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166,395 | 632b41b228131caf98ec31c34ad9b822cde6c2c0 | (CNN) -- Legendary India batsman Sachin Tendulkar created yet another piece of cricket history on Tuesday, becoming the first player to score 15,000 Test match runs. Tendulkar reached the milestone with a single on day three of the first Test between India and West Indies in Delhi. The right-hander, known as the "Little Master", finished the day 33 not out on 15,005 career runs. After making his debut for India against Pakistan in November 1989, Tendulkar became Test cricket's leading run-scorer in 2008 when he surpassed West Indies' batsman Brian Lara's total of 11,953. The 38-year-old will be hoping to pass another landmark figure in the final two days of the Delhi contest and become the first player to score 100 centuries in international cricket. The Mumbai native scored his 99th international 100 against South Africa at this year's World Cup, which hosts India won for the second time in the tournament's 36-year history. India finished day three on 152-2, needing 124 runs to overhaul the West Indies' two-innings total of 484 and clinch victory in the opening match of the three-Test series. Debutant Ravichandran Ashwin was the host's star performer, taking six wickets for 47 runs to match the second-best performance from an Indian bowler in their debut Test match. India will resume on Wednesday with Tendulkar at the crease alongside Rahul Dravid, who is the second-highest run-scorer in the history on Test cricket on 12,859. Meanwhile, another cricket legend announced his return to the sport on Tuesday, with former Australian spin-bowler Shane Warne coming out of retirement to play in the country's Twenty20 league. Warne took 708 Test wickets during a 15-year career before initially retiring from cricket in 2007, only to return to play for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan is the only bowler to have taken more Test wickets than Warne with 800. Warne will play for the Melbourne Stars in the eight-team Big Bash League which is set to get underway next month. "This is something that I'm passionate about, it's something that I think is unique to Australian cricket, it's city-based cricket teams, it's something new and that's what sort of enticed me," the 42-year-old told Cricket Australia's website. "More to get involved with Cricket Australia, to put something back into the game, to help out Whitey (Stars captain Cameron White), Shippy (Stars coach Greg Shipperd), all the young kids that are there to pass on my knowledge to them." The right-armer also denied his return to the game was motivated by money. "It's got nothing to do with money," insisted Warne. "If it was something to do with money about me coming out to play cricket I'd still be playing in the IPL." Stars president Eddie McGuire revealed the Melbourne Cricket Ground-based team had initially approached Warne to make two guest appearances for the side, before he agreed to play for the whole campaign. "This was sincere," said McGuire. "We were happy to pay the money for two games and we're very happy to pay for the full eight (matches)." Warne will make his first appearance for Melbourne against Sydney Thunder on December 17. | India's Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first cricketer to score 15,000 Test runs .
Tendulkar achieved the feat on day three of India's Test match against West Indies .
The 38-year-old will be hoping to score his 100th international century .
Australian Shane Warne comes out of retirement to play Twenty20 for Melbourne Stars . |
269,400 | e8f6223ecd4d35d42b1dad588956396d1b5ea87f | New York (CNN) -- The February 26 shooting of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager, by George Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, has in less than a month gone from a local story to a huge national story. As we all now know, Martin got into a confrontation with Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain patrolling a gated community in Sanford, Florida. Their confrontation ended when Zimmerman, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, shot the unarmed Martin. When the police failed to arrest Zimmerman partly because of the state's strong self-defense "stand your ground" law, the case raised outcries of racial injustice. In early March, a few major news outlets began reporting the story. By the middle of the month, interest heightened when tapes of Zimmerman's 911 call to the police revealed that he had been told by the dispatcher that he need not follow Martin, suggesting that he had been the aggressor. On March 23, President Barack Obama weighed in: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." The most telling criticism of how the Martin case had been handled came from U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, whose involvement in the civil rights movement goes back to the Freedom Rides of the early 1960s. Lewis compared the killing of Martin with the infamous 1955 murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi. Fourteen-year-old Till was beaten and then shot for whistling at a white woman, or according to other accounts, saying "bye, baby" to her. No one was ever punished for killing Till. With the publication Monday by The Orlando Sentinel of a leaked police report supporting Zimmerman's version of events, the Martin case has, however, taken a new turn. In the report, Martin is the aggressor, punching Zimmerman in the nose and then beating him as he lay on the ground. This version of events, questioned by some in the wake of a newly released video of a seemingly unhurt Zimmerman in police custody, has been fodder for a counterattack on Martin's defenders. The New York Post carried a front page headline, "Trayvon Hoodwink," above a story titled, "Tragedy hijacked by 'race hustlers.' " While the facts of the Trayvon Martin and Emmett Till cases differ and while what really happened in Sanford is still unclear, there is a parallel worth keeping in mind -- the announcement that the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will open an investigation into the Martin case. From now on in, it will not be necessary to depend solely on Florida and Sanford authorities. The modern precedent for this kind of federal involvement in civil rights violence dates back to 1964. That year, the Justice Department took on the prosecution of the men accused of murdering James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, three civil rights workers participating in the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964. It was a project, largely using college students from the North, that was designed to register black voters and begin freedom schools for Mississippi's black children. On the basis of a tip in August, the bodies of the three civil rights workers, who had disappeared in June, were found by the FBI buried in an earthen dam in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Then in December, on the basis of information gathered from informants, the Justice Department charged 19 men, including a sheriff and deputy sheriff, for conspiring to violate the civil rights of the murdered men. The charge, based on laws that had been passed in 1870 in the wake of the Civil War to protect black freedmen and Republicans, was the best instrument the Justice Department could rely on at the time. The alternative to a federal conspiracy case was state prosecution for murder, but in the Mississippi of the 1960s, no one believed that the state could win such a case or had any real desire to pursue it. The week after the bodies of the three men were found, Gov. Paul Johnson, speaking at the Neshoba County Fair, delivered a speech in which he declared, "Integration is like Prohibition. If people don't want it, a whole army can't enforce it." Johnson spoke for the majority of white Mississippians, and in December 1964 when the Justice Department sought to bring its case before a grand jury, the U.S. commissioner for the Southern District of Mississippi dismissed the charges against the 19 men, saying that the confession the Justice Department had from one of those indicted was hearsay evidence because only an FBI agent had heard it. In January 1965, the Justice Department managed, however, to win indictments from a federal grand jury in Jackson. Then it ran into another setback when a Mississippi judge, William Harold Cox, threw out the most substantive parts of the grand jury indictments. It took a full year before the Supreme Court overruled Cox and the Justice Department's case was back on track. Finally, in October 1967, the trial began in Meridian, Mississippi, before the same Judge Cox whom the Supreme Court had overruled. The government team was headed by John Doar, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, who through long experience had come to know how hard it was to win a civil rights case in the South. Doar understood that he faced a particularly tough challenge, and he made a point of telling the jury he was personally taking the lead in trying the case not because he was experienced in criminal law but because he headed the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. For Doar, it was crucial for the jury to understand what was at stake, and he went out of his way to remind them that the defendants were being tried "in a Mississippi city, before a Mississippi federal judge, in a Mississippi courtroom, before 12 men and women from the state of Mississippi." In the end Doar and the Justice Department did not get the complete victory they wanted. But they did get a victory that few initially thought possible. Thirteen days after the trial began, seven of the 19 defendants, including a deputy sheriff, were convicted. It had taken three years to reach this point, but what the Justice Department had established was its ability to win a civil rights case in the Deep South even before hostile juries. The conviction of the seven men was upheld, and they began serving time after their appeal was turned down in 1970. Today, Doar's role is remembered by few people who were not part of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But the case he and the Justice Department won nearly a half century ago lives on, demonstrating that neither local nor state justice need be the last word in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. With the Martin case, the Civil Rights Division has another opportunity to settle justice and if it acts with enough speed, defuse some of the tensions that the killing of Trayvon Martin has raised throughout the country. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nicolaus Mills. | State prosecutors have not brought charges in shooting death of Trayvon Martin .
Nicolaus Mills says the news that the federal government will investigate is welcome .
He says in 1964, the Civil Rights Division was able to obtain convictions in three killings .
Mills: The current federal investigation could help establish facts, defuse tensions . |
142,399 | 442652b1fdb8278a9c8a18d9b57f091ea1426610 | PUBLISHED: . 09:04 EST, 16 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:59 EST, 16 July 2012 . By . Daily Mail Reporter . She's already made a solo porn film in a bid to pay her astronomical bills to raise her 14 children. And over the weekend, Nadya 'Octomom' Suleman went to yet another desperate length in a bid to fund her family - by stripping. The single mother, 37, was reportedly paid $5,000 (£3,220) to strip down to just her knickers as she grinded on-stage to the sounds of Rihanna at a Florida club on Friday night. Dance for me: Octomom Nadya Suleman makes her stripping debut at The Playhouse Gentleman's Club in Miami, Florida on Friday night . You can leave your pants on: Nadya remove her PVC bra as she dances around the pole . Making her debut on Friday 13th, Nadya was showered with dollar bills as she came out on stage at The Playhouse Gentlemen's Club in Miami. For her first dance, she wore an Eyes Wide Shut-inspired PVC ensemble of mask, thigh-high boots, corset, bra and pants, while carrying a riding crop. She then removed her outfit to the sound's of Rihanna's S&M, ending up in just her boots and knickers. Is that enough to feed your kids? Nadya looks thrilled with the money being thrown at her . I'm a bad, bad girl: Octomom's second dance saw her dress as a sexy schoolgirl . For her second dance, she changed . into a sexy schoolgirl costume of pigtails, knee-high stockings and . checked skirt as she performed to Rihanna's Rude Boy. However, it appeared lapdancing isn't as easy as it looks, with Nadya apparently struggling to maintain a sense of rhythm. One fellow dancer told the Miami Herald newspaper: . 'She's really stiff .Oh my God, she can’t dance. But it’s good for the . rest of us girls because she made it a busy Friday night. We’re going to . get extra tips.' Good time girl: Wearing PVC under those hot lights, no wonder she wanted to disrobe . At one point, a fellow stripper had to help her remove her gloves as she struggled to remove the clingy PVC material. Apparently the West Park club ended up attracting 400 customers - twice as many punters as usual. As . well as the chance to pay $200 for a private one-to-one dance from the . mother-of-14, customers could also buy 'I saw Octomom naked at the . Playhouse South' T-shirts. Helping hand: Nadya's friend Adam Barta helps her squeeze into her PVC outfit backstage . She's got some front: Nadya wears a very low-cut dress backstage as she adjusts her fishnets . Nadya was apparently paid $5,000 for two 12-minute sets, not including tips and then $10-a-time for autographs. Punters who wanted their photos taken with the burgeoning adult entertainment star had to pay $25. The . club owner Greg Louis said it had been a great coup for the club to . secure Nadya's performance: 'The phone’s been ringing off the hook. Several people asked me if it was really Octomom or just an . impersonator.' Baring all: Nadya went topless to the delight of the punters . Nadya was originally set to perform at rival club T's Lounge, but cancelled after the manageress reportedly made negative comments about the single mother. T's Lounge failed in a legal battle to ban her appearance after a Florida judge threw out the case on Thursday. Nadya's stripping role comes two months after she made a solo porn film Octomom: Uncovered. Show me the money: Nadya had the audience transfixed as she awkwardly grinded on stage . Nervous? Nadya looked quite calm backstage, despite making her stripping debut . In April, she reportedly filed for bankruptcy after running up to $1million in debts. Octomom leaped to fame in 2009 when it was revealed she conceived octuplets through in vitro fertilisation (IVF), despite having six other children, no job and no partner to support her. Despite her racy ventures, Nadya insists she has turned to God and will remain celibate until her children turn 18. Top billing: Octomom was quite the draw for the Miami club, which attracted twice the amount of punters as normal . Mommy duty: Octomom Nadya Suleman with her brood out to the beach in Los Angeles, California . | Nadya Suleman paid $5,000 (£3,220) to strip at Miami's Playhouse Gentlemen's Club .
West Park club ended up attracting 400 customers - twice as many punters as usual .
Customers could buy 'I saw Octomom naked at the .
Playhouse South' T-shirts . |
103,537 | 1182d3340dc9a9e02b5556f0db8c28c725c22406 | A Yale graduate whose life was tragically cut short when she was killed in a car accident shortly after her graduation has just been awarded a prestigious literary prize. Marina Keegan was awarded the Goodreads Choice Awards non-fiction book for 2014 for the posthumously published The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories. This after an essay she wrote for the Yale Daily News went viral following her death, and publishing house Simon & Schuster asked to release a collection of her works. Scroll down to read Keegan's essay . Heralded: Marina Keegan (left) was awarded the Goodreads Choice Awards non-fiction book for 2014 for the posthumously published The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories (right) Tragedy: Keegan died just five days after she graduated from Yale in 2012 in a car accident (above) Cleared: Marina's boyfriend Michael Gocksch (right) had been driving at the time of the crash but was not speeding or under the influence so was cleared in his girlfriend's death . Keegan had just graduated five days earlier in 2012 when her boyfriend, Michael Gocksch, crashed his car after falling asleep at the wheel while the couple was driving in Massachusetts. Gocksch, who survived the crash, was not speeding or under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident, and did not face any charges. Even though she had just graduated, Keegan was already well on her way to an illustrious literary career, having already scored a job with The New Yorker. She had studied English at Yale and graduated magna cum laude from the Ivy League institution. The week before her death she published an essay in her school paper urging members of her generation to 'make something happen to this world,' which went viral with more than 1.4 million hits according to The Independent. It was this work, and others, the publisher Simon & Schuster says 'captures the hope, uncertainty, and possibility of her generation' that has made her into what they call an 'icon of her generation.' 'We don’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I could say that’s what I want in life. What I’m grateful and thankful to have found at Yale, and what I’m scared of losing when we wake up tomorrow and leave this place.' 'We’re so young. We’re so young. We’re twenty-two years old. We have so much time. There’s this sentiment I sometimes sense, creeping in our collective conscious as we lay alone after a party, or pack up our books when we give in and go out – that it is somehow too late. That others are somehow ahead. More accomplished, more specialized. More on the path to somehow saving the world, somehow creating or inventing or improving. That it’s too late now to BEGIN a beginning and we must settle for continuance, for commencement.' 'We don’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I’d say that’s how I feel at Yale. How I feel right now. Here. With all of you. In love, impressed, humbled, scared. And we don’t have to lose that.' 'We’re in this together, 2012. Let’s make something happen to this world.' Winner: Esther Grace Earl, who died of cancer in 2010 and became the inspiration for The Fault In Our Stars (left), was also a winner for her memoir This Star Won't Go Out (right) Esther Grace Earl, who died of cancer at 16-years-old in 2010 was another posthumous winner of a Goodreads Choice Award in the memoir and autobiography section for her work This Star Won’t Go Out. Earl befriended author John Greene shortly before her death and became the inspiration for his blockbuster book, and later blockbuster film, The Fault In Our Stars, being portrayed onscreen by actor Shailene Woodley. | Marina Keegan was awarded the Goodreads Choice Awards non-fiction book for 2014 for The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories .
Keegan died in a tragic car accident in 2012 just five days after her graduation from Yale when her boyfriend fell asleep at the wheel .
She was set to begin a job at the prestigious New Yorker magazine .
Shortly after her death, her final essay for the Yale Daily News went viral, and publisher Simon & Schuster asked to release a collection of her work .
Another posthumous winner of a Goodreads Award was Esther Grace Earl, who died of cancer in 2010 and inspired the book The Fault In Our Stars . |
86,885 | f6950bf437c3e5f70fe301331b7104585a6c0cee | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 12:16 PM on 27th February 2012 . The British-born wife of Syrian president Bashar Assad has made a rare public appearance during a referendum in the war-torn country. Looking glamorous in a dark grey coat and dress, Asma Assad shook hands and joked with supporters as she accompanied her husband into a voting booth. Despite the continuing bloodshed in Syria, the government yesterday held a vote on constitutional reforms, which Assad claims will lead to multi-party parliamentary elections. Tyrant's wife: Asma Assad and her husband Bashar at the ballot box . All smiles: Asma and Bashar Assad smiled for the cameras while casting a vote for constitutional reform . Mrs Assad, 36, a former investment banker who grew up in Acton, West London, has virtually disappeared from the public eye since the unrest broke out last March. Her previous appearance was in December, when she and her two children stood alongside Assad at a pro-regime rally. Unrest against anti-regime rebels continued this morning, prompting British Foreign Secretary . William Hague to call for more sanctions against Syria in the wake of . continuing 'appalling' violence. He urged EU foreign ministers meeting . in Brussels to extend current financial sanctions against members of . the Assad regime by freezing European-held assets of the Syrian Central . Bank. Mobbed: Syrian President Bashar Assad (centre) and wife Asma (left) are greeted by supporters as they arrive to vote for the referendum . High five: A grinning Bashar Assad greets supporters as he arrives at the referendum polling station . He joined the talks following Friday's Tunis meeting of the Friends of Syria group, where U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton renewed attacks on the veto by Russia and China of a United Nations Security resolution condemning Syria. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during a press conference calling for the military to turn their backs on President Assad . The lack of a Security Council declaration has weakened international diplomatic efforts to end the violence. And Mr Hague warned today that the actions of Russia and China were seen as wrong 'in the eyes of the world'. He said the issue would be taken up once more at the UN in New York later this week. Meanwhile, the EU foreign ministers were trying to reinforce their economic measures against Syria, which already include an arms embargo, a ban on EU exports of oil and gas equipment to Syria, and visa and asset bans against more than 100 members of the ruling regime including President Assad. Today's expected freeze on assets of the Syrian central bank is intended to help limit funding the continuing violent crackdown on the regime's opposition. The EU foreign ministers will also endorse Friday's Tunis statement calling on the Syrian leader to step down and urging the setting up of a UN peacekeeping force. Mr Hague dismissed yesterday's Syrian 'referendum' as of no relevance to international efforts to impose a 'diplomatic and economic stranglehold on the Assad regime' to 'choke off support for its campaign of terror'. Battleground: An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube shows smoke billowing from the Baba Amr neighbourhood in the flashpoint city of Homs . Warzone: Damaged buildings in the Baba Amr neighbourhood - 19 people were killed yesterday in the city of Homs . But the Foreign Secretary is against arming the Syrian opposition. Today, he welcome the Arab League's support and its readiness to join peacekeeping efforts, but pointed out: 'For that to work, there has to be a peace to keep.' Asma Assad, 36, (pictured) grew up in Acton, West London where she was known as 'Emma'. She . is the daughter of consultant cardiologist Fawaz Akhras and retired . diplomat Sahar Otri, both Sunni Muslims, who moved from Syria to London . in the Fifties so that her father, who is now based at the Cromwell . Hospital and in Harley Street, could get the best possible education and . medical training. Asma, . who holds dual citizenship, British and Syrian, was educated at a . Church of England school in Ealing before attending a private girls’ day . school - Queen’s College, Harley Street. From . Queen’s, where she achieved four A-levels, Asma went to King’s College . London to read Computer Science and take a diploma in French Literature. She graduated with a First and, after six months of travelling, joined Deutsche Bank as an analyst in hedge-fund management. She . then moved to the investment bank JP Morgan and worked in Paris and New . York, as well as London. On family holidays back in Syria, she met . Bashar. Then he, too, . came to London to study ophthalmology, though he had to leave early to . return to Syria after his elder brother Basil, who had been the heir, . died in a car crash. Asma . started seeing him in secret, resigning from JP Morgan just a month . before the wedding without being able to explain the real reason. With . her father, she has set up several London-based charities such as the . Syria Heritage. Vogue . has described her as ‘the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies’ and has topped French Elle’s ‘most stylish woman in politics’ list. In Damascus, Bashar and Asma now live in a flat with plate-glass windows and their three boys go to a Montessori school. Asma . speaks four languages and her connections with France have led her to . persuade the Louvre to help her open Syrian cultural attractions. Mrs Clinton has also said Syrians in the military who still support President Bashar Assad should turn against him. Speaking at a news conference in Morocco yesterday she added: 'The longer you support the regime's campaign of violence against your brothers and sisters, the more it will stain your honour. 'If you refuse, however, to prop up the regime or take part in attacks on your fellow citizens, your countrymen and women will hail you as heroes.' The statement came as 45 . Syrian civilians and soldiers were killed yesterday in fighting over Syria's . future that coincided with the vote on a new constitution that could keep . President Bashar Assad in power until 2028. The Syrian Observatory for Human . Rights said a military bombardment of opposition districts in Homs, now . in its fourth week, had killed nine civilians, while rebel fighters had . killed four soldiers in clashes in the city. The British-based Observatory said . eight civilians and 10 members of the security forces were killed in . violence elsewhere in Syria, the scene of what has become an . increasingly militarised revolt against four decades of Assad family . rule. So far around 7,500 have died in her husband’s brutal crackdown. Waleed Fares, an activist in the . Khalidiyah district of Homs, said: 'What should we be voting for, . whether to die by bombardment or by bullets? 'This is the only choice we have. 'We have been trapped in our houses for 23 days. 'We cannot go out, except into some alleys. 'Markets, schools and government . buildings are closed, and there is very little movement on the streets . because of snipers.' Mr Fares also said the battered district of Babo Amro has had no food or water for three days. 'Homs in general has no electricity for 18 hours a day,' he added. With most foreign reporters barred from Syria or heavily restricted, witness reports are hard to verify. The outside world has been powerless . to restrain Assad's drive to crush the 11-month-old revolt, which has . the potential to slide into a sectarian conflict between Syria's Sunni . Muslim majority and the president's minority Alawite sect. Unwilling to intervene militarily and . unable to get the U.N. Security Council to act following Russian and . Chinese opposition, Western powers have imposed their own sanctions on . Syria and backed an Arab League call for Assad to step down. Time for action: Syrian President Bashar Assad has promised to push for a multi-party parliamentary election within three months . German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the referendum was 'nothing but a farce.' 'Sham votes cannot contribute to a . solution of the crisis. Assad needs to put an end to the violence and . clear the way for a political transition,' he said in a . statement. In Hama, another city with a bloody . record of resistance to Baathist rule, one activist said nobody was . taking part in the referendum. 'We will not vote on a constitution drafted by our killer,' he said by satellite telephone, asking not to be named. This is Syria's third referendum . since Assad inherited power from his late father. The first installed . him as president in 2000 with an official 97.29 per cent 'Yes' vote. The second renewed his term seven years later with 97.62 per cent in favour. | Asma Assad makes rare appearance during referendum .
Government held vote on constitutional reforms yesterday .
William Hague calls for stronger sanctions against Syria . |
30,449 | 568eb8b8063f275ece189f465c95d2187ce4d03a | A group of divers has had a thrilling encounter with a gigantic Mola mola fish in the crystal blue waters off the coast of Malta. With the appearance of an underwater blimp, the fascinating Mola mola, also known as an ocean sunfish, dwarfs the humans as they swim around it and capture the moment on video. Diver Erik van der Goot, who posted the close-up footage on YouTube, said the ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’ occurred near Wied il-Mielah off the island of Gozo. Here's looking at you: The divers encountered the Mola mola fish off the island of Gozo in Malta . Like a floating blob: Mola mola are docile creatures that have been known to weigh as much as 5,000 pounds . Erik said the group bumped into the bizarre-looking fish at a depth of around 15 metres and had a difficult time keeping up with it. The underwater video shows just how massive and unusual the creature is, as it resembles a floating blob while cutting through the Mediterranean Sea. Mola mola are docile creatures that have been known to weigh as much as 5,000 pounds, and they are unable to fully close their mouths. Found in temperate and tropical waters, they are the heaviest of all the bony fish and have been measured at 14ft in height and 10ft in length. Rare encounter: The underwater video shows just how massive and unusual the creature is . Mola mola are the heaviest of all the bony fish and have been measured at 14ft in height and 10ft in length . The group bumped into the fish at a depth of around 15 metres and had a difficult time keeping up with it . | Divers bumped into the fish near Wied il-Mielah off the island of Gozo .
Underwater video shows just how massive and bizarre the creature is .
They are docile creatures that can weigh as much as 5,000 pounds . |
111,202 | 1b63c8b13a18e5bb4bb51c58b8133d59677dd94e | Burnley's strikers were going through a training drill in the sunshine at Gawthorpe on Thursday, swerving between metal dummies and hitting the back of the net from inside the penalty box with impressive regularity. Doing it for real this season has proved rather more difficult for the Barclays Premier League’s relegation favourites. They have now failed to score for 616 minutes. If Sean Dyche’s team draw another blank at Leicester City on Saturday, they will break two club records: their longest goal drought in all competitions of 651 minutes, and the longest in the league which stands at 596. Scott Arfield scores a stunner against Chelsea in Premier League opener . In their first game of the season in August, Burnley stunned title favourites Chelsea by taking the lead with a wonderful strike from Scott Arfield. Few were surprised that they failed to hold on to the lead that night, but not many expected the Clarets to draw a blank in their next five league games against Swansea, Manchester United, Crystal Palace (where Arfield had a late penalty saved), Sunderland and West Brom, not to mention a Capital One Cup tie at home to Sheffield Wednesday. The reality of life at this level has bitten hard. Injuries to Sam Vokes and Danny Ings, last season’s 47-goal strike partnership, have been a significant factor. Dyche compared that to Liverpool losing Luis Suarez to Barcelona and Daniel Sturridge to injury. But while Brendan Rodgers was given the £75million Liverpool banked from Suarez’s sale to strengthen his squad, Dyche spent just £1.5m on Lukas Jutkiewicz from Middlesbrough and another £600,000 on Bolton’s Marvin Sordell. Neither has scored yet. Burnley have not had another goal to celebrate since Arfield's strike . Lukas Jutkiewicz has failed to find net since joining from Middlesbrough . ‘Look at Liverpool with Suarez and Sturridge,’ said Dyche. ‘They’ve obviously found it tough to lose those players. We had Vokes and Ings who were flying last season. ‘But the challenge is for the next people to come in and deliver performances. ‘Brendan’s team will come good, no doubt, but they’ve spent £100m. We aren’t that type of club. We know the challenge and it’s going to be tough. ‘People were asking last week if we were too defensive. Fact: we’re three points behind Everton who bought a £28m striker (Romelu Lukaku). We haven’t been able to do that. It’s working with what we’ve got and making the best of it. ‘It’s a massive learning curve getting used to this level. It’s not just the attacking in the Premier League, the defending goes up as well. We’ve had goalkeepers who have pulled off very high-quality saves, which is another change from the Championship and the divisions below.’ Sam Vokes (centre) and Danny Ings scored 47 goals between them last season . Sean Dyche compares being without Vokes and Ings to Liverpool losing Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge . Dyche remains positive and demands the same attitude from his players. But how does he keep their spirits up when the ball just won’t go in? ‘You look to reinforce their belief systems,’ he added. ‘They’re only human. Not everyone is super- confident and some players sit on that knife-edge. ‘We reinforce the positive side of the game and the simplicity of it. Of course you hope for a goal because sometimes it alters mindsets and re-ignites confidence in people. ‘You’re waiting for the individuals to catch fire within that system and score. There are goals in people, it’s just delivering it. I believe in the players we have at the club, otherwise I wouldn’t have them here. ‘We haven’t gone obsessively into attacking but we’ve obviously tried to tweak things. We have to turn the screw and make sure those chances become goals. Can we make different types of chances than your stereotypical ones like a cross and a header? What kind of crosses, what kind of finishes, what kind of movement in the box? ‘We’re getting into the right area but the hardest thing for coaches and managers to provide is that final touch into the net.’ | Burnley's only goal this season came in the opening Premier League game against Chelsea .
The Clarets have since failed to score in in five Premier League games and a Capital One Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday .
If Sean Dyche’s team draw another blank at Leicester City on Saturday, they will break two club records . |
253,820 | d4873a80c9326314ed4e8180ca40591b7e29d3db | The Bangladesh Supreme Court has sentenced a prominent leader of the country's largest Islamist party to death for "crimes against humanity," the official Bangladeshi news agency BSS reported Tuesday. The ruling in the case of Abdul Quader Mollah, who was the assistant secretary general for the now-banned Jamaat-e-Islami party, set off rioting in the streets and prompted the party to announce a two-day general strike across the country beginning Wednesday. "The appeal filed by the state has been allowed, while the appeal filed on behalf of Abdul Quader Mollah has been rejected," Chief Justice Md. Mozzammel Hossain, who led a five-member Appellate Division bench of the Supreme Court, announced Tuesday. In February, Mollah was sentenced to life in prison by a tribunal that convicted him of war crimes. iReport: American says he would die for justice in Bangladesh . The panel was set up by the government to bring to justice some of those accused of atrocities during Bangladesh's 1971 war for independence. Its decision not to sentence Mollah to death set off huge protests earlier this year in Dhaka, the capital. The demonstrations prompted parliament to change the law to allow the government to appeal rulings by the tribunal, which is what happened in Mollah's case. The prosecutor said the latest court ruling left no room for further review, but defense attorney Abdur Razzak, who is also a Jamaat leader, said he would seek an appeal. Law minister Shafique Ahmed said only clemency from the president could spare Mollah. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told journalists that the death sentence against Mollah was for his role in the brutal killings of a man, his pregnant wife and 2-year-old son in 1971. Following the tougher sentence against him issued Tuesday by the top court, Jamaat supporters took to the streets, spurring unrest that left at least 10 people injured, CNN affiliate Boishakhi TV reported. The station aired footage of cars on fire, including a police van in the seaside city of Chittagong. Read more: Bangladesh high court declares rules against Islamic party . Jamaat, a major ally of the main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is a constant thorn in the side of the ruling Awami League. The high court declared Jaamat's registration illegal last month, preventing it from taking part in the country's upcoming general election. The party has appealed the ruling. Monday, Bangladesh's cabinet approved an amendment to an elections bill that bars anyone convicted of war crimes from participating in national elections. Jaamat enjoys considerable support, particularly in rural areas. And periodically, it mobilizes its adherents in large-scale demonstrations in Dhaka to show its strength. But it has faced pressure from the Awami League and progressive groups that point to Jammat's role during Bangladesh's struggle for independence from Pakistan. Between one million and 3 million people were killed in the nine-month war. The International Crimes Tribunal, the court set up by the government in 2010, has convicted several other top Jamaat leaders of crimes against humanity. Jamaat acknowledges that it opposed Bangladesh's struggle for independence, but it has decried what it calls a smear campaign. It has also questioned why the Awami League is only now pressing forward on war crimes trials when it didn't do so while in power during the 1970s and 1990s. | Jaamat-e-Islami calls for two-day general strike .
The Supreme Court imposes the death penalty for Abdul Quader Mollah after an appeal .
The decision sets off rioting; footage shows cars burning in the streets .
Mollah had previously been sentenced to life in prison . |
194,522 | 87cecf4cb83d63153a5f19d21400d09cd948d4ae | Solicitor-general Robert Buckand is claimed to have been a member of the Invicta Film Partnership No 25 for nearly a decade . A Tory MP has denied attempting to avoid tax after being named as an investor in a film partnership scheme under investigation by the tax man. Solicitor-general Robert Buckand is claimed to have been a member of the Invicta Film Partnership No 25 for nearly a decade. The scheme is thought to be under investigation by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) into whether it is a legitimate business or whether it was primarily set up as a way for investors to avoid paying tax. It follows a court ruling against two other film partnership schemes in 2011 that found they were primarily used for tax avoidance. Mr Buckland’s involvement in the scheme is potentially hugely embarrassing for David Cameron who has pledged to tackle tax avoidance. The revelation comes just days after Mr Cameron faced questions in the Commons about Smythson, the upmarket leather goods firm employing his wife, being based in a tax haven. Mr Buckland insisted that the companies he invested in were beyond reproach. In a statement, the Conservative MP for South Swindon, said: ‘I have not attempted to avoid tax, and my investments are a matter of public record. ‘Before making them I asked an independent, accredited financial adviser to look into the companies, who found them to be completely beyond reproach. ‘HMRC look into many different types of investments, but I have been assured that there is no active investigation into my tax affairs. ‘I pay my taxes as required each year, and I have been fully open with government officials and declared my interests in line with usual reporting processes.’ The office of the Attorney General would not comment on whether Mr Buckland had provided legal advice on tax avoidance issues. The Sunday Times reported Mr Buckland had joined the Invicta Film Partnership No 25 scheme in 2005, but a memo sent to members last year showed it was now ‘the subject of an open HMRC inquiry’. HMRC has declined to comment on the case. The partnership is a sale and leaseback scheme where the rights to a film are bought and then leased back to its producers. Film partnership schemes were intended to boost the UK film industry by offering tax breaks for investors of low budget films. But tax tribunal ruled in 2011 that investors in two film partnership schemes were not entitled to claim the tax relief as they were primarily being used for tax avoidance rather than for business purposes. Most tax inquiries involving such schemes are currently at a standstill as the ruling is subject to appeal. Chancellor George Osborne has branded ‘aggressive tax avoidance’ as 'morally repugnant’ Following a number of high-profile cases involving celebrities, the Coalition government pledged to crack down on tax avoidance – which is legal. Chancellor George Osborne deemed ‘aggressive tax avoidance’ to be ‘morally repugnant’. On Saturday, Labour leader Ed Miliband said: ‘There is nothing pro-business about defending tax avoidance.’ He added: ‘I am not going to back down. The time has finally come to put an end to a society in which one group of people can play by different rules to the rest.’ Last year after Mr Buckland, a barrister, was appointed solicitor-general, it emerged that he had been found to have breached the legal profession's code of conduct in 2011. A spokesman for the Attorney General's office said at the time: ‘It is a matter of public record that in May 2011, Robert Buckland was found to have committed a minor breach of the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales. ‘He was not suspended or fined and continued to practice and sit as a recorder. ‘This finding was removed from the Bar records after two years and therefore Mr Buckland was not required to declare it upon appointment as solicitor general.’ Last week it emerged that Samantha Cameron’s employer Smythson is owned through a holding company in Luxembourg and linked to a secretive trust in the Channel Island of Guernsey, another well-known tax haven. The leather goods and luxury stationery firm, which has a store on New Bond Street that sells £2,000 python skin handbags, has employed Mrs Cameron as a creative consultant since 2010 on a salary thought to be up to £100,000 a year. | Robert Buckland QC insists his investments are beyond reproach .
Reported to have been a member of the Invicta Film Partnership No 25 .
Scheme is now thought to be under investigation by the taxman .
