance of happening a second time because I was lucky this time,' she said. | Loretta Luff of Langhorne Manor, Pennsylvania was on her computer Sunday when it exploded .
The 6-year-old Dell laptop blew back and sent battery acid around the 72-year-old woman's living room .
Mrs Luff was able to douse the fire that started with water from her dogs' water bowl .
She was taken to the hospital where she was treated for first- and second-degree burns to her face, arm and foot .
Dell is investigating the incident, but says replaced batteries that come from a third party can increase the chance of a fire .
Mrs Luff says she replaced the battery three years ago but isn't sure if it came from the company . |
13,851 | 274559e89fae3e291a9107a869e1283f972bd617 | A slimming advert featuring former Loose Women star Denise Welch has been banned after a watchdog said her two-stone weight loss in two months was too fast. The 56-year-old's before and after photos sparked a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after they featured in a social media campaign for diet firm LighterLife. Today Ms Welch hit out at the ruling - and said watchdog officials 'need to get out more'. Scroll down for video . Weight loss: The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a slimming advert which showed before (above) and after photos of Loose Women's former star Denise Welch . Online: The disputed adverts appeared on the Facebook page for slimming firm LighterLife . The Facebook page for the slimming firm, for whom the former Coronation Street actress is an ambassador, featured her pictures with the boast: 'Denise lost two stone in just two months.' It sparked a complaint which challenged whether the ad complied with rules on weight-loss advertising, which say a loss of more than two pounds a week can be unhealthy. Ms Welch's weight loss was around four and a half pounds a week. The ASA said claims of exact weight loss had to be 'must be compatible with good medical and nutritional practice'. Backlash: Ms Welch said officials needed to 'get out more' and her weight loss was totally healthy . So it banned the advert from appearing in the same form again, despite acknowledging Ms Welch had faced potential health problems from being overweight. 'We understood that Denise Welch had been classed as overweight when her weight loss programme began and also that her waist circumference was very high, which put her at high risk of health problems,' the ruling said. 'However, the code specified that for those who were normally overweight, a rate of weight loss greater than 2lb a week was unlikely to be compatible with good medical and nutritional practice. 'While we understood that LighterLife had given an account of the actual rate of weight loss experienced by Ms Welch, we noted the rate advertised was greater than 2lb per week. 'We had not seen evidence to demonstrate that the rate of loss experienced by Ms Welch was compatible with code requirements. 'We told LighterLife to ensure that rates of weight loss were compatible with good medical and nutritional practice and that treatments for obesity were not advertised to the public without suitably qualified supervision.' The actress hit out at the ruling, saying: 'The Advertising Standards people need to get out more. 'Weight loss companies are trying to help people, and yet they aren't even allowed to tell us what they can do for us. 'And LighterLife has been prevented from using my weight loss before and after photos as the ASA says I lost weight too quickly. How can that be right, when the Foodpacks comply with all the nutritional rules, including Trading Standards, and I did exactly what I was supposed to do with them. 'I felt better than I had for ages, and those are genuine before and after pictures. 'Meanwhile obesity is increasing [and] people are dying from cancer, heart disease and diabetes.' In its submissions to the ASA, LighterLife said Ms Welch's weight loss was in line with expected results for those on a very low calorie diet (VLCD) programme. A spokesman for LighterLife said Ms Welch had eaten more than 600 calories a day to meet guidelines . It added that while the rate was greater than 2lb a week, this did not mean that it was incompatible with good practice. Ms Welch also ate more than 600 calories a day, in accordance with guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). LighterLife medical director Dr Matt Capehorn said: 'This shows just why Britain is in its current mess, with one of the biggest obesity problems on the planet. 'There is something wrong when weight loss companies are trying to help dieters, and bureaucracy gets in the way.' | Facebook image showed before and after shots of former Corrie star .
Advertising Standards Authority complaint said she lost weight too fast .
ASA found loss of more than 2lbs a week was not good medical practice .
But baffled Ms Welch, 56, said watchdog officials 'need to get out more' |
71,021 | c95a1820ac62e145bfd1d6fc87dcffbe1df0472c | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . The terrifying power of sharks has been revealed in a stunning video where a great white attacks a robotic vehicle. The Remus SharkCam was deployed off Mexico’s Guadalupe Island to film the predators in the wild. But the researchers hadn’t banked on a shark feeling threatened by an intruder in its territory - and were stunned when on-board cameras recorded a formidable encounter. A robotic vehicle off Mexico's Guadalup Island has been attacked by a shark (shown). The dramatic footage was captured by six cameras on the Remus SharkCam . The robotic vehicle was being operated by a research team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). A surge in shark attacks around the Hawaii Island of Maui hasn’t stopped surfers getting into the water. Instead, locals are placing their trust in technologies that claim to keep the predators away by sending an electric pulse through the water. One particular device, known as the Electronic Shark Defence System (ESDS), has enjoyed massive popularity on the island. ‘They just cannot make these things fast enough,’ said Hawaiian Island Surf and Sport owner Dennis O'Donnell, who keeps a waiting list for the products and sells out as soon as he's restocked. Users strap the devices to their ankles, wetsuits or surfboards. Some are about the size of an oversized watch, others the size of a wallet. They range in price from £249 ($399) to £390 ($649). The cylinder-shaped vehicle has six cameras facing in all directions to provide a panoramic view of its environment. It uses special acoustic tags to follow objects or animals in its vicinity. ‘But the hunter soon became the hunted,’ the video explains. Remus was approached by a great white shark, which soon swam into it at high speed and began biting the vehicle. During its attempt to eat the vehicle the shark closes a flap of skin over its eye known as the nictitating membrane to prevent any damage from flailing prey. Once it realises the vehicle isn’t food, however, it then merely considers it a threat. In the video (shown) the shark tried to eat the robotic vehicle like it is a seal . When the shark realises the vehicle is not food it begins to attack it and mark its territory. The video could help reveal how sharks hunt in the water . It begins swimming past and ramming the vehicle, showing clear signs of a creature exhibiting territorial behaviour. It lurks in the darkness before swimming up and attacking. The researchers were surprised when the vehicle was pulled back out of the water only to find teeth marks all over it. As one expert explains in the video, causing such damage would have required a great force. ‘If you banged on it with a screwdriver you wouldn’t get the same amount of damage’ he said. It’s hoped the footage will help reveal details about shark strategies in hunting and interacting. The shark lurks in the darkness before springing its attack upon the robotic vehicle . Six cameras on board Remus film a panorama of its environment, with the shark shown in the front-right here . An expert explains how the teeth marks they found would be hard to replicate with a screwdriver . | A robotic vehicle off Mexico's Guadalupe Island has been attacked by a shark .