HMRC examining whether it is a legitimate business or whether it was primarily set up as a way for investors to avoid paying tax . |
89,514 | fe31d2de6dd5d202fc4c54ddf01bd11e4791e6c6 | London (CNN) -- A 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the weekend vandalism of a painting by famed artist Mark Rothko at a London museum, London's Metropolitan Police announced late Monday. The man was arrested in Worthing, on the southern coast of England, and will be brought to London on suspicion of criminal damage, a police statement said. The man was not named. The painting -- part of Rothko's Seagram mural series -- was hanging at London's Tate Modern museum when a man began tagging the canvas with black paint Sunday afternoon. Museum-goer Tim Wright, who witnessed the defacement and posted an image of it on Twitter, told CNN he noticed a man walk into the exhibit and thought nothing of it until he heard a "smashing sound." "It was very surreal. It wasn't something we expected to see. One minute he sat down, and the next minute he put his foot over the barrier," Wright said. He said he and his girlfriend saw the man as he finished up the tag and then made his getaway. They stayed at the exhibit while a group of nearby women went to find museum staff. An alarm soon went off, and the museum was evacuated. Wright said he and his girlfriend gave a description of the event to a museum employee. "It's just not the thing you expect to see in an art gallery," Wright said. "I've never seen anything like it. It's quite shocking, actually." Rothko, a Russian-American abstract expressionist, was commissioned to do a series of paintings for the Four Seasons restaurant of the Seagram building in New York in 1958. Though he started the series of murals, he famously reneged, deciding the swanky New York restaurant wasn't an appropriate home for his art. Rothko rejected the commission but completed paintings stemming from the project, many of which made their way into the halls of museums. The murals arrived in London as Rothko killed himself in 1970 and have been on display at many of the Tate's locations, as well as the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Rothko's children, Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko, said in a statement that they were thankful for the support of others after the incident. "The Rothko family is greatly troubled by yesterday's occurrence but has full confidence that the Tate Gallery will do all in its power to remedy the situation," the family said. "Our father donated his legendary Seagram paintings to the museum in 1969 sensing the commitment of the institution to his work and impressed by the warm embrace it had received from the British public. We are heartened to have felt that embrace again in the outpouring of distress and support that we and our father have received both directly and in public forums." CNN's Susannah Palk and Sari Zeidler contributed to this report. | British police make an arrest in Rothko defacement .
A man painted on of the famed artist's Seagram murals on Sunday .
The painting was hanging in London's Tate Modern museum, which was closed after the incident . |
3,963 | 0b6eca0eb025ce71c7ecaab87c2d0a01dfb05b1a | What do you do on long flights, watch a movie, read a book, or try to get some sleep? Paul Williams takes jaw-dropping images of the landscape unfurling below him. His impressive series of pictures capture a rare view of Australia only viewable from thousands of feet in the air. Some of the sights include a 'desert footprint' in the Western Australian wheatfields, a fried-egg shape between Broome and Perth and what looks like a human sperm - which Paul has entitled 'desert seed'. This image looks like a human sperm, and Paul has named it Desert Seed. The picture was taken somewhere between Broom and Perth . Red planet: Mr Williams captured this stunning image somewhere between Alice Springs and Perth . The Rotherham-born 34-year-old is a producer and director at the BBC Natural History Unit so is used to traversing the globe in search of impressive natural wonders. But his in-transit images, shot with a Canon EOS 7D, make for a remarkable gallery of an untamed continent. He explains: 'As a director for the BBC Natural History Unit, I spend a lot of time flying around the world, and it isn't long before I've exhausted all of the onboard movies. This stunning image of the Australian coastline was taken somewhere between Broome and Perth . Fields resemble crazy marble paving from the skies over Australia. Mr Williams took this picture somewhere between Alice Springs and Perth . Lava flow? Mountains resemble the debris from a volcano from the air. This photograph was shot somewhere between Broome and Perth . Paul Williams took the images to kill time while flying around the world for his BBC natural history job . 'To keep myself occupied I make sure that I always have my camera with me, and I think carefully before choosing my seat. 'I check out the path that the flight might take, consider which side will give me the best view, what time of day and where the sun will be, and most importantly make sure that I am as far away from the wing as possible - my favourite seat is a couple of rows from the back. 'My favourite continent to fly over is Australia. 'The sky is usually cloudless offering a clear view, it's often sunny and it's always spectacular. Purple haze: This impressive natural wonder was photographed somewhere between Broome and Perth . A naturally formed desert footprint in the Western Australian wheatfields . Mr Williams took this aerial image of downtown Perth and the Swan River while aboard a commercial flight . This mock lunar landscape was captured on camera somewhere between Broome and Perth . 'It's like flying over the surface of Mars and I find myself captivated by the vivid expressions of the underlying geology, . I find myself captivated by the vivid expressions of the underlying geology. The patterns of red and orange, dry lake beds and giant sand dunes.' He added: 'Australia is one of the oldest and most stable continental landmasses, the mountains have been worn down, much of the soil has been blow away, and with little vegetation able to survive in the arid red centre it reads like a living geological map. 'The folds and layers of the ancient sediments stretch out on one enormous flat canvas, dissected by ribbon-like rivers such as the Murchison, the countries second longest. You can fly for hours without seeing any sign of human life, but then slowly the landscape evolves. This image was taken somewhere between Alice Springs and Perth and provides a rare snapshot of Australia from above . Fields and farms captured from the air, somewhere between Broome and Perth . This image could be molten lava, or it could be the surface of a leaf. But it is actually the Australian landscape captured from the skies by photographer Paul Williams . Mr Williams has called this image Desert Paintpot. It shows quarries in western Australia's wheatbelt and was taken while the photographer was flying for his job with the BBC . 'I recently flew from Alice Springs to Perth and as the red desert waned, the vast angular blocks of the wheat belt came into view, like a yellow chequer board stretching to the horizon. 'It covers 155,000 square kilometres, larger than the whole of England and only where ancient lakes are found does the land remain untamed. Scattered across this patchwork of monoculture are thousands of abandoned old quarries, like paint pots, some blood red, others yolk yellow. 'As Perth drew closer the fields became smaller and houses started to appear, clustering closer and closer until I reached the modern world, the towering metropolis of downtown Perth on the banks of the Swan River." This could be a golden sculpture or parchment. But it is actually a farm near Perth photographed from the air . A fried egg shaped quarry captured from the skies between Broome and Perth by Rotherham-born Mr Williams . Since 2003, Paul has worked on a range of high profile TV series including, Life In Cold Blood, Life, and How Earth Made Us. He has filmed around the world, from remote arctic valleys and the craters of active volcanoes, to isolated pacific islands. He is currently filming across Asia and Australia for the upcoming BBC 2 series Lands of the Monsoon. Paul is passionate about conservation and works as a freelance photographer and writer helping to raise awareness of the issues that he encounters during his travels. | Natural landscapes in the shape of a fried egg, a foot and a human sperm spotted in Australian wilderness .
BBC producer Paul Williams took the photographs while traveling to work on Natural History programmes .
He says that he prefers taking the pictures to the in-flight movies on his travels and chooses his seat carefully . |
211,298 | 9d9facc09b377213bc4f2741d37157077e50e69c | By . Peter Campbell . Under pressure: Christopher Bailey with model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley . Burberry shareholders have voted against an ‘obscene’ £28million pay package received by the new boss of the fashion house. Chief executive Christopher Bailey was handed 1.35million shares in the business prior to taking the top job earlier this year. But in a humiliating blow for the company, 53 per cent of investors voted against the controversial measure – one of the biggest revolts in British boardroom history. It is only the sixth time that a major UK firm has seen its pay arrangements defeated in a ballot. However, it is likely Mr Bailey will get to keep the awards because the vote is not binding. The Burberry boss, who had been creative director at the design label, was appointed to the top job earlier this year, replacing Angela Ahrendts who left to join technology giant Apple. From the outset Mr Bailey’s pay and perks have raised eyebrows. As well as a base salary of £1.1million and pension contributions of £330,000, he was entitled to receive up to £6.6million from two annual incentive schemes. He was handed free shares worth £1.8million when he took the post and an executive discount of 80 per cent. Mr Bailey also receives an unexplained ‘cash allowance’ of £440,000, which is paid in monthly instalments. The company refused to say what this was for. But the measure that galled shareholders was free shares worth £20million, handed to him before he took the job and only disclosed once he became chief executive – a post that requires the firm to reveal his rewards. Unlike most schemes used by other companies, Mr Bailey is due to receive a payout from these shares irrespective of Burberry’s performance, providing he stays with the firm for five years. The Investment Management Association, which advises pension funds on how to vote, gave the company an ‘amber’ warning over the scale of its pay deals, and corporate governance group Pirc labelled the payouts ‘excessive’. Burberry chairman Sir John Peace, who is now facing calls to resign, told shareholders at the London meeting that it was ‘essential that we retain Christopher in the business’. He warned . that a rival firm had tried to poach the executive, who will also keep . his position as creative director, and that Burberry had to open its . cheque book to keep him. Christopher Bailey with model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and actress Kate Bosworth at the Burberry Body Event in 2011. The pay package included a base salary of £1.1million and pension contributions of £330,000 . Warning shot: Experts say that investors, 53 per cent of whom voted against the group's pay arrangements for Mr Bailey, were sending a message to the company - one of its stores, pictured . SALARY: £1.1million(Base figure given annually)CASH ALLOWANCE: £440,000(Paid in monthly installments. The company refused to say what this was for.)PENSION: About £330,000(CEO is entitled to pension contributions equivalent to 30 per cent of his salary)PERFORMANCE-BASED GRANT: Up to £7million(Based on 500,000 shared in the company)OTHER SHARE OPTIONS: Up to £20million(Said to be the initiative that really galled investors. Was handed to him before he took the job and only disclosed once he became chief executive)POTENTIAL TOTAL: £28million . But . the argument did not wash with shareholders and 53 per cent of them . voted against the group’s pay arrangements of the past year. Speaking . after the meeting, Sir John said it was ‘disappointing’ that . shareholders did not back the awards – but pointed out there was nothing . they could do to stop them.’ He added: ‘What we have to do is reflect . on that and talk to shareholders.’ Shareholders . vote twice on pay – once on the directors’ rewards from the past year . and once on the company’s pay policies going forward. The . vote on pay from the past year is only symbolic, because the directors . have already received the money and it would be impractical to claw it . back. But the ballot on future pay arrangements is binding. Yesterday only 16 per cent of shareholders voted against Burberry’s forthcoming pay policies. Deborah . Hargreaves, director of the High Pay Centre, said: ‘The message to . Burberry is loud and clear – multimillion-pound pay packages are . obscene, unnecessary and will damage the economy in the long-term. ‘If . those at the top are seen to grab such vast rewards while wages . stagnate for everybody else, it completely undermines public faith in . business.’ Chief executive: Christopher Bailey, who was appointed to the job earlier this year . When he took the job as boss of Burberry, Christopher Bailey knew he had one man to thank more than any other. The fashion veteran’s interest in design and technology was sparked by his electrician grandfather, who bought him the latest gadgets as he was growing up – as well as his first Burberry trench coat. The son of a carpenter, Mr Bailey studied at the Royal College of Art before being headhunted by Donna Karan for the post of creative director of women’s collections. The American fashion designer was so taken with the young graduate’s work that she is said to have stripped in front of him just three minutes into their meeting in order to try on his collection. Mr Bailey rose to senior designer at Gucci before being poached by Burberry in 2001, when he became part of a team that increased the value of the business from £1.1billion to £6.5billion. Now 43 and in a civil partnership with actor Simon Woods, he has taken one of the most prestigious jobs in the fashion world by becoming chief executive. But he will also keep his position as creative chief. Part of his success in the role was linking the firm to its British heritage while modernising the brand. He has said he will donate 10 per cent of his salary after tax to the Burberry Foundation which supports disadvantaged children. | Christopher Bailey took role as CEO of British fashion house earlier this year .
Was offered £28million pay package - including base salary of £1.1million .
Also included cash allowance of £440,000 and free shares worth £1.8million .
But over half of investors voted against controversial pay package .
Is the sixth time large UK firm has seen pay package defeated in ballot . |
57,933 | a425da4181373f7add45705f739b236f846ea7a3 | Newark Mayor Cory Booker on Saturday formally announced he's in the race to finish the U.S. Senate term of the late Frank Lautenberg. The 44-year-old Democrat made his candidacy official at a news conference Saturday in Newark, New Jersey's largest city. He was joined by former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, a former pro basketball player who for 18 years held the seat Booker is seeking. Bradley, who endorsed Booker, called him 'the right person for the right office at the right time.' Running: Newark Mayor Cory Booker announces his plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat that opened with the death of Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) during a news conference in Newark, N.J. on Saturday . Booker began raising money for a Senate run even before Lautenberg, who died Monday, announced retirement plans in February. He had raised $1.9 million by the end of the last reporting period in March. Reps. Frank Pallone and Rush Holt are also planning to enter the Democratic primary. Booker is considered the early front-runner. Pallone, 61, had $3.7 million in his campaign coffers at the end of March and has deep union support. Holt, 64, a former research physicist, had $800,000 on hand. Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, announced this week that there would be party primaries Aug. 13 and a special general election Oct. 16th. Moving on up: Booker, 44, is currently serving in his second term as mayor. At right is former Sen. Bill Bradley . The only Republican running so far is Steve Lonegan, a former Bogota mayor who runs the New Jersey office of Americans for Prosperity. Booker, 44, has 1.4 million followers on Twitter - or five for every resident of the city where he's the mayor. He tweets frequently, answering questions about city services, posting about his workouts and, perhaps most often, trying to provide inspiration. Networker: Booker's critics in Newark see him as an ambitious interloper who spends too much of his time outside the city . He's frequently gotten public attention, from staging a hunger strike to protest drug-dealing to rescuing a woman from a burning home last year. His life story is also captivating. He grew up in Harrington Park as the son of civil rights activists who were among the first black executives at IBM, went to Stanford, was a Rhodes Scholar, earned a law degree from Yale and took a job with the Urban Justice Center, which provides legal and other services to the vulnerable. He also moved to a public housing complex in Newark. Booker started fundraising for a 2014 . Senate campaign after announcing he would not run against Christie for . governor, citing his desire to finish his term in Newark. The term . expires in June 2014, meaning if he wins the Senate election he'll go . back on his word. Booker's critics in Newark see him as an ambitious interloper who spends too much of his time outside the city. According . to a Senate campaign filing made in May, Booker has brought in $1.3 . million for 90 speeches he has given around the country since 2008. His . campaign says he has donated the majority of that money to charities . that serve Newark. Booker's campaign has said that the networking he does ultimately helps the city. In . 2010, he was seated next to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at a . dinner during a conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. Two months later, . Zuckerberg announced a $100 million donation to improve education in . Newark. | 44-year-old Democrat made his candidacy official in Newark, New Jersey's largest city .
Booker, 44, has 1.4 million followers on Twitter .
The Mayor started fundraising for a 2014 Senate campaign after announcing he would not run against Christie for governor . |
205,435 | 95f34e853fd97efd3d0a2b94e9bc3f7ec2c4f885 | A woman stripped of her Miss Delaware title last month for being too old is suing state pageant officials and the Miss America organization. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Amanda Longacre is seeking to be reinstated as Miss Delaware and to be allowed to compete in the Miss America pageant. She also is seeking $500,000 in damages for herself and $2.5 million for other contestants who she claims were recruited to compete in pageants before being told they were too old. Scroll down for videos . Lawsuit: Amanda Longacre is seeking to be reinstated as Miss Delaware and to be allowed to compete in the Miss America pageant . Longacre is also seeking $500,000 in damages for herself and $2.5million for other contestants who she claims were recruited to compete in pageants before being told they were too old . Officials say Miss America pageant rules require contestants to be between 17 and 24. Longacre turns 25 on October 22, after this year's national pageant. The lawsuit alleges that one or more other contestants in the 2014 Miss Delaware pageant also were too old to compete under those rules. 'It is a lawsuit without merit and we will defend it vigorously,' said Sharon Pearce, president of the Miss America organization. State pageant representatives did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday. The Miss Delaware crown was given to runner-up Brittany Lewis. In June, Ms Longacre told Today: 'I won the title of Miss Delaware, I am Miss Delaware. I have been nothing but honest from the beginning. I did not know that rule. I asked from the beginning if I was eligible and they said yes, they signed off on my contract, they had my birth certificate, I gave them everything.' Miss Longacre sobbed on camera saying she was devastated at losing the chance to represent the people of Delaware . The 24-year-old wept on camera last week as she described the heartache of losing her coveted title. However she is allowed to keep a $9,000 scholarship award which was part of her winnings. The Penn State graduate said on Monday: 'I've gotten a lot of support and I'm so appreciative of it. I feel so much love from my state, and even from outside of my state people have been supporting me. 'I've been nothing but honest since the beginning and they don't think it's right either.' She added: 'This is about the title of Miss Delaware that I rightfully won. I want to represent the people of Delaware. I want to be a social worker. This was a great start to a fabulous career for me and it's still going to be a fabulous career for me.' She said that although the age rule is in her contract, she assumed she was eligible because the Miss Delaware organization signed off. 'I didn't know the rule, I also competed at the local level and it's been several months. You put your trust in an organization to know their own rules. So when you come forward and you're honest and you put the time and money in, this is not fair.' In a statement to MailOnline, the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization said: 'Following the Miss Delaware Pageant, it was determined that Amanda Longacre exceeded the age requirement in order to be eligible to compete therefore, the Miss Delaware 2014 title is awarded to Brittany Lewis. 'The Miss Delaware Pageant is proud to congratulate Brittany and wishes Amanda the very best on her future endeavors.' | Amanda Longacre was stripped of her Miss Delaware title last month .
Officials claims that she was too old and gave the prize to the runner-up .
In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Longacre is seeking to have her crown back .
She is claiming $500k damages - but Miss America has denied wrong-doing . |
222,375 | abda299ec5182569db3bb2908f2ab6529b07019f | By . Hayley Coyle and Lucy Buckland . PUBLISHED: . 18:59 EST, 2 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:38 EST, 3 December 2012 . Comments (127) Share . DM.has('shareLink', 'shareLinks', { . 'id': '2242031', . 'title': '\'Two litres of vodka a day drinker\' Lindsay Lohan insists she DOESN\'T need rehab ', . 'url': 'http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2242031/Lindsay-Lohan-insists-I-dont-need-to-rehab.html', . 'eTwitterStatus': 'Lindsay%20Lohan%20insists%20\'I%20don\'t%20need%20to%20go%20to%20rehab\'%20http:\/\/bit.ly\/11CW87Y%20via%20@MailOnline' }); . First her dad urged the troubled star to seek help after it emerged she is allegedly sinking two bottles of vodka a day, now her friends are said to have intervened too. After the nasty bar brawl allegedly Lindsay got into last week in New York she is reportedly hitting the alcohol hard. It means she has violated her probation again - meaning jail is likely, a possibility that has 'freaked out' the actress, especially if it means Christmas behind bars,. To add insult to injury Lindsay's bank accounts have been frozen by the IRS after failing to pay tax from 2009- 2011, TMZ claims. Begging: Lindsay Lohan's friends are desperate for the troubled star to check into rehab ahead of appearing in court for violating her probation . The Liz & Dick star is . apparently refusing to go to rehab...even though she has been charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly hitting a woman in a Manhattan night club. According to TMZ, close friends of Lohan's are urging her to check into a treatment facility before she has appear in court as it could curry favour with the judge. However, Lohan has emphatically told them she does not have an alcohol problem and has used the fact she has recently completed three movies as proof, the website also reports. But on Monday it emerged Lohan, 26, is 'freaked out' about the possibility of spending Christmas behind bars. Boozing hard: The 25-year-old is said to be downing up to two bottles of vodka a day because of the stress of both her summer car crash and a recent bar brawl in NY where she was charged with misdemeanor assault . 'Lindsay knows it's almost a foregone . conclusion that even if she admits to the probation violation without . having a formal hearing, and throws herself at the mercy of the judge, . she would be sentenced to significant jail time,' a source told RadarOnline. Lindsay previously served 13 days in . jail in 2010, she said it was the darkest time of her life, her . arraignment is December 15, and although she wasn't summoned to appear . the judge may now choose to make her as of her lengthy criminal history. This news comes just a few days after her father Michael apparently implored her to check into the Betty Ford clinic. 'I just want her to go into rehab. I love her and I just want her to get the help she needs,' he told told HollyScoop.com. However his pleas have fallen on deaf ears as Lohan refuses to speak to him after he leaked a private phone conversation between them to the press, apparently saying he is 'dead to her'. Michael added: 'I have called, but of course she has not picked up.' He said in another report: 'Do I believe Lindsay the new reports that Lindsay is drinking two litres of vodka a day? 'I believe she's drinking to drown her sorrows. When I was at the Chateau Marmont I saw bottles. People tell me what she's doing.' Stubborn: Despite the fact she faces jail time and rehab may help her case Lohan is said to be point blank refusing to go. Pictured out in NY in November . TMZ also report that Lohan is actually drinking all day at the moment and the night of the alleged attack she was 'hammered'. They also claim that sources have said the Mean Girls actress gets 'violent' when she's drunk. According to reports, Lohan allegedly punched a woman called Tiffany Ava Mitchell in the face at Avenue club after the Justin Bieber concert because they were fighting over Max George from boy band The Wanted. Lindsay's financial woes are also taking their toll on the actress. According to TMZ Lindsay owes $233,904 in unpaid federal taxes and the IRS have seized her bank accounts. Although Charlie Sheen generously paid Lindsay $100,000 to help with her tax problem it has now emerged that she owes money for 2011 too. Strained relationships: Lohan's father Michael is also said to be begging his daughter to enter rehab but she has refused to speak to him after he leaked a private phone call to the press. Pictured a Liz & Dick screening . | IRS has seized her bank accounts over tax owed dating back to 2009, according to reports .
Lohan, 26, is 'freaked out' after being told she could face Christmas behind bars for probation violation .
Actress could face up to 63 days behind bars if found guilty .
'If Lindsay could sell a body part to keep her out of jail, she would' |
276,065 | f1af56b176ee660d7ee716a6900360bd14ac73f2 | (CNN) -- In the end, Del Harvey says the decision to help users report threats of rape and other violence on Twitter was simple. "It comes down to this," wrote Harvey, senior director of Twitter's Trust and Safety division, "people deserve to feel safe on Twitter." The site announced a list of changes this weekend in response to complaints that it wasn't doing enough to combat hate speech, particularly against women. The site is adding staff to handle abuse reports, partnering with an organization that focuses on the safe use of technology by children and updating its rules to clarify that abusive behavior is not allowed. "We want people to feel safe on Twitter, and we want the Twitter Rules to send a clear message to anyone who thought that such (behavior) was, or could ever be, acceptable," wrote Harvey and Twitter UK general manager Tony Chang in a blog post. The post also reiterated that a "report abuse" button on individual tweets was added recently on some mobile versions of Twitter and said it will be available on the others, as well as the Web, in the coming month. Currently, users who want to flag threatening messages on Twitter must visit the service's online help center, which requires several extra steps. The announcement came after a week during which gender politics in England spilled over onto Twitter. The Bank of England announced that "Pride and Prejudice" author Jane Austen will be featured on 10-pound notes. The move came after a campaign by activist Caroline Criado-Perez and others. On Twitter, Criado-Perez wrote that the response got ugly fast: "I actually can't keep up with the screen-capping & reporting -- rape threats thick and fast now," she wrote now. "If anyone wants to report the tweets to Twitter." Some of the accounts she cited have since been suspended. Eventually, one man was arrested in Manchester, England. British police also are investigating a threat of rape and murder made to Stella Creasy, a Labour Party member of Parliament, after she tweeted her support of Criado-Perez. But activists complained that Twitter didn't act quickly enough. A Change.org petition, calling on Twitter to add a prominent "report abuse" button, had gotten more than 128,000 signatures as of Monday. Twitter had posted last week it was working to address the concerns. In this weekend's post, it said it will continue. "We are committed to making Twitter a safe place for our users," the post read. "We are adding additional staff to the teams that handle abuse reports and are exploring new ways of using technology to improve everyone's experience on Twitter. We're here, and we're listening to you." | "People deserve to feel safe on Twitter," official says .
Site is adding staff to handle complaints of abuse .
A "report abuse" button also is being rolled out .
Moves come after threats of rape, other violence in the UK . |
121,041 | 2871225192661075c2b8bc45b91254fb3276dc80 | (CNN) -- Monday is tax day, and in case you're wondering where your money went last year, President Barack Obama is eager to let you know. He's giving you a detailed receipt. For the third year, taxpayers can visit the White House website for the nitty-gritty on how the government spends tax dollars from American households. To see your 2012 contributions to the nation's military, Social Security, health care, community development, agriculture and NASA, among others, visit the site for the year's "taxpayer receipt." "You deserve to know how your tax dollars are being spent," White House spokeswoman Colleen Curtis said in a statement. Any politics involved? The annual public disclosure comes amid a tussle among the president, Democratic legislators and their Republican counterparts over 2014 budget proposals. Legislators from both parties have slammed each other's proposals, as well as that of the president. In his budget, Obama has taken the red pen to social spending items dear to liberal Democrats in his own base and handed bigger tax invoices to the wealthy and corporations, something Republicans have resisted. His proposed reductions on Social Security and Medicare spending have caused consternation among some of Obama's supporters, who argue it will leave vulnerable Americans without enough support. Meanwhile, Republicans have also protested the proposed revenue increases and the fact the budget doesn't balance. The $3.8 trillion proposal aims to cut deficits by $1.8 trillion over the next decade. What do we pay the most for? Spending on the military and health care programs take up the bulk of federal income tax revenues, according to the White House. A married couple with one child making $50,000 a year -- roughly the median household income in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau -- paid an average of $995 in federal income taxes in 2012, just 1.99%. This does not include Social Security and Medicare taxes. Nearly a quarter of income taxes, $245.17, went to a category labeled "National Defense." A slightly smaller sum, $223.38, or 22.45%, was spent on "health care." Ongoing military operations, such as the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, swallow the largest sum of defense spending, laying claim to more than 10% of taxpayer dollars, the White House said. Medicare and Medicaid, programs for the country's seniors and poor respectively, take up nearly all of the "heath care" spending category in the income tax breakdown. This does not include the separate Medicare Tax of $725, or 1.45%, levied on the family used as an example. But there is other combined military and social spending included in other parts of taxpayer receipt, such as an entry for "Veterans Benefits" and a separate one for military retirement and disability. The federal government spends comparatively little on education and the promotion of science and technology. Together, they all receive less than 5% of expenditures. This includes NASA's budget. A major exception is the development and construction of weapons technology, which weighs in at 7.62% of total federal expenditures. The biggest tax by far is the workers' contributions to Social Security, which weigh in at $2,100 for a family of three earning a median income of $50,000 per year. That's 4.2% of the family's gross income and is more than its federal income and Medicare taxes taken together. How big are taxes and deficits? Over the past 40 years, the federal budget deficit has amounted to 3.1% of gross domestic product per year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That was well under the rate of inflation as measured by the labor department's consumer price index for half of those years. At 3.3%, deficits are predicted to be slightly higher over the next 10 years, as rising health care and retirement costs notch up federal spending, the budget office said. Budget deficits in the U.S. and much of the West surged with the onset of the world economic crisis in 2008, but began dropping in 2012, according to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. U.S. tax revenues -- including Social Security and Medicare -- have amounted to 18% of GDP over the past 40 years and are expected to rise slightly to 19% of annual GDP for the next 10 years, the budget office said. The rate of U.S. income taxes as a percentage of GDP is lower compared to most developed nations, according to the World Bank. | "You deserve to know how your tax dollars are being spent," White House says .
Military and health care spending take up the bulk of federal income tax revenues .
Military operations such as the U.S. presence in Afghanistan the largest sum of defense spending . |
157,114 | 57221bd0cdfcc617c913aedb7189304d53ed8790 | By . Lizzie Parry and Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 05:19 EST, 1 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:26 EST, 1 November 2013 . Swathes of the UK have been warned to expect flooding this weekend as mother nature unleashes a second barrage of stormy weather. The Met Office has issued a warning for southern England, alerting people to the risk of localised flooding today and on Sunday as heavy rain hits the coast. The areas caught in the eye of the powerful St Jude storm last Sunday and Monday are expected to once again bear the brunt of the bad weather - with close to one inch of rain predicted in the south east. The news comes as forecasters say that last month was one of the mildest Octobers on record and the seventh warmest in 100 years. Brewing: The iconic Brighton coastline including the West Pier, pictured, is battered by strong waves today . Braving the weather: Two people walk along Brighton's seafront and one struggles with her umbrella . Wet weekend: Heavy rain is expected in the south and eastern areas of the country, while 60mph winds are predicted in some areas of Wales . Many areas will see torrential downpours and high winds, which will continue tomorrow, with gusts of up to 60mph predicted in Wales. The stormy weather will strengthen on Sunday when the worst of the weather arrives and the risk of flooding will be at its highest following days of rain. There are fears the latest spell of disruptive weather will hamper recovery efforts following the impact of the worst storm in Britain for 26 years, which killed five people. Tim Fields of the Energy Networks Association said: 'A lot of the places that are still without power are quite remote, with small numbers of people where there are downed power lines. Predictions: The Met Office have warned of localised flooding today and on Sunday in southern England . Powerless: Monday's storm pulled down electricity lines, including the one pictured in Brentwood, Essex, leaving thousands of homes without power . 'All the network operators will be in close contact with the Met Office during the weekend and we hope to have everyone back on supply by the end of next week. 'Flooding does not normally present a huge threat to the energy infrastructure but extensive flooding would definitely pose a risk.' Billy Payne, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, said the latest spell of unwelcome weather will not be a repeat of last week’s powerful storm. 'It will not be welcomed but it is not expected to be anywhere near as bad as last week,' he said. Destruction: St Jude's storm, the worst to hit the UK in 26 years, pulled down this two-storey scaffolding in Leyton, east London, crushing cars and blocking 100m of road . 'It will still be windy but the main risk this weekend is of lots of heavy rain. 'On top of the rain we have already had it could lead to flash flooding, particularly on Sunday.' Gemma Plumb, also of the MeteoGroup, said November will bring 'drier and chillier weather as would be expected in November' while October was the mildest the UK has seen since 2006. The South West, south Wales and Midlands saw the highest above average temperatures, at 1.5C warmer than is usual for the month. But although it was milder than usual, it was also the least sunny October since 2005 and the wettest in England and Wales since 2000, Ms Plumb said. | Met Office issues warnings for London and southern and eastern counties .
Gusts of up to 60mph predicted in parts of Wales .
Areas battered by St Jude storm to bear the brunt for a second time . |
227,955 | b32b0026147c813b1f60d63e88e5ac437b265a8b | By . Joel Christie . A 14-year-old girl found murdered and dumped in a drainage ditch in Michigan last week sent a frantic text to her boyfriend around the same time she was killed saying: 'Omg. … I think I’m being kidnapped.' Murdered: April Millsap, 14, was found murdered in a drainage ditch in Armada, Michigan, on July 24 . Police do not know who whether the text was actually sent by the victim, April Millsap, whose body was found by joggers last Thursday off the popular Macomb Orchard Trail in Armada, some 35 miles northeast of Detroit. No arrests have been made, but a sketch of the male suspect has been released. Investigators say they are looking for a man in his 20s with medium-length curly hair. The man had been seen in the area where April was murdered, according to The New York Daily News. She was walking her dog, Penny, who was guarding her body and barked at the passers-by who inevitably found April. April generally walked her dog on the trail every night. Police have not released how April died, but have confirmed she was not shot or stabbed. Around 600 tips about the case have been reported. 'There's no such thing as a tip that's not worthwhile,' Armada police Chief Howard Smith said at a Sunday news conference. 'We're especially interested in any information from anyone who was on the trail between 6.20pm and 8.20 pm.' Wanted: This image provided by Michigan State Police shows a man wanted as a person of interest for questioning in the killing of April Millsap, 14, whose body was found July 24, 2014 on a trail in Armada . Loyal: April generally walked her dog Penny on the Macomb Orchard trail each night. The dog stayed by her side and alerted joggers to her body . Tragic: The small town of Armada has been overcome with sadness following the murder of April Millsap . 'Even the smallest bit of information could be helpful.' The terrifying text message is one of the biggest clues. 'We don’t know who sent it — if it was April, if it was the killer, or someone else,' Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw told the Free Press. Police also said they are looking for a grey van 'painter’s-type' box van with dents all over it that was spotted in the area. Two men were said to be inside it. The van, coupled with the text, gives the impression April was being followed. April's heartbroken mother, Jennifer Millsap, hopes the killer will be brought to justice. “I’m just existing. I’m just numb,” the girl’s mother, 43-year-old Jennifer Millsap, told the Detroit Free Press on Monday. Armada is a rural town with less than 2,000 residents. Scene: Armada police search the path on the Macomb Orchard Trail at the Omo Road crossing in Armada, Mich. Members of the Macomb county Sheriffs Department and Michigan State Police search a wooded area off of Omo Road, south of Armada Ridge Round in Armada, Michigan . Members of the Macomb county Sheriffs Department and Michigan State Police search a wooded area off of Omo Road, south of Armada Ridge Round in Armada, Michigan . April Millsap, 14, disappeared Thursday while walking her dog along the popular Macomb Orchard Trail in Armada. Her dog, Penny, led two joggers to the girl's body, left in a drainage ditch near the trail . The tight-knit community has been completely overcome with sadness following the murder. 'Yesterday it was disbelief,' Armada Schools superintendent Michael Musary told Click On Detroit. 'Today it's reality. Our hearts are broken.' April's school, Armada Middle School, opened early Saturday morning for grief counseling. The first people to arrive were April's boyfriend, Austin, and his parents. The people have been left questioning whether April knew her attacker. 'That's what we think,' said Dennis Levans, April's grandfather. 'This is what we think. It's almost like it had to be something like somebody knew them. 'We can't think of any other reason. We can't come up with any other logical reason.' There will be a prayer service at St. Mary in Armada at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday, click On Detroit reported. Investigation: Armada Police chief howard Smith conducts a news conference confirming the identity of the body found on the Macomb Orchard Trail Thursday as 14-year-old April Dawn Millsap . | The body of April Millsap, 14, was found in a drainage ditch off the Macomb Orchard Trail in Armada, Michigan, on July 24 .