The dramatic footage was captured by six cameras on the Remus SharkCam .
In the video the great white tries to eat the robotic vehicle like it is a seal .
When it realises it is not food it begins to attack it and mark its territory .
The video could help reveal how these predators hunt in the water . |
48,467 | 88c57506b96ab157ab3e4e680f1c8f6f788d8f9e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 21:50 EST, 22 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:46 EST, 23 July 2013 . Two teenagers on a date have described their horror at watching a van driver hit a grandmother pushing her baby granddaughter in a carriage and then repeatedly back over her until she was dead. The awful scene played out in a parking lot in Lynn, Massachusetts, on Sunday. Kathleen McPartland, 60, died at the scene but the baby, miraculously, was not injured. Eighteen-year-old Moises Baez and 17-year-old Amanda Arsenault said the driver claimed he didn't even realize he had hit the woman. The pair said he did not stop trying to drive over her until she was already dead. Horror: A grandmother on a stroll with her young relative was killed by a man driving a van when he backed up over her and repeatedly went back and forth until she was dead . Unexpected witnesses: Eighteen-year-old Moises Baez and 17-year-old Amanda Arsenault were in a nearby car and saw the entire incident take place as they screamed for the driver's attention . 'He was just burning out on her,' Baez told the Lynn Daily Item. He described how the driver repeatedly backed over her and spun his back wheels on Ms McPartland's body while he tried to drive away from the parking spot. The teens said they screamed at the driver and begged him to stop, but he appeared oblivious to their cries. Baez said the driver was blaring music and appeared not to understand English. Small miracle: While the grandmother was declared dead at the scene, her grandchild in the carriage was unharmed . Too late: The teenage witnesses said that they screamed to try to get the driver's attention but his music was blaring and appeared not to understand English . Just met: Amanda Arsenault and her friend had asked the victim for directions minutes before her death . 'I still don’t understand how he didn’t feel he hit somebody, because that dent’s pretty huge,' he said. By the time the man stopped his van, Ms McPartland was motionless, the couple said. The two teens told the Daily Item that they were on a date and planned to walk to a nearby park and stopped Ms McPartland to ask for directions. 'She was really nice, too,' Arsenault said. 'She was a grandmother,' they said, 'but she was young. She still had some pep in her.' The child miraculously escaped harm. Her carriage was past the van when it backed over Ms McPartland. The driver's name was not released. Police are investigating the incident for potential charges. This is the parking lot in Lynn, Massachusetts, where a 61-year-old grandmother was run down by a car packing out of a parking space . | Two teenagers were on a date and got directions from a grandmother who was taking a walk while pushing her grandchild in a stroller .
Minutes later they saw a van driver back over the grandmother, identified as 60-year-old Kathleen McPartland .
They screamed to try to get the driver's attention but he didn't hear .
Ms McPartland was declared dead at the scene but her grandchild was unharmed . |
274,976 | f035465e7fdddbcdb6b60667ebb186a353e4dc94 | The 'friendly' match between Boca Juniors and Racing Club during Argentina's off-season proved to be anything but. Boca right-back Leandro Marin scythed down Racing midfielder Ricardo Centurion with a violent two-footed lunge. The ensuring red card was Boca's second of the game after just 30 minutes and they went on to lose 4-1. Boca's Leandro Marin takes out Racing's Ricardo Centurion with a violent two-footed lunge . The right-back came in from behind with his studs up . Centurion was left writhing in pain after the horror tackle . The referee immediately shows Marin (left) the red card, his side's second of the game after just 30 minutes . Centurion is suspected to have suffered a broken leg as a result of the challenge. Argentina's football season is set to kick off in mid-February with Racing, who went unbeaten in their final nine games of the previous campaign, the reigning champions of the Primera Division, the country's top domestic league. Boca, meanwhile, finished last season fifth in the table, with just two wins from their final six fixtures. It is unclear at the moment whether any action will be taken against Marin for his tackle. Racing players are understandably animated following Marin's horror challenge on their team-mate . It is unclear whether Marin will face any disciplinary action for his challenge . Centurion is suspected to have broken his leg as a result of the tackle . | Boca's Leandro Marin takes out Racing's Ricardo Centurion .
Marin's red card is his side's second of the game .
Racing go on to win 4-1 .
The game was a friendly during Argentina's close-season . |
157,553 | 57b6a048bc645774fb9e9e6c683bdaacfa2501c3 | By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 05:50 EST, 29 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:05 EST, 29 November 2013 . The woman linked to the slavery case who mysteriously died while living in a Maoist commune was at university with Cherie Blair, it has emerged. Sian Davies graduated with a masters degree at the London School of Economics in 1975 alongside the wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair who had studied law. One of the world’s top universities, the Russell Group establishment’s alumni includes some of the world's top politicians including 12 Nobel Prize winners, two presidents of Colombia, the former prime minister of Nepal, and former American president John F. Kennedy. Sian Davies, left, was studying for a masters degree at the London School of Economics in the 1970s. She graduated in 1975 alongside Cherie Booth, the wife-to-be of Tony Blair, right, who had been reading law . It specialises in social sciences and has numerous active political groups for students. While Mrs Blair, then Ms Booth, was called to the bar a year later, Ms Davies immersed herself in south east London’s Maoist community. One of Cherie Blair's former contemporaries told the Daily Mirror: 'Sian was quiet and shy. There were a lot of strange groups operating around the university and it looks like she got involved with one of them.' Quiet and shy: One of Cherie Blair's former classmates at LSE described Sian Davies, here aged 22, as 'shy' Education: She was privately educated in Wales before studying law at Aberystwyth University . Ms Davies, who was privately educated in . Wales before studying law at Aberystwyth University, died in 1997, seven . months after she fell from the window of a Maoist home in Herne Hill, . south London. The face of Rosie 'the slave': Woman held for three decades in the Maoist commune in London . When she died, she had just £5 in her bank account and her only possession was a stash of Marxist literature, according to reports. In 1970 she had received thousands of pounds . when her father Alun died - but apparently spent most of it on . funding the far-Left movement based in South London. It has also been claimed that Ms Davies' family, from whom she was enstranged, were so worried about her being exploited that they froze her bank account. She was living with cult leader Aravindan Balakrishnan and his other followers. Three other women, including Ms Davies' daughter Rosie, who has lived with the sect her whole life, escaped the property last week. They were yesterday interviewed by . police for the first time as officers investigate whether Balakrishnan, . known as 'Comrade Bala', and his wife Chanda should face charges. Ms . Davies, who was 44 when she died, was brought up in a middle-class . family in North Wales and attended the prestigious Cheltenham Ladies' College. She was drawn . in to the Workers' Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought . after she moved to London for university in 1977. Cult: Ms Herivel, centre, with fellow member Aishah Wahab, left, and leader Aravindan Balakrishnan, right . Boarded up: The house in South London pictured after the three women escaped last week . The group relied on her inheritance to fund itself for many years, leaving her almost penniless, according to the Guardian. The Maoists were apparently based for a time in a house in Battersea owned by Ms Davies, before she gave them £10,000 to lease their headquarters in Brixton. Her family were unaware that she had had a daughter while living with Balakrishnan, and were not told that she had been left paraplegic after falling from a second-storey window. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Sian Davies, mother of one of the London 'slaves' that escaped last week, graduated from LSE with former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife in 1975 .
She had been studying for a masters degree at the leading university .
Mrs Blair's contemporary has described Ms Davies as 'quiet and shy'
She joined Maoist group and gave £10,000 of her inherited money to them .
In 1997 she died after falling out window of a Maoist commune near Brixton . |
87,408 | f7fade533d649e21d7d5bba04ad2f682ec09d6ac | Washington (CNN) -- The White House and House Speaker John Boehner's office announced Thursday they reached agreement for President Barack Obama to address a joint session of Congress on September 8, resolving a dispute that temporarily overshadowed the focus of the planned speech -- job creation and economic growth. In simultaneous statements, Boehner's spokesman said Obama had been invited to give his speech at 7 p.m. ET next Thursday and the White House said the invitation was accepted. The agreement concluded an unusual spat over the usually non-controversial act of scheduling a presidential speech to Congress. The situation left Obama and the White House struggling to focus attention on the jobs package he will present rather than a backroom showdown that some labeled as childish and nonsense. On Wednesday night, the White House agreed to move Obama's address back one day -- from September 7 to September 8 -- after Republican complaints and follow-up consultations with Boehner. The story generated front-page media coverage Thursday that highlighted the dispute and generated harsh criticism of how the situation was handled. "This really is just a new indicator, really a new low, about how dysfunctional the atmosphere in Washington, D.C., is," CNN political contributor John Avlon said. Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman said on NBC's "Today" show that the scheduling spat was "nonsense" and showed what people "hate about politics." White House Press Secretary Jay Carney downplayed the dispute to reporters, saying the American people "do not give a lick about what day next week the president speaks before Congress." Obama decided this week that he wanted to deliver his speech on job creation to a joint session of Congress, and September 7 was the first day that both the House and Senate would be in session after their summer recess, Carney said. "Wednesday was the soonest possible day upon their return from recess," Carney said of the date sought by Obama. Of moving the speech back a day, Carney said: "Thursday is fine." Asked about what Obama will say in the speech, Carney refused to provide specifics, but said that "if members of Congress come back focused on the need to grow the economy and increase hiring, they will believe this is a good proposal." A White House statement Wednesday night attempted to sum up the episode as a professional misunderstanding. "Today, the president asked to address the Congress about the need for urgent action on the economic situation facing the American people as soon as Congress returned from recess," the statement said. "Both Houses will be back in session after their August recess on Wednesday, September 7th, so that was the date that was requested. We consulted with the speaker about that date before the letter was released, but he determined Thursday would work better." If only it had been that smooth. What actually happened was a day of back-and-forth accusations that dominated the news cycle and portrayed Washington as unable to work out relatively straightforward