Her dog was guarding her body and alerted joggers .
Police say she sent her boyfriend a frantic text around the time she was killed .
Sketch of a male suspect in his 20s has been released . |
268,087 | e731ce476b77b4fd6b34bea61708cb800ab28dcd | Tiger Woods suffered yet another setback in his long battle with injury as he was forced to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open in California on Thursday. Woods, who missed last year's Masters and the US Open after having surgery on a pinched nerve, managed only 11 holes in his first round at Torrey Pines before pulling out of the tournament. Tiger Woods leaves the course after withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open due to injury . Woods appeared to hurt his back after hitting his tee shot at the 12th on Thursday . The 14-time Major winner appeared to hurt his back after hitting his tee shot at the 12th - his third hole of the day - but carried on for eight more holes before calling it a day. Fog had led to a lengthy suspension of play before Woods teed off, and he said the disruption to his warm-up routine had caused the back problems to flare up. 'When we had that break I never loosened back up again and then when we went back out it got progressively tighter,' he said on Sky Sports 4. Woods speaks to reporters after withdrawing during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open . Woods loads his golf clubs into the back of his car after withdrawing from the tournament . Former world No 1 cut a frustrated figure after his latest comeback from injury was cut short . Woods has withdrawn from three of his last nine starts and missed the cut three times . 'It's frustrating that it started shutting down like that. I was ready to go. I had a good warm-up session and then we stood out here getting cold and everything deactivated again. I just can't stay activated. That's the way it is.' Woods said this was the first time he has experienced such a situation as he tries to manage his comeback. 'Usually you don't have to wait like this,' he said. 'At home practising I keep going and keep going. This is different. 'My glutes (gluteus maximus muscles) are shutting off. If they don't activate it goes into the lower back. I tried to activate my glutes best I could but they didn't stay activated.' The 39-year-old former world No 1 was two-over-par when he withdrew, having double-bogeyed his final hole while also dropping shots at the 10th and 12th. He had chipped in for par on the second hole, but it was a rare highlight in another wayward outing. Woods' injury comes just six days after he recorded the worst round of his career when he shot an 11-over-par 82 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Woods was sidelined for much of 2014 after he underwent surgery in April and has suffered indifferent form ever since. The American finished 69th at the Open at Royal Liverpool in July, while a month later he missed just his fourth cut in 66 majors as a professional after suffering yet more back trouble at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla. Woods managed only 11 holes in his first round at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California . Woods was two-over-par when he withdrew, having double-bogeyed his final hole . The 14-time Major winner appeared to hurt his back after hitting his tee shot at the 12th . Woods subsequently ruled himself out of consideration for a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September because of injury and later revealed he did not feel he could have won a point for the United States. Woods made an underwhelming return to golf by shooting a five-over-par first round at the Hero World Challenge and it has gone from bad to worse in his first two tournaments of 2015. His withdrawal on Thursday was the ninth of his career to date. He has not won a PGA Tour event since 2013 and has not won a major since 2008. 2014: April 1 - Reveals he will miss US Masters for first time after undergoing surgery on a pinched nerve in his back. May 28 - Announces he has still not recovered from back surgery and will miss the US Open at Pinehurst as a result. July 20 - Finishes 69th in the Open at Royal Liverpool, his worst 72-hole finish in a major in the paid ranks. August 3 - Withdraws during the final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in clear pain after hitting a shot. August 8 - Misses just his fourth cut in 66 majors as a professional after suffering yet more back trouble at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla. August 14 - Announces he does not wish to be considered for the Ryder Cup team due to a back injury, later revealing he did not feel he could have won a point for the United States. August 25 - Ends professional relationship with swing coach Sean Foley. November 22 - Appoints Chris Como as swing coach. December 2 - Claims he 'feels fantastic' ahead of his long-awaited return to competitive golf. January 9 - Confirms he will start his 2015 season at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. January 30 - Records the worst round of his professional career with an 11-over par 82 in the second round of the Phoenix event. February 5 - Withdraws from his next event, the Farmers Insurance Open, during the first round because of apparent back pain. | Tiger Woods managed only 11 holes in his first round at Torrey Pines .
The 39-year-old appeared to hurt his back after hitting a tee shot .
Injury comes just six days after he recorded shocking 82 in Pheonix .
Former world No 1 was sidelined for much of 2014 after back surgery . |
163,232 | 5f13303b64c2d9ea8edb4070444b5b0733e68e6c | TV presenter: Qiu Yuanyuan declined treatment while pregnant to avoid it harming her unborn baby . A Chinese television presenter who refused chemotherapy treatment after discovering she had cancer when she was pregnant has died. Qiu Yuanyuan, 26, of Zhengzhou, Henan, who had declined treatment while pregnant to avoid it harming her unborn baby, died exactly 100 days after giving birth to her son, Niannian. The former chess game show host learned she was pregnant in March - but the results of a physical exam found she had a late-stage malignant tumour, according to reports in China. She decided to stop her treatment to protect her baby, but the cancer then spread around her body – and she was admitted to hospital in September when her conditioned worsened. There, she gave birth by Caesarean section in September to Niannian, who had only been in her womb for seven months and weighed about 3lbs upon his arrival. The mother then had an operation to remove the tumour and 20 days of chemotherapy - but it was too late to save her and she died last week, reported the South China Morning Post. Her husband Zhang Qixuan told the Zhengzhou Evening News: ‘After getting married, becoming a mother was her biggest wish. She chose to save our child. She understood that not everything in life can be perfect. And she said she had never regretted her decision.’ Death: The former chess game show host learned she was pregnant in March - but the results of a physical exam found she had a late-stage malignant tumour, according to reports in China . Memorial flowers: The fate of Qiu Yuanyuan (pictured centre) has sparked intense online debate in China . He added: ‘The only thing I can do now is to take care our child and her family. I hope everyone can silently bless her and our child, and smile at life - just as Yuanyuan did.’ The mother’s death came last Wednesday evening, after her family had held a special meal to celebrate the baby’s 100th day since birth - which is a traditional custom in China. Her fate has sparked intense online debate in the country, with more than 10million users viewing her story last Friday on Sina Weibo, a Chinese website similar to Twitter. Tears: Relatives cry during a funeral for Qiu Yuanyuan last Friday in Zhengzhou city, Henan province . Remembered: The mother had an operation to remove the tumour and 20 days of chemotherapy - but it was too late to save her and she died last week . However, many of those commenting questioned why she had sacrificed her life. One said: ‘I don't think it's good to give up on living, even if the mother's love is great. It's not a beautiful thing if a child is born with no care and love from its natural mother.’ But another added: ‘Even chemotherapy cannot cure cancer, can it? So she chose this way, wise and helpless.’ | Qiu Yuanyuan, 26, of Zhengzhou, had declined treatment while pregnant .
Game show presenter died exactly 100 days after giving birth to her son .
Husband says she 'understood that not everything in life can be perfect' |
10,655 | 1e4b2c16c9eebc0f71958aa84d800c3de2ac580f | It's not unusual for companies to take advantage of Sydney's New Year's Eve revellers by charging inflated prices - but one Uber customer has been hit with a massive $213 fare for a ride home that should cost just $50. Uber, the app-based car service, has come under fire for charging more than three times the normal fare for a ride home on New Year's Eve, and customer Jade Wilkes was shocked when she woke up on January 1st to discover she had fallen victim to the ridiculous price hike. Ms Wilkes booked a 14 kilometre ride from Sydney's CBD to Coogee, a ride which would normally cost around $50 in Uber's luxury 'Black' vehicle, only a quarter of the $213 she was charged in the early hours of January 1st. Scroll down for video . Jade Wilkes was charged $213 for a 14-kilometre ride home from Sydney's CBD to Coogee on New Years . The app, which connects people with available drivers in their area, warned Ms Wilkes that the fare would be calculated at 3.1 times the normal rate, reportedThe Sydney Morning Herald. She accepted the fare multiple with Uber Black at 2am after entering her starting point, and despite the company's promise of 'no surprises', claims not provided with an estimated price. 'The [surge pricing notice] just came up without my having to enter a destination, so I didn't have a fare estimate,' Ms Wilkes said. She said that the app, which requires a credit card on file for cashless payment, only provided her with a receipt at the end of the trip, totaling a hefty $213. Katie, a spokesperson for Uber, said that a fare estimate was always available in the app, regardless of whether there was a 'surge' in action or not. 'A splash screen comes up when surge is on, and customers have to accept the number and type it back in,' Kate said. 'You can definitely get the fare estimate, there are multiple ways to acknowledge and confirm the fare,' she said. Kate said that surge was a tool to encourage more drivers to the area, and that as soon as demand for vehicles and supply evened out, surge would disappear and pricing would return to normal. Ms Wilkes said that the email she received stated that 'the normal fare was $68.90, but I made the same journey for $35 in a taxi today,' she said. Labeling the fare for the 23-minute journey 'ridiculous', Ms Wilkes contacted the driver of the car only to be told that any issues with the fare had to be taken up with the company. The car service warned people there would be a price surge over New Years Eve . Uber emailed customers to notify them that there would be an expected surge of 3.1 . Ms Wilkes sent an email to the company, but so far has reportedly not achieved a resolution. Uber previously came under fire for offering inflated rates for lifts home from Sydney's CBD during the Martin Place siege, with customers reporting fares of more than $100. With police calls to evacuate the area, demand for Uber outstripped its supply of cars, kicking in an automatic price surge to attract more cars to the area. During the early stages of the siege, Uber's fares reportedly jumped fourfold, and the company later apologised in a statement. 'The events of last week in Sydney were upsetting for the whole community and we are truly sorry for any concern that our process may have added.' The company said it wanted to help get as many people as possible out of the CBD, but it communicated its intentions poorly, leading to misunderstanding about its motives. 'We didn't stop surge pricing immediately,' Uber said in its statement. 'This was the wrong decision.' But the company later reversed course, offering free rides out of the city centre and refunds to those hit by higher prices. 'It's unfortunate that the perception is that Uber did something against the interests of the public,' Uber said. 'We certainly did not intend to.' The company, which launched in Sydney in 2012, warned potential customers of peak periods over New Years Eve, recommending split fares and car shares for revelers to get home safely without breaking the bank. The company's website encourages customers to be aware of their estimated fare before accepting rides, stating that 'Surprises aren’t for everyone. That’s why we’ll always notify you in BIG, BOLD print if surge pricing is in effect and ask you to manually type in the higher multiple before you can request a ride.' 'Enter your drop off location and tap “Fare Quote” to get an estimate of the cost of your ride.' However, Ms Wilkes said she never received the estimate, and would have rethought her travel options had she known how much her trip would cost. Uber previously came under fire for offering inflated rates for lifts home from Sydney's CBD during the Martin Place siege, with customers reporting fares of more than $100 . The company's website encourages customers to be aware of their estimated fare before accepting rides, stating that 'Surprises aren’t for everyone' Ms Wilkes said she never received the estimate, and would have rethought her travel options had she known how much her trip would cost . 'I told them that I wasn't given a cost estimate when I got in, and I never would have gotten into the car if I'd known it would be that much. I would have taken a taxi. I mean, that's basically the cost of a flight,' she said. Ms Wilkes was one of thousands who were expected to participate in ride-sharing over New Years Eve, despite Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian reminding Sydneysiders that the activity is illegal. 'Here in NSW we have been very clear that it is illegal for drivers to participate in what we call 'ride-sharing' activities like UberX,' Ms Berejiklian told The Sydney Morning Herald. The service allows for unaccredited drivers to offers rides, flouting strict laws in NSW against drivers in unlicensed vehicles offering transport. 11% of Sydney's population is thought to have participated in the scheme, sparking thousands of dollars in fines and nearly a dozen court attendance notices to UberX drivers. 'This is a complex issue and cities all around the world are grappling with it as we speak,' said Ms Berejiklian. Uber has been contacted for comment. | Jade Wilkes ordered ride on New Year's Eve using app-based service Uber .
She was charged $213 for a 14km ride home from Sydney's CBD to Coogee .
Uber warned customers that there would be inflated rates over New Years .
The company encouraged fare-sharing and released peak time information .
Ms Wilkes claims she has since taken the same route for $35 .
She was never given a fare estimate because of the fare surge notification .
She was not aware of how much trip had cost until she received a receipt .
Ms Wilkes would never have accepted the ride if she had known the price . |
276,001 | f195d2daab35c9157003eacc5deda45fd7ed505a | A babysitter in Upstate New York bashed her five-year-old cousin in the head and strangled him to death before throwing his body over a guardrail into a ditch and covering it with snow on Thursday, police have revealed. Tiffany Vanalstyne, 19, then allegedly called police to made up a story about little Kenneth White being kidnapped by two masked men in an effort to cover her tracks - sending authorities on a desperate search across Albany County, New York to find the boy. 'I'm angry that we had a five-year-old killed and basically thrown away like a piece of trash. It's sinful and it's sad,' Sheriff Craig Apple, who was visibly shaken by the horrific murder, said today. Kenneth was brutally murdered Thursday afternoon as his twin sister Cheyenne and little sister Christine were playing in another room in the trailer where they lived in rural Knox, New York, police say. Scroll down for video . Horrific: Tiffany Vanalstyne, 19, strangled her cousin, 5-year-old Kenneth White, and then bashed him in the head until he was dead, police say . Vanalstyne showed no emotion as she was led into court on Friday to be arraigned on a charge of second-degree murder. Police haven't commented on a motive . Kenneth's body was found just 40 yards from the trailer where he lived in rural Knox, New York, outside Albany. He had been thrown into a ditch and his body covered with snow . Vanalstyne was charged with second-degree murder today. Her mother Brenda Vanalstyne told a judge that her daughter suffers from bipolar disorder, which she takes medication for. Authorities have refused to comment on a possible motive for the murder. Kenneth, Cheyenne, Christine were being cared for by their aunt Brenda after both their mother and father lost custody of the children. They lived with Brenda Vanalstyne for for more than a year and she had been granted legal custody about nine moths ago. The mother of the children lives 25 miles away in Amsterdam, New York. Their father lives in Massachusetts. Authorities described conditions inside the red-and-white striped as dangerous and are working to make sure Kenneth's two sisters never return there. Police say that after a doctor's appointment on Thursday, Brenda Vanalstyne dropped the three White children and at home and left her daughter Tiffany to babysit them. Tiffany Vanalstyne killed Kenneth just minutes after Brenda left the home on Thursday afternoon, authorities believe. She then took his body down the road and threw it into a ditch. She covered it with snow to ensure it couldn't be seen by passing cars, police say. After the murder, Tiffany Vanalstyne called her mother and told her that Kenneth had been kidnapped by two masked men who barged into the trailer and pinned her to the ground. Brenda, who was just minutes from home, told her daughter to call 911. Tiffany showed no remorse when she was interviewed by detectives. She glared at reporters as she was led into court . Left in charge: Kenneth and his two sisters were placed in the custody of their aunt Brenda Vanalstyne (right) a year ago. Her daughter Tiffany (left) is charged with murdering Kenneth after she was left in charge . Horrific: Kenneth White, 5, was dumped in a ditch and covered with snow about 40 yards from the trailer where he lived . Hoax: The boy's babysitter told police he had been kidnapped by masked men, prompting a massive search and an Amber Alert. Police later determined that story to be false . On Friday police blocked off the road near where Kenneth was found murdered . Police immediately initiated an Amber Alert and launched a massive search for a black pickup truck that Vanalstyne described as the getaway vehicle. State police, the US Marshals and the FBI joined local officers in in the hunt, which began about 1.30pm. Sheriff Apple said that as they continued to question Vanalstyne about the kidnapping her story began to fall apart - she was inconsistent and many of the details didn't make sense. The search for Kenneth and the mysterious black truck continued, but detectives began to investigate Vanalstyne, as well. Shortly before midnight, a police dog made the grim discovery. Kenneth's body was buried in snow about 40 yards down the road from the trailer. Sheriff Apple said the horrific Christmastime murder has rattled even veteran detectives on his police force. His eyes welled with tears at a pretty conference today as he described how he was going to go home and hug his three sons. Kenneth's body was found near the trailer where he was living with his aunt . One person has been arrested and police expect to file murder charges after Kenneth was found dead . | Kenneth White, 5, was found dead in a ditch 40 yards from the trailer where he and his two sisters lived in Knox, New York, Thursday night .
His cousin Tiffany Vanalstyne, 19, who was left to babysit him and his siblings, has been charged with his murder .
She allegedly strangled the boy and bashed him in the head until he died .
Vanalstyne then threw his body over a guardrail into a ditch near the mobile home and covered it snow, police say .
She then called police and said he had been kidnapped by two masked men in an attempt to cover up for the murder, according to authorities .
After an Amber Alert and a massive search, police determined that story to be a hoax .
Kenneth and his sisters had been living with his aunt, Vanalstyne's mother, after both his parents lost custody . |
263,711 | e188fe00ccb8a9100284c48608e5334ec7cb0cbe | Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- Ariel Sigler is the latest of 21 Cuban political prisoners to fly into exile after being freed from jail in Cuba. Gaunt, and confined to a wheelchair, the former boxer received a hero's welcome in Miami. Later at a hospital, he talked about his release. "The first dish that I was able to taste with great delight was the dish of freedom, the dish of democracy, the dish of my second country that has received me as if I was another one of its children," Sigler said. Cuba has agreed to release a total of 52 political prisoners by-mid November as part of a deal with the Catholic Church and Spain. International pressure to free them grew when one prisoner died earlier this year after an 84-day hunger strike. But the Cuban government has also ratcheted up its own campaign. It is denouncing the imprisonment of five Cuban agents held in the United States since 1998. They're convicted of spying in the United States. In Cuba, they're considered heroes, fighting to protect the homeland from extremists in Miami. Over the weekend, Cuba's National Assembly accused the U.S. of putting one of the agents, Gerardo Hernandez, in what assembly members called an "isolation hole" even though he was ill. The National Assembly signed a petition calling the conditions of Hernandez's current confinement "so harsh that his health and physical integrity are being seriously affected." U.S. officials could not be reached immediately for comment. Hernandez's wife recalled Cuban President Raul Castro's offer of a gesture for a gesture. "Our president was very clear," she said. "We were waiting for the U.S. to free the five and we would hand over the prisoners we have in Cuba, even with their relatives. Cuba has complied with its gesture." However, there are no indications that any talks about a tradeoff are underway between Havana and Washington. But some Cuban officials have pointed to the recent swap of Russian and American spies as evidence that there may be a possibility. | Cuba has freed 21 of 52 political prisoners from jail .
Cuban officials are pressuring the United States to free five Cuban agents .
The five agents have been held in the United States since 1998 .
There are no indications that a swap will take place . |
282,694 | fa25f27d225416d2b0a0af0ea29b8d3212ecff95 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 11:45 EST, 5 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:52 EST, 6 March 2013 . Two pranksters spent three days preparing a welcome home gift for their flatmate by wrapping his entire bedroom in brown paper. The friends used 150 metres of paper and eight rolls of sellotape to wrap everything from the bed and wardrobes to books and lamps. Stunned Steve Berryman, 28, returned home from a skiiing holiday in France to find all his belongings - even his ukulele - had been wrapped up. Steve Berryman in his room after his brother Tim Berryman and Tim Sutton completely wrapped the room in brown paper . And... it's a wrap: The two pranksters spent three days preparing the welcome home gift for their flatmate . His brother Tim, 26, and fellow flatmate Tim Sutton, 27, carried out the makeover as a farewell prank before Steve leaves the UK for a job in America. 'I was shocked to say the least,' said Mr Berryman. 'They had pinned a card to my door saying, "Congratulations on your new job - we've given your room a makeover". 'When I walked in, I couldn't believe it. I didn't know where anything was. I've unwrapped the essentials - my bed and my computer, but everything else is still the way it was. 'If I want a book, it's pot luck which one I get. But it's nice to be able to use the room as a giant notepad. Plus, it looks quite nice. 'The tidying job was excellent. My room's never been so clean before.' Mr Berryman, a Linux systems administrator, is moving out of their shared flat in London later this year and moving to San Francisco. Steve's brother Tim, 26, and fellow flatmate Tim Sutton, 27, carried out the makeover as a farewell prank before Steve leaves the UK for a job in America . The friends used 150 metres of paper and eight rolls of sellotape to wrap everything from the bed and wardrobes to books and lamps . Even Mr Berryman's bed was completely wrapped up in paper . His two flatmates also filled his room with 320 balloons before he returned from the Meribel ski resort in the French Alps. They filmed the entire prank on a time lapse and posted the video on YouTube. Mr Berryman's brother Tim said: 'It was a labour of love. It was worth it just to see the look on his face. Mr Berryman's brother Tim said: 'It was a labour of love. It was worth it just to see the look on his face' Tim Berryman said: 'We found over £100 in loose change and wrapped all that too' Moving: Mr Berryman, a Linux systems administrator, is moving out of their shared flat in London later this year and moving to San Francisco . Job done: Tim Sutton inside Steve Berryman's room after he completely wrapped it in brown paper . 'His room was pretty disgraceful and dirty and has been for a long time so we thought we would give him a gift. 'It took us three days, 150 metres of paper and eight rolls of sellotape to wrap the whole thing. 'We found over £100 in loose change and wrapped all that too. The hardest part was wrapping the ukulele though. It was just so fiddly.' | Steve Berryman, 28, returned from holiday to find everything wrapped .
All his possessions from his ukelele to books and lamps were covered .
Brother Tim, 26, and flatmate Tim Sutton, 27, carried out the prank . |
245,992 | ca64abe5959656b7595cc9da5e335c55155450cc | Gareth Bale may have followed in the footballing footsteps of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo when signing for Real Madrid last summer but it seems the frontman is also taking inspiration from the superstar duo in the fashion stakes. The international, who is missing from this summer's World Cup after Wales failed to qualify, took time out for a round of golf at the Pebble Beach course in California - sporting an Alice band. The former Tottenham star posted a snap of himself at the golf resort to his Instagram account and said: 'Great two rounds at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill with the boys!!' Deserved break: Gareth Bale has been playing golf at the Pebble Beach resort in California with pals . Inspiration? Bale was snapped sporting an alice band similar to those worn by Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and David Beckham (right) in the past . Bale, who helped Real Madrid achieve 'La Decima' last season, visited Indonesia at the start of the month in a personal promotional tour of Jakarta. The 24-year-old was forced to miss Holland's World Cup warm-up game with Wales three days later with a leg injury. | Gareth Bale has been playing golf at Pebble Beach, California .
Real Madrid star was snapped wearing alice band similar to Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham used to wear .
International is missing from the World Cup in Brazil after Wales failed to qualify . |
9,577 | 1b222804a7afae14aa27ef66b14c07656fbcfc3e | A group of 11 boys have been rescued from a factory in India where they were working 12-hour shifts for just £1. The children, aged between 11 and 17 years old, were trafficked from rural areas in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, and taken to Delhi to work. They were forced to work 12-hour days stitching shoes and baking cakes and encouraged to work extra hours for an additional 40 Rupees (50p). 'It was like being in a prison': A team of child rights activists rescued 11 boys from a bakery and a shoe factory where they were working 12-hour shifts for a meagre £1 a day in West Delhi, India . 'Inhumane': The boys were allegedly forced to work 12-hour days stitching shoes and baking cakes and encouraged to work extra hours for an additional 40 Rupees (50p) 'Devastating to see': The children, aged between 11 and 17 years old, were trafficked from rural areas in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, and taken to Delhi to work . The rescue operation was conducted by Delhi Police after child rights organisation, Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood), reported the crime. During an hour-long raid, three boys were rescued from a bakery and the others were rescued from a shoe-making factory, in Nangloi, West Delhi where they were earning £1 a day - around half the minimum wage. The children were kept in small rooms where they worked, slept and had their meals. They had just a mat to sleep on at night. They were not fed properly, were never taken to the doctor or given medicine when they were sick and were not allowed to ever leave their rooms. Exploited: The rescue operation was conducted by Delhi Police after child rights organisation, Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood), reported the crime . Taken into care: The children were kept in small rooms where they worked, slept and had their meals . Founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Kailash Satyarthi, said: 'It was devastating to see. 'These children, as young as 12, were working in such inhumane conditions. 'They were handling hazardous equipment, tired and exhausted and these rooms had no ventilation. 'Working for 10 to 12 hours in the dark was taking its toll on their health. All the boys were so frail.' One of the rescued boys, Deepak, 16, was from Samastipur, in Bihar. He said: 'I ran away from my home with a friend two years ago to try and find work in Delhi. I then met a man who offered me a job at a shoe factory for 5,000 Rupees (£50) a month. 'I happily took the job as I could then send money home and support my father, a rickshaw puller, to pay for my mother’s medical treatment. Rescued: The children are being cared for at Bachpan Bachao Andolan's boys home and rehabilitation centre . 'I even worked extra to earn an additional 2,000 Rupees (£20). 'But the owner never paid us and we were only given food twice a day and were confined to our rooms. 'It was like being in a prison. I wanted to leave many a time but we were not allowed.' Although Deepak had voluntarily left home, many of the other children had allegedly been sent by their parents to work in the city to support them financially. Desperate poverty in rural parts of India force parents to send their children out to work but child labour in India is illegal. Police have now arrested the bakery owner while the employer at the shoe factory is on the run. The children are now being cared for at Bachpan Bachao Andolan's boys home and rehabilitation centre. Kailash added: 'The Child Welfare Committee gave us permission to take care of the boys and try to reunite them with their parents. Here they’re able to act like children and play and learn like normal boys. 'They have three good meals a day and a bed to sleep in at night. We'll now make sure these boys go back to school and have a normal childhood.' | Boys forced to sleep on a mat, not fed properly and never taken to doctor .
They are paid just £1 a day - around half the average minimum wage in India .
They were trafficked from their homes - some by their parents - to Delhi .
Children forced to handle 'hazardous' equipment and all looked 'so frail'
One boy said: 'I wanted to leave many times, but we were not allowed' |
116,954 | 22fcb89d45fb41682da6b1533184fb09129f9f21 | (CNN) -- "American Idol" viewers had a clear choice when it came down to the final decision: the low-key but sincere Kris Allen or the flamboyant and powerful Adam Lambert. "American Idol" winner Kris Allen, left, and runner-up Adam Lambert say they're good friends. The vote went for Allen, and Lambert told Ryan Seacrest on CNN's "Larry King Live" that the outcome didn't surprise him. There are no hard feelings, though. Allen, Lambert, Danny Gokey and the other seven finalists spoke of their friendship and camaraderie on "Larry King Live." Here is an edited transcript of the interview. Ryan Seacrest: I think the first thing you said [after being announced as the winner] was "Adam's great." Actually on the air, you were complimenting him at the moment you should be complimenting yourself. Kris Allen: I think that's kind of how I am. Seriously, we're really good friends and he's amazing. He's been probably the most consistent performer this year, and just overall probably one of the best performers that's ever been on the "Idol" stage. Watch Kris Allen heap praise on Adam Lambert » . Seacrest: So aside from getting more votes, why do you think you won? Allen: I don't know. I think it was a combination of a lot of stuff. It was maybe, probably, a little bit of personality, a little bit of -- hopefully it was about the music, as well. I know that's not always the case on "American Idol." That's what I care about the most: the music and how I portray it. Seacrest: It's no secret that you're a man of faith, that you referred to the "Christian thing," as it were. You didn't rely on the Christian vote. Do you think that played a part in your win, though? Allen: I hope it didn't. Because I guess me and Adam were doing an interview before the show: "Kris, do you think you're going to get the Christian vote now that Danny's gone?" And that was rough, that was kind of upsetting, because the show's not about religion. We're not running for president. We are there to do music and there to sing, and hopefully people vote on that. Seacrest: I've seen the show 300-plus episodes, and I know that you have to develop some sort of strategy. So what was yours? Allen: I think my strategy throughout the whole thing was, 'don't steer away from what you know how to do.' And that's just go out there and be yourself. I went out there and I played my type of music. And I really wanted to change stuff up a little bit and be kind of bold in my music choices, and just do what I believed in. Seacrest: You guys have been through it. The question everyone wants an answer to, finally I get to ask you. What kind of guy-liner do you wear? Adam Lambert: I don't know, whatever the make-up artist puts on me, you know. Seacrest: In that beat before I [announced the winner], what were you thinking? Lambert: I kind of figured, OK, it's anyone's game at this point. I knew it was going to be a close race. And actually in my head, believe it or not, I went, that's so Kris, it's so going to be Kris. I felt it. Seacrest: You're human, so you had to be let down a little bit. Lambert: You know what? I honestly mentally prepared myself for any possibility. And we kind of kept telling each other, you know, it's such an honor to be here. We had so much fun last night. And tonight we got to sing with Queen. The point is not a title. The point is the opportunity. And I feel like we got that opportunity. Watch the shock over the "Idol" finale » . Seacrest: So what do you think happened with the voting? The judges called you the darling throughout the course of the season. And then you didn't get the first-place votes. What happened? Lambert: Well, I'm sure that when Danny was out of the competition, I think his fans probably would be more apt to go for Kris' style. Allen: I think a lot of people thought that too. Lambert: I wasn't worried. I just assumed that would be the case. Seacrest: Why? Lambert: Kris' appeal is more like Danny's appeal than mine. I just kind of figured. Seacrest: Does the fact that the judges pick you out early in the season hurt in the long run? Lambert: I kind of think it helped me because I think that because I'm something a little bit different, it allowed people at home to feel it was OK to root for me. Seacrest: Kris, how did you size up the rest of the competition? Allen: Well, I think Adam and Danny were, I mean, very -- I think they were the front-runners for a long time. And they're amazing. So kudos to them. I think they deserved it completely. But I never went out there to beat anyone. We talk about that a lot. Seacrest: I can't believe that totally. You never went out there to beat anyone ever? Allen: No. How do you compare me or Adam or me or Danny or me or Matt or me or Allison? Seacrest: I've done the show for eight seasons and we've never seen anyone quite like Adam. That's great. That's the beauty I think in the show. It can continue to reinvent itself with the contestants. Lambert: That's why I felt it wasn't a competition thing. I knew it was apples and oranges. The people are like, I like that guy, I like that guy, or I like that girl. To me, it was like, go out there and do your best. That was the goal for me every week. Do something new, do something new to get people talking. Watch the "Idol" finalists and Paula Abdul dish » . Seacrest: Kris, how did you feel about the love Adam was getting from the judges during the season? Allen: I thought he deserved it. I think he's amazing. I think he was probably one of the most original and one of the most -- seriously, one of the best singers that's been on "American Idol". Lambert: This is why we're friends. It's real. Seacrest: Let me ask you this: The speculation about your sexuality, do you think that had anything to do with coming in second place? Lambert: No, I think if anything, I think it -- I think my lifestyle is just I'm different. I'm a little bit -- I'm not your typical guy next door. The guy next door versus the guyliner. Sexuality aside, I think it more had to do with maybe my appearance and what songs I gravitated toward and my performance style. I think that had more to do with it. Seacrest: Kris, when I asked the question, you were nodding your head, why? Allen: Because I agree with him. It's not about who he is or who I am. It's about -- what we want, we want it to be about the music, you know? | Winner Kris Allen calls runner-up one of the best performers ever on show .
Finalist Adam Lambert says he had a feeling Allen was going to win .
Allen says he hopes fan support was because of his music, not his faith .
Lambert says questions about his sexuality may have helped him stand out . |
170,013 | 6808803a926e4be4197017e86e712483e7c96541 | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . Around Saturn lurks a bizarre moon named Iapetus. It’s odd, not just because one side of the planet is light and the other dark, but also because it has a giant ridge running across it. Until now astronomers weren’t sure how this ridge came to be on the moon, but a new study suggests it may have fallen there – from the sky. Did this ridge fall from space? New research suggests a the huge mountainous range (pictured by Cassini) on the Saturnian moon Iapetus may have dropped from the sky . The team of researchers that made the discovery are from Brown University in Rhode Island and the Lunar Planetary Institute in Texas. In their paper they suggest that the mountainous ridge, which runs around the equator of the moon, most likely was not created on the surface. Instead they say it is of exogenic origin, meaning it came from an external source, which may have been a ring system around the moon. Ring systems around moons are almost non-existent, which would make this discovery very interesting. Discovery: 25 October 1671 . Distance from Saturn: 2.2 million miles (3.5 million kilometres) Time taken to orbit Saturn: 79.3 Earth days . Radius: 450 miles (735 kilometres) Speed needed to leave the surface: 1,280 miles (2,000 kilometres) per hour . It has been thought that moons are unable to have their own ring system as the gravity of their host planet is too invasive. Only one moon is known of that may have a ring system: Rhea, another of Saturn’s moons, which orbits far enough away to have such a system. But if it is discovered that Iapetus, too, once had a ring system it could change our understanding of how moons can thrive in their orbits. The latest theory was based on 3D models of the moon, from which the researchers analysed the types of peaks on the ridge. Iapetus is one of Saturn's 62 moons (53 confirmed, nine potential moons) and orbits quite far out when compared to the others. Titan dominates the moons though and is much larger than all the rest combined . Iapetus is unusual because one side is much brighter than the other. The darker surface can be seen starting on the right. The bright hemisphere is the trailing hemisphere in the moon's orbit . The ridge is 12 miles (19 km) high by 12 miles wide and stretches 800 miles (1,300 km) around Iapetus. The 3D model was created using data from the Cassini space probe, which has been operating in the Saturnian system since it arrived in July 2004. The team found most of the peaks sat at their angle of repose, which is the maximum angle that material can rest on a peak without falling to the bottom. Normal geological activity forms shallow peaks with less uniformity, which suggests the mountains were not created via such means but rather were part of a ring of material that once circled the moon. This ring could have been created by a collision of another body with the moon, or by two bodies colliding nearby. The resultant material from the impact would have coalesced around the equator of the moon. Over time this ring could have been dragged to the surface by the moon’s gravity. Supporting this theory, according to the team, is the irregular orbit of Iapetus and the fact it is tidally locked, which means the same face always points towards Saturn. Further research will be needed, though, to truly determine if the intriguing theory is correct. The Cassini spacecraft has been in orbit around Saturn since July 2004. During its mission it has observed many of the moons and also released a lander, Huygens, onto the surface of Titan on Christmas Day 2004 . | New research suggests a mountainous ridge on Iapetus came from the sky .
Astronomers say normal geologic activity could not have made the feature .
Instead it is believed the Saturnian moon once had a ring around it .
Over time this ring fell to the surface of Iapetus and created the vast ridge .
Iapetus is a strange two-toned world and is one of Saturn's 62 moons . |
173,015 | 6be88672fe30100527ca6953559885cce6fd3411 | After being smacked in the face by wave upon wave of sex abuse scandals for the past decade, it's easy to feel nothing but angry or numb. So Joe Paterno's statue came down, a slew of dioceses went bankrupt, and thousands of once-secret documents about molesters in the Boy Scouts will soon be made public. It's fair to ask: Have we learned anything? That makes it a good time to step back and look beyond individual villains to the big picture. When you put together the stories of Penn State, the Roman Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts and other organizations hit by abuse scandals, you see they reacted in much the same way. Their behavior was shocking, but it was more common than we knew. Thanks to lawsuits and news reports, we now see this: For decades, some of our most trusted institutions -- from schools, camps and sports leagues to correctional facilities, foster care agencies and religious groups -- have inadvertently enabled child molesters at the expense of victims. While leaders in many youth-serving organizations have confronted the abuse problem head-on, others routinely erred on the side of molesters, ignored the extent of abuse in their ranks, hid abuse from authorities and misled the public. News: Sex abuse files prompt calls for Boy Scout ousters . Why? To protect the good work of their organizations. They lost their perspective on where organizational protection ends and child protection begins. The Boy Scouts of America reflects this struggle as much as anyone. From 1971-1991, the Scouts banned more than 1,800 people for alleged sexual misconduct, according to its own "Confidential Files," made public in a lawsuit in the 1990s. Those files reveal a well-intentioned effort to protect kids. But they also reveal a culture of silence that is typical of organizations that stumble over their abuse problem. Time and again, Scout leaders tried to keep abuse incidents from legal authorities or the media: In Illinois, a volunteer admitted to abusing a Scout and agreed to resign "in return for no further legal action." In Tennessee, Scout officials talked a victim's parents out of contacting police, promising to "handle the situation" internally. They let the molester resign and he was arrested months later for abusing another boy. When a Pennsylvania scoutmaster was arrested for molesting three boys, a local Scout executive worked with the chief of police to "do everything he could to keep this account out of the newspaper to protect the name of the Boy Scouts." New report accuses Boy Scouts of protecting child molesters . The result was often disaster: first for kids, as molesters went on to abuse again, then for the organization, as victims eventually spoke up to lawyers and reporters. In this kind of clumsiness, however, the BSA has not been alone: . Schools: The most thorough national report on sex abuse in public schools in 2004 found that "when alleged misconduct is reported, the majority of complaints are ignored or disbelieved." A 1990s study of 225 cases of "educator sexual misconduct" in New York state found that "all of the accused had admitted to sexual abuse of a student but none of the abusers was reported to authorities and only 1 percent lost their license to teach." Religious communities: The practice of keeping abuse allegations from secular authorities has a long tradition in several denominations besides the Catholic church. Some Orthodox Jewish communities are coming under increasing fire, through indictments and lawsuits, for pressuring families not to report allegations to authorities. When a family in Lakewood, New Jersey, ignored that pressure in 2009, some rabbis circulated a proclamation that said, "It is prohibited (for anyone) to assist and participate with the secular authorities in their efforts to persecute a Jewish person." In Brooklyn, the district attorney launched an initiative in 2009 to uncover abuse in Orthodox Jewish communities. Similar tales of being pressured to "keep it in the house" are told in lawsuits by families in the Mormon Church and Jehovah's Witnesses. Corrections: Sexual assaults are rampant in juvenile correctional facilities. A 2010 report by the U.S. Department of Justice estimated that 12% of young people in custody were sexually abused at their facilities in the past year. Of that 12%, 91% were boys and the rest were girls. Most of them were abused by staff, the very people who investigate abuse allegations. No wonder those allegations often go nowhere. Just a few years ago Texas disbanded the Texas Youth Commission, the state agency that ran juvenile corrections, after investigators found that commission had largely dismissed and covered up hundreds of allegations of sex abuse. Sports: Former young swimmers and gymnasts allege in several recent criminal and civil complaints that they were abused by coaches, and that their complaints met with superficial inquiries at best. Deena Deardurff Schmidt, a 1972 Olympic champion swimmer, said in a deposition when she reported her abuse: "Most everyone I told in coaching gave me an answer that I felt was very vague and dismissive, that my coach was a great coach." Today, sex abuse victims are less alone . The good news: The increased awareness brought on by lawsuits, indictments and news reports have driven a cultural shift in which kids are more likely to report abuse and to be believed. That shift has also compelled youth-serving organizations to significantly improve their procedures for preventing and reporting abuse. From national groups like the Boy Scouts to stand-alone after-school programs, most organizations run more thorough background checks on job and volunteer applicants; better train their staff and youth about how to prevent and recognize abuse; and enforce tighter procedures for reporting abuse. That's the other side of the big picture: The victims are winning. | Patrick Boyle: Boy Scout child sex abuse -- this kind of scandal is way too familiar .
For decades, he says, trusted institutions ignored abuse in order to protect themselves .
But lawsuits, publicity have brought this into the light and spurred improvements, he says .
Boyle: Organizations gearing up to prevent it, kids more likely to report and be believed . |
193,419 | 866601a89a84f3ca728405b4e3ec24704c54dd90 | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The substance that spurred an evacuation at a California airport Tuesday was simply honey, the Kern County Sheriff's Department said. The security scare happened after Transportation Security Administration agents found what they believed to be a potentially hazardous substance inside a passenger's luggage. "None of the items inside the bag contained explosive or hazardous material, and the liquid inside the five bottles was identified as honey," the sheriff's department said in a statement. The Meadows Field Airport had been evacuated and shut down for several hours Tuesday morning after authorities found what they called a hazardous substance. The man whose bag was flagged, told authorities that he had honey packaged in five bottles, Deputy Michael Whorf, spokesman for the Kern County Sheriff's Department told CNN. The 31-year-old man cooperated with authorities and was released with no charges against him, Whorf said. The trouble started when two TSA agents were doing a routine swab of the man's bag, which tested positive for a hazardous substance, Whorf said. The agents who discovered the substance opened the bag and both became nauseated, Whorf said. They were transported to the hospital and later released. The preliminary tests using the swabs indicated the presence of the explosives TNT and triacetone triperoxide, known as TATP, Whorf said. The man told authorities that he was on a flight from Bakersfield, California, where he had visited relatives, back to his home in Milwaukee, and was carrying the bottles of honey back with him. Flights in and out of Meadow Fields resumed Tuesday afternoon. CNN's Sara Pratley contributed to this report. | NEW: Normal operations resume at Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, California .
Official says substance that triggered incident is honey .
Two TSA agents became nauseated after finding the substance .
The agents were taken to a hospital; owner of the bag is cooperating with authorities . |
249,872 | cf62fb5582d8b8fe309645e70a5d480eee28e0ff | Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Libyan troops are surrounding the city of Bani Walid, awaiting orders to enter what had been a stronghold for late dictator Moammar Gadhafi as those inside appeal to the international community for help. Massoud al-Waer, a local official, told CNN late Friday that Bani Walid was under siege with no food or fuel able to get in, nor even fresh oxygen for its main hospital. The standoff -- and possible military offensive -- stems from the death of a Libyan revolutionary fighter from Misrata credited with capturing Gadhafi last year. Omran Shaaban and two other fighters were kidnapped near Bani Walid in July. He was released two months later, at which point he was in bad shape physically. After being transferred to a hospital France, Shaaban died September 24 of the aftereffects of gunshot wounds. One day after his death, the country's General National Congress authorized the Libyan ministries of defense and interior to use force, if necessary, to arrest those responsible for allegedly kidnapping and torturing Shaaban. The national assembly also called for the release of the others being detained in Bani Walid, giving those in the city 10 days to comply -- or else the North African nation's military would take action. The deadline for that ultimatum was Friday. And over the past week, Libyan army troops and militia members from different parts of the nation -- including Misrata -- mobilized and surrounded Bani Walid. Bani Walid and Misrata have a longstanding rivalry. The chief of staff for Libya's army issued a statement Thursday calling on the people of Bani Walid to cooperate by handing over the wanted individuals to avoid a military assault. Yet many in Bani Walid remained defiant Friday, turning out in large numbers to protest the national government's demands and call for the release of those from the city being held about 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the northeast in Misrata, according to al-Waer. "They treat us as if Bani Walid is not part of Libya," the city official said. Hundreds of Bani Walid residents have been arrested by armed militias, according to the human rights advocacy group Amnesty International. Many continue to be detained without being charged, or put in trial, across Libya, and have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated, Amnesty said. Meanwhile, talks are ongoing to resolve the issue in Bani Walid, without the use of force, al-Waer added. But he said that many residents are "anticipating a military offensive, but will not leave the city and are ready to die in Bani Walid." Bani Walid was a holdout of pro-Gadhafi loyalists until the very end of the fighting late last year. And tensions between residents and fighters aligned with what was the National Transitional Council -- and later the fledgling Libyan government -- continued to simmer after the city's fall. A petition was being circulated Friday around the inland city, which is about 170 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tripoli, asked the U.N. Security Council to convene an emergency meeting and act "to immediately intervene to protect the civilians in the town." The petitioners claimed that pro-government "armed militias" were trying to indiscriminately kill large numbers of people in Bani Walid, because of the city's history in support of Gadhafi. They report "bombing on civil neighborhoods" on October 1 "with no regards to the lives of unarmed civilians." "The Libyan government claims that it is trying to arrest some criminals in the town. But the question is: Could those criminals be arrested with mortars, missiles and a ban on daily necessary requirements?" Amnesty joined those calling for restraint Friday night. It issued a statement urging "Libyan authorities to avoid unnecessary and excessive use of force in the city and to ensure essential medical supplies are allowed into the city." | A man credited with capturing Gadhafi was kidnapped and died last month .
Libya's legislature gave Bani Walid 10 days to hand over those responsible .
Libyan troops are awaiting orders to go into the city to enforce the mandate .
Bani Walid residents say they are defiant, even as they are under siege . |
235,531 | bce9d3dd3fc7e9c6b84572fad8b96ba786b5670b | The distraught wife of British hostage Alan Henning pleaded yesterday to his jihadist captors to show mercy and release him. In a direct televised appeal to Islamic State, a tearful Barbara Henning said: ‘I ask Islamic State please release him, we need him back home.’ She said her efforts to communicate with the captors of her 47-year-old taxi driver husband have been met only with silence. Her sole contact has been an audio message from Mr Henning pleading for his life. Scroll down for video . Desperate: Barbara Henning today broke her silence to issue a plea for ISIS to release her husband Alan . Public: Although Mrs Henning has made previous statements calling for her husband's release, this is the first time she has been filmed appealing to his captors . Her appeal was made minutes before the Ministry of Defence announced that RAF Tornados had attacked IS targets inside Iraq – a move some fear could spark a backlash against Mr Henning. The Briton known as Jihadi John, who has appeared in videos beheading hostages, said British aid worker David Haines, 44, was murdered because the UK began supplying Kurdish forces with weapons. Mr Henning, from Salford, who was seized on Boxing Day last year as he delivered aid to Syrian refugees, was shown at the end of the video of Mr Haines’s death with the threat that he would be next. Emotional: Mrs Henning said she was 'dreadfully concerned' for the safety of her husband . Fear: Last week Mrs Henning revealed she had received a message from her husband pleading for his life . Concern: Alan Henning is an ex-taxi driver from Manchester who travelled to the Middle East as an aid worker . Since then there has been a massive international campaign to secure his freedom and Mrs Henning stressed: ‘Muslims across the globe continue to question Islamic State over Alan’s fate. 'Their position regarding his situation is unequivocal. He is innocent ... We are at a loss why those leading Islamic State cannot open their hearts and minds to the truth about Alan’s humanitarian motives for going to Syria and why they continue to ignore the verdict of their own justice system [not guilty of spying]. ‘Surely those who wish to be seen as a state will act in a statesmanlike way by showing mercy and providing clemency.’ Plea: Mrs Henning urged Islamic State leaders to 'open their hearts and minds to the truth about Alan's humanitarian motives for going to Syria' 'I have a further message for Islamic State: We've not abandoned Alan and we continue in our attempts to communicate with you. 'We have had no contact from Islamic State holding him other than an audio file of him pleading for his life. 'Muslims across the globe continue to question Islamic State over Alan's fate. Their position regarding his statement is unequivocal. He is innocent. 'Some say wrong time, wrong place. Alan was volunteering with his Muslim friends to help the people of Syria. He was in the right place during the right time. 'We are at a loss why those leading Islamic State cannot open their hearts and minds to the truth about Alan's humanitarian motives for going to Syria and why they continue to ignore the verdicts of their own justice system. 'Surely those who wish to be known as a state will act in a statesmanlike way by showing mercy and providing clemency. 'Alan, we miss you and we're dreadfully concerned for your safety. But we are given so much hope by the outcry across the world as to your imprisonment. We ask Islamic State: Please release him. We want him back home. 'Thank you.' More than 100 high-profile Muslim leaders have warned that killing Mr Henning is against shariah law and would be the ‘worst condemnable sin’ against Islam. Mr Henning’s brother-in-law Colin Livesey said he fears the air strikes could make it harder to find Mr Henning as the group will be forced to move. Dr Shameela Islam-Zulfiqar, who travelled with Mr Henning on several aid convoys to Syria, warned UK air strikes would leave little hope of Mr Henning being released alive. She added: ‘It doesn’t leave you very optimistic, but we still have to remain hopeful.’ Hopeful: A yellow ribbon inscribed with the words 'Free Alan Henning' adorns a fence in his home town of Salford, as his friends, family and neighbours pray for his release . Plight: The father of two was captured by the group’s fanatics last December while delivering aid in Syria . Vigil: Friends of the hostage take part in a candlelit vigil in Eccles Park, close to Mr Henning's home . | Barbara Henning today issued a plea for ISIS to release her husband.
Salford taxi driver Alan Henning was kidnapped last December in Syria .
Wife Barbara says in video: 'Please release him, we need him back home'
Says husband was in the 'right place at the right time' because he was helping people in Syria at the time of his kidnap .
Mrs Henning has made previous statements calling for husband's release .
However, this is her first televised appeal to her husband's captors . |
180,269 | 756421fc67544cd4f1cafd52aa63fd07fe4c4f94 | One is a chiseled Hollywood star commanding millions per film - the other is an 'alternative model' who makes just £15 an hour. This is the younger half brother of James Bond actor Daniel Craig, and he has carved a career as a model. In between shifts as a part-time racecourse barman Harry Craig, 23, has posed for a number of publications featuring nude and fetish images and 'non mainstream' models. Scroll down for video . Harry Craig is the younger half brother of James Bond actor Daniel Craig, and he has carved a career as a model . In between shifts as a part-time racecourse barman Harry, 23, has posed for a number of publications featuring nude and fetish images and 'non mainstream' models . But while Craig, 46, is expected to make £31million for the next two 007 spy flicks, his younger sibling is paid just £15 an hour for the 'alternative' photoshoots . The rate increases to £25 for nude shoots and £30 for more arty or fetish work, the Sunday Mirror reports. In an online profile he describes himself as an '...alternative model from Shropshire, UK with a fondness of Guinness, Victorian Gothic, Heavy Metal bands from the 70s and 80s, Chesterfield armchairs (Wingbacks) and log fires.' The privately-educated younger Mr Craig lives with his and Daniel’s father Tim. He poses in the pictures wearing string vests, leather and chains. He can also be seen snarling at the camera from underneath his strawberry blonde hair, sitting apparently naked astride a backwards chair, while smoking a cigar and wearing a bowler hat. In the pictures he can be seen snarling at the camera from underneath his strawberry blonde hair, sitting apparently naked astride a backwards chair, while smoking a cigar and wearing a bowler hat . But while Mr Craig, 46, is expected to make £31million for the next two 007 spy flicks, his younger sibling is paid just £15 an hour for the 'alternative' photoshoots . In a YouTube video, which now appears to have been removed, he says he collects gas masks while supping at a glass of Guinness. He said: 'I look like a tramp... you probably wouldn’t think I’m a model by the looks of it. 'I’ve got people spread out across the world who like my work… it’s pretty cool. He adds: 'Don’t ask to see my gas masks though... my parents think I’m a freak, my brother thinks I’m a weirdo but I love them so b******* to them.' When asked by the paper about his modelling he said he has since given it up. | Half brother of James Bond actor Daniel Craig has carved career as model .
Harry Craig, 23, posed nude and in fetish as a 'non mainstream' model .
The younger sibling is paid just £15 an hour for 'alternative' photoshoots . |
232,748 | b95bde6eb4a2090371b778401b3b04ee389c01d7 | By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 05:55 EST, 8 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:32 EST, 8 October 2012 . They have fought on battlefields and in courtrooms for the return of the land that once belonged to them. And now - 150 years after the sacred, mountainous land in South Dakota's Black Hills was taken from them by the U.S. government - the Sioux are desperately trying to raise $9million to get it returned. However, the bid has sparked controversy among the native American tribesman, many of whom are angry that they are being forced to buy back land that once belonged to them. Scroll down for video . Sioux tribesman on the plains of South Dakota: The Sioux have an ancient association with the Black Hills . Disputed land: The Reynolds Prairie in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The ranch - nearly 2,000 acres - encompasses the sacred site of Pe' Sla . Tom Poor Bear, the vice president of . the Oglala Lakota Tribe in South Dakota, told the New York Times: 'It’s like someone stealing my car and I . have to pay to get it back.' A portion of the rolling range of mountains, given the name of called Pe' Sla by the Lakota Sioux tribes, was offered for sale earlier this year. The family that have controlled the land since 1876 - the year that General George Armstrong Custer died - have accepted a bid for the land made by more than half a dozen Sioux tribes. The group, which includes some of the country's poorest people, is now scrambling to raise the $9million needed to buy back the land before next month's deadline, the New York Times reported. Not for sale: Lakota Indians at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, protesting in 2004 against the Government taking away treatied land . Sacred land: The Black Hills was given to the Sioux in 1868 but mountains (pictured) were snatched back by the government after the discovery of gold . The move is the latest in a long and . controversial battle over ownership of the land after the United States . broke several treaties when it took it from the natives. The . government's seizure of the Black Hills was described as one of the . most dishonourable acts in American history in a landmark federal court . decision in 1979. The SIoux . tribes have been blighted by poverty and unemployment for generations. If they cannot raise the money they stand to lose their sacred land as . well as a $900,000 initial payment they put down. Sioux tribal leaders from all over the Great Plains will meet this week to devise a strategy to come up with the remaining $8.1million by November 30. 'Our ceremonial patterns would collapse': The current owners have always allowed the Sioux to access the land for prayer rituals . Way of life: If the Sioux fail in their bid to buy Pe' Sla they say their culture could 'come to an end' The current owners - the Reynolds family - have always allowed the Sioux to access the land for prayer ceremonies. However, if the Sioux fail in their bid to buy Pe' Sla they say their culture could 'come to an end' if the land was bought by an owner who prevented them from visiting, effectively finishing 3,000 years of annual pilgrimages. Victor Douville, who teaches Lakota history and culture . at Sinte Gleska University in Mission, told the New York Times: 'Our ceremonial patterns would . collapse.' Heading the purchase bid is the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. It's treasurer Louis Wayne Boyd said: 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to get some land back that is very, very dear to us. 'Most of the tribes want to do something, but it’s very difficult for them to raise any money, especially of this magnitude.' Gold rush: A prospector in the Black Hills. The site was snatched back from the Sioux when gold was discovered . The Sioux have an ancient association with Pe' Sla, 1,942 acres of prairie in the heart of the Black Hills mountain range. They consider Pe' Sla to be sacred and believe the site was once the setting of an epic battle between good and evil. The Sioux honour this with an annual religious ceremony which welcomes the spring after a long winter. In 1868, the Treaty of Fort Laramie granted them ownership but the mountains were taken back by the federal government when gold was discovered. The area then became a hot spot for prospectors hoping to cash in on the gold rush. The land was homesteaded by the Reynolds, a ranching family, since the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. Despite owning the land where the Lakota perform healing ceremonies, the Reynolds have allowed the Sioux to access the site. However, they divided their 1,940 acres into five tracts which were sold at auction last month. Pictures of the lot show the land to be a remote prairie where wild deer roam. The U.S. Government was accused of using deplorable tactics from drive the Sioux from Pe' Sla before it appropriated the land, including starving them. In 1979, more than 100 years later, the United States Courts of Claims said of the federal government's actions: 'A more ripe . and rank case of dishonourable dealing will never, in all probability, be . found in our history.' A year later, the Supreme Court ordered the government to compensate the Sioux for seizing the Black Hills site, but the tribes refused to accept the money. They believe accepting compensation effectively condones the sale of the mountain and they instead have insisted Black Hills is returned to tribal authority. Despite the fact the government compensation fund has grown to more than $800million as it sits in a bank account accumulating interest, the Sioux have refused to use the money to buy Pe' Sla. | Time is running out for tribes to buy back sacred land taken from them by the U.S. Government .
They have just weeks to come up with remaining $8.1million needed to purchase portion of the Black Hills . |
216,732 | a49645769fd74668a44af4d655e077e66da343d8 | By . Olivia Fleming . PUBLISHED: . 16:11 EST, 30 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:00 EST, 1 December 2012 . As she opens her first ever stand-alone store, the inventor, founder and owner Spanx Sara Blakely has spoke about her company's phenomenal success. Spanx made almost $250 million in sales last year without spending any money on advertising, with women everywhere sharing their love for the slimming under garment through word-of-mouth. And they aren't shy in sharing their love with Ms Blakely herself. The 41-year-old told ABC News: 'I get flashed at airports. I get flashed at restaurants. I get flashed on the street, I mean, it's fantastic.' Scroll down for video . Billion-dollar business: As she opens her first ever stand-alone store, the inventor, founder and owner Spanx Sara Blakely has spoke about her company's phenomenal success . After creating Spanx 13 years ago, Ms Blakely added that she still sometimes can't believe their widespread popularity. She said: 'It's really hard to digest. I'll see these celebrities and they look gorgeous and they'll say, "I love my Spanx" or "it's because of my Spanx," and it's hard for me to absorb, like, that's a product I created. Entrepreneur: Spanx made almost $250 million in sales last year without spending any money on advertising, with women everywhere sharing their love for the slimming under garment through word-of-mouth . Spanx vs no Spanx: Ms Blakely's products re-shape the silhouette, compress, mold, and smooths . 'Our brand has made women feel better, more confident,' she added. 'A . lot of women call it "Spanx strong," like, "when I've got my Spanx on, I . sort of feel like it's my Super Woman outfit."' Spanx was born out of a spontaneous . epiphany. Ms Blakely cut the feet out of her control-top pantyhose for a . smoother look under a pair of cream-colored pants, but when they . continued to roll up her leg, she sought out manufactures who could . help. Brick-and-mortar: Ms Blakely's Success story expanded with her first ever stand alone store which recently opened in Washington . And breathe! Kim Kardashian (left) and Sienna Miller (right) are both well-known for taking to the red carpet in Spanx, giving them much needed comfort in their extravagant and tight fitting dresses . Fans: Tyra Banks (left) and Jessica Alba (right) have both said that Spanx are the quick route to a slim figure . She said : 'Every time I put [the pants] on you could see . the thong. You could see some cellulite on the back of my . thighs and I thought, "what am I supposed to wear under this?" So I cut . the feet out of my pantyhose. Loving Spanx: After creating her slimming product 13 years ago, Ms Blakely says she sometimes can't believe their widespread popularity . 'My rear looked firm. My cellulite had been . smoothed out, but they rolled up my legs all night.' So with . $5,000 in savings from seven years as fax machine salesperson, she started approaching hosiery manufacturers. She said: 'One guy called me after I made the rounds, [and said] that "I have . decided to make your crazy idea." I found out he ran it . by his daughters over dinner and they said, "Dad, help this girl make . it. It's a good idea."' Now, in addition to foot-loose control pantyhose, and the classic shapers that compress, mold, and smoothen, Spanx also makes back fat eliminating bras made out of pantyhose, active wear like yoga pants with built-in tummy tamers, and also fashionable shaping swim suits. There is also a men's collection of body shaping undershirts and underwear. After failing the LSAT entrance exam for law school, her simple idea turned her the Forbes' world's youngest self-made female billionaire, and now Spanx sells more than 200 products in over 13 different countries. She said: 'I was always trying to figure out ways to make money and to do little businesses. My first memory is drawing pictures with my friend on a rainy day and selling them door-to-door. Adding: 'I'm a horrible test taker, thank God, because life had other plans for me. Spanx would not exist if I did great on the LSAT. Now, through her charitable foundation, she has contributed over $1 million to causes that support women to achieve their greater life-long goals and fulfill their own potential. | The 41-year-old billionaire founder has just opened her first store in Washington . |
270,117 | e9d4e49ef7a8bf6d319ea1b8452aa43d9993394b | By . Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 09:22 EST, 28 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:25 EST, 28 May 2013 . When Mark Smith saw police searching for a wanted man in his street he didn’t hesitate to do his civic duty and help them to find him. The suspect was duly arrested – but as Mr Smith looked on from outside his door he was savaged by one of the police dogs in a terrifying ordeal that left him fearing he was going to die. The German Shepherd mauled the father of three’s arm so badly that surgeons likened the injuries to a ‘shark attack’. His left arm was ‘ripped to shreds’ and he may never regain full use of it. Mark Smith who was attacked by a police dog while helping officers catch a wanted man outside his home in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire . To make matters worse, instead of apologising straight away, the police handler said: ‘That’s what my dog does.’ Mr Smith, 45, a brewery worker, is consulting lawyers and will be making a formal complaint. ‘My arm is basically useless,’ he said yesterday. ‘The dog has almost eaten me. I have never experienced power or severity like it. The doctors don’t know if I will get the use back in my arm.’ The incident happened as three police dog handlers were hunting a suspected criminal who had run into back gardens of a cul-de-sac in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, last Thursday morning. Mr Smith had just returned from the bank and saw the suspect go into a neighbour’s garden. He and other residents helped police look for the man. (File picture) Surgeons said Mr Smith's injuries were like those caused by shark attacks following the mauling by a police German Shepherd . When he was found, officers took the dogs out of their van to make the arrest and told Mr Smith to go back to the safety of his drive. The suspect, who had allegedly tried to run down a police officer, was caught and arrested. But Mr Smith was then attacked by one of the dogs as he stood outside his door watching the drama. The 45-year-old brewery worker fears he could loose his arm having been mauled by the dog . He said: ‘Suddenly one of the police dogs, who was not on a lead, appeared from nowhere. It just flew straight at me, it was not growling, not barking. ‘It grabbed me by my left arm and took me to the ground and just started to bite. I can’t describe how horrific it was. I am a big lad and its jaws were completely around my left arm. I could hear my arm crunching and severing. It must have had me for five or ten seconds. I was screaming. ‘I passed out with the pain and I assume the handler managed to call off the dog because I felt the jaws release my arm just as I faded out of consciousness. ‘The attack was brutal. I could hear it crunch and crack, and I’m having trouble sleeping now as I can hear the sounds ringing through my mind. I thought I was going to die, if it had stayed on me much longer then I might have done.’ His wife, who was in their house, was ‘distraught’. Police called an ambulance when they realised Mr Smith was badly injured and he was taken to Leeds General Infirmary. He faces extensive plastic surgery and hospital treatment on his arm. ‘The surgeons have cleaned it and tried to reconstruct it but there are bits missing,’ he said. ‘There are still huge gaps under the bandages.’ The next day an officer phoned Mr Smith to apologise and promised an investigation. A North Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed a member of the public had been bitten by a police dog. ‘The matter has been passed to the force’s Professional Standards Department who will investigate should a complaint be forthcoming,’ he said. The arrested man, 26, was wanted for a breach of a non-molestation order. He was later charged with theft, drug possession and breaching the order . | Mark Smith suffered injuries like those caused by shark attacks .
The 45-year-old was mauled by a police German Shepherd dog .
It happened near his home in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire . |
4,082 | 0bc467a675e5f5980d98d6c94ed2e4fc2a1b0e97 | An iconic pre-war racing car designed by the father of Bentley Motors has sold for £1.5 million at an auction. It was a world record price for the famed British marque at auction. The Lagonda LG45R Rapide - known simply by its registration plate 'EPE 97' - has been described as 'the most famous Lagonda of all'. This beautiful burnt-red two-seater vehicle that could reach 100mph was built in 1936 after Lagonda had appointed W.O. Bentley - the man who started Bentley Motor Cars in 1919 - as their chief designer. Scroll down for video . The Lagonda LG45R Rapide sold for £1.5m when it went under the hammer at the Goodwood Revival weekend . The car could reach speeds of 100mph and competed in races such as the Le Mans 24 Hours . The interior of the car that was built in 1936 and is still in superb working order, making it eligible for many of the most prestigious historic events . Along the car's slender frame, the number three is emblazoned on the driver's side, and wheel trims and the wheel spokes are of a matching shade of red. The right-hand-drive vehicle has been excellently maintained and is in superb working order, making it eligible for many of the most prestigious historic events such as the Le Mans Classic. In its racing life, the EPE 97 was a Fox & Nicholl team car, competing in the 1937 Le Mans 24 Hours, as well as the RAC Tourist Trophy Race and British Racing Drivers' Club 500 Miles. Post-war, the powerful racing car took part in the inaugural Goodwood Nine Hours and has been entered into the Mille Miglia. W.O. Bentley was brought in to help design the car, helping to save Lagonda from financial ruin . Built in 1936, the two-seater is painted in Fox & Nicholl's racing red and has a leather interior . The racing car has been described by car aficionados as the most famous Lagonda of all . The EPE 97 was developed after Lagonda was purchased by businessman Alan Good to help stop their financial decline. Good appointed W.O. Bentley, who was pivotal in transforming the flailing company as the first Lagonda designer to use a V-12 engine. The vehicle's mythology means it is one of few that have come to be known simply by its UK registration number. In its racing life, the EPE 97 was a Fox & Nicholl team car, competing in the 1937 Le Mans 24 Hours, as well as the RAC Tourist Trophy Race and British Racing Drivers' Club 500 Miles . James Knight, Bonhams Group motoring director, said: 'The Lagonda 'EPE 97' captured everyone's attention with its illustrious racing history' The EPE 97 was sold by auctioneers Bonhams at the Goodwood Revival sale, in West Sussex on Saturday . The vehicle has been maintained over the years and is said to be in excellent working order . The EPE 97 was sold for £1,569,500 when it went under the hammer at Bonhams' Goodwood Revival sale. It was among 106 cars and 172 lots of automobilia that were sold at the auction, raising a total of £15.4m. Another world record was broken with the historically significant 1930 OM 665 SS MM Superba with an impeccable competition career including a class win in the 1930 Mille Miglia 1,000-mile road race around Italy. After an intense bidding war, the OM sold far above estimate at £1,255,900 to an in the room bidder. James Knight, Bonhams Group motoring director, said: 'The Lagonda 'EPE 97' captured everyone's attention with its illustrious racing history, but with several star cars, bidders had a huge diversity of motoring to ignite their interest. 'The auction received attention from all around the globe, with bids coming in from the United States, the Far East, and all over Europe - a great sale to end the summer season.' | LG45R Rapide has been dubbed 'the most famous Lagonda of all'
It sold for £1.5m in an auction at the Goodwood Revival this weekend .
It was a world record price for the famed British marque at auction .
Two-seater could reach 100mph and competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours .
W.O. Bentley created car while working as chief designer for Lagonda . |
123,497 | 2ba5417e1ae2f897e911047057b17130f135f963 | Rape victims whose horrific ordeals were filmed by their attackers are 'terrified' the footage may be posted online, after a reported surge in such crimes. Rape Crisis, which supports victims of sexual assault, said in the last 12 months between 50 and 100 women reported that the attacker not only filmed the rape but said it would be posted online for others to see. The abhorrent claims add weight to the charity's campaign to urge the government to urgently close a loophole in the extreme pornography legislation which permits the possession of pornography depicting rape in England and Wales. Terrified: Rape victims whose horrific ordeals were filmed by their attackers may find the footage posted online, after a reported surge in such crimes . Recent research found that, of the top 50 accessible ‘rape porn’ sites found through a Google search, 78 per cent advertise content depicting simulated rape of under 18-year-olds, for example 'schoolgirl rape'. Of the top ten Google search results for ‘free porn’ half the websites host free rape pornography. Sites include terms like ‘brutal rape’, ‘real rape’ and ‘savage rape’ in their web addresses. Further research by the Sunday Times found that blogging websites were another source where rape pornography was being posted. Speaking to the Sunday paper, Rosa Knight, national helpline coordinator at Rape Crisis South London, said: ' Women often talk about their experiences being filmed but it is only recently that they're being told that the films will be disseminated.' She said victims are now 'terrified' they will be recognised online in the videos and friends and family will find out. In a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, signed by 100 supporters - including Deputy Children’s Commissioner Sue Berelowitz - the charity points out that two recently convicted rapists and murderers - Mark Bridger and Stuart Hazell - used violent and misogynistic pornography as part of their murders of young girls. Recent research found that, of the top 50 accessible 'rape porn' sites found through a Google search, 78 per cent advertise content depicting simulated rape of under 18-year-olds . It also draws attention to the fact that the possession of rape pornography is already criminalised in Scotland where law-makers took its harm into account when legislating. Research conducted by the charity's South London branch into freely available online ‘rape porn’ found descriptions including ‘young schoolgirls abducted and cruelly raped. Hear her screams’; ‘little schoolgirl raped by teacher’; ‘tiny girl sleep rape’; and ‘girl raped at gunpoint’. The charity wants legislature to change to prevent the legal possession of such pornography. David Cameron, however, has put the onus on Internet companies such as Google to regulate what content they make available. He has called on companies to do more to root out such 'disgusting images' and will meet with industry on June 17 to discuss a way forward to clean up the web. Rape Crisis campaigner Fiona Elvines, who has conducted research into what is currently available online legally in England and Wales, said allowing simulated rape online 'glorifies' sexual violence. She said the 2008 legislation on extreme pornography was brought in to address the way the internet had changed the distinctions between 'publishing, distributing and possessing some kinds of pornography'. She said the law was intended to protect the public from harm by criminalising the possession of pornography which depicts life-threatening injury, serious injury to anus/breasts/genitals, bestiality or necrophilia. 'It is a serious omission not to have included images depicting rape and other non-consensual acts as they did in Scotland,' Elvines said. 'This is not about making a distinction between real and simulated rape and child sexual abuse, with the latter being perfectly lawful to possess as long as it is "fantasy" and actors are over 18. 'Permitting the possession of depictions of sexual violence as entertainment glorifies, trivialises and normalises such abuse – at a time when government statistics estimate that 85,000 women and girls are raped each year.' The letter to the Prime Minister also cites a recent report of the Children’s Commissioner on young people’s, especially boys’, exposure to pornography and its links to harmful attitudes and behaviours. Porn searches: : Of the top ten Google search results for 'free porn' half the websites host free rape pornography. Sites include terms like 'brutal rape', 'real rape' and 'savage rape' in their web addresses . Rape Crisis urges David Cameron to consider reform in order that other Government work on tackling violence against women and girls is not undermined. Professor Clare McGlynn of Durham University, an expert in this area of law, told the charity: 'The extreme pornography legislation is in urgent need of reform. The current law excludes the vast majority of pornographic images of rape. 'This is not a simplistic argument about rape pornography causing rape. It is undeniable that the proliferation and tolerance of such images and the messages they convey contributes to a cultural climate where sexual violence is condoned. 'Closing this loophole would not be difficult. Together with Erika Rackley at Durham University we have drafted changes to the law, and we believe that there would be huge public support for a swift change in the law. We await the Prime Minister’s response.' | Up to 100 cases reported in the last 12 months .