scheduling agreements, let alone major policy and legislative packages on job creation and deficit reduction. Aides from both parties, almost all of them speaking on condition of not being identified, tried to portray the other side as the culprit. Republicans said Boehner's office was never consulted before the White House announced around noon Wednesday it was requesting the joint session at 8 p.m. on September 7. That timing conflicts with a Republican presidential debate at the Reagan Library in California. In a letter to Obama later in the day, Boehner complained the White House's request would leave insufficient time for a security sweep of the premise following the first House legislative session after its return from the summer recess. In response, a senior White House official said Chief of Staff Bill Daley spoke with Boehner an hour in advance of going public with the request, and that no objections were raised. A Boehner aide said Thursday that during that phone conversation, Daley told Boehner the specific date and time in the letter but never specifically asked for Boehner to either approve or disapprove at that moment. In moving the speech to September 8, the White House faced the possibility of conflicting with the opening game of the National Football League schedule -- an event particularly anticipated this year because of the labor dispute that once threatened to cancel the season. However, Carney said Obama would finish before the football game began. Another source, a senior White House official, said the decision to change the date, rather than challenge the Republican opposition to September 7, was based on a desire to focus the debate on job creation instead of a scheduling fight. The White House statement Wednesday night tried to emphasize what Obama will say in the speech. "The president is focused on the urgent need to create jobs and grow our economy, so he welcomes the opportunity to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, September 8th and challenge our nation's leaders to start focusing 100% of their attention on doing whatever they can to help the American people," it said. On Thursday, the Economic Club in Washington announced Boehner will address the group on September 15, a week after the president's speech. A Boehner spokesman said the topic will be jobs and the economy. Initially, the dispute over the timing of Obama's speech focused on logistics. Events like the president's State of the Union address typically involve as much as four to six weeks of lead time and consultation, with a series of meetings among police, Secret Service officials and others, a Republican aide noted, and Boehner's letter to Obama complained the president's proposed timing would make it impossible to complete proper security steps in Congress. The conflict then shifted to consultation, specifically who did or didn't properly notify the other side. A White House official said Boehner's office was consulted and raised no objection. That prompted Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck to insist that "no one in the speaker's office -- not the speaker, not any staff -- signed off on the date the White House announced today." "Unfortunately, we weren't even asked if that date worked for the House," Buck said. "Shortly before it arrived this morning, we were simply informed that a letter was coming. It's unfortunate the White House ignored decades -- if not centuries -- of the protocol of working out a mutually agreeable date and time before making any public announcement." A senior Democratic aide familiar with scheduling such events in previous administrations said "the childish behavior coming out of the speaker's office today is truly historic." "It is unprecedented to reject the date that a president wants to address a joint session of the Congress," the senior Democratic aide said. "People die and state funerals are held with less fuss, so the logistics excuse by the speaker's office is laughable. Yes, consultation always occurs, but the president always gets the date he wants." Meanwhile, an aide to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Boehner didn't consult with House Democratic leaders about seeking a new date for Obama's speech. Obama's request for a September 7 speech was accepted by the leadership of the Democratic-controlled Senate, according to a Democratic Senate leadership aide. However, approval of leaders from both chambers of Congress is required for such a presidential request to be accepted. The address to Congress is intended to provide a prime-time platform for the rollout of his highly anticipated job growth plan. "Our nation faces unprecedented economic challenges, and millions of hard-working Americans continue to look for jobs," Obama said in a letter sent earlier Wednesday to Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada. "As I have traveled across our country this summer and spoken with our fellow Americans, I have heard a consistent message: Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties in order to grow the economy and create jobs. We must answer this call." The national unemployment rate currently stands at 9.1% -- a figure all but ensuring that the state of the fragile economy will remain the dominant issue of the 2012 presidential campaign. CNN's Brianna Keilar, Deirdre Walsh, Kate Bolduan, Jessica Yellin and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report. | NEW: Obama's speech will be at 7 p.m. on September 8 .
Carney says Obama decided this week to deliver his jobs speech in Congress .
A dispute on the timing of the speech dominates media coverage .
Boehner balks at Obama's original request to speak on September 7 . |
268,664 | e8027644dd500d7d63749d0ffef887d745c3addb | Cristiano Ronaldo almost joined Birmingham City before choosing Manchester United, according to the Blues' former owner David Sullivan. Speaking on Soccer AM on Saturday morning, Sullivan opened up about the time he came close to signing the Real Madrid superstar, who is this year's favourite for the Ballon d'Or. 'Before he went to Man United, we were offered him for £6million, and he chose United ahead of us,' Sullivan said. Cristiano Ronaldo almost signed for Birmingham City for £6million before moving to Manchester United . The former United star had six successful years in the Premier League under manager Sir Alex Ferguson . Former Birmingham owner David Sullivan (right) revealed the news about Ronaldo on Sky's Soccer AM . 'There was a deal to be done. 'When he first went to United there were lots of doubts about him. He wasn't the star that he is now.' Ronaldo spent six successful years at Manchester United, winning three Premier League trophies, one Champions League and one FA Cup. In 2009 the Portuguese made a switch to Real Madrid for £80million, becoming the then most expensive player in football history. Ahead of January's Ballon d'Or ceremony, the 29-year-old looks set to win the award for the third time having already scored 25 goals in La Liga so far this season. The Portuguese international joined La Liga giants Real Madrid for a then world record fee of £80million . Ronaldo (right) celebrates Real's FIFA Club World Cup victory over San Lorenzo with his team-mates . | Cristiano Ronaldo came close to joining Birmingham City for £6million .
The deal was almost done before Ronaldo chose to go to Old Trafford .