Victims' charity urges David Cameron to change law loophole that permits porn 'depicting rape'
Campaigner says such porn 'glorifies' sexual assault and was used by murderers Mark Bridger and Stuart Hazell . |
221,941 | ab462eddaf53097728868f7fd2ccf616fac9fb58 | Sumatra, Indonesia (CNN) -- A loud crack echoes throughout the canopy as two young orangutans come tumbling down, grasping at branches along the way to break their fall. They recover and sheepishly scamper back up. This is lesson one of jungle school here in the forests of central Sumatra, one of the few places where orangutans are being successfully rehabilitated into the wild. "They have to learn that their whole environment is completely different from the cage," says Peter Pratje of the Frankfurt Zoological Society. "They have to learn that branches and small trees -- the size of bars in the cage -- don't carry them any longer. They bend and break." "During the first phase of this jungle training, they are very often falling out of the trees because they use rotten branches." The two youngsters swing awkwardly between the trees. On the ground below, their trainers keep a watchful eye and try to coax them toward fruit trees. Learning to forage is another crucial lesson in survival. Back in the massive enclosure, the orangutans undergo enrichment exercises to keep their minds occupied and prolong their feeding time. Success here is critical. Scientists say the Sumatran orangutan will be the first great ape to go extinct. "The orangutan is an extremely vulnerable species because they have a very slow breeding cycle. Usually an orangutan stays for around 7 to 9 years with its mother," Pratje says. "Besides natural mortality, if there is only a little increase in mortality over a longer time already it drives an orangutan population to extinction." The numbers of Sumatran orangutans have already dwindled to around 6,000. The main reason for that is habitat destruction. Sumatra has lost 85 percent of its natural forest, mainly due to palm oil and pulp and paper companies, scientists say. The sanctuary, a Frankfurt Zoological Project, is just outside the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. The lowlands surrounding it are an ideal habitat for orangutans, and it's where those that have been released are choosing to build their habitats. According to the environmental group WWF, it's also home to the endangered Sumatran elephant and a quarter of the critically endangered Sumatran tigers left in the wild. But the area, which is not currently protected, is being threatened by pulp and paper companies that want to see the region turned into plantations. So far the government has rejected logging permits, but unless this is declared a conservation area, Pratje and other conservationists fear that could change. So far, more than 100 orangutans have been released here, with just over a dozen more in various stages of training. Pratje has lived here since he established the sanctuary seven years ago, dedicating his entire life to this project. "It's like fighting for a member of my family," he says. "I love them because they are smart, smarter than other great apes." But he says the fight is not just about the extinction of a species. The orangutan has become the ambassador for the threatened rainforest. "If we sacrifice these forests, we may sacrifice our chances for getting medicine for important diseases," he says. "The problem is there is no second chance. If you shut down an ecosystem that is hundreds of years old, you can't regrow it any longer. "So this is the last chance." | Peter Pratje says orangutans in Sumatra are threatened by pulp and paper companies .
He's working to introduce orangutans back into the wild .
"The orangutan is an extremely vulnerable species," Pratje says . |
285,408 | fdd5036955b45f107b7f65453a33bdee2fdab824 | Events company Secret Cinema has said it will hold a simultaneous screening of an as-yet unannounced film in London, Rome and San Francisco on Sunday to "protest against censorship." Secret Cinema has not specified what has prompted its move. But its announcement follows the decision by Sony Pictures this week to cancel the release of its movie "The Interview" after a cyberattack and threats against moviegoers from a group of North Korea-backed hackers. Critics have slammed that decision as caving to hackers and muzzling free speech. Washington outraged over Sony decision . The Secret Cinema screening is being held in partnership with the global free speech campaign group Article 19. "Secret Cinema passionately believes in the freedom to create and is looking for partners to join them in hosting a screening that will happen simultaneously across the globe," a Facebook page created for the event says. "The film, for the moment is secret. "Please come dressed in a dark suit, and bring a small gift for a stranger." Any proceeds raised from the London event -- to be held at an as-yet undisclosed location in the capital's east -- will go to Article 19, Secret Cinema said. Tickets go on sale Friday. The company urged anyone else around the world who wants also to hold a screening to get in touch. Balloon activists vow to send copies of 'The Interview' "The Interview," which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy with a plot that involves a plan to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. U.S. officials say they think the attack on Sony was ordered by North Korea's angry leadership. North Korea's government has denied responsibility for the crippling hack, even as its state news agency applauded it as a "righteous deed." North Korea deep into cyberwarfare, defector says . Three U.S. movie theaters -- the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Dallas-Fort Worth, the Plaza Atlanta Theatre and Cleveland's Capitol Theatre -- planned to screen "Team America: World Police" instead of "The Interview." But Paramount Pictures canceled that, too, the theaters said. A spokeswoman for Paramount declined to comment. Released a decade ago, "Team America: World Police" used puppets to lampoon Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, memorably featuring him singing about his loneliness at the top of the despotic state. | Secret Cinema announces a simultaneous screening in London, San Francisco, Rome .
The screening is being held "to "protest against censorship," Secret Cinema says .
Sony canceled plans to release "The Interview" next week after a cyberattack, threats .
Secret Cinema has not yet disclosed what film will be shown . |
206,026 | 96b2938d62d039bf21b63e473120806cf660245c | Ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is believed to be hiding out near the western town of Ghadamis under the protection of Tuareg fighters, an interim government military spokesman told CNN Tuesday. "We have reliable information that Gadhafi is protected by the Tuareg tribe located between Niger, Algeria and Ghadamis town in Libya," said Col. Abdul Basit. He said Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam is in Bani Walid, and another son, Mutassim, is in Sirte. Both cities remain contested. Basit did not say how the interim government discovered Gadhafi's putative whereabouts, and his assertions could not be verified. The National Transitional Council has made similar claims that proved false. Ghadamis is in western Libya, on the border with Algeria. Tuareg tribesmen have helped Gadhafi loyalists escape Libya across the expanses of the Sahel. During his rule, Gadhafi often turned to the nomadic Tuareg to bolster his forces and his attempts to manipulate and destabilize the poor countries to the south of Libya: Niger, Chad and Mali. The International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, has issued arrest warrants for Moammar and Saif al-Islam Gadhafi. They are wanted for alleged crimes against humanity committed after the start of the Libyan uprising in February. After the fall of Tripoli to revolutionary forces, messages purportedly from Gadhafi were aired on Syrian-based television Al-Rai. The longtime dictator has not been seen in public for months. Libya's new leadership has been meeting in Benghazi to discuss the formation of an interim government. Meanwhile, battles are still raging in Sirte and Bani Walid; NATO estimates that 200,000 of Libya's 6 million people are still under threat from Gadhafi's supporters. Near Bani Walid's front line, senior National Transitional Council field commander Daou Al-Salhine Al Jadak was killed Tuesday, said Abdulla Kenshill, a spokesman in Bani Walid. "A rocket struck a truck transporting Al Jadak and six of his aides," Kenshill said Wednesday. "They are all Libyan martyrs of the revolution." He described the humanitarian situation in Bani Walid as "really bad" and said 30,000 of the city's residents had fled toward Tripoli and 12,000 toward Sabha, in the south. Neither side appeared to be making headway in Bani Walid, he said. "There are spies among our revolutionaries who send our coordinates to the snipers and Gadhafi loyalists firing from inside Bani Walid, and the proof is that their attacks have been precisely targeted," said Emad Ziglam, a field commander of the Tripoli rebels fighting outside Bani Walid. "The mistake was mixing the rebel units. We should not have allowed fighters from Benghazi among others to join in, since we do not know them all. There are definitely traitors among us." Thousands of people have fled the fighting in Sirte, the birthplace of Gadhafi, where the strongman retains a following. The National Transitional Council said that about 100 families left the city Wednesday. It also said Sirte was surrounded by revolutionary fighters but estimated that about 5,000 pro-Gadhafi fighters remained within the city. Transitional council military commanders Jamal al-Raies and Mohammed Ismael said its forces would wait a few days before starting any major offensive on the city in order to give civilians there more time to leave. Col. Ahmed Bani said anti-Gadhafi forces had taken control of the northern part of Sirte as well as its airport, its seaport and the Gardabya military base. | National Transitional Council commander is killed .
Moammar Gadhafi is believed to be near Ghadamis, a military spokesman says .
His sons are believed to be hiding in Sirte and Bani Walid .
Interim council claims have turned out to be false before . |
64,815 | b815e22b7903e8ab7e8876b1fff4f1c0b4633566 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 19:02 EST, 18 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:53 EST, 19 November 2013 . England's World Cup team don't even know yet who they'll face in Brazil next summer - but they have been told they won't be getting a good reception. That's because the nation's stars have been booked in to a 'luxury' hotel that's been panned online and branded 'appalling' and smelly by guests. The Royal Tulip Hotel in Rio de Janeiro will be England's base for the 2014 World Cup, where Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and co will stay as they prepare for matches. Smelly: The open drain carrying human waste past the front of the Royal Tulip Hotel in Rio . England's base: The Royal Tulip Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was booked by the Football Association . But guests say the stench from the open drain that carries raw human waste past the front of it is disgusting and have complained about the rear view of Brazil's biggest slum. The Royal Tulip, which has been heavily criticised in reviews on online travel site TripAdvisor, was previously called the Rio InterContinental. Then in 2010 a female guest was killed in its foyer when rival drug gangs fought a gun battle there, The Sun reported. Guests have also complained about the dirt-encrusted patio windows, jammed windows, fittings coated in rust and light sockets being wedged into ceiling holes with tissues. Its rear apartments look out over the Rochina slum which is home to 70,000 people including some of Brazil's most notorious gangsters. One reviewer, from Aberdeen, wrote on TripAdvisor: 'I am staying here as I write this 26/10/13 in room 809 and I am appalled . at the absolutely dirty room they gave me today. Shabby: A broken and rusty door lock on a balcony of the Royal Tulip Hotel . Luxury? A light fitting wedged into the ceiling with tissue paper . The hotel's rear apartments look out over the Rochina slum which is home to 70,000 people . 'I could write my name . in the mirror and it really was appalling, everything was dirty and . covered in dust, this does not happen overnight so it has not been . cleaned for a long time or even checked, the 8th floor also smells when . you enter it due to lack of cleaning. 'I will make sure my company ensures that no one stays in this filthy Royal Tulip again, never mind the English football team! 'Sorry Royal Tulip but you really are the worst hotel I have stayed in for over two . years, never again.' 'In the room, it still seems the last maintenance was last century. The door locker is waiting to fall, the windows don't close completely... And then, there is the front desk. Probably the worst customer service in the country, and by some margin. Nothing royal - a good hotel for Soviet Union in the 70s.' - VudeSingapour, Singapore . 'Everything you have heard about this place is right - if what you heard was horrible. An open sewer outside the place insures that the following is literally true: this hotel stinks...the carpets were so wretched we gave up doing yoga...' - r2croak, New York . 'All in all a pretty nerve wrecking place with bad service but expensive in turn. Unfortunately cannot recommend!' - Hook00, Milan . 'Huge deception. This hotel has the worst possible internet service! It has been under works for ages and the pool is just big enough to wash a shirt... the terrible joke is that it pretends to have 5*!' - R O, Lisbon . 'Employes (sic) not very caring a little attitude I may say, surrounding area is dangerous, the beach dirty some days, my bathroom water came out black a couple of times, would not recommend' - igr2271, Miami . A battered and food-stained old sofa in one of the apartments at the hotel the England team will stay at . Needs a revamp: A mottled blue Queen Anne chair smeared with stains . Unfinished window fittings at the Royal Tulip, which has been panned by guests on online review sites . Another guest, from Danville, Pennsylvania, said: 'I have travelled all over the world. I have never stayed anywhere worse. 'The staff was extremely rude, never helpful. They kept billing us for . things we never purchased, and when questioned about it, claimed they . could not help us. 'They recommended a driver that charged about five times a . cab, then failed to pick us up after dropping us off. DO NOT STAY HERE.' The inside of one of the apartments showing a light fitting sticking out of the ceiling . Not looking good: World Cup hopeful Ross Barkley (left) and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney face staying in a smelly hotel if they make the team for next year's World Cup . Football Association bosses plan to use Rio as a central base before and between fixtures at the World Cup. England will find out who they will play and where until the draw for the group stage of the competition on December 6. An FA spokesman confirmed to The Sun that England will stay at the Royal Tulip and it is believed the hotel will be refurbished in time for the event. The hotel declined to comment. | The Royal Tulip Hotel in Rio de Janeiro has been panned on TripAdvisor .
Guests have complained about the stench, rusty fittings and the service .
In 2010 a woman was killed in its foyer when gangs fought a gun battle .
Its rear apartments look out over the Rochina slum, home to 70,000 people . |
49,163 | 8adb76aee0ef1f9119d24545f2a68569cd5e3f2d | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 11:04 PM on 16th February 2012 . The stepbrother of a severely malnourished teen found walking barefoot in the cold near her home wearing pyjamas was today charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting her from her 10th birthday. The 18-year-old man allegedly began the assaults on the 15-year-old girl in the same year she claims her father and stepmother began confining her to the basement of her home in Wisconsin. The girl's father, 40, and stepmother, 42, were charged with child abuse, reckless endangerment and neglecting a child. All three accused appeared in a Wisconsin court on Thursday for a hearing. Mugshots: The girl's stepmother, left, and father, right, were both arrested in connection with the case . The stepbrother sexually assaulted . the girl in December 2006, the month she turned 10, and again from . February 2009 to February 2010, prosecutors say. He was charged with . child sexual assault. Robert Burke, defending, said the . parents have strong ties to the community. Bail was set by the court at . $22,500 for the father, $30,000 for the stepmother and $25,000 for the . girl's stepbrother. Meanwhile astonishing details emerged . of how child protection services has dealt with eight reports of . abuse against the malnourished teenage girl found walking the streets . barefoot. It comes as the girl’s neighbours . revealed today that she rarely left her home in Wisconsin - but when she . did emerge, she would scavenge through rubbish bins and eat discarded . scraps. The 15-year-old - allegedly forced to stay in a basement for six years and eat her own faeces - was found walking in Wisconsin last Monday, with purple bare feet and a bleeding face. In only one of the eight reports - . from when the girl was aged just months old in 1997 - maltreatment was . 'substantiated’, according to State Department of Children & . Families records sent to MailOnline. But in three reports, ‘maltreatment . was 'unsubstantiated’ - and three others were ‘screened out’ by officials. Two of those saw health services officials ‘refer the family to a . community service provider’. The eighth report was filed last Monday when the girl was found walking in the streets of Wisconsin. 'A report is screened out if the agency determines that the reported information or allegation does not meet the legal definition of abuse or neglect,' a State Department of Children & Families spokesman told MailOnline. She added that the opposite is when 'a report of alleged maltreatment that meets the legal definition of abuse or neglect has been received by the agency and has been screened in for investigation and assessment of the family'. Neighbour Mark Stuntebeck said he called . child protection in the last two years after he saw her taking . out the rubbish and scavenging through it, but doesn't know if anyone . ever followed up. ‘She seemed to be hiding and munching . on crumbs or remnants of something,’ said Mr Stuntebeck, 44, who lives . next door. But he wasn’t the only neighbour to think there was something . wrong. In court: The girl told police she was let out of the basement to 'clean some papers' for her mother, who became angry because she wasn't doing it fast enough and threatened to throw her down the stairs . Melissa Clark, 38, said the girl . rarely came outside but she could hear her family berating her inside . the house. Ms Clark's mother, who was visiting last year, noticed the . girl and called child protection. She doesn't know if anything was done. The girl’s parents once yelled at her for showing too much skin when . she was bent over and her blouse hung off her, Ms Clark, who lives . across the street, said. Investigation: The stepbrother was also arrested by local police for an alleged probation violation . ‘It was horrible,’ she said. ‘She was . treated like Cinderella.’ A police spokesman said on Wednesday . that the teen, who weighed 70lbs when she was found, was getting medical . treatment and is being held in protective custody. The malnourished girl told authorities . she had been forced to stay in the unfinished basement of her father . and stepmother's home since 2006 and that an alarm would sound if she . went upstairs. She allegedly ate what she could find . in the rubbish and had to eat her own faeces and drink her urine - but . if she was caught eating without permission, she had to throw it out or . vomit it back up. The allegations came to light after . Mike Vega, 31, saw the girl walking in thin pyjamas, barefoot and crying . on a cold afternoon last Monday. ‘It was the most shocking thing I have . ever seen,’ he said. She was bleeding from a gash on her . nose and other small scrapes and was so scrawny Mr Vega mistook her for . an 8-year-old. He called police. ‘I've never seen anybody look like . that,’ he said. A doctor quoted in police reports said . what the girl went through before she was found by Mr Vega - who lives . about a mile from the teen and her family - amounted to ‘torture.’ Shocked: Mike Vega points to the pavement in Wisconsin, where he discovered the 15-year-old girl . Mr Vega was driving on a busy street . when he saw her. As he slowly passed her, he looked through his . rear-view mirror and saw her bare feet. He backed up, and she told him . she needed help. 'It was the most shocking thing I have ever seen. I've never seen anybody look like that' Mike Vega, 31, who found girl on street . Once inside his car, she was scared at . first, but Mr Vega said she became more comfortable after he showed her . photos of his three young sons and a Mary Poppins video on his mobile . phone. According to police records, the girl . claimed she was let out of the basement that day to ‘clean some papers’ for her stepmother, who had become angry because she wasn't working fast . enough. The teen told Mr Vega the stepmother . threw her back downstairs but she managed to escape out a window. Mr . Vega said she told him she feared the woman would throw her down the . stairs again. She said she had threatened to . kill her. Mr Vega said the girl ‘wasn't crying, wasn't hysterical’. ‘But . it wasn't nonchalant either,’ he added. ‘You could see fear in her eyes. It was very disturbing.’ Barbara Knox, a physician quoted in . the police reports, told officers the malnutrition the girl suffered . ‘poses a significant risk of death’ and that chronic starvation had . caused her puberty to be arrested. The physician at the American Family . Children's Hospital in Wisconsin also said that the girl would . be at high risk for other disorders and complications that can lead to . death. 'It was horrible. She was treated like Cinderella' Melissa Clark, 38, neighbour . The teen said her stepmother . home-schooled her using a third-grade workbook, according to the . affidavit. Two other minors in the home were . taken into protective custody, police said. Police did encounter the girl in 2007, . when someone alleged she might have been molested by a relative. The . girl did not corroborate the allegation and her family was not . cooperative, police said. She appeared healthy at the time, . police said. The girl's father allegedly gave medical reasons for her . condition last week - but a hospital social worker told police there was . likely much more to it. Her stepmother has owned the Wisconsin home since 2005 and reportedly bought it from Christian affordable . housing organisation Habitat for Humanity, who performed a background . check of her. | Wisconsin teenager found walking streets barefoot in pyjamas last week .
'Beaten, starved and even forced to eat own faeces and drink own urine'
Tells police she found what she could on floor and in rubbish to consume .
Two neighbours say they called child protection after seeing girl outside .
Claimed seeing 15-year-old scavenge through bins and berated by parents .
Driver who found girl calmed her down by showing pictures of his children . |
59,869 | aa169f27bb8d8b6f874c7eda5fc9daad0ab342a5 | By . Sophie Borland . Last updated at 8:07 AM on 8th December 2011 . Benchmarks: Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, wants NHS doctors and hospitals to be graded . Andrew Lansley was yesterday accused of creating a ‘recipe for chaos’ after introducing more than 60 performance goals despite a previous promise to scrap targets. The Health Secretary unveiled a series of benchmarks - designed to save more than 10,000 lives, and that he claims will measure whether patient care is improving by covering a range of treatments across the NHS. When Mr Lansley took over as health secretary last year he promised to ‘free’ the NHS from unnecessary targets to enable doctors to concentrate more on patient care. He abolished a series of goals brought in by Labour, including the four-hour wait in A&E. And he has insisted that his new measures are different as they focus on patient results. In a speech at Guy’s hospital in Central London yesterday, Mr Lansley promised to ‘dispense with the jargon’, adding: ‘We make it clear that the NHS has one ambition and one ambition alone – improving results for patients.’ However Labour health spokesman Andy Burnham said: ‘Doctors and nurses will roll their eyes in sheer disbelief at this news. This is inept and no way to run the NHS. It’s a recipe for complexity and chaos when the NHS needs to be allowed to get on with the job.’ Figures on hospital death rates, the . performances of GPs and surgeons and patients’ experiences will be . published as part of the NHS Outcomes Framework. The Government's reforms of the NHS "continue to cause chaos" on the ground, doctors leaders said today. The British Medical Association (BMA), which opposes the Health and . Social Care Bill in its entirety, said changes taking place now before . legislation has even been passed are "chaotic and poorly co-ordinated". Groups of GPs have been told they must form groups to determine how the . NHS budget is spent but, according to the BMA, they are being told they . are too small. Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA, said: 'There has been a growing . level of unease about how the reforms are panning out - we hear repeated . concerns from doctors about mounting chaos on the ground. 'For example, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), that had initially . been told they'd have freedom to form to suit their local communities, . are now being told they're too small and have to re-form. 'People are still unclear how primary care will be managed as we don't . yet know where staff currently working in primary care trust 'clusters' will eventually be based or if they'll have jobs at all. 'Even at this stage, there are still unanswered questions about what . statutory functions some bodies will have, making planning very . difficult. 'Guidance is being issued that is overly restrictive and more and more . bureaucracy is being created to try to deal with issues which should . have been dealt with at the beginning. 'A huge amount of time, energy, money and commitment has been wasted because of a lack of a clear plan from the outset.' The sixty indicators will replace . the former target-led system and will include a focus on improving . cancer survival and a zero-tolerance approach to hospital-acquired . infections such as MRSA. The plans are designed to ensure patients are treated with dignity by measuring the ‘responsiveness’ of staff to patient needs. They aim to improve women’s and . families’ experiences of maternity services, increase the number of . people who can access an NHS dentist and help older people recover . independence after illness. Under the plans, fewer people with . long-term conditions like asthma and diabetes will be treated in . hospitals, and patients undergoing hip and knee operations will receive . better care. An indicator on carers who look after sick and elderly relatives is also included. Mr Lansley said: ‘We have to clear the decks and be clear this is what we are focusing on. ‘People say in three and a half years’ time, in 2015, at the next election, how will we know whether you’ve . succeeded or not? The answer is, “Have the outcomes improved?” ‘It will be my failure if we haven’t . improved them and the NHS should feel that it has not succeeded, that is . what we are setting out to do.’ The Government will publish details of . the current performance for each of the sixty benchmarks next week. National targets from improvement will then be set out by the time of . the next election. Today, the Government will publish for . the first time data comparing patients' experiences at individual GPs' surgeries, including recovery times. It is hoped that revealing the . information will force up standards by allowing patients to choose to . avoid poorly performing doctors or institutions. Where performance falls below minimum . requirements the NHS Commissioning Board and Care Quality Commission . will intervene to drive up quality, although how this will work in . practice is unclear. The aim of the plan is also to move away from a focus on targets, such as those for waiting times introduced under Labour. However, patients will still have the . right to prompt treatment within 18 weeks of referral by their GP as set . out in the NHS Constitution. Held to account: Nurses and other NHS staff will be judged against nearly 60 tough new goals designed to save more than 20,000 lives a year . Mr Lansley hopes the framework will . also provide reassurance to parliamentarians about the accountability of . the Health Secretary for the NHS. There have been concerns that the . Health and Social Care Bill, currently going through the Lords, . dramatically weakens accountability of the secretary of state. Mr Lansley also hopes the plan will . provide a much greater level of NHS accountability by allowing better . comparison with other health systems around the world. The NHS has been criticised for lagging behind other countries in areas such as cancer survival. Ministers will be expected hold the . health service to account on delivering increasing improvements across . all areas in the new framework. Where performance falls below minimum . requirements they will intervene to drive up quality, although how this . will work in practice is as yet unclear. The framework will also draw on . existing information collected about the NHS to reduce the potential for . 'administrative burden'. PREMATURE DEATH . 1. Numbers of extra years that, on average, a person could have lived if given access to timely and effective health care. 2-3. Life expectancy at 75, for men and women. 4-7. Mortality rates in under-75s from cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, liver disease and cancer. 8-13. One and five-year survival rates for colorectal (bowel), breast and lung cancer. 14. Mortality rate in under-75s, above the normal, in adults with serious mental illness. 15-17. Rates of infant mortality, neonatal mortality and stillbirths. 18. Mortality rate in under-75s, above the normal, in adults with learning disabilities. QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH LONG-TERM CONDITIONS . 19. Health-related quality of life for people with long-term conditions. 20. Proportion of people feeling supported to manage their condition. 21. Employment of people with long-term conditions. 22-26. Unplanned hospital admissions . in adults with conditions like asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, congestive . heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 27-29. Unplanned hospitalisation for asthma, diabetes and epilepsy in under-19s. 30. The health-related quality of life for carers. 31. Employment of people with mental illness. 32. Quality of life for people with dementia. HELPING PEOPLE RECOVER AFTER ILL HEALTH OR INJURY . 33. Emergency hospital admissions for acute conditions (ie, injury or . sudden onset of ill health) that should not usually require hospital . admission. 34. Emergency readmissions to hospital within 30 days of discharge. 35-37. Health improvements following pre-planned operations for hip and knee replacements, groin hernia, and varicose veins. 38. Numbers of children who have to be admitted to hospital due to very bad chest (lower respiratory tract) infections. 39. Degree of recovery from injuries and trauma. 40 Degree of recovery six months after a stroke. 41. Degree of recovery after brittle-bone fractures, namely the . proportion recovering previous levels of mobility after 30 days and 120 . days. 42. Proportion of over-65s still at home 91 days after being discharged. 43. Proportion of over-65s offered rehabilitation after discharge from general or community hospital. PATIENT EXPERIENCE . 44. Patient experience of GP services; GP out-of-hours services; NHS dental services; hospital care (overarching indicators). 45. Patient experience of outpatient services. 46. How well hospitals respond to in-patients' personal needs (ie, basic care such as help with eating and going to the toilet). 47. Patient experience of A&E. 48. Ease of access to GP services and NHS dental services. 49. Women's experience of maternity services. 50. A measure of the experience of end-of-life care (by asking bereaved carers). 51. Patient experience of community mental health services. 52. Children's/young people's experience of health care. TREATING PEOPLE SAFELY . 53. Reported patient safety incidents. 54. Safety incidents involving severe harm or death. 55. Incidence of hospital-related venous thromboembolism (VTE), a type of serious blood clot. 56. Incidence of health care-associated MRSA and Clostridium difficile infection. 57. Incidence of serious pressure ulcers, often acquired due to staying in hospital beds and not being moved often enough. 58. Incidence of medication errors causing serious harm. 59. Admission of full-term babies to neonatal care. 60. Incidence of harm to children due to 'failure to monitor' their condition. | Sixty indicators to replace old target-led system .
Focus will be on improving .
cancer survival with a zero-tolerance approach to hospital infections such as MRSA . |
53,917 | 98dc37fcdfde687a27f7dce05aec771dbc777e62 | By . Travelmail Reporter . Britain's first ever left-hand driving school has been declared a sell-out success. The one-off course, designed to give Britons the confidence to get behind the wheel on holiday, launches today, with further classes planned if demand continues. The new school, which opens in London, can't come soon enough, with more than a quarter of Britons saying they are afraid of driving on the right hand side of the road. It's a sign: A third of Britons say they don't research the rules of the road before travelling . A poll conducted by Skyscanner, which set up the school, also found that 36 per cent of drivers don't even bother to research overseas driving laws before embarking on their journey. During the classes, drivers will learn to understand confusing overseas road signs as 16 per cent say this is one of their top fears. Drivers also get a chance to use cars with the controls on the other side as one in ten (nine per cent) admit this is their number one concern. The classes, hosted in London's Brixton, will see drivers learning to take the wheel on the left side of the car to prepare them for hiring cars on holiday this summer. On track: The driving school aims to give Britons confidence to get behind the wheel on holiday . Skyscanner's Mary Porter said: 'With two-thirds of the world's countries driving on the right-hand side we want to give British holidaymakers the confidence they need to drive overseas. 'Rules and regulations vary from country to country so we've also published a guide to provide some clarity for drivers - including top tips on driving on the opposite side of the road. 'There is so much to discover off the beaten track so we hope people make the most of it without the fear of driving abroad.' 1. Repeat the phrase 'drive on the right' and remember you want to always be closest to the middle of the road. 2. On a dual carriageway or motorway remember that the 'fast' lane is the . far left lane and the 'slow' lane is the far right lane. As a beginner, . it's worth sticking to the right lane and take it slowly until you have . built up your confidence. 3. When approaching a roundabout remember that you must give way to the left and drive anti-clockwise around them. 4. It is important to remember that the most dangerous turn is now the . left-hand turn because it crosses the other lane of traffic. 5. Having a co-pilot can be a help. A backseat driver can be more of a help . than a hindrance because a reminder to stay on the correct side is . certainly welcome as is any help navigating. 6. If you're headed to . Nice this summer, remember to carry a breathalyser in the car as it's a . legal requirement for all motorists in France. 7. In some cities in . Spain, cars must be parked on different sides of the road according to . the day of the week so check before you pull up to a spot. 8. If . you're planning a holiday in Spain or the Canary Islands and you wear . glasses, the driving laws require you to carry an additional pair when . driving. 9. In most cities in Portugal and Italy cars must be parked . in the direction of traffic so if you're visiting this summer remember . to follow the locals and don't be caught out. 10. The USA is a popular country for road-trips but it's important to . remember rules vary from state to state so it's worth checking before . you arrive. One law, regardless of state, is that it is illegal to pass a . stopped school bus, whichever direction you're travelling in. A driving abroad guide has also been produced, detailing national speed limits for other countries, unusual road signs and driving laws. For instance, it informs drivers they must have their own breathalyser in France and must park their car in the direction of traffic in some Italian and Portuguese cities. The UK’s first left-hand driving school has launched after it’s revealed more than a quarter of holidaymakers are afraid to drive abroad. The course, to be held in Brixton, London, includes familiarisation with foreign road signs and roundabouts to build Brits’ confidence of taking a road trip while away. Skyscanner is teaming up with driving instructors to offer free classes to travellers looking for practice and advice before getting behind the wheel overseas. Nervous drivers: A quarter of Brits say they are not confident to get behind the wheel while on holiday . 1. Not recognising road signs2. Getting lost3. Going around roundabouts4. Trying to navigate 5. Driving on the other side of road . The move comes after research revealed 27 per cent of Brits admitted to being afraid of driving on the opposite side of the road. The survey of 1,084 adults also showed 36 per cent admit they don't research driving laws before driving abroad and 24 per cent would prefer their partners to drive. Skyscanner's Mary Porter said: ‘With two-thirds of the world's countries driving on the right-hand side of the road we wanted to give British holidaymakers the confidence they need to drive overseas. ‘Rules and regulations vary from country to country so we've also published a guide to provide some clarity for drivers including top tips on driving on the opposite side of the road. ‘There is so much to discover off the beaten track so we hope people make the most of it without the fear of driving abroad.’ Unfamiliar signs: Not understanding road signs is a top fear for Brits driving abroad . The guide includes a list of national speed limits for UK's most popular holiday destinations and also a list of unusual road signs they may come across as this is cited as the most fearful part of driving overseas. There are also top tips on how to drive on the right as well as a list of some of the more unusual driving laws from across the globe. Classes will run on Saturday, July 12 in Brixton, London and are subject to availability. Those looking to take part in the left-hand driving school can apply for a class via the Skyscanner website, www.skyscanner.net. | Skyscanner offers its first day of classes on European driving .
School comes as a quarter of Brits say they're too scared to drive abroad .