Former Blues owner David Sullivan revealed the news on Soccer AM . |
120,231 | 2766fdda6d7b4cd904c42b5ffa17c3c76ec381bc | Australian teacher Robert Scott is fighting for life in hospital and has racked up more than $1 million in medical bills after suffering a fractured skull during an attack on a California residential street. The 26-year-old and former champion rower from the NSW mid-north coast town of Pacific Palms has been in a coma and on life support for almost two months. He was a PE teacher at several Tamworth high schools before flying to Canada to work at the resort town of Banff. Robert Scott (right) and girlfriend Amy Jarvis in the intensive care ward at a California hospital. Mr Scott has been in a coma for two months after an attack on a US street . 'The doctors don't know if he will recover,' Robert's father, Stephen, told AAP. 'He is lucky to be alive. 'They say he's young and could make some kind of a recovery and we're just staying positive and want our Rob back.' Robert was flown on a Lear jet air ambulance from California to Sydney last week, where he remains in a coma and on life support in Royal North Shore Hospital. The flight added to the already extremely high medical bills he accumulated in intensive care at Fresno's Saint Agnes Medical Centre, despite having travel insurance. But the insurance company might not pay the bills because he was drunk when he was hit. He had a blood alcohol level of .24, but the Scotts deny alcohol played a role in the attack. They are frustrated the alleged assailant and admitted associate of Fresno's Bulldog gang, Gilbert Romero, has not been charged. The attack happened at about 9pm on August 17 in Fresno, a city 320 kilometres north of Los Angeles. Local Gilbert Romero was arrested nine days later, but was released without charge. Robert was walking with friend Helena Sordal along a Fresno street with an 18-pack of beer. What happened next is in dispute. The Australian teacher is fighting for life in hospital and has racked up more than $1 million in medical bills after suffering a fractured skull during an attack. He is pictured here with his father Stephen Scott . Ms Sordal said Robert spoke to a woman who was sitting with a young child in a car double parked on the wrong side of the road. Romero then allegedly ran from a nearby house and shouted, 'What are you doing to my girl?'. 'Robert had his hands down, backing away and said, 'I don't want any trouble',' Robert's father, recalling how Sordal described the incident, said. 'But the guy hit him.' Romero, however, alleged Robert shouted an expletive at the woman and child and took a swing at Romero but missed. He said he punched Robert in self-defence. Lieutenant Mark Salazar of the Fresno Police Department's murder-robbery unit said his unit will re-submit the case to the DA later this week. 'We hope when we re-submit it something will happen with the case,' Lt Salazar told AAP on Tuesday. Lt Salazar said Scott had been drinking alcohol from 11am up until the confrontation, which complicated the case. Mr Scott and his girlfriend Ms Jarvis before the brutal assault in Fresno, California . Scott's blood-alcohol reading was 0.24 and an officer who went to the scene said Sordal was so drunk they had to get her personal information from her passport because she was unable to tell them, according to police. 'What we do have is Robert was in the middle of the street, his friend Helena was carrying an 18-pack of beer, a car went around them and that contained Romero's girlfriend, his one-year-old son and his sister-in-law,' Lt Salazar said. 'The sister-in-law exited the car, went to the house where Gilbert Romero was in, as she was doing that she noticed Robert Scott yelling at Romero's girlfriend. 'She told Romero this, Romero went outside, he saw Robert Scott yelling obscenities at the girlfriend, his one-year-old son was crying and that's when he confronted Mr Scott.' Romero's witnesses told police Scott had a beer can in his hand, threw a half punch and Romero hit him once. However, Lt Salazar said the witnesses initially told police they did not know who Romero was. 'It is tough when there is no physical evidence, when you have one side and it's the suspect's side and they did lie initially,' Lt Salazar said. In deciding not to charge Romero, the DA pointed to Romero possibly acting in self-defence and Scott's intoxication, Lt Salazar said. | Australian teacher Robert Scott was attacked on a California street .
He has been in a coma for two months and has racked up $1 million in bills .
Insurance might not pay the bills because he was drunk when he was hit .
The Scotts deny alcohol played a role in the attack and are frustrated the man who attacked him has not been charged . |
51,971 | 93302a6eb3612d76b9a344b5b9da71df9af2613a | By . Nicola Harley . A legal firm that made more than £77 million from miners’ compensation claims has been dropped by a union after calling its members ‘thick’. The insult came in a training manual Raleys Solicitors wrote for its own staff. In it, a generic miner making a compensation claim is named ‘Mr Thikas Toosh Ortplanks’. The National Union of Mineworkers is no longer using the firm, saying its 90-year relationship has ‘soured’. Insult: Raleys (headquarters in Barnsley pictured) had been representing miners in damages claims for vibration white finger (VWF) Raleys had been representing miners in damages claims for vibration white finger (VWF). Sufferers have joint and muscle damage caused by working with vibrating hand-held machinery. Campaigner John Mann MP said the disparaging email showed the firm’s ‘breathtaking arrogance’. Raleys was among a group of law firms accused by a judge of cashing in on VWF claims and having more interest in taking their cut of payments than ensuring each client got the maximum compensation. The High Court ruled that Raleys failed to offer suitable advice to a miner over his VWF claim and now faces being sued by hundreds more clients. Raymond Barnaby, a miner for nearly 30 years in South Yorkshire, settled his claim for compensation for £10,822.01. However, after advice from Raleys, he dropped a further claim for help with services to aid with his disability. In the High Court, Lord Justice Maurice Kay said the firm had given ‘negligent advice’ to its client, resulting in him abandoning a claim which he may otherwise have won. Mr Barnaby was awarded £5,925 in damages. Condemned: Campaigner John Mann MP said the disparaging email showed the firm’s ‘breathtaking arrogance’ Chris Skidmore, chairman of the Yorkshire branch of the NUM, said Raleys had failed those who trusted them. ‘I feel very bitter about it,’ he said. ‘When you go to a professional you think they are giving you the right advice. ‘I’m appalled at our treatment and to refer to miners as “thick as two short planks” by people we placed our trust in is disgraceful. The NUM has used Raleys for 90 years and we recommended them to members. The relationship has soured.’ Mr Mann added: ‘Many solicitors got rich off the compensation scheme at the expense of hard-working miners who suffered serious illnesses as a result of their work. ‘Now it is essential that miners are helped to sue solicitors for the compensation they were rightly entitled to.’ Solicitor Robert Godfrey, of Mellor Hargreaves, which represents around 100 miners seeking damages from their law firms. He said: ‘We estimate there will be hundreds of claims now. We have individuals who have been badly let down by professionals, by people they put their faith and trust in – they were union solicitors.’ Raleys, based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, handled in excess of 12,000 of the 180,000 claims nationally and recovered damages for more than 10,000 miners. Managing partner Carol Gill admitted the disparaging reference was in a staff training guide was a ‘poor taste joke’. She said the firm had settled five claims against it but succeeded in three similar compensation claims and was waiting to appeal two more. | Insult came in a training manual Raleys Solicitors wrote for its own staff .