36% say they don't research the rules of the road in Europe . |
109,289 | 18df884c46c15aba0f27d24e907a99991996b18f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . For those lucky enough, or patient enough, to get into Yayoi Kusama's latest exhibition, I Who Have Arrived in Heaven at New York's David Zwirner Gallery, they have just 45 seconds to capture the moment. Only one person at a time is permitted into the exhibition's Infinity Mirrored Room - The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, lined with colored LED bulbs. But despite the nearly eight-hour-long wait to get into the exhibition, both tourists and eager New Yorker's alike are lining up in order to take just one envy-inducing selfie. Only one person at a time is permitted into Yayoi Kusama's latest exhibition's mirror-lined room, hung with colored LED bulbs, called Infinity Mirrored Room - The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away . Currently, there are 2,586 hashtags for #DavidZwirner on Instagram, 1,045 for #DavidZwirnerGallery, and 1,354 for #IHaveArrivedinHeaven. The average wait to get into the gallery can run anywhere from four hours on a weekday, and double that on a weekend. And with the exhibition's last day, December 21, fast approaching, the line is set to get even longer. 'The line is definitely getting longer,' David Zwirner Gallery's manager Anita Ragusa told MailOnline, adding that it is several hours long before they even open the doors. She advises that people 'bundle up and arrive as early as possible' to catch the exhibition before it closes at midday on Saturday. 'The earliest that someone has lined up is 7.30am,' she added. Encompassing a cube-shaped, mirror-paneled room that features a shallow reflecting pool as its floor, The Infinity Mirrored Room features hundreds of multicolored LED lights are suspended at varying heights from the ceiling. The average wait to get into the gallery can run anywhere from four hours on a weekday, and double that on a weekend. And with the exhibition's last day, December 21, fast approaching, the line is set to get even longer . They flicker on and off in a strobe-like effect, producing an illumination of the space and a repetitive pattern of reflections that suggest endlessness . 'and ultimately invoke concepts of life and death,' the exhibition's press notes explained. The exhibition's second most photographed mirrored room, Love Is Calling, also known as 'the tentacle room,' where phallic forms resemble large polka-dot sea urchins, is also a main draw. But the show also features 27 new large-scale paintings alongside a recent video installation by the 84-year-old Japanese artist, which span the gallery's two adjacent locations on 19th street in Chelsea. Here there is no line. Kusama’s work has transcended two of the most important art movements of the second half of the twentieth century: pop art and minimalism. Her career spans paintings, performances, room-size presentations, outdoor sculptural installations, literary works, films, fashion, design, and interventions within existing architectural structures. The exhibition’s title, I Who Have Arrived In Heaven, aims to reflect the artist’s long-standing interest in cosmic realms, while at the same time presenting a link to her artistic production from the past six decades. | Yayoi Kusama's latest exhibition, I Who Have Arrived in Heaven, is showing until December 21 at the David Zwirner Gallery . |
269,316 | e8d8f685027d1e9698a2d22cdf650f6feb70c983 | (CNN) -- Roger Federer refused to blame an ongoing back problem after being dumped out at Indian Wells by long-term rival Rafael Nadal. Federer, who could now drop to World No.3 should Andy Murray reach the final, was beaten 6-4 6-2 by the Spaniard. The 31-year-old looked to be playing through the pain barrier during his last-16 win over compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka just 24 hours earlier. But the 17-time grand slam winner did not use his back complaint as an excuse for his performance as his quest for a record fifth triumph at Indian Wells fell flat. Federer, Nadal to renew rivalry . "[It was the] same as against Stan. I mean, I could play," Federer told reporters. "I'm happy to be out there and able to compete. But it's obviously a small issue." Instead, Nadal avenged last year's semifinal defeat by the Swiss and took his record to 19-10 in matches against Federer. But the manner of victory was not lost on Nadal, who was quick to acknowledge the limitations of his opponent. "I played a fantastic first set, in my opinion. The second set was strange," said Nadal. "The second set, I think Roger didn't fight as usual. He probably had some problems and he didn't feel comfortable enough to keep fighting. "Both of us tried to play our best. I played much better than yesterday. "My movements today were much, much better than yesterday, so I'm very happy for that, especially after a long match yesterday, to be able to compete well the next day." Federer: Good to have Rafa back . This was the earliest the pair had met in a regular tournament since 2004, when Nadal won their first meeting in the third round of the Sony Open Tennis in Miami. The 26-year-old will now face Tomas Berdych in his eighth consecutive semifinal at Indian Wells. The women's quarterfinals were blighted by injury after defending champion Victoria Azarenka and seventh seed Sam Stosur both pulled out with injury. Djokovic, Azarenka extend unbeaten runs . Azarenka, ranked two in the world, was forced to withdraw with tendinitis and inflammation in her right foot and ankle. "That's frustrating for me as a player, not knowing," Azarenka told reporters after revealing she is unsure of her recovery time. "Sometimes you think, OK, well, I rest three days and I'm going to be fine with it. But when you don't know the healing process it's a little bit frustrating." Stosur's calf injury gifted Germany's fourth seed Angelique Kerber a place in the last four where she will now play Caroline Wozniacki. In the other semifinal, 2006 winner Maria Sharapova will face fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko. It is the first time Kirlenko has made the final four at Indian Wells following wins over Agnieszka Radwanska and former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. | Rafael Nadal defated Roger Federer 6-4 6-2 in quarterfinal at Indian Wells .
Nadal will play Tomas Berdych in the semifinals .
Federer could lose World No.2 spot to Andy Murray .
Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki into women's semifinals . |
1,909 | 058038d8edf677dc06b87f8d5187b5e4683d1653 | (CNN) -- Nichelle Nichols has spent her whole life going where no one has gone before, and at 81 she's still as sassy and straight-talking as you'd expect from an interstellar explorer. "I don't have enough sense to keep my mouth shut," says the legendary Star Trek actor with a hearty laugh. "Whatever comes up, comes out." "I can't help myself." As the startlingly beautiful and fiercely intelligent Lt. Uhura on the hit 1960s TV series, Nichols was a revolutionary figure at a time when the only African-American women you saw on U.S. TV were usually playing servants. Indeed, Star Trek was reportedly the only program Martin Luther King Jr would let his children stay up late to watch. When Nichols was considering leaving the show to pursue a career on Broadway, King Jr personally implored her to stay, saying she was a powerful role model for black people across the country -- and the world. "That was the greatest thing," says Nichols. "That was greater than anything else, to be told that by Dr. Martin Lurther King, because he was my leader. "So I stayed and I never regretted it." NASA ambassador . As the original series drew to a close at the end of the decade, a real-life space race was gathering pace -- and this time it was Nichols calling for auditions. The United States landed a man on the moon in 1969 -- but our astronauts needn't be limited to white males, said Nichols. "There were no women, and there were no minorities in the space program -- and that's supposed to represent the whole country?" she says, her voice rising incredulously down the phone from her home in Woodland Hills, California. "Not in this day and age. We just absolutely cannot have that. I can't be a part of that," she said at the time. The glamorous sci-fi celebrity was soon enlisted by NASA to recruit the country's first female and ethnic minority astronauts. She traveled the length and breadth of the United States calling for promising astronauts to come forward -- among them was Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, and Charles Bolden, the current NASA administrator. "As a matter of fact, Sally called me to tell me that I was the way she had heard about the space program," says Nichols. "I was somewhat of a celebrity in their eyes. I had gone on television and in several interviews spoke of why they should get involved, and they took it up and said 'she's absolutely right.'" The kiss . Nichols wasn't just a TV celebrity -- she was a TV revolutionary, locking lips with William Shatner in one of the small screen's first interracial kisses, in 1968. Though at the time, she didn't quite see what all the fuss was about. "I come from an interracial family, and so it was kind of boring for me to be talking about something I experienced every day," she says. "It was not new to me, because I lived it. "But I realized it was new on TV, and I had the opportunity to bring it to the world." The scene -- in which Lt. Uhura and Captain Kirk are controlled by humanoids who force them to embrace -- received a huge response from the public, largely positive. Society today has much to learn from the crew living on board the "Enterprise" in the 23rd century, says Nichols. "Star Trek is about the freedom to be who you are, and be respected for who you are," she says, her warm native Illinois accent raspy round the edges. "It demands that you respect everyone else equally. It's as simple as that." Stars in her eyes . Born in the small town of Robbins, outside Chicago, in 1932, Nichols came from a family that defied convention. Her grandfather was a white Southerner who married a black woman, and in doing so was ostracized by his wealthy parents. Nichols' father was a factory worker who also served as town mayor. A talented dancer and singer, Nichols started performing Chicago clubs at 14, meeting one jazz legend who would change her life forever -- Duke Ellington. "He was the greatest name in music, black or white or any other thing," says Nichols. "Everyone at every level had the greatest respect for him." She later toured with the successful composer, despite other people's reservations about what was expected of schoolgirls at the time. "You went to school and it was like 'girls didn't do that.' But I was like 'c'mon.' So I just jumped on this opportunity with both feet," she says. Enduring wonder of space . As a child, Nichols was also told that "girls weren't supposed to like science" -- not that she took much notice. "Science is not a boy's game, it's not a girl's game. It's everyone's game. It's about where we are and where we're going," she says, and you can almost picture the serene figure of Lt. Uhura in red uniform, speaking at the controls. "Space travel benefits us here on Earth. And we ain't stopped yet. There's more exploration to come." It seems Star Trek's legendary communications officer has a real-life message for us all. Watch: Space archeologist reveals lost civilizations . Interactive: 50 years of women in space . Inspire: Live space chat with astronaut Karen Nyberg . | Exclusive interview with Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on Star Trek .
Glamorous TV star was recruiter for NASA .
One of first interracial kisses on TV, with William Shatner aka Captain Kirk .
Toured with jazz legend Duke Ellington as dancer and singer . |
264,232 | e23db1908913468a38572b2b40b9e3de753a7e8d | David Cameron's advisor on child abuse Claire Perry said there was a 'chumocracy' in Westminster looking to protect itself from paedophile claims . David Cameron's advisor on child abuse has lashed out at the Westminster 'chumocracy' that has protected itself from allegations of paedophilia. Tory junior minister Claire Perry said Parliament was full of 'too many people with the same interests and the same out-of-touch sense of entitlement coming together to protect their own'. Her damning remarks come amid allegations that a paedophile network was operating in Westminster and was being protected by senior politicians. Home Secretary Theresa May this week launched an inquiry into organisations including churches, the security services and the BBC. A separate review will also examine the failures in Westminster to properly investigate allegations of sexual abuse. It came after it emerged last week that an explosive dossier of papers allegedly naming high-profile child abusers in Westminster had been handed to the Home Office in the 1980s - but had since gone missing. Miss Perry, the MP for Devizes, questioned why it has taken so long to take the allegations seriously. Writing in her local newspaper The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald she said: 'Why has it taken so many years for allegations to be believed and action to be taken? 'Part of the problem can be traced, in my view, to the ‘chumocracy’ that for too long has been at the heart of the so-called Establishment, consisting of too many people with the same interests and the same out-of-touch sense of entitlement coming together to protect their own. 'It is this sort of persistent ‘otherness’ that so many of us are determined to change, to make the system more representative, more real and more normal. Some may say we have not succeeded yet but we will keep on trying.' Miss Perry added: 'The other, and more worrying part of the problem is the way that the voices of victims were ignored for so long – children told to keep quiet, ridiculed, or threatened – with tragically the most vulnerable of all being more likely to be targeted for abuse. 'That, to me, is the real scandal and we must do all we can to make sure that when victims speak out they are heard and action is taken.” Home Secretary Theresa May last week unveiled two investigations into allegations of historic child abuse . Miss Perry also raised concerns about cyberbullying and online grooming.' She said: 'There are not just historic cases to be considered and for many it is the replacement of the ‘known’ worries with those that are less quantifiable in the modern world, like cyberbullying or online grooming where children are flattered, cajoled and sometimes threatened into meeting predators online or in the real world with serious and damaging consequences. 'The new raft of online safety measures and better education of parents and children about cyber dangers will help, but it is a reminder that technology amplifies the threats to children that have existed in the offline world for a very long time.' | Claire Perry says politicians have 'out of touch sense of entitlement'
Tory junior minister launched blistering attack on establishment cover up .
Comes after Theresa May this week launched two probes into historic abuse . |
248,345 | cd5335f42fb2008f0dc12e7194aee26d8947b98f | (CNN) -- Stumped on a tough decision? New Web sites are there to help. Hunch, a site open to the public Monday, asks questions and helps people make decisions. Hunch, a site that launches for the public Monday, will consider your quandary by getting to know you, asking you a series of questions and then spitting out three decisions. Another site, Let Simon Decide, makes a similar attempt. Caterina Fake, co-founder of the photo-sharing community Flickr, says she created Hunch not because people need help with emotional decisions but because it's too tough to find smart information online. You often have to replicate someone else's research, which is a waste, she said. Tech bloggers seem to be pleased with the effort. "For the most part, I was impressed, though it quickly became clear that Hunch isn't capable of magically making up your mind for you," wrote Jason Kincaid, a reporter at TechCrunch, a technology blog. He called the site "very clean and unintimidating." Fake spoke with CNN about decision making, her nerdy past and the power of collective knowledge. The following is an edited transcript: . CNN: Where did you get the idea for Hunch? Fake: It's a user-generated content site similar to Flickr, but the unit is not a photograph but a decision. And so it's sort of a similar thing in that way. We kind of built the system so people can contribute to it. They can ask questions on there and suggest questions. And then you sort of codify it into a decision tree. CNN: So you're answering questions about yourself? Fake: Well, there are two components. So you answer questions about yourself, and there's a little module that says things like, "Alien abductions: real or fake?" And what [Hunch] does is, it then puts together a profile of you, a taste profile. And then you can go into the system and ask it any question that's in the system. So it's things like, "What HD-TV should I buy?" or "Where should I go to college?" or, you know, "Where should I eat in San Diego on a Saturday night?" It could be just about anything. Once it kind of gets to know you, you can ask it questions, and then it gives an answer to you that it doesn't give to anyone else. CNN: What are the downsides? Fake: It depends on what the decision is. There is kind of an array of decisions that are too taste-oriented. Like, no matter how well we know you, we're not going to know that your backyard is like 25 feet by 10 feet, versus 10 feet by 10 feet [for a person looking to buy a backyard grill]. You know what I'm saying? There's no system that can get to know that. So what we try to do is narrow it down. So we ask you questions about your aesthetics or your beliefs or your politics or your demographic. CNN: What kind of decision-maker are you? Fake: It's really funny, because I think there's a mistake that's generally made with people asking about Hunch, and it's that it's solving people's emotional problems. And it's not. It's solving people's informational problems. I don't have any problems making any decisions. I've never had any problem making decisions, but when I go to Google and I'm looking for information, say, about trademarks. I have to do all this research, and somebody has already done this research. CNN: So you see Hunch as a kind of search engine, almost? Fake: No, it's not a search engine. The feel of it is nothing like a search engine. It's something new. CNN: How do you think collective knowledge online will change the way people live, or the way we interact with each other? Fake: It's like it's an amazing period in the history of the Internet just in that way. ... We know more in the collective than we do in the individual. It becomes even more amazing when you extend that out to people outside your social network. Like, I don't know anyone that has taken a yoga class in Romania. But I'm sure that if I ended up in Romania, and I wanted to sign up for a yoga class that somebody in the world would know three places to recommend me. The information is out there in a sort of disorganized fashion. ... These systems that are kind of growing up now -- and Hunch hopefully is among them -- are able to take this sort of collective knowledge and make it easy for people to use and easy for people to access. CNN: Is there anything in your background that influences your belief in this collective knowledge idea? Fake: I was a nerdy little girl. I played Dungeons and Dragons, and I had a little TRS-80 computer. It was really early on, I think it was, gosh, like 1994 when I first saw the Web, right? So I went online, and I saw these people uploading pictures of, like, their cats. And I remember there was a video cam of ... the famous coffee pot at the IBM research center that uploaded every 5 minutes to show that the coffee pot was full or empty or whatever. And so the Internet struck me as this incredible thing where anybody -- like anybody -- could publish anything, and then anybody anywhere else in the world could read it. And I never got over that. There was kind of this wonder, this sense of wonder that I had about this incredible culture of generosity on the Web -- of all these people sharing stuff with each other. I've always been so amazed by that. I love that. Like, I love that aspect of the Internet. That's the thing that always seemed like it was magic to me. CNN: What are some cool Web sites that are flying under the radar right now? Fake: Have you heard of Etsy? CNN: Yeah, is that where people buy and sell art? Fake: Yeah, it's great. I think it's gonna be like the next eBay. And I met those guys when they were really small. I've been helping those guys since it was three kids in a dorm room. I love those guys. It's one of my favorite companies. It has that same kind of ethic [as Hunch]: the power of the individual. There are like these housewives in the Midwest who had no idea they could make a living making Christmas ornaments or whatever. It's just kind of an amazing thing that can only happen on the Internet. | CNN talks with Caterina Fake, founder of a Web site that makes decisions .
Hunch.com asks you questions and then suggests answers .
Fake says Hunch works best for informational problems, not emotional dilemmas .
Fake's philosophy: "We know more in the collective than we do in the individual" |
192,591 | 854ef89aca223d015cf9b707211b06ea759508d5 | (CNN) -- World governing body FIFA have announced that France international striker Thierry Henry will not be punished for his handball in last November's World Cup qualification play-off against the Republic of Ireland. FIFA''s disciplinary committee concluded there was "no legal foundation" for them to deal with the case. The decision means Henry will not face a ban for any matches of this summer's World Cup finals. FIFA said in a statement: "The disciplinary committee reached the conclusion that there was no legal foundation for the committee to consider the case because handling the ball cannot be regarded as a serious infringement as stipulated in article 77a) of the FIFA disciplinary code. "There is no other legal text that would allow the committee to impose sanctions for any incidents missed by match officials." Henry's handball in the run-up to William Gallas' decisive goal in the World Cup play-off qualifier ended the Republic's dreams of qualifying for the finals in South Africa. The Football Association of Ireland were infuriated by the goal and demanded a replay, even suggesting they should be allowed to go to the World Cup as a 33rd team. FIFA dismissed their demands but did agree to have another look at the possibility of using video evidence in the future, and instructed the disciplinary committee to investigate possible action against the 32-year-old former Arsenal player. Henry's defence argued successfully that FIFA's disciplinary code does not give the committee the ability to punish such incidents. Under current rules, only the illegal use of a hand to prevent a goal being scored is covered in relation to possible sanctions. | France striker Thierry Henry will not be punished for his handball in November's World Cup play-off against Ireland .
FIFA''s disciplinary committee concluded there was "no legal foundation" for them to deal with the case .
Henry's handball in the run-up to William Gallas' decisive goal ended Irish hopes of reaching the World Cup finals . |
208,420 | 99d5212951b92772027f780dff96b286ab8970e4 | (CNN) -- As floodwater raged around their pickup, the family of a 6-year-old Arizona boy escaped to higher ground. The boy, however, was swept away. Teams were looking for his body on Friday, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said. Meanwhile, an evacuation order for some Los Angeles, California, residents was lifted, and the mayor said those people can safely return home . Authorities were classifying the Arizona operation as a recovery, presuming that a child could not survive in the raging water, the office said in a news release. The boy's name was not released. Rain has hindered attempts to find the boy after the incident Thursday night, authorities said. "This effort continued through the night without success. Because of low visibility, along with the wind and rain, DPS (Department of Public Safety) Ranger helicopter was unable to fly over the area," the sheriff's office said. Are you affected by the storms? Send your images and video . The family's pickup got stuck near the northern community of Mayer, between Flagstaff and Phoenix in central Arizona. On Friday, the vehicle sat alone in a vast sea of mud, which reached nearly to the bottom of the windows and partially filled the area under the crumpled hood. The vehicle was tilted forward, as if diving into the muddy soup. According to a preliminary report, the boy was in the pickup with his 8-year-old sister and parents, who were trying to take him to a hospital when floodwater swept the pickup off the road. The mother was able to reach higher ground, and the father took the children to the bed of the vehicle for safety. By the time firefighters reached the scene, rising water had pushed the three from the bed. The father was able to reach a safe area with his daughter but the son was missing. California iReporters deal with the rain but have fun too . The flooding was the result of heavy rainstorms that started pounding parts of neighboring California on Monday and continued through the week. Upper elevations got heavy snow. Conditions in the area were not likely to improve until Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Forecasters predicted continued flooding of many rivers and streams and up to an additional foot of snow in the mountains. In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Friday that the 2,000 city residents who were evacuated because of the storms could return. The permission came after teams of geologists and structural experts determined that areas threatened by mudslides were safe enough, he said at a news conference. See KABC's coverage of the storms . Last year's wildfires burned trees and vegetation that normally hold soil in place and prevent hillsides from collapsing. Hundreds of residents also had been evacuated in Los Angeles County, and many of these were cleared to return home, according to the Coordinated Agency Recovery Effort's Web site. The storms stem from El Nino, a warm ocean current from the South Pacific, meteorologists said. CNN's Sean Morris contributed to this report. | Family in Arizona escapes to higher ground in flood, but 6-year-old boy didn't make it .
Authorities classifying the Arizona operation as a recovery .
In Los Angeles, 2,000 residents who were evacuated can return home . |
185,880 | 7cbaace535793f86f243945018dbdce7ee8ac04d | It was crunch time. Five months after being so ill I was virtually written off for dead by friends and the medical profession alike, I had rallied and felt well enough to brave a public appearance. The event was the Bafta Film Awards in February this year; the dress, a chiffon number, cut cleverly to disguise my pregnant-looking stomach – bloating being an unfortunate side effect of the steroids I’m on for my secondary stage four breast cancer. As I walked the red carpet, I thought I looked good. But on closer inspection of the paparazzi pictures in the papers the next day, I was disappointed. Feeling fabulous: Sally Farmiloe-Neville, pictured with her daughter Jade in May at the BAFTAs, after she underwent non-invasive plastic surgery . It wasn’t so much my figure, but my face that let me down. My eyes looked tired, my skin wrinkled and jowly. I had the air of someone sad and slightly dejected – two words I would never use to describe myself. You might say that’s par for the course for someone who has a terminal illness. But I beg to differ. It is more important than ever for me to look good, to show the world that, despite this dreadful disease, I am determined to enjoy life. As a model and actress, my looks are not only inexorably linked to my identity and self-esteem, but to my career. And even if my income weren’t reliant on my appearance, I would still fight to make the most of it, because looking good makes me feel good. Talk to any woman with cancer and she’ll tell you the prospect of losing her hair is every bit as harrowing as the chemotherapy. Luckily, my husband, Jeremy Neville, 61, a chartered surveyor, tells me I’m beautiful. He has even been well trained to buy the false eyelashes I am reluctant to leave our west London home without, now my own have fallen out. Unhappy: Images of Sally at the BAFTA red carpet in 2013 made her desire a facelift . Nonetheless, since I was first diagnosed in May 2012, I’ve made it my mission to fight for my looks with the tenacity with which I have fought for my life. I started my career by winning a ‘beautiful eyes’ contest in the Sixties and I’m certainly not going to let standards slip now. But two rounds of chemo – the first after my diagnosis and the second that I’ve been on for nearly six months since discovering, last year, the cancer had spread to my liver and bones – have taken their toll. My skin has a dryness not even the best creams can counter, while the steroids I take to combat the effects of chemotherapy have left it paper-thin. It bruises easily. Touch it too hard and it will bleed. After those Bafta pictures, my confidence plummeted. So when I saw an article about a non-surgical facelift in The Mail on Sunday a week later, it felt like serendipity. Here was a procedure that could give me back some youthful vigour without subjecting me to the surgeon’s scalpel – crucial because when your body is weakened by chemo, anything invasive is off limits. Heyday: Sally is pictured in 1987, 25 years before her cancer diagnosis . Before my wedding in 2002, I had Botox. It gave me a droopy eyelid and the fringe I grew to disguise it made me look like a demented Yorkshire terrier. A few years later, I tried again and ended up with an almighty black bruise on my chin. I fared better with fillers, which softened the lines from my nose to my mouth, but post-cancer diagnosis they, too, were out of the question. The non-surgical facelift, which costs £2,000 to £3,000, works by using ultrasound to target the facial muscles. The energy creates thousands of little holes in the tissue, which heal after two to three weeks, contracting and tightening the skin. To top it all off, it was done by a man who is, to put it bluntly, gorgeous. Dr Georges Roman, from the Aesthetic Medical Clinic in central London, has had the procedure himself. He’s 49 but looks 39. The procedure, last month, took 40 minutes. A layer of ultrasound gel was spread on my face. Then Dr Roman moved the wand very slowly over my face. The sensation was that of tiny little prickles; slightly uncomfortable but not painful. After he’d finished half my face, he let me look in a mirror. I was astounded – the side that had been targeted looked tighter and smoother. My skin was glowing rather than red. I was thrilled. With every day that passed after that my skin got a little bit brighter. Better still, the benefits can last up to five years. Ironically, I was booked to attend the Bafta TV awards just five days after the procedure – and three months after the initial Bafta pictures caused me dismay. It was to be the ultimate test. Standing on the red carpet with my 22-year-old daughter Jade, wearing a feathered oyster-pink dress, I felt fabulous. And the pictures didn’t disappoint. My agent has lined up some modelling jobs, including a semi-permanent make-up line I’m endorsing. I’ve also been offered a role in a play in September which, depending on my health, I may accept. Meanwhile, my cancer remains under control. Tests last month revealed that the tumours in my liver have gone and there is only a tiny bit in my bones. My oncologist has dubbed me Lazarus as I have risen from the dead. I hope I will inspire other women to realise that not only can they live a full life with cancer, but that they can do so while looking good. My Left Boob: A Cancer Diary, by Sally Farmiloe-Neville, is published by Book Guild Publishing at £9.99. To order your copy at the special price of £8.99 with free p&p, call the Mail Book Shop on 0844 472 4157 or go to mailbookshop.co.uk. | Sally Farmiloe-Neville is suffering from terminal breast cancer .
The actress and model has now undergone a non-invasive facelift .
The facelift, costing £2,000-£3,000, use ultrasound to target muscles . |
215,242 | a2a312bf861c3a93a9004f52d62c52aa69b709b2 | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 04:35 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:37 EST, 18 June 2013 . It is one of the landmark events in a . teenage girl's life - so it comes as no surprise that they want to pull out all the stops to make sure they . get noticed at the prom. From glitzy . new dresses and accessories to expensive beauty treatments, teenage . girls spend hundreds of pounds glamming up. But according to the latest research, for the first time ever, guys are spending nearly as much as girls on getting themselves ready for their big night. Male promzilla: Guys are, for the first time, spending nearly as much as girls getting prom ready . New figures show that boys are spending on average 24 per cent more prepping for their prom compared with 2012 - only £82.25 less than the amount a girl spends. And one high street retailer has been reaping the rewards. Debenhams’ have seen their dinner suits selling 60 per cent more than they were this time last year as well as formal shirts and shoes flying off the shelves and bow tie sales up by 20 per cent in recent weeks. Hey, big spenders: The latest study has found that boys are spending on average 24 per cent more prepping for their prom compared with 2012 - only £82.25 less than what a girl spends . A spokesperson for Debenhams, said: 'The amount a guy will spend on getting prom-ready is now close to rivalling a girl. 'However, the ladies seem to be better prepared - we have seen an increase in occasionwear sales since January whereas guys have been rushing in last minute to get ready for the big night. 'Male grooming products and treatments are also getting booked up; the rate of men coming in for spray tans has nearly doubled in the last month alone.' The retailer has also seen an increase in male eyebrow threading appointments to give their ‘guy-brows’ the prom treatment. The spokesman added: 'Prom fever has hit and guys are going all out to look their best and it doesn’t stop at the suit. 'Budding prom kings want to achieve a polished, groomed look and are looking to celebrities such as David Beckham and Daniel Craig for heir "promspiration".' Stores in Scotland have seen the biggest increase in male promzillas and Liverpool has been inundated with guys coming in for spray tans to compete with the prom girls. Dress £160 . Shoes £30 . Bag £25 . Jewellery £33 . Hair styling £30.50 . Spray tan £20 . False lashes £65 . Make-up £25 . Nails £35 . Eye brow threading £14 . Lingerie £29.75 . Total £467.25 . Suit £110 . Shirt £28 . Bow tie £12 . Cummerbund £15 . Shoes £65 . Cufflinks £35 . Pocket Square £10 . Eye brow threading £14 . Facial £35 . Hair cut £41 . Spray tan £20 . Total £385 . Get Bond's look for less: A new tuxedo company, Johnny's Tuxedos, have unveiled a £99 tuxedo set designed for the younger man . F&F Black Peak Lapel Tailored Fit Tuxedo Jacket £37.00, F&F at Tesco . Tuxedo jacket and trouser set. £45, George at Asda . | Boys spend 24% more prepping for their prom compared with 2012 .
Girls spend £467.25, boys spend £385 .
Debenhams’ dinner suits selling 60% more than last year .
Stores in Scotland have seen the biggest increase in male promzillas .
Liverpool inundated with young men coming for spray tans . |
198,985 | 8d9d603db3abf541488ae771c0e4a729e8083f74 | Former Bordeaux and West Ham midfielder Alou Diarra has signed for Championship side Charlton Athletic following a successful trial. The 33-year-old free agent had been without a club since leaving West Ham in July last year after agreeing a mutual termination to his contract. Prior to joining Charlton, Diarra also spent time on trial with Brighton and MLS outfit Chicago fire, appearing for the latter in a friendly game against Queens Park Rangers last week. Charlton Athletic have confirmed the signing of Alou Diarra on their official Twitter account . Diarra was released from his contract with West Ham in July last year after agreeing a mutual termination . Charlton coach Guy Luzon had said on Monday: 'Alou Diarra is training with us. It is a possibility he might sign. He is a good player. We will make the decision in two or three days.' But with several suitors understood to be keen on the midfielder, that decision was pushed through promptly. Diarra, who has 44 international caps for France, has also captained his country. The 33-year-old defensive midfielder has amassed 44 international caps for France since his debut in 2004 . | Free agent Alou Diarra has signed for Championship side Charlton Athletic .
Charlton announced the news on their official Twitter account .
The 33-year-old was released by West Ham last summer .
He also spent time trialing with Brighton and MLS side Chicago Fire .
Diarra played for Chicago Fire in a friendly against QPR last week . |
150,441 | 4e8257af64c63def78c55f6c4fc082a9a4331527 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 03:32 EST, 17 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:16 EST, 17 June 2013 . Britain is set to enjoy a tropical heatwave this week which will bring the hottest day of the year so far. But while temperatures are set to reach 28C (82F) on Wednesday, the Met Office has warned that this warmth will not come with 'wall-to-wall sunshine'. Instead there will be thunder storms and widespread cloud, causing sticky and humid conditions. It comes after heavy rain hit large parts of the UK over the weekend, affecting the Queen's Club tennis and the Isle of Wight Festival. Rainy: As spectators cower underneath their umbrellas at the Queen's Club grass court championships in London yesterday, more storms are on the way along with hot temperatures this week . Bad weather: Despite the optimistic sign, festival-goers make their way through the mud at a wet and windy 2013 Isle of Wight Festival over the weekend . Meanwhile in Europe, some parts of France and Spain have seen temperatures reach 42C, and it is hot air from these countries which will make the UK so warm this week. 'This is going to be a warm week and Wednesday will easily be the hottest day of the year so far,' a Met Office spokesman said. 'The warm weather that France and Spain have been experiencing recently is being dragged over Britain. 'We believe that temperatures will be between 26C and 28C, and will feel very warm and humid. 'But it will not be wall-to-wall sunshine, it will be mainly cloudy with a chance of thunder storms.' But by the end of the week Britain's changeable climate will take hold again, with temperatures dropping markedly. 'By the time we get to Thursday it will feel fresher and temperatures will be between 20C and 22C,' the spokesman said. Heatwave: People enjoy the sunny weather at a beach in Gruissan, southern France yesterday, where large parts of France and Spain have had temperatures in excess of 42C . Warm: With the French Alps in the background, children enjoy the hot weather over Europe by jumping into Lake Geneva . It came as the Met Office prepares for a major summit on Britain's climate, after several years of summer floods and droughts, freezing winters and even widespread snow in May this year. Leading meteorologists and scientists will discuss one key issue: is Britain's often terrible weather down to climate change, or just typical? It follows the coldest spring in more than 50 years, as well as droughts and floods in 2012, the freezing winter of 2010 and incredibly widespread snow last month. Forecast: The Met Offices say the UK will heat up this week with temperatures likely reaching 28C on Wednesday . Experts will travel to the forecaster's headquarters in Exeter on Tuesday. Attendees are expected to debate whether the changing weather pattern in the UK, and in northern Europe, is because of climate change or simply variable weather. 'We have seen a run of unusual seasons in the UK and northern Europe, such as the cold winter of 2010, last year's wet weather and the cold spring this year,' a Met Office spokesman said. 'This may be nothing more than a run of natural variability, but there may be other factors impacting our weather. 'There is emerging research which suggests there is a link between declining Arctic sea ice and European climate - but exactly how this process might work and how important it may be among a host of other factors remains unclear.' | Temperatures will reach 28C (82F) across much of Britain on Wednesday .
But it will be mainly cloudy and thundery, causing uncomfortable humidity .
Extremely hot air currently over Spain and France being dragged to UK . |
112,817 | 1d90db4c5e223ca2a69c46a45140e247eb2cb654 | By . Lydia Warren . Two University of Miami football players have admitted to getting a 17-year-old classmate drunk and then repeatedly raping her in their dorm room, police have said. JaWand Blue and Alex Figueroa, both 20-year-old linebackers, turned themselves into authorities on Tuesday and were arrested on sexual battery charges following the attack on July 5. The men allegedly confessed to buying several alcoholic beverages for the victim and administered - or knew that someone else had administered - a drug that made her 'physically helpless to resist'. As she was incapacitated, they allegedly performed sexual acts without her consent, an affidavit said, the Miami Herald reported. Arrests: JaWand Blue, left, and Alexander Figueroa, right, are pictured in their mug shots after turning themselves in to police for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl on campus over the Fourth of July weekend . After the alleged attack in Figueroa's dorm room in Pearson Hall, the girl went to university police and the Coral Gables police department investigated. Both men have been kicked off the football team and barred from campus, Miami athletic director Blake James said in a statement. 'Any allegation of a sexual assault is extremely serious, and the University will not tolerate conduct that threatens the sanctity and safety of our students and our campus,' he said. 'We hold all of our students – especially student athletes – to the highest standards of moral conduct.' Kicked out: Both of the men played for the University of Miami. Blue is pictured right in September . Both players' names were taken off Miami's official 2014 roster on the school's athletics website. Just hours after the alleged attack, the men laughed as they filmed a Vine video and posted it to Twitter. University . president Donna Shalala added that she had spoken with the victim, an . unidentified Miami student, and said the school has 'zero tolerance for . sexual assault'. 'There . is no confusion about our responsibility as a university: we will fully . and compassionately support the victim of sexual assault,' she said. Off the team: Blue, pictured left and right, and Figueroa have both been kicked out of the football team . Cruel: Figueroa, pictured, and Blue allegedly got the girl intoxicated before committing sex acts on her . Blue and Figueroa have been released on $10,000 bond each and are scheduled to be arraigned later this month. Figueroa has also been charged with possessing a stolen or forged driver's license. Figueroa, the son of two Marines, from Stafford, Virginia, had played in nine games last season and was expected to be the starting strong-side linebacker for UM this fall. Blue ended played in two games as a freshman in 2013. As a senior in high school in 2011, he was suspended for two weeks by the Florida High School Athletic Association for throwing a punch during a preseason game, the Palm Beach Post reported. | JaWand Blue and Alex Figueroa, both 20, 'bought alcohol for the girl and then performed sexual acts on her without her consent'
She was 'physically helpless to resist', an affidavit said .