Firm had been representing damage claims for vibration white finger (VWF)
Campaigner John Mann MP said email shows 'breathtaking arrogance' |
169,533 | 676526749ee6c87e2fabd9558d06a2bcc31dc8ea | The average interest rate on an easy-access ISA account has fallen to a record low. The typical rate on an account which allows people to get immediate access to their money has plunged to 1.17 per cent after falling for five months in a row, according to respected financial website MoneyFacts. This is the lowest average rate since it began keeping records in 2007, the year before the financial crash. Experts said it was another sign that savers had been ‘sacrificed’ in favour of mortgage borrowers. It also suggests that George Osborne’s flagship policy of raising to £15,000 the amount savers can deposit in a tax-free ISA – announced in what he dubbed a ‘Budget for savers’ in March – is unlikely to be of much use to those with nest eggs. Far from reinvigorating the savings market, the Government scheme to increase the allowance in ISAs had proved to be a flop, it was claimed yesterday. In 2012 there were 403 ISA products on the market but now there are 283, suggesting banks are not competing to give savers a good rate. Sylvia Waycot, editor at Moneyfacts.co.uk, said: ‘Rates are still at historically low levels, product numbers continue to fall and the ISA market as a whole remains subdued. The typical rate on an account which allows people to get immediate access to their money has plunged to 1.17 per cent . ‘Despite the hype surrounding the new allowance, it’s as though providers have decided to just sit this one out.’ Critics blamed the Government’s Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) for rendering savers of little value to banks, leading them not to bother competing for their business. The scheme allowed banks and building societies to borrow money cheaply from the Bank of England for lending to people seeking mortgages. Launched in 2012, it was designed to breathe new life into the housing market after the economic crisis – but savings rates dropped because banks no longer needed to lure savers to raise funds. Although the FLS scheme is now closed to mortgage lenders, they still have billions of pounds to call on – and little incentive to attract savers, critics said. Mrs Waycot said: ‘FLS has had a greater negative impact on savings rates than the historic low Bank of England rate.’ The Bank of England base rate has been at 0.5 per cent since 2009, but is expected to rise by the beginning of spring. However, experts said the rise – which will push up interest rates on savings accounts – would be barely felt if savers’ rates continued to fall now. | It is the lowest average rate since MoneyFacts began keeping records .
Experts said it was another sign that savers had been ‘sacrificed’ in favour of mortgage borrowers . |
109,664 | 195c7db04d3745352471544e3beadf5805ae3f1f | (CNN) -- There are plenty of reasons to fall in love with a staircase. It's a home's conduit and connector. It ushers life along, makes a grand impression on visitors and serves as the backdrop for family memories. "It's where my daughter took pictures for her first daddy-daughter dance," said Anisa Darnell, part of the Milk and Honey Home decorator team from Roswell, Georgia. Her home's staircase is also special to her because her grandfather posed with her daughter for a snapshot there before he passed away. The back staircase in Emily A. Clark's home is significant because it's mostly used by her kids. "I've also caught them playing school on the little landing in the middle of the stairs." Jacki Poovey and her husband designed their staircase to be a grand, welcoming part of their Cary, North Carolina home, but it's also at the heart of countless family memories. It still bears reminders of the time their puppy chewed every bit of molding from the edges of the newel post to the cap molding on the treads. "It's a lived-in home," says Poovey. Massive undertakings, like DIY home renovations, can imbue a home's staircase with lasting impressions of the experience. "If you paint three stories of spindles, you never forget it," Victoria Barnes said of the painstaking restoration she and her husband undertook in their 1890 Victorian home near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Barnes blogs about the "really, really, really slow" process of their work, which she calls wonderful and overwhelming. Christine Price, from Manchester, England, can relate, having spent 250 hours stripping, sanding and painting the staircase in her Edwardian home. "The staircase is the first thing you see when you enter our home," she said. "Now that it's restored it makes such a huge difference to the whole feel of the house." For Jenna Burger, an interior designer and blogger, a staircase makeover led to an overhaul of every molding in her house. The staircase decor represents a significant change for her home's aesthetic, she said. "I was unhappy with the worn, dated carpeted stairs before and desired a more updated, modern look," she said. So up went the carpet and down went paint and stain. Paint was also the key ingredient in Jae Vinson's economical transformation of her back staircase. With natural wood as the "runner" and crisp white paint on the sides of the treads, the previously dingy atmosphere was radically lightened. "This is a garage entry staircase," Vinson said. "It's something I use every single day going to and from my car. The space feels more welcoming now." The feel of the staircase can be an important part of decorating a home, Darnell said. Obsessed with collages, she chose to decorate her staircase because it opened up to her family room and dining room, and its huge, blank wall stood out. "I wanted it to be interesting and visually pretty," she said. Now photos, frames, decorative keys and even a lantern adorn the staircase, which she designed to be a tribute to her family. "We have loved ones up there, wedding photos, engagement photos, our siblings, parents, grandparents, our daughters," she said. "The staircase has personality." Photo walls along staircases have come a long way since the "wall of shame," full of unfortunate school photos and stilted professional portraits. Jill Hinson currently lives in Portland, Oregon, but her family moves often because of her husband's job. The black and white portraits she has taken of her two daughters since their births are a decorating element that makes each house they live in a home. "The gallery wall tells the story of our family," Hinson said. "Where we have been, the growth of our girls and what is personal and important to us." The Hinsons moved into the Portland house two years ago, "and as soon as I saw this gigantic wall going up the stairs, I new that it was the perfect place for a gallery wall." Clark's staircase is lined with large and small works of art by her children, as well as canvases of their hand and footprints. "Even my own kindergarten evaluation is framed and hung in the mix," she said. "There's still lots of wall space, so this area will continue to be a work in progress. I'd love to fill it full of their colorful masterpieces," Clark said. The decor of the stairwell began with a decal of her favorite quote from the movie, "The Help," which says "You is kind. You is smart. You is important." "I love that quote," Clark said, "and thought it was a sweet reminder for our kids as they bound up those steps, several times every day. It also reminds me of what they need to hear from me on a regular basis." Are you obsessed with decorating your house? Show us your skills at CNN's Open House and your photo could be featured in next week's story. Our next focus: Inviting beds. | Staircases are important elements in home decor as well as family memories .