She went to police and the men turned themselves in to cops on Tuesday .
Both have been kicked off the football team . |
175,465 | 6f19d2db0a3531edf4898fed450179085371e381 | By . Bianca London for MailOnline . A heartbroken mother whose pregnant daughter was killed in a car crash has given birth to a baby of her own. Maria Williams, 40, and her eldest daughter, Sophie, 20, were pregnant at the same time and used to compare their bumps. The mother and daughter were both expecting girls who would have been raised 'like sisters' - even though they were aunt and niece. Maria Williams, 40 whose pregnant daughter Sophie was killed in a car crash has had a new baby girl of her own - baby Sasha. Maria and her eldest daughter, Sophie, 20, were pregnant at the same time and were looking forward to being new mothers together . But their dream was shattered when Sophie, who has a different father to Sascha, was killed in a car accident just two weeks before she was due to give birth. Doctors battled to save her unborn baby girl Kayleigh but she also died in the crash near the family home. Maria feared the shock would bring on a miscarriage but she is now the proud mother of baby Sasha, who is helping her come to terms with her tragic loss. The mother and daughter were happy that their two little girls would grow up together - even though they were aunt and niece but sadly their dream was shattered after Sophie, pictured as a child, and unborn baby Kayleigh were killed in a car accident . Sophie was killed driving home from a night out with her partner Ben Morgan, 28, after a Valentine's Day meal in February . Maria feared the shock would bring on a miscarriage but she is now the proud mother of baby Sasha, who is helping her come to terms with her tragic loss . Maria and Sophie would compare the size of their bumps and talk over the names they both liked. Sophie, who has a different father to Sascha, used to joke how her baby was going to have an aunt younger than her . Maria, pictured when pregnant, said that the only thing that kept her going was that the baby she was carrying and the little kicks she was getting every day reminded her she was there . Mother-of-five Maria said: 'It was a bit of a surprise when we both fell pregnant at about the same time but we were thrilled. 'We would compare the size of our bumps and talk over the names we both liked. Sophie used to joke how her baby was going to have an aunt younger than her.' But Sophie was killed driving home from a night out with her partner Ben Morgan, 28, after a Valentine’s Day meal in February. Maria, who was seven months pregnant at the time, said: 'They tried to save Kayleigh but the injuries were too catastrophic. Maria pictured with her son Shane, Sophie's brother . Heartbroken Maria Williams wears a locket with a picture of her late daughter inside, which Sophie's half-sister Sascha can be seen clutching . Maria, pictured with Sophie as a young girl, said: We had dreamed of pushing our prams around the park together but now that will never happen' Sophie and her brothers and sisters, from left to right: Skyle, Sophie, Shane and Shannon . Maria, pictured with newborn Sophie, said her new baby Sasha has become her reason to go on, to stay alive and keep living when she felt like giving up . Mother-of-five Maria, pictured with Sophie as a toddler, said: 'It was a bit of a surprise when we both fell pregnant at about the same time but we were thrilled' 'I lost my daughter and granddaughter in an instant - it was too much to bear. Heartbreak doesn’t even describe it. A double funeral was held for the young mother and her unborn baby killed in the tragic accident. Maria said: 'The only thing that kept me going was that the baby I was carrying and the little kicks I was getting every day to remind me she was there.' Baby Sasha was born in May and Maria says she is 'just like' her big sister Sophie. Maria, of Tredegar, South Wales, said: 'When I held Sasha in my arms all I could think of was Sophie and her baby and the exciting times we had planned together. Maria pregnant with Sophie (left) with her sister Michelle says she still feels lucky to have her newborn baby Sascha . 'We had dreamed of pushing our prams around the park together but now that will never happen. 'But I still feel lucky - Sasha has become my reason to go on, to stay alive and keep living when I felt like giving up.' Sophie and mechanic Ben had another little girl Mia, two. Ben, who survived the accident with a broken collar bone and fractured ribs, is bringing up toddler Mia with the help of Maria and her family. An inquest is due to be held into the fatal accident at an accident blackspot on the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road in South Wales. Sophie, pictured, left, in a dance production and, right, and as a little girl, left mechanic partner Ben had another little girl Mia, two, behind . | Maria Williams, 40, and Sophie, 20, were pregnant at same time .
Would've raised babies 'like sisters' - even though they were aunt and niece .
Sophie was killed in a car accident two weeks before she was due .
Doctors battled to save unborn baby girl Kayleigh but she also died .
Sophie and partner Ben had another little girl Mia, two . |
271,099 | eb2424d3b464b8a475244776ca03e2addee2b34b | (CNN) -- A Singapore-flagged container ship hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia was released Monday, according to the European Union Naval Force Somalia. The Kota Wajar, with a crew of 21, was the second hijacked ship released in as many days. A Chinese bulk carrier, the De Xin Hai, and its crew of 25 were released on Sunday, NAVFOR said. Both ships were hijacked in October. NAVFOR said the De Xin Hai and its crew were in good condition and "heading to a safe port." The Chinese carrier was hijacked about 350 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles, NAVFOR said. The Kota Wajar was hijacked about 300 nautical miles north of the Seychelles. Regarding the Kota Wajar, NAVFOR said it was "monitoring the situation." The Canadian warship HCMS Fredericton was providing medical and logistical assistance to the ship, it said. NAVFOR did not say how either ship was released, but the Chinese Marine Search and Rescue Center said the De Xin Hai and crew were rescued, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. The ship is under the protection of a Chinese naval escort fleet, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told Xinhua Monday. The De Xin Hai was carrying about 76,000 tons of coal from South Africa to India when it was hijacked. NAVFOR is "a military operation to help deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia," according to its Web site. | Hijacked Chinese bulk carrier De Xin Hai released off coast of Somalia .
Singapore-flagged Kota Wajar also released .
The De Xin Hai, with crew of 25, was hijacked in October by pirate group in Indian Ocean . |
238,459 | c0a86e3b8cb1426a76f9c941a40607cb76096001 | An ex-boyfriend of Tamara Ecclestone has been charged with theft after police probed claims he stole her jewellery. Omar Khyami, 40, will appear before magistrates next week accused of taking valuables from the multi-millionaire heiress. The businessman, whose two-and-a-half year relationship with the wealthy socialite ended in acrimony in 2012, was arrested last month. Omar Khyami (right) is accused of taking valuables from the multi-millionaire heiress (left) According to Miss Ecclestone, 30, the allegedly stolen items were given to her by her billionaire father Bernie, the Formula One boss. She claims she went to the Metropolitan Police after being told that the jewellery was being offered for sale by Khyami. Mr Khyami, who lives in a flat overlooking London’s Hyde Park, blamed the row over the jewellery on a misunderstanding. Miss Ecclestone married former City stockbroker Jay Rutland last summer . He said police questioned him over a ‘small piece’ of jewellery worth up to £8,000, but declined to say what it was. Speaking . after his arrest, he said: ‘I don’t want to hurt her. Its two years . since we’ve been together and I don’t know what she wants.’ The . alleged theft claims follow a High Court ruling that Miss Ecclestone . was wrong to try to reclaim a £380,000 Lamborghini supercar she gave to . Khyami as a present. She . was ordered to pay more than £20,000 in compensation to two car . companies which were prevented from selling the vehicle while the case . was ongoing. She . split from Khyami in 2012 following the discovery that he had featured . in a sex tape but said she did not regret the romance. In February last year, another of her former boyfriends was jailed for four years for plotting to blackmail her for £200,000. A . Met spokesman said: ‘Police in Kensington and Chelsea have charged Omar . Al Khyami, 40, of Bayswater Road, London with theft in a dwelling. ‘He has been bailed to attend West London Magistrates Court on a date in late July.’ • We have been informed that the Crown Prosecution Service has decided to discontinue the theft charge brought against Mr Khyami. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Omar Khyami, 40, will appear before magistrates next week .
He is accused of taking valuables from the heiress .
The businessman was in a two-year relationship with the socialite . |
139,509 | 406758339b00c5911c8bc086072031ac61802a6b | Tamerlan Tsarnaev is telling no tales. The older of the two brothers who allegedly committed the Boston Marathon bombings was likely the one who planned the attack, but when he died in a shootout with police just days after the blasts, his thoughts and motivations vanished with him. But the brain that was home to his angry mind remains, and in this case that may mean something. Tsarnaev was an amateur boxer who won the New England Golden Gloves competition as recently as 2009 and 2010. That speaks to a young man with a healthy sense of discipline and focus, and if he had a violent streak, it was violence well-channeled. What we know about the suspects . But his sport of choice suggests the possibility of something else too: traumatic brain injury. As the National Football League and other pro sports increasingly reckon with the early dementia, mental health issues, suicides and even criminal behavior of former players, the risk of what's known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), is becoming clear. Roughly 4,000 former NFL players and 2,000 of their spouses are currently suing the league, claiming that the perils of head injuries were never explained to them and, indeed, that the players were pushed to get back on the field even when it was clear that they had suffered concussions. It was inevitable, then, that questions would be raised about whether Tsarnaev's brain may have been similarly traumatized during the years he boxed, and if there had indeed been damage, did that spark his alleged murderous behavior? The answer is a likely yes to the first part and a likely no to the second. TIME.com: Terrorists and mass shooters: More similar than we thought . Boxers are perhaps the best-studied victims of CTE, with the consequences of consistent trauma to the head described initially as "punch drunk," but emerging as CTE in the 1950s, says Dr. Robert Stern, cofounder of the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. The term "better describes a neurodegenerative disease caused, at least in part, by repetitive brain trauma," he says. The presence of CTE can only be confirmed postmortem, by looking for tau proteins in the brain -- produced when neural connections stretch and show signs of wear. Whether the presence of those proteins, however, play any role in behavior is less clear. In general, older people with CTE exhibit problems with memory, attention span and the ability to learn new material -- all of the things we associate with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. They may also exhibit impulsiveness, anger, situational explosiveness and paranoia, which are familiar as well to families of people suffering from dementia. In younger people, the predominance of the symptoms is frequently reversed: outbursts and lack of impulse control come first, with an underlying loss of cognitive abilities eventually following. And that's the problem with looking for CTE in Tarnaev. Authorities haven't revealed if they plan to examine his brain, and unless they have taken some necessary steps to preserve it for study, they may have lost that option already. But it may not matter. "The Boston bombing was a planned attack," says Dr. Robert Cantu, also of Boston University and co-director of the Encephalopathy Center. "There were lots of explosive devices put together in a very premeditated way. There was no flipping out here, no impulsiveness. That's not what you see with CTE in younger people." That doesn't mean Tsarnaev didn't have brain trauma related to his boxing. "I think he did," Cantu says. It's just that it may not have caused his alleged criminal behavior. TIME.com: Brother's keeper: Did older sibling lure brother into plot? That points to the difficulty of establishing any link between the condition of a brain and actions that may or may not result from it. Cantu points to the case of the late pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and son and then himself in 2007. When his brain was studied after he died, it showed signs of CTE-- but here, too, it might have had little to do with his murderous behavior. "In Benoit's case the behavior was again premeditated. It took place slowly, over the course of a weekend. He even sedated his son first so he wouldn't suffer," Cantu says. Criminally pathological? Certainly. But triggered by CTE? Probably not. TIME.com: Brothers in arms: Sibling psychology and the bombing suspects . For now, there is no cure for CTE and the best treatment is prevention, which sports leagues from Pop Warner football on up are beginning to address with rules changes and more stringent medical monitoring of players. As my colleague Sean Gregory reported in January, investigators at UCLA have developed a still-experimental technique to detect CTE in the brains of living patients, using positron emission tomography (PET) scans and a radioactive dye that clings to tau proteins. Early diagnosis, if it becomes routine, could be used to keep already ill people away from contact sports and prevent their condition from being exacerbated by more hits. They might also be enrolled in treatment and therapy programs that would slow the onset of what for now are inevitable symptoms. While none of this likely would have deterred Tsarnaev from his alleged plot, it might be used to diagnose other people at risk of explosive CTE-related violence and stop them before they act out. By treating a single person's wounded brain, doctors could one day save uncounted other lives. This article was initially published on TIME.com. The brain of a bomber: Did damage caused by boxing play a role in the Boston bombings? | Tamerlan Tsarnaev was an amateur boxer who won competitions in 2009 and 2010 .
That raises questions on the possibility of traumatic brain injury .
One expert says Tsarnaev likely did not have chronic traumatic encephalopathy . |
243,732 | c77bb204501414655c3af0fd7cebf5055422d6c5 | By . Joe Strange . Follow @@Joe_Strange . Crisis club Blackpool are finally closing in on a keeper after launching a move for Joe Lewis from Cardiff. Though it is understood to be a loan deal, rather than a permanent transfer, under-fire chairman Karl Oyston will be relieved to have ended the search for a number one, so close to the start of the new season. Cardiff’s 26-year old former England Under 21 keeper, signed from Peterborough two years ago, is expected to arrive at Bloomfield Road on a season-long loan in the next 24 hours, provided there is no last-minute hitch. On the move: Cardiff goalkeeper Joe Lewis is on the verge of a season-long loan move to Blackpool . Oyston will be desperately hoping it does go through after an embarrassing lack of senior players led to calls for his head from exasperated Blackpool fans, who have seen their club installed as the bookies’ favourites for relegation. The Tangerines have boosted their squad with the permanent signings of Jacob Mellis, Peter Clarke and Tomasz Cywka, plus the loan capture of West Brom's Donervon Daniels. Not happy: Blackpool fans protest over Karl Oyston's running of the club before their game against Burnley . | Lewis is set to join Blackpool on a season-long loan .
The Championship club have been without a senior goalkeeper .
Oyston has been under pressure from fans after protests . |
49,043 | 8a85405211ed055ec895e685455d57124cc4b070 | Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen returns with the latest installment of his new weekly column for MailOnline Sport. The former Gillingham boss does not hold back with his views on current issues in football. The Wenger boys . After Arsenal's FA Cup final win at the weekend they are finally on the edge of competing with and beating the top teams. I'm sure through the summer Arsene Wenger will recruit an experienced, top-class central midfield player and a proven centre forward. In central midfield they've tried Mathieu Flamini and signed Sweden international Kim Kallstrom on loan. But neither are up to the level of a Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane, Nemanja Matic or David Luiz. Silverware: Arsenal won the 2014 FA Cup after coming from behind to beat Hull in a thrilling final . Uplifting: Mathieu Flamini (centre) lifts the FA Cup with Olivier Giroud (second left) next to him . Back: Flamini returned to Arsenal last summer . Steady: Giroud scored 22 goals in all competitions . They are players who sit in front of the back four and have the influence of a man of steel in the spine of the team. Up front Arsenal have lacked depth, relying on the inconsistent Olivier Giroud. Wenger needs to spend big and spend well and he could turn them into a team which can compete at the very top of the Barclays Premier League. This season when they lost Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott mid-way through the season, it ended their title chances. They did not have enough depth to cover for them. Hero: Aaron Ramsey scored the winning goal for Arsenal in extra-time to seal a 3-2 win at Wembley . Glory: Arsene Wenger lifts the FA Cup in front of thousands of spectators outside the Emirates Stadium . Both of those players have energy and the ability to turn games, as we saw with Ramsey's winner on Saturday to bring Wenger his first silverware in nine years. Their weakness through the season has been losing to the best teams. Arsenal have beaten all of the others hands down but struggled against Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool. I'm certain, with some top quality players - similar to the level of Mesut Ozil - brought in, they can push on from the FA Cup win and make the last step up to mix it with the big boys. Diego Simeone surely a top target . Another great result of the weekend was Atletico Madrid's draw against Barcelona to win the La Liga title. Atletico’s manager Diego Simeone has done an unbelievable job pipping the Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid to be champions. And they have the chance to complete a sensational double when they face Real in the Champions League final on Saturday. Atletico have shown good team spirit, have tight organisation, clever player recruitment and proven that anything is possible for any team. Against all odds: Atletico Madrid were crowned Spanish champions after a draw at Barcelona on the final day . Mastermind: Diego Simeone is hoisted in the air by his players after Atletico won the Spanish league . Simeone must be a target for all the top clubs now. He is humble, he is down-to-earth, and he has clearly instilled in his players the magnificent values of respect on and off the field. Real Madrid and Barcelona – with all their Galacticos, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – must be scratching their heads wondering what they've got to do and where they have gone wrong. It is similar, I guess, in our Premier League, to Newcastle, with their wonderful fan base and huge 52,000-seater stadium, winning the league and going on to reach the Champions League final.No-one would think that possible right now. Newcastle madness . Newcastle fans deserve their club to be challenging in cup competitions and not to be told they are not bothered about winning the FA or League Cup. Privately, of course, it is only the Premier League that counts to clubs, but to go public with it and take away that hope seems mad to me. Uninspiring: Newcastle's season petered out into a rather disappointing mid-table finish . Newcastle have spent barely any money in recent years and still more than 50,000 supporters fill their stadium at every home game. Just after Christmas I watched Alan Pardew’s side play at West Ham and they were absolutely magnificent. They had pace, they were tight defensively, they had excellent technical players. In Yohan Cabaye playing behind the striker they had a player who could slide passes between the back four and on to the pace of the outstanding Loic Remy in front of him. Soon after that they sold Cabaye, Remy was hamstrung with injury and their season was over.Newcastle were hanging around the fifth and sixth places earlier in the season and in position to challenge for Champions League qualification. Disgruntled: Newcastle fans have made their feelings on the current regime known . Pardew was being spoken of as a potential manager of the year and future England manager.But they have lost their best players and the club is draining any hope of a bright future from the fans. Back him and don't sack him . Roy Hodgson's choice of players for this World Cup in Brazil is brave and, for me, he has made the right decisions. Leaving out Jermain Defoe and Ashley Cole, especially after Ashley's outstanding recent performances for Chelsea, were probably his toughest calls. But as fans we will have to be patient and not go into this tournament expecting victories. I was in South Africa at the last World Cup to watch them in Cape Town in a lifeless 0-0 draw with Algeria and Port Elizabeth when they scraped through the group in a 1-0 win against Slovenia. In the spotlight: Roy Hodgson named his England squad for the World Cup last Monday . Staying home: Ashley Cole was left out of the World Cup squad and retired from international football . Our ageing team had no energy, could not compete athletically and as a supporter it was awful to watch. Everyone was expecting, and of course hoping, that England would be good enough to get to the semis or the final. It was important we started looking to the future. These young lads who Roy has picked will hopefully be the mainstay of our team for the next World Cup in Russia. I think then this country could pull off a few shocks and surprises. My week... A Dog's Life . On Tuesday night it was back to West Ham United for a game between an ex-West Ham XI and a West Ham fans XI - who had the full match-day experience against a few legends – and for some reason they asked me along too. Pre-match meal for me was double pie, double mash and liquor, which I ate in the club car park an hour-and-a-half before kick off. Just round the corner from the ground, Nathan's Pie Shop has been running for about 40 years and lovely old Brenda, we call her blue-rinse Brenda, who has worked their for 25 years, showed the real East End spirit by folding up £10 in her hand to give to the Great Ormond Street bucket collectors at Upton Park, who we were raising money that day. It's funny, going back and being in that tunnel just remembering the old days. The heart starts to race, the nostrils start to snarl, and the eyes start to squint. In the tunnel I was back to my old ways, eyeing up the opposition, just like I used to when I played there. The adrenaline rush is quite unbelievable. But you soon realise when you cross the white line that you can't get about the pitch anymore and you certainly can't tackle, intimidate and dominate your opponent like you used to. Dean Ashton was magnificent. Frank McAvennie was slower than me but had some magic touches.Rob Lee was fit as a butcher's dog and showed class. All in all, it was a great night raising money for the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and it's a special feeling meeting back up with your former team-mates and remembering old times. | Arsene Wenger needs to strengthen for Arsenal to compete at the top .
Mathieu Flamini is not up to the level of Patrick Vieira .
Arsenal are too reliant on the inconsistent Olivier Giroud up front .
Diego Simeone has done an unbelievable job to win La Liga with Atletico .
Newcastle fans deserve their team to be competing for silverware .
Roy Hodgson's World Cup squad is brave but he made the right decisions . |
164,291 | 6071d0283650febedd15e287eb794cb42d2aa939 | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 02:54 EST, 22 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:35 EST, 22 October 2013 . A formerly conjoined twin who was separated from his brother at just eight-weeks-old has died aged two. Jacob Spates died last week according to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, although the cause of his death is unclear. Doctors had been optimistic about the twins' chances after separation. A formerly conjoined twin who was separated from his brother at just eight-weeks-old has died aged two. Jacob and Joshua pictured after their gruelling 13-hour operation in 2011 . The moment Jacob and Joshua see each other for the first time at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, where they were born two years ago . Jacob and his brother Joshua were joined at the rear of the pelvis and gastrointestinal tract when they were born January 24, 2011 via cesarean section at the Regional Medical Center. They were attached at the pelvis and lower spine, but had separate hearts, heads and limbs. At eight-weeks-old they had to be separated because of the severity of Jacob's heart condition and endured a 13-hour operation. But the boys recovered at different rates. Joined: This MRI scan provided by the hospital shows just how the pair were fused together . Fused: A 3D reconstruction shows how the boys' vertebrae were joined at the base . Jacob remained in intensive care and . needed few more operations, while Joshua recovered quicker and was given . the all-clear to go home with the twin's mother Adrienne Spates. In . 2011 Dr Max Langham, one of the hospital's surgeons told TODAY: 'Joshua's doing great, and hopefully . he'll be up and going and have a pretty normal lifespan. He said that while Jacob has . more serious heart problems 'our cardiology team has very high hopes his . treatment… will be successful'. 'If they had not been separated, sometime in the next year or two, they probably would have passed,' Dr Langham said. Ms . Spates, a single mother who has two other children, cried when her sons . saw each other for the first time: 'I'm glad that everyone gets to see . my baby and view them as separate people because they are and they have . their own personalities,' she said. Battling: A team of surgeons at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis worked for 13 hours to separate the babies and keep them alive . Relief: Joshua and Jocob's mother Adrienne was overwhelmed that all went to plan at hospital . In April 2012 the twins were placed in the custody of the Department of Child Services following the DUI arrest of their mother. It was unclear whether the children were still in DCS custody when Jacob died. Just two dozen conjoined twins have ever been successfully separated anywhere in the world. The . condition is extremely rare, only about one in every 200,000 live . births is a set of conjoined twins and about 15 per cent of these are . joined in a similar way to Joshua and Jacob. Fewer than a third of conjoined twins survive more than one day after birth. Joshua and Jacob are one of only six such cases in Memphis history. Doctors at the hospital said practice was the key to separating the twins successfully. This had included the anaesthesia team sewing together two Cabbage Patch dolls to practise flipping them without tangling the various lines that would be attached during surgery. Last week a formerly conjoined twin who was surgically separated from her sister in April died in Virginia. A'zhari Jones died just days after celebrating her first birthday with her twin sister A'zhiah. It is as yet unknown whether the death of A'zhari Jones was caused by complications from the separation surgery. Last week a formerly conjoined twin who was surgically separated from her sister in April died in Virginia. A'zhari Jones died just days after celebrating her first birthday with her twin sister A'zhiah . | Jacob Spates from Memphis died last week - cause of his death is unclear .
Toddler and his brother Joshua were joined at rear of the pelvis .
The pair were also joined at the gastrointestinal tract .
Jacob had a heart condition and needed more operations than Joshua .
Last week a separated twin girl in Virginia from a different set of twins died . |
252,584 | d2e1d032ce36110fd83f53aa7020f06328c94185 | The final touches are just about done for one of the biggest nights in British boxing on November 22, when Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew's rematch will headline a huge show at the Echo Arena in Liverpool. There have been setbacks but everything is now agreed and they are ready to go at each other again. I can also confirm that it will be an eliminator for the world cruiserweight title and currently we almost have a pick of the belts to go for. My best bet would be that the winner fights Marco Huck for the WBO title, but in reality I think the loser will also get a world-title shot. Frankly, this is the highest-profile fight in the whole division, a real grudge match, and the impression I get from my conversations is that all the title holders will want a piece of these two going forward. Nathan Cleverly says he will knock Tony Bellew out in their grudge rematch at Liverpool's Echo Arena . Cleverley (right) beat Bellew (left) in a tight majority decision in their first encounter in 2011 . Nathan Cleverly has vowed to become a two-weight world champion by disposing of Tony Bellew . The card will be on Sky Box Office and I must say I am proud to announce here the incredible line up we have. Scott Quigg will defend his WBA world super bantamweight title and we are in negotiations witg Joseph Agbeko, a two-time world champion, and also highly-ranked Shingo Wake. This would be the biggest test of Quigg's career and he has too much on the horizon for a slip up. We have begun initial talks with the McGuigans over the fight everyone wants to see – Quigg v Carl Frampton. Frampton has an injury at the moment and I wouldn't expect him to fight again until February or March so we wanted to get Quigg out in the meantime. I'm confident the fight with Frampton is going to happen next year. Also on the bill, I have James DeGale looking to impress ahead of his mandatory shot against Carl Froch next year. We have agreed terms with his opponent, it's a real fight - and we will announce the fight as soon as the contracts are signed. Carl Frampton won his IBF super-bantamweight world title bout against Kiko Martinez in Belfast . James DeGale beat Brandon Gonzales earlier this year and will get a shot at Carl Froch next year . The Liverpool card will also include WBA world bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell against Walberto Ramos with the winner facing a unification bout with WBO champion Tomoki Kameda after we agreed a deal last week. Then, of course, there's Anthony Joshua. He will fight Michael Sprott in an eliminator for the British title after fighting first on October 11 against Denis Bakhtov for the WBC international heavyweight title. The October 11 show at the O2 Arena will be Joshua's first title fight ahead of a world title shot by the end of 2015. I can't tell you how excited I am by this guy. The stabilisers are off and now we are picking up serious speed. Also on the Liverpool show, there will be an outing for the incredible and unbeaten Callum Smith and his brother Stephen. Callum will face a huge step up against Montenegrin star Nikola Sjekloca (27-2) whose only defeats have come via points losses to Sakio Bika and recently Arthur Abraham for the WBO world title. The bout has been approved by the WBC as an official eliminator with the winner moving into a final eliminator in 2015. It's a massive statement fight for Callum - he is ready! I can't help thinking that this will be the highest quality card in this country in years with plenty more still to come. I'd like to say a few words about Paul Smith, who travelled to Germany last weekend and lost his world title challenge on points to Arthur Abraham. I am sickened by the scorecards that were produced in Kiel. Everyone knows that if you fight away then it is unlikely you will get the verdict from a tight fight. And this was a very tight fight, so I knew what we were up against when I climbed in the ring at the end of the fight. Paul Smith (right) says he wants a rematch against Arthur Abraham after his defeat on Saturday . Paul Smith gave a good account of himself against Arthur Abraham and many have questioned the result . The judges voted unanimously in favour of Abraham, much to Smith's frustration and disappointment . But to hear the three judges gives Abraham, a great champion, the verdict by such wide margins was a disgrace. It was inept judging at its worse. We have made an official petition to the WBO and they will review the footage and I cannot see any other option than to make Paul the mandatory challenger for the title and order an immediate rematch. I'd also like to see greater scrutiny placed on judges in terms of a greater test of their knowledge of the sport. These people have livelihoods and dreams in their hands and cannot be allowed to make such terrible decisions. I've been talking in detail with Wembley and they are very keen for us to come back with another show after the success of Froch-Groves. I can reveal here that I have pencilled in June 27 and July 4 and will likely hold a show on one of those dates. It could be Carl Froch, possibly against James DeGale, and Kell Brook versus Amir Khan would fill it. Kell will probably make his comeback in March and would then be ready for a huge summer fight. Watch this space. Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in their second fight at Wembley Arena earlier this year . I've got a show in Leeds on October 4 and it could potentially place two top British fighters on a collision course. We have Josh Warrington, a great young fighter who at 23 already has the British and Commonwealth featherweight title. On Saturday he fights Davide Dieli for the European belt at the First Direct Arena. Josh is the biggest individual ticket seller in the country. He sells 2,000 himself, through his own phone, more or less. Then he often delivers them by hand. The European title was vacated by Welshman Lee Selby, who fights Joel Brunker in an IBF world title eliminator on the October 11 bill in London. The idea of Selby and Warrington fighting in the future appeals to me. The Leeds card will also see Brian Rose return after his world title challenge, and Ricky Burns fights at light-welterweight against Alexnadre Lepelley. Expect one of the best atmospheres you've seen on Saturday - the Leeds fans are ready to blow the roof off. There's a lot to look forward to at the moment. | I can reveal here one of the best fight cards to have happened in British boxing .
Cleverly-Bellew, as well as fights for Quigg, DeGale, Joshua, McDonnell and Callum Smith on November 22 .
I am in talks with Wembley for Froch or Brook over June 27 or July 4 dates .
It's time boxing judges did their jobs properly . |
75,972 | d775ec4d0795b08386db952d9d1066824df3f466 | By . Jennifer Smith . We are a nation of addicts, struggling to stop ourselves from eating fast food, using Facebook and swearing, a new survey has revealed. Among other vices is a love of coffee and tea, smoking and chocolate - though these are all things we are trying to give up according to research. A list of the 50 habits we most want to curb has been compiled after electronic cigarette company, ECigaretteDirect.co.uk, asked 600 adults the things they'd most like to live without. Addictions to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter were among the top 20 bad habits people are trying to give up . Giving up smoking was the thing people struggled most with, with alcohol and junk food following closely behind. Reality television, biting fingernails and picking your nose are among the more bizarre bad habits with each appearing in the list's top ten vices. Cracking knuckles, picking teeth in public and road rage featured further down the list as did obsessive spending and racking up credit card bills. Racking up credit card bills and, surprisingly, going to the gym were also listed as bad habits people are trying to curb . Unsurprisingly, technology based hang-ups such as Twitter and Google appeared in the top 20, as did addictions to iPads and smartphones. While it's easy to see why most things . on the list would be considered bad habits, others such as going to the . gym, shaving, and supporting a football team are perhaps not as . threatening. A spokesman for the survey said: 'Giving something up takes a lot of willpower and not everyone has the determination to see it through. 'People who can’t give up can consider switching to an alternative, such as switching to artificial sweeteners when giving up sugar, or electronic cigarettes instead of tobacco.' While many would think it's women who worry most about their figures, one man admitted to constantly trying to ditch junk food in a bid to lose weight. 'I’ve tried giving up fast food many times but it is just so delicious and there are those nights when you get home from work so late that all you want to do is crash in front of the TV with a bottle of larger and a curry.' Another woman said that keeping her maiden name was a habit she wanted to get rid of, after becoming too accustomed to it to change once she got married. 1. Smoking . 2. Swearing . 3. Picking nose . 4. Biting fingernails . 5. Coffee . 6. Tea . Smoking was listed as the bad habit most are trying to give up while drinking alcohol was ninth on the list . 7. Reality Television . 8. Fast Food . 9. Alcohol . 10. Comfort Shopping . 11. Credit Cards . 12. Facebook . 13. Twitter . 14. Google . Many are trying to stop eating boiled sweets and sugar . 15. The gym . 16. Sugar . 17. Chocolate . 18. Fizzy drinks . 19. iPad . 20. Smartphones . 21. Meat . 22. Video games . 23. Cracking knuckles . 24. Speaking with our mouths full . 25. Talking to yourself . 26. Use of American English . 27. Sex . 28. Childhood toy . 29. Boiled sweets . 30. Bread . 31. Pasta . 32. Dairy . 33. Picking teeth in public . 34. Shaving . 35. Clubbing . 36. Supporting a football team . 37. Women's maiden names . Licking the spoon while baking and playing video games were also included in the survey which polled 650 adults . 38. Humming to yourself . 39. Dyeing your hair . 40. Tattoos . 41. Piercings . 42. Pets . 43. Salt . 44. Tomato Ketchup . 45. Working . 46. Chewing gum . 47. Biting the ends of pens . 48. Licking the spoon when baking . 49. Road rage . 50. Extravagant spending . | Smoking, chocolate and alcohol among other addictions .
Reality television, smartphones and iPads featured in list of bad habits .
Going to the gym and having sex are also things people try to give up . |
61,262 | ae01b5e0a06a7482e2e8f84370db7ffef211ef46 | The education watchdog was yesterday accused of risking children’s safety by ditching plans for routine snap inspections of schools. Sir Michael Wilshaw provoked fury among supporters of former Education Secretary Michael Gove after rejecting demands for Ofsted to stop giving schools notice of visits by its inspectors. This is the second occasion on which current Education Secretary Nicky Morgan’s administration appears to have backtracked on a policy of her predecessor. Sir Michael Wilshaw has been criticised by supporters of Michael Gove for abandoning no-notice inspections . Mr Gove and David Cameron publicly backed a move to unannounced visits for all schools following the ‘Trojan Horse’ revelations that Islamic extremists had tried to infiltrate governing bodies at a string of Birmingham schools. Some schools were said to have put on ‘hastily arranged shows of cultural inclusivity’ such as lessons on Christianity after receiving notice that inspectors were poised to visit. But Sir Michael, the chief inspector, insisted yesterday he did ‘not need’ to introduce routine no-notice inspections for all schools but that they would still be conducted in specific schools if Ofsted received reports of declining standards. Now Dominic Cummings, a former special adviser to Mr Gove, has accused Sir Michael of bowing to pressure from teaching unions which had bitterly resisted the move to routine snap inspections. ‘It’s bad news for parents that Ofsted and the Government have caved in to the unions,’ he told the Mail. ‘There are big problems with schools cheating inspections to hide bad behaviour and bad teaching. In other fields involving safety, it is basic that inspections should be no notice so that transparency catches mistakes. ‘Now, schools that get the best marks are often the ones who put on the best show – not ones that teach best. This surrender will mean lower standards and puts children at risk.’ Education secretary Nicky Morgan, left, has abandoned two of her predecessor Michael Gove's policies, right . The revelation that most schools will continue to receive notice of Ofsted visits came as part of a wider shake-up of the inspection system in England. Schools now face inspections every three years instead of every five as at present, even though, Sir Michael admitted, school performance can decline ‘very quickly’ in a matter of months. Sir Michael said he had considered calls for routine no-notice inspections, but ‘after much thought and deliberation’ had decided against them. Heads are currently told of an impending inspection about half a day in advance. Sir Michael insisted that one of the key criteria for triggering a no-notice inspection was concerns over safeguarding children. The chief inspector said 40 had already been mounted this term at schools where Ofsted had concerns over standards, and there were plans for more where ‘regional intelligence’ suggested that schools were failing to protect pupils from extremism. Denying that he was bowing to pressure from teaching unions, Sir Michael said: ‘I’m not caving in, because we are increasing the number of unannounced inspections. Is it something we might want to consider in the future? We will have a look at it.’ Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: ‘It is good news that Ofsted has decided against a move to routine no-notice inspections.’ Since taking over as Education Secretary in July, Mrs Morgan has reversed Mr Gove’s plans to make misbehaving children go for a run as a form of punishment, and in stark contrast to Mr Gove’s bullish stance towards the teaching unions – which he termed ‘the blob’ – she has vowed to do ‘everything I can’ to reduce teachers’ workload. | Ofsted accused of risking child safety by abandoning snap inspections .