"If you paint three stories of spindles, you never forget it," said Victoria Barnes .
Collages are a modern interpretation of the "wall of shame" |
118,100 | 248087aad653122712d059e0d14eae65dcf346e7 | By . Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 01:29 EST, 25 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:34 EST, 25 February 2013 . Reassurance: The Prime Minister of Romania Victor Ponta said Britain should not fear an invasion of immigrants from his country . Romania's prime minister has said that the UK does not need to fear an 'invasion' of immigrants because he believes people from his country are better off staying at home. Victor Ponta said he was 'rather perplexed' by reports in the British press that the UK faces a new wave of eastern European arrivals when EU 'freedom of movement' laws change in 2014. Writing in The Times newspaper, he said Romanian workers 'will not rush to Britain' because they will be too 'busy developing their own country'. Romanians and Bulgarians have had restricted rights to come and work in Britain since the two countries joined the European Union in 2007. But these laws expire on December 31 2013, meaning 29 million people will have the right to live and work in Britain unrestricted. Experts have warned that a new influx of immigrants - such as was experienced when Poland and other other eastern European countries gained the same rights in 2004 - could harm the job prospects of British people. Britain is likely to be an attractive option due to the ongoing economic crisis in Europe and increasing employment in the UK. But Mr Ponta said Britain should not worry because he is introducing a series of policies in Romania which will stimulate growth and strengthen the economy. He wrote: 'Our people are, by far, our most valuable, cherished and significant resource. And we will do our utmost to keep them in the country. The Prime Minister also suggested that British people should follow in the footsteps of Prince Charles and visit his country as a tourist destination. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, owns a house in rural Transylvania in Romania . The Prince of Wales is known to have a bought property in rural Transylvania in 2006 and once joked that he is descended from the notorious ruler Vlad the Impaler. Mr Ponta claimed that Prince Charles took a holiday at his country house after the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations last year. He said: 'The very day after Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee celebrations, Prince Charles slipped away to Romania for a bit of peace and quiet and a traditional organic meal in a secluded village where he owns a house. Romania can't be that bad, can it?' He also suggested Chelsea football club's upcoming fixture against Steaua Bucharest as an ideal opportunity for British tourists to visit his country. The Government has come under pressure after admitting it has no idea how many Romanian or Bulgarian immigrants will come to Britain when the border controls are scrapped. David Cameron has suggested that new arrivals could be refused access to legal aid, as well as some benefits and healthcare. | Victor Ponta says he is 'rather perplexed' by reports of 'Romanian invasion'
Says people are 'our most valuable, cherished and significant resource'
Invites Brits to visit Romania as a tourist destination instead . |
149,921 | 4dd3ff2b19132840a422e60840339da2a1622b8a | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 11:41 EST, 24 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:25 EST, 24 September 2013 . A couple whose day-old baby died at a scandal hit maternity unit almost a decade ago have accused hospital staff of an 'unforgiveable cover-up' of failings that led to her death. Elleanor Bennett was just 27 hours old when she died at the Furness General Hospital in February 2004. Though her death certificate stated she died of natural causes, the case was referred to the South Cumbria Coroner in March of this year after a police investigation into a number of baby and mother deaths at the hospital. Devastated: Lesley and Gary Bennett have accused staff at Furness General Hospital of an 'unforgiveable cover-up' over the death of their baby daughter Elleanor . An inquest held almost nine years after her death found that she died of 'as a consequence of complications during the birthing process.' The hearing at Barrow Town Hall heard that a midwife failed to take Elleanor's heartbeat for 43 minutes during labour and that she had to be resuscitated when she was finally born. She suffered continuous fits and was transferred to Liverpool Women’s Hospital but died in her father’s arms the next day. Although an internal investigation into Elleanor's death found failings by midwife Marie Ratcliffe, the Bennett family were never informed. Coroner Ian Smith today criticised the actions of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust for failing to 'bite the bullet' and not explaining to Lesley and Gary Bennett how their daughter died. Eleanor's parents today called for the NHS to ensure a robust duty of candour is implemented so that the same mistakes don't happen again. The two-day inquest was told that Mrs Bennett’s third pregnancy went smoothly before she went into labour a week overdue. She had been classified as high risk because of her high body mass index and scans had showed it was anticipated to be a large baby. 'Cover up': Coroner Ian Smith was critical of the failure of Furness General Hospital, pictured, to tell Mr and Mrs Bennett how their baby died following a damning internal investigation . Her waters were broken by a male registrar at 8.05pm on February 25 but he did not enter the maternity room again. Ten minutes later, Elleanor's heartbeat was noted as being 'perfectly satisfactory. But despite national guidelines ruling that a baby's heart rate must be checked every five minutes, Elleanor's was not monitored again by Ms Ratcliffe for the next 43 minutes. When the midwife was unable to find a heartbeat via a cardiotocography (CTG) machine and a hand-held sonic aid device at around 8.45pm, she asked for help from a senior midwifery colleague. 'An opportunity to get Elleanor out quicker was missed and obviously that was crucial to what happened.' Coroner Ian Smith . The baby was born 13 minutes later, weighing 10lbs 10ozs, but had turned blue by the time she was placed on her mother's stomach. Coroner Mr Smith criticised the staff for not immediately contacting the duty doctor and missing an opportunity to potentially save Elleanor's life. Mr Smith said it was not as if the doctor was unavailable to assess the situation. He said: 'That would have given them the opportunity to get the baby out as soon as possible by whatever means you can whether through forceps delivery or caesarean. 'That opportunity to get Elleanor out quicker was missed and obviously that was crucial to what happened.' He said it was 'most likely' that Elleanor was starved of oxygen and suffered brain damage during the 43-minute period she went unchecked. Failings: An internal review carried out by the hospital's then head of midwifery was 'thorough' and 'pulled no punches' according to the coroner, but Mr and Mrs Bennett were left in the dark . The hearing was told that an internal review was carried out by the health trust in 2004 and criticised the actions of Ms Ratcliffe, who was sent on a two-day training course, but the Bennetts were unaware of the investigation. The investigation, carried out by the hospital's then head of midwifery Denise Fish was 'thorough' and 'pulled no punches', said Mr Smith. A memo written by Miss Fish as part of the review stated if the case went to litigation then expert witnesses would certainly query the 43-minute gap in the heart rate measurement. It went on that if she did not know that Ms Ratcliffe was a competent and experienced staff member then she would have concluded 'there was negligence by omission'. 'The consequence of all of that is we are . all here today nearly 10 years later carrying out an investigation that . should have happened eight or so years ago.' Coroner Ian Smith . The coroner remarked: 'That is a very straight and damning piece of evidence which said there was a delay and there should not have been.' He added: 'I think someone should have bit the bullet and said (to the Bennetts) "we really need to level with you and let you know why Elleanor did not survive" and they did not do that. 'The consequence of all of that is we are all here today nearly 10 years later carrying out an investigation that should have happened eight or so years ago.' The police probe into Elleanor's death was launched three months after an inquest in June 2011 held by the same coroner into the death of baby Joshua Titcombe. Mr Smith ruled Joshua died of natural causes nine days after his birth at the hospital in October 2008 but that midwives had repeatedly missed opportunities to spot and treat a serious infection. Speaking after the hearing, the Bennetts, from Dalton-in-Furness, said: 'We were told that her death was one of those things and that no procedures could be changed to prevent it from happening again. Scandal hit hospital: The police investigation into Elleanor's death begun after an inquest into the death of another baby, Joshua Titcombe (pictured with sister Emily), who also died at Furness . 'With the help of family and friends we tried to rebuild our lives for the sake of our other children. 'In October 2011, the police came to our door to tell us that they were investigating a number of deaths at Furness General Hospital, and that Elleanor’s was one of those cases. 'Since then, we have found out so much that was never revealed to us and this has totally devastated our entire family. We have had to restart the grieving process all over again. 'We now have the truth about what went wrong that night and this means we can try again to move on as a family and Elleanor can now rest in peace. 'We hope that lessons can be learned and that her death will not have been in vain. We urge the Government to ensure that the duty of candour is implemented and robustly enforced within the NHS. 'Our wish is that no family should have to go through what we have. 'We understand that nobody meant for this to happen, but to lie, cover up the mistakes and fail to learn from them is unforgiveable.' George Nasmyth, Medical Director of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust apologised to the family following the inquest and said that lessons had been learned. He said: 'We extend our sincere condolences to baby Elleanor Bennett's family. For any family to lose a loved one is an absolute tragedy and having to revisit a very painful time from 2004 is extremely difficult. 'We understand that nobody meant for this . to happen, but to lie, cover up the mistakes and fail to learn from . them is unforgiveable.' Lesley and Gary Bennett . 'Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to them. 'We acknowledge that full information wasn't shared with the family at the time of Elleanor's death and we apologise for this. 'We have now improved our systems to ensure that in similar circumstances, information is shared with the family concerned as soon as possible. 'We have accepted that some of the care provided to Mrs Bennett in 2004 during the course of her labour and delivery was inappropriate and that steps should have been taken to deliver Elleanor sooner. 'We fully accept the Coroner's conclusion that Elleanor died as a result of complications during the birthing process, and we are sincerely sorry for this.' 'During the last 12 months significant progress has been made with a new Trust Board in place and clinicians leading changes in the way we operate. 'A new clinical leadership team for our maternity services has a clear vision of providing safe and excellent care which will meet the needs and expectations of mothers and babies.' | Elleanor Bennett died 27 hours after her birth in February 2004 .
A midwife failed to take the baby's heart rate for 43 minutes during labour .
An investigation was carried out by staff at Furness General Hospital .
The probe was critical of the midwife, but Elleanor's parents weren't told . |
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