Former education secretary Michael Gove wanted no-warning visits .
His successor Nicky Morgan has now reversed two of his policies .
Teacher unions have welcomed the decision to abandon the snap visits . |
31,423 | 59593b4af809dcd11911ac0258c5f0a3b9f128ef | Political opposites turned friends, former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush launched a new scholars program at four presidential centers with an opening act that might have been mistaken for a comedy routine. The two former presidents - one a Democrat, the other a Republican - shared laughs and a buddy-like banter on stage Monday, talking about presidential leadership while trading stories about their famous families and life after the White House. Bill Clinton said he and Bush laughed backstage about people coming up to them at restaurants and asking to take 'selfie' photos. Quipped Bush: 'At least they're still asking.' In stitches: Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush appeared together Monday, to announce a leadership series which will be taught at four presidential libraries across the nation . Flattery: The two kept the talk light, avoiding any tangent into current President Barack Obama's issues with ISIS. Instead, they spent much of the time complimenting each other . The new autograph: Clinton and Bush also reflected on what it's like to be a former president today, like being asked in restaurants to take selfies with strangers . With Hillary Rodham Clinton seated in the fourth row, Bush noted that many people ask him about the possibility of another Bush-Clinton White House campaign. His father, President George H.W. Bush, lost to Clinton in 1992, and his brother, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, may seek the GOP nomination in a race that could pair him against Hillary Clinton. 'The first one didn't turn out too good,' Bush quipped. The 42nd and 43rd presidents joined together to announce the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, a partnership between the Clinton, Bush, George H.W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson presidential centers. Future Madam President? Hillary Clinton attended the event at the Newseum to hear her husband and former President Bush speak. The two former presidents dodged the question of Hillary's potential 2016 run at the White House . At a time of partisanship and gridlock, both presidents said they hoped the scholars program would attract people in business, public service and the military interested in learning about presidential decision-making and applying it to their own careers. Clinton revealed that he and Bush would speak twice a year during Bush's second term, 30-to-45 minute conversations about policy and politics. While they didn't always agree, Clinton said he never talked about their discussions and said the talks 'meant a lot to me.' Clinton said the test of any democracy is finding ways of having a vigorous debate and still reaching resolution to the nation's problems. 'If you read the Constitution, it ought to be subtitled: "Let's make a deal,"' Clinton said. Confidante: It was revealed during the talk that Bush called Clinton twice a year, during the second half of his presidency, to discuss the world for 30-45 minutes. He says the chats 'meant a lot to me'. Bush Sr: The two also spoke at length about Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, praising the elder Bush who Clinton beat in the 1992 election . The elder Bush got in the act from afar, writing in a letter read aloud that every former president displays different qualities, 'for example, not all of us skydive.' Bush, who celebrated his 90th birthday in June by making a tandem parachute jump, urged the two former presidents to 'keep it brief.' The event had a light-hearted tone. Bush offered Clinton advice on becoming a grandparent - Clinton's daughter Chelsea is expecting her first child this fall. 'Get ready ... to be like the lowest person in the pecking order in your family,'Bush said. At one point, Clinton's cellphone rang on stage, prompting him to tell the audience that 'only two people have this number and they are related to me.' The best of friends: Despite being political opposites, Clinton and Bush have forged perhaps the closest relationship between any two former presidents . Like family: Clinton has previously referred to Bush as his 'brother from another mother' and the 'black sheep son' of the Bush family . Clinton said he hoped 'I'm not being told I'm about to become a premature grandfather.' Assessing each other's leadership qualities, Clinton said Bush did things he thought was right and 'consistently benefited by being underestimated - and so did I for totally different reasons.' Bush said Clinton was empathetic and 'an awesome communicator' who could 'really lay out a case and get people all across the political spectrum.' Ending his comments, he asked Clinton: 'Is that enough?' Proud: Bush also gave Clinton some advice on being a grandparent, since daughter Chelsea Clinton is expecting her first child. Bush pictured above with his granddaughter Mia . Going to be a grandpa! Former President Clinton is preparing for his next job as grandfather, as daughter Chelsea is expecting her first child. Pictured above with her husband Marc Mezvinsky in New York on September 3 . George W. Bush campaigned for president in 2000 on restoring 'honor and dignity' to the White House following Clinton's impeachment over a sex scandal. But the two former presidents have developed a bond, strengthened by their mutual admiration for the elder Bush, whom Clinton visited in Maine last week. Clinton and the younger Bush worked together on relief efforts after Haiti's devastating earthquake in 2010 and have been active in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. Bush noted that his upcoming book, called '41: A Portrait of My Father,' would be a 'love story. It's a story about seeing someone you admire and learning from them.' As moderator Josh Bolten humorously plugged the book's November 11 release date, Clinton mused about writing his own competing Bush 41 book. 'I think I can put one together that would be ready to go,' Clinton joked. | The former presidents appeared together Monday at an event at the Newseum in Washington, DC .
They announced a new program that will teach presidential decision-making at four presidential libraries across the nation .
Clinton and Bush spent most of the time complimenting each other's leadership qualities .
Bush also gave Clinton a few pointers on becoming a new grandfather . |
13,109 | 25355d6bbe65545a5cc6bf3a6cd37adbecb39388 | By . Associated Press . Updated: . 01:35 EST, 29 November 2013 . Accused: Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, is charged with six counts of murder . A former Marine charged with the gory stabbing deaths of six people in California told investigators he targeted homeless people in part because they were vulnerable, and that he believes he has a 'killer gene'. Itzcoatl Ocampo, a 23-year-old Iraq War veteran, was initially arrested for the stabbing deaths of four homeless men earlier this year. Ocampo later confessed to two more murders - the October killings of his high school friend Eder Herrera's mother and brother in Yorba Linda. The revelations come as Ocampo faces six felony counts of murder for allegedly stalking and stabbing his victims in killings authorities said were carried out with a roughly seven-inch military-style blade and that terrorized Orange County's homeless community. Ocampo has pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, Ocampo could face the death penalty. The district attorney has not yet decided whether to seek capital punishment in the case. Ocampo told investigators he started to kill homeless men because they were 'available and vulnerable' and continued stabbing his victims even after believing they were dead, according to the transcript. Ocampo said he looked at Penthouse magazine before the attacks 'to pump himself up,' Wyatt said. 'He seemed to get excited when he was talking about the actual kill,' Wyatt testified. 'So, I asked him if he was aroused by the act of killing.' Scroll down for video . The victims: (L-R) James . McGillivray was stabbed outside a shopping centre on December 20; Lloyd . Middaugh was found stabbed on a riverbed on December 28; and Paulus . Cornelius Smit was found stabbed outside a library on December 30 . Service: A relative holds a photograph of Itzcoatl posing proudly in his Marines uniform. He was said to have become paranoid and delusional after his deployment . Worried: Refugio Ocampo, the father of the 23-year-old who is the prime suspect in the killings, is himself homeless and said the Iraq war killed the man his son used to be . Ocampo at first questioned the word arousal, according to the transcript, but then added, 'my balls felt like they were going to explode, and I knew that I had the killer gene.' Ocampo was arrested in January after a witness helped chase down a suspect following the stabbing of a fourth homeless victim outside a fast-foot restaurant in Anaheim, about 26 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Ocampo was initially charged with the four murders and prosecutors last month added charges for the Yorba Linda killings. Detectives said Wednesday they saw similarities in the cases of the Yorba Linda deaths and the stabbings of four homeless men in December and January. Detectives focused on the severity of the attacks, the number and the type of wounds, and the proximity of Ocampo's home to the Yorba Linda killings, the Orange County Register reported. Murder weapon: Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas holds up picture of a knife similar to the one he accused of being used by Itzcoatl Ocampo in the killings . Normal young man: Itzcoatl Ocampo's family has released these images of the young man, showing him in happier times . Authorities have linked Ocampo to a killing spree targeting four homeless men: James Patrick McGillivray, 53, who was stabbed December 20 near a shopping center in Placentia; Lloyd Middaugh, 42, who was found December 28 near a riverbed trail in Anaheim; Paulus Smit, 57, who was stabbed to death outside a Yorba Linda library on December 30; and John Berry, 64, who was stabbed to death on the day Ocampo was arrested. Each of the four men was stabbed more than 40 times with a weapon believed to be a 7-inch fixed-blade military-type knife, authorities said. Locations: Police in Orange County, California say Ocampo was responsible for four killings since December 2011 . Before Ocampo's January 13 arrest, police had fanned out across the county better known as the home to Disneyland and multi-million dollar beachfront homes to urge the homeless to be careful and seek shelter indoors. Veterans Affairs officials say such high-profile violence can paint an inaccurate picture of returning veterans. His father, Refugio Ocampo, said his son came back from his deployment a changed man. He said his son expressed disillusionment and became ever darker as he struggled to find his way. After Ocampo was discharged in 2010 and returned home, his parents separated. Watch video here . | Police say ex-Marine Itzcoatl Ocampo killed four homeless men and the mother and brother of his childhood friend .
Family said deployment in Iraq 'killed the man he used to be'
Ocampo's father is homeless . |
274,397 | ef66aaeff27d72037e40ec1b7ab90d9d065f7cb7 | Beijing (CNN) -- The foreign invasion of China's professional football league reached fever pitch this week with the announcement that former Chelsea forward Didier Drogba will play with the Shanghai Shenhua team next season. "Drogba will be the highest profile player to join the China Super League," said Titan sports commentator Yan Qiang. "He is going to get about 12 million euro (US$15 million) per season, the highest salary ever offered by China sport." This continues the spending spree on foreign coaches and players by Chinese tycoons who have been acquiring sports teams for commercial and branding purposes. Last year reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande imported a South American superstar who led the team to the championship. In May, the team pulled off another coup by securing the services of World Cup-winning Italian Coach Marcello Lippi. Bankrolled by Zhu Jun, a charismatic tycoon who co-owns Nine City, an online games company, Shenhua has been languishing near the bottom of the China Super League, with only three wins in 13 games. Chinese soccer: Vanity project or emerging superpower? Drogba, 34, will join his former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka in the attacking line of the Shanghai team. Drogba says he decided to move to Shanghai to experience a new culture, promote Chinese football around the world, and further improve China-Africa relations. "When Chelsea went to China last year, we had a great time and met some amazing fans," he wrote on his personal website. Football is considered the No. 1 spectator sport in China. Large crowds go to games and even larger audiences watch televised games featuring teams in professional leagues at home and in Italy, Germany and Britain. But interest in soccer has waned in recent years. This is partly due to the scandals that have plagued the "beautiful game." Last week, two former top officials of China's football association and four ex-members of the national team were convicted of corruption and match-fixing. They were sentenced to long prison terms. Poor performances by China's national teams haven't helped the cause either. China has repeatedly failed to qualify for the World Cup, prompting popular frustration and anger. In 2010, after the game that doomed China's chances of qualifying for the World Cup, a local newspaper ran a large, bold black headline, "The National Soccer Team Lost Again. We Have Nothing to Say." That year, China was ranked 84th in the world, just ahead of Mozambique. There has been little progress since then. In November last year, Team China was again eliminated from their 2014 World Cup qualifying group. Qualification for the World Cup remains an elusive goal, and the fans are not happy. I have seen Chinese soccer fans get angry when their team loses. In May 1985, minutes after an underdog Hong Kong team knocked China out of contention for the 1986 World Cup, hundreds of angry fans stormed onto the field and besieged the winning team -- and the home team. Outside the Beijing stadium, mobs went on a rampage, smashing vehicles and attacking journalists and diplomats. It was the worst sports riot in decades. Some China-watchers suggested it was a cathartic release of pent-up emotions over social and political controls and other complaints, coupled with an ugly display of jingoism. Others viewed it as evidence of simple fans' disappointment at their national team. With no home team to root for, Chinese fans have turned to other teams overseas—or to local teams featuring international idols. "I bought Drogba to make supporters happy," Shenhua owner Zhu Jun wrote in his microblog. "I believe his professionalism is not just on the field -- his other strengths will also have a great impact on other players. His values are many, he has an international vision as well as international recognition." Fans hailed the move. "It is a good thing for Chinese football and fans," wrote microblogger Jiaojiandefengzi. "Big-shot players will definitely improve attendance in stadiums, boost ratings and bring considerable commercial benefits." It is not a novel idea. In 1975, Brazilian super-hero Pele signed with the New York Cosmos and for years he gave the nascent professional soccer scene in the U.S. massive publicity and a significant boost in popularity. In 2007, David Beckham left Real Madrid to join Major League Soccer team LA Galaxy. Beckham, then 31, signed a multi-year, multi-million-dollar deal that included sponsorship and merchandising contracts. "They worked in the sense that everyone made a lot of money, and they helped raise the profile of soccer in America and the U.S. league abroad," said Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl. "There's no magic bullet, however. The U.S. league is still growing, but slowly," he added. But sports analysts wonder if importing big-name stars necessarily boost the teams commercially or competitively. Yan Qiang says it made sense for Guangzhou's Evergrande team. "They were doing the Manchester City model," he explained. "They made huge investment into the first team to gain instant result on the pitch and thus promote Evergrande's brand in China and Asia." But Yan finds Shanghai's strategy off-target. "Shanghai is a weak team, even though the club has some pedigree. Signing Drogba and Anelka would not make Shanghai a top team because it takes more than two world-class strikers to make a powerful team." To give China's soccer a genuine boost, Yan said, "the key is grassroots participation and youth development." Jiang Yi, the managing editor of Sports Illustrated China, said importing big names "is only good for Chinese sports if more big businesses and rich entrepreneurs wanted to get involved with sports in China. The reality is, however, that many of them don't want to." Commercial goals aside, David Pan, formerly a professional basketball player in China and now a business professor at Prince Sultan University in Saudi Arabia, believes getting Drogba is largely a vanity project. "I think it is a stunt for Shanghai to reposition its city's image in China and the world in the post-Yao Ming era." Pan likens it to the concept of bringing Formula 1 racing to Shanghai, which over the years has failed to gain popular and commercial appeal. "I voiced my concern but they went ahead anyway," he said. "Looking back, it's clear that the F1 race track was only for face-lifting of Shanghai." Still, Pan adds, "with sophisticated planning and marketing schemes, perhaps it could serve as a steroid to jump-start the fan's interest in football. "The problem is, the fans lack a connection with soccer because of its credibility issue. The soccer league is a mirror of the worst in China, as evidenced in the news reports on corruption." Perhaps microblogger Huxiaopanjin puts China's soccer conundrum most poignantly: "I've often seen kids playing on cement ground," he wrote. "Some of them may have superstar quality but they are unfortunately born in China. "China has plenty of money but nobody would even build one small field for the kids to play on. Stars can temporarily save the market but contribute little to the future of Chinese football." | Former Chelsea forward Didier Drogba will join Shanghai Shenhua next season .
Chinese tycoons are spending big on foreign coaches and players .
Football is considered the number one spectator sport in China .
However support is waning due to corruption scandals, poor performance . |
127,798 | 3131d8fd330a01e629f93f8a4a670c0a65ee62e7 | By . Aaron Sharp . PUBLISHED: . 05:31 EST, 18 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:04 EST, 18 September 2013 . Plea: Starbucks Coffee CEO Howard Schultz, pictured above, has written an open letter to customers in the US asking them not to bring guns into their cafes . Starbucks will not enforce a US wide ban on guns in their stores, despite another mass shooting in America this week. The coffee chain has been forced to state its position on the gun debate which has been reignited after crazed gunman Aaron Alexis shot 12 people dead in a Washington Navy yard this week. Most US states allow people to carry . licensed guns and many companies, including the Seattle based cafe giant, do not have laws banning . firearms in their stores. Due to their lenient stance Starbucks has become a popular meeting place for the right-wing pro-firearms lobby. Some groups stage "Starbucks Appreciation Days," in which gun lovers turn up at the cafes and order drinks while proudly carrying their weapons. Rifle clubs have filmed their meet ups before posting the videos on Youtube. In one clip, a gun enthusiast can be seen sipping from a Starbucks cup with a pistol on his hip. One website even sells products bearing . an altered version of the Starbucks logo, with the siren holding up a . gun in each hand with the words "I Love Guns & Coffee." The growing link between the coffee brand and gun owners has forced bosses to act. In an interview, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said anyone carrying a firearm would be 'unwelcome' in Starbucks but he confirmed the chain would stop short of banning the weapons completely. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO: . Deadly: guns like this glock pistol are allowed in Starbucks as long as the owner carries a license . Unwelcome: Starbucks have said that gun-toting customers make others feel uncomfortable . Schultz said the pro-gun meetings had . 'made our customers uncomfortable', adding: 'to be clear: we do not want . these events in our stores.' He is hoping armed customers will respect the companies wishes, but when asked how staff would deal with those carrying guns, he said: "We will not ask you to leave". Support: t-shirts like the one shown above are popular with pro-gun lobbyists who meet at Starbucks . In a memo circulated to staff, Starbucks workers have been told not to confront gun owners or ask them to leave simply for being armed. Starbucks has bought advertising space in major US newspapers this week to publish an open letter from Schultz. But although the letter states their opposition to guns, it also confirms that the company will be standing by its position that the decision to ban guns should be left to lawmakers . Critics of Starbucks have highlighted several American companies who do not allow firearms in their stores. Peet's Coffee & Tea and Whole Foods say they have had no trouble enforcing their gun bans. Shannon Watts, founder of the gun reform group Moms Demand Action, questioned why Starbucks has taken strong stances on other issues such as smoking. Earlier this year the company banned smoking within 25 feet of its cafes with the idea being to extend its no-smoking policy to the outdoor seating areas. | US coffee chain insist they will serve customers carrying licensed guns in their American stores .
Bosses at Starbucks say people carrying firearms are "unwelcome"
They fear banning legal gun owners will force staff to confront armed customers . |
158,171 | 5882d206ec701c53d6063ec876964a8091e20af4 | A young mother was forced to wait for half an hour after this selfish Audi driver parked just millimetres from her car. Stephanie Adams, 27, was left unable to get into her Vauxhall Corsa after this shocking piece of parking in Nottingham. The mother-of-one decided to shame the thoughtless driver of the navy blue Audi A5 after they left their vehicle almost touching her own. Scroll down for video . Stephanie Adams, 27, was left unable to get into her Vauxhall Corsa after this shocking piece of parking in Nottingham . The driver of the Audi A5 left the vehicle just millimetres from her white coloured Vauxhall Corsa . Stephanie said that she could not climb in through the passenger door because of her child's car seat . The driver of the Audi made sure they had plenty of space to get in and out of their vehicle on the drivers side. 'When I left the car there was a space next to it, but when I came back the car was parked like this,' said the 27-year-old, who was delayed collecting her daughter from nursery. 'My first thought was ''how am I going to get out?'' but then I thought ''how am I going to get in?'' 'The car was parked so close to my mine I couldn't get in, and I didn't think I'd be able to climb over the child seat which is in the passenger seat. 'But even if I did get into the car, I'm not sure I would have been able to reverse out of there anyway.' When the driver of the navy blue 2007 Audi A5 Sport TDI Quattro finally moved his car, there was no damage to her vehicle. The incident happened at the Lace Market car park in Nottingham on February 12. The mother-of-one was also worried about the damaging the Audi if she tried to reverse out . The mother-of-one said: 'My first thought was 'how am I going to get out?' but then I thought 'how am I going to get in?' 'Strangely enough I think I actually bumped into the driver who was having trouble with his ticket at the machine,' said the photography student. 'He was about 25 and wearing a suit. He looked a bit flash but I let him go ahead of me because I was waiting for an attendant so I could show him how the Audi had parked. 'When the attendant arrived we went up the stairs to my car and the Audi had gone. The only person I had seen was the guy in the suit so I assume it must have been his car. 'I was amazed there was no damage to either car but it shows just how thoughtless some people can be. 'I put the picture on my Facebook page and hundreds of people have commented on it. The response has been incredible.' The MailOnline has been contacted by a man claiming to be the driver of the Audi. He said: 'My car was only parked in that position next to the car for a matter of minutes whilst I went to the newsagents.' He declined to comment on the incident further. Is this your Audi, or do you know the driver? Email [email protected] . | Selfish driver of this Audi A5 left Stephanie Adams unable to get in her car .
The Audi was left almost touching the mother-of-one's Vauxhall Corsa .
Shocking piece of parking happened in multi-storey in Nottingham .
She believes Audi driver was a 'flash' 25-year-old man in smart suit .
Is this your Audi, or do you know the driver? Email [email protected] . |
206,944 | 97f32bce0a3a4d10751c968ede5d00185b2d0567 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A Florida man accused of murdering his new wife just days after they were married more than a decade ago is now representing himself in his long-anticipated first degree murder trial, and on Tuesday he cross-examined the prosecution's star witness: His former girlfriend who admits that she helped him murder his wife. Authorities say Michel Escoto bludgeoned his 21-year-old bride Wendy Trapaga to death in October of 2002 - just four days after they were married - so he could collect on a million-dollar life insurance policy and run off with his girlfriend, Yolanda Cerrillo, who has admitted to helping Escoto plan the murder of her then-romantic rival in exchange for complete immunity from prosecution. 'Happy with yourself?' Miami-Dade County prosecutor Gail Levine asked Cerrillo of her involvement in the murder and the deal she reached with prosecutors. Scroll down for video . Tears: Yolanda Cerillo sobs as she admits her involvement in the murder of Wendy Trapaga . 'I’m worthless,' Cerrillo sobbed. 'That’s how I feel right now.' 'But it’s not about you, is it?' Levine asked. According to the Miami Herald, Cerrillo then broke down in tears. 'It’s about a mother who lost her daughter and I had something to do with it,' Cerrillo answered back in tears. Escoto faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Trapaga, who was found strangled, drugged and bludgeoned to death in warehouse parking lot in October of 2002. Authorities say Escoto killed Trapaga on the couple's impromptu honeymoon in Key West, just four days after their 'rushed' wedding. Prosecutors say that on the night of the murder, the couple went out partying and then checked into the Executive Airport Motel. Escoto later told police that he and Trapaga had gotten into a fight and she left on her own. Tragic: Wendy Trapaga was allegedly murdered by her husband of four days and his ex-girlfriend in a scheme to cash in on an insurance policy . While married to Trapaga, he was still seeing his longtime girlfriend, Cerrillo, whom he had been living with prior to his marriage to Trapaga. In 2002, Cerrillo says Escoto abruptly moved out of the apartment the two had shared. Cerrillo admits that she was devastated after Escoto left her. 'It was downhill. He left me. I couldn’t handle it very . well,' she told the court. 'All I could do was cry in my room.' Escoto testified that after she'd discovered that Escoto had moved in with Trapaga, she had him meet her in a restaurant parking lot to confront him about it. 'Killer': Authorities say Michel Escoto married Trapaga only to murder her for a life insurance payout . That, Cerrillo says, was when he told her about his plan to kill Trapaga for the insurance money and then run away with her. Cerrillo testified that the original plan was to kill Trapaga during a trip to New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Escoto decided to speed up the plan because 'he was running out of money,' according to Cerrillo, who added that 'Wendy needed to die sooner.' The honeymoon in Key West was where Escoto decided he would kill Trapaga - Cerrillo says she even gave him the $80 to pay for the hotel. After Trapaga was dead, Escoto was to send a page to Cerrillo's beeper - 'that would be the message that it would be done,' Cerrillo told the court. Attorney: Escoto is acting as his own attorney, and actually cross-examined the ex-girlfriend, Cerrillo, with whom he allegedly plotted the murder . Escoto then drove to Cerrillo's home, where - she told the court - she could see what appeared to be Trapaga's body reclined in the passenger seat of Escoto's car. Cerrillo then followed Escoto in her own car to the warehouse parking lot where Trapaga's bludgeoned body was found by police days later Cerrillo said she had to drive around for a little while after they got to the warehouse to give Escoto more time to finsih killing Trapaga, who apparently was drugged while in Escoto's car. Cerrillo says she found him he had abandoned the car he'd driven and was walking in the street covered in blood - and he was holding a tire iron. Cerrillo and Escoto stopped on the way home to throw the tire iron into the ocean, at which point a police officer pulled up to their vehicle but simply shooed them away from the water. Tire iron: Authorities say Escoto drugged Trapaga, before strangling her and bludgeoning her with a tire iron . In the months following the murder, Escoto moved back in with Cerrillo - but the relationship was rocky. During an argument, Cerrillo says Escoto choked her. She says she didn't want to call police because he'd reminded her of her involvement in Trapaga's murder. 'I had no way out,' Cerrillo said. 'He either kills me or I go to jail.' Escoto wasn't charged in his wife's death until 2005 after he'd given inconsistent versions of what had happened to his wife in a lawsuit he filed to get his hands on the insurance money. Cerrillo - now 40 - started cooperating with authorities in 2006. Civil penalties: A civil jury ordered Cerrillo pay Trapaga's mother a $44 million judgement for being responsible for the death of her daughter . In 2011, she admitted that she had not told investigators about the full extent of her involvement and came clean. 'The secret was too much,' she told jurors Tuesday. 'It was too stressful.' While she may not go to prison for her role in Trapaga's death, Cerrillo was found responsible for Trapaga's death in civil court, where a jury awarded Trapaga's mother a $44 million judgment against Cerrillo for her daughter's death. | Michel Escoto is accused of murdering his wife of four days, Wendy Trapaga .
Authorities say he planned to kill Trapaga to collect the life insurance money and then run off with his former girlfriend, Yolanda Cerrillo .
Cerrillo admitted to helping Escoto plan and carry out the murder in exchange for immunity from prosecution .
She is now the star witness against him .
On Tuesday, Escoto, who is representing himself, cross-examined the woman who says she helped him murder his wife . |
258,025 | d9ee3e43d94730f803203dd6349a0490eb543b45 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Associated Press . A second grand jury has indicted a North Carolina police officer who killed an unarmed former Florida A&M football player by shooting him ten times last year. Charlotte officer Randall Kerrick, 28, was indicted for voluntary manslaughter Monday in the shooting of 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell last year. A separate jury declined to indict Kerrick last week. Investigators say Kerrick shot Ferrell on September 14 as he looked for help after a car crash. The voluntary manslaughter charge carries a prison sentence of up to 11 years. Georgia Ferrell, the victim's mother, told CNN that she is willing to be patient as the case travels through the justice system. 'I just feel like God's will will be done,' she said. Controversy: Unarmed Jonathan Ferrell (left) was killed in Charlotte last year after being shot ten times by police officer Randall Kerrick. On Monday a grand jury indicted Kerrick for voluntary manslaughter . Charles Monnett, an attorney for the . Ferrell family, said: 'With the strength of the evidence in this case, . we're not surprised. 'We're . all pleased and happy that the process is beginning now and that . there's an end in sight. It is the first step towards justice,' Monnett continued. The panel handed down the decision hours after a judge ruled the Attorney General's office could resubmit the case after the first grand jury declined to indict Kerrick. Because . the panel was four members short, Attorney General Roy Cooper decided . to make a request to send the case to a second jury. Kerrick's attorneys said that there was 'nothing irregular or improper' about the first grand jury. Ferrell’s . family claim that he was in a submissive position – either on his knees . or lying on the ground – when he was shot, and filed a wrongful death . suit against Kerrick two weeks ago. An . attorney for the family said the were 'disappointed, shocked, . devastated' by the first decision not to indict Kerrick, as reported by WBTV. Fatal: Ferrell apparently walked about a half-mile to the nearest house at the upscale Bradfield Farm community and was 'banging on the door viciously' to attract attention. Ferrell had survived a car accident and banged on the door of a nearby house in the middle of the night looking for help. Last Tuesday the grand jury decided not to indict Officer Kerrick on the charge and asked the prosecutor to submit a lesser charge. But . the state Attorney General's office issued a statement later in the day . saying it would resubmit the case to a full grand jury after learning . that the panel that heard the case was less than a full panel. NBC News . reported that the Mecklenburg County grand jurors submitted a . handwritten note saying that there wasn't enough evidence to indict . Kerrick on the original charge. Kerrick's attorney, George Laughrun, said the officer felt like 'the weight of the world has been lifted from his shoulders.' 'He's extremely relieved that the . grand jury members saw fit to keep an open mind and not listen to all . the propaganda on all the things he did wrong,' Laughrun continued, as . reported by the Charlotte Observer. Chris . Chestnut, the family's attorney, told the newspaper that the first . grand jury's decision was 'highly suspicious and gravely concerning.' The attorney said that the Ferrell family have been left out of the process throughout the investigation. Wrongful death: Ferrell's family filed a lawsuit two weeks ago. Attorney Charles Monnett (left) speaks, his as mother Georgia Ferrell (center), brother Willie Ferrell (standing) and attorney Chris Chestnut (right) look on during a news conference on January 14 . Sadness: A memorial sits at the site of Jonathan Ferrell's death in Charlotte . 'There has been nothing to demonstrate that this case has gotten the attention it deserves and needs for the citizens of Charlotte and America,' Chestnut said. 'It's that important a case. This feels like they don't value Jonathan's life.' Charlotte NAACP President Kojo Natambu told WBTV: 'This is one of the most despicable decisions I have ever seen made by human beings.' The wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Ferrell family also alleged that despite him . lying mortally wounded on the ground officers still deemed it necessary . to handcuff him, according to NBC News. The deadly encounter unfolded in Charlotte at about 2.30 a.m. on Saturday September 14 after Mr Ferrell had apparently been in an automobile wreck. A crash so severe he would have had to climb out of the back window to escape. Ferrell apparently walked about a . half-mile to the nearest house at the upscale Bradfield Farm community . and was 'banging on the door viciously' to attract attention. Thinking . it was her husband coming home late from work, the woman who lived . there opened the door. When she saw Ferrell, she shut it and called . police. The authorities subsequently released a tape of her 911 call. A . sobbing woman can be heard pleading for police to ‘please hurry’ after . telling a dispatcher that a man was breaking into her front door. Football star: Jonathan Ferrell (center) is pictured alongside teammates of his Florida A&M University 'Rattlers' football team . ‘He’s still there yelling,’ the woman said as the 911 dispatcher told her officers were on their way. ‘He’s yelling. He’s yelling.’ The unidentified woman keeps repeating ‘Oh, my god! Oh, my god!’ throughout the call. She also told the 911 operator that she had a baby in a crib and didn't know what to do. ‘He’s in his bed. I don’t know what to do. I can’t believe I opened the door,’ she said. Later, she said the man was knocking on her door and ‘he's in my front yard yelling.’ When three officers arrived they claim that Ferrell ran towards them. One officer attempted to Taser Ferrell but that didn't work and investigators said Ferrell continued to run towards Officer Randall Kerrick who had his service weapon drawn. Officer Kerrick fired 12 shots at Ferrell, striking Ferrell ten times. CMPD said officers on the scene thought Ferrell was a threat, but Kerrick was the only one who drew his gun and fired. Ferrell's family said the former . Florida A&M University football player moved to Charlotte about a . year ago to be with his fiancee and was working two jobs. He wanted to go back to school and eventually become an automotive engineer. Ferrell's mother said Kerrick had no business being a police officer if he couldn't react properly to a man who needed help. Tragic: Georgia Ferrell, mother of Jonathan Ferrell, holds a stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh bear as she arrives at a news conference in Charlotte on January 14 . 'I truly forgive him. I pray for him. And I pray that he gets off the police force,' Georgia Ferrell said. His family painted a picture of a bright man with an 'infectious smile' who was always there for his brothers and sisters. 'He was a role model,' said his brother, Frank. 'He had so much love in his heart. And he was always concerned about his family.' 'He had dreams of being an automotive engineer. He wanted to design a car from the very last bolt to the interior,' his brother said. He said he didn't know where his brother was going that night, or why he got into the accident. But he said his brother had never been in trouble before. | Second North Carolina grand jury indicts police officer Randall Kerrick, 28, who fatally shot unarmed Jonathan Ferrell, 24, ten times last September .
First jury declined to indict Kerrick on involuntary manslaughter last week .
Investigators say Kerrick shot Ferrell last September 14 as he looked for help after a car crash .
Ferrell's mother says: 'I just feel like God's will will be done'
But Kerrick's attorneys say there was 'nothing irregular or improper' about the decision of the first grand jury .
Voluntary manslaughter charge carries a prison sentence of up to 11 years . |
145,757 | 48778475dfa2e54f351e12a338586bc4b2e46b1a | It's just not cricket without Richie Benaud behind the microphone and so the summer of Test matches in Australia will conclude at the SCG, without the legend calling a ball. The veteran of the Channel Nine commentary team is unlikely to make his much anticipated return at his home-town Test beginning on Tuesday. The Nine Network had left the door open for Benaud, 84, to return in the fourth and final match between Australia and India, ever since he appeared at their summer of cricket launch at the same ground a month ago. However, Nine's head of sport Steve Crawley confirmed that Benaud hadn't been in touch about working at the Test and he accepted it wouldn't happen. Scroll down for video . Richie Benaud pictured at the SCG in January 2013, it's his old home ground as a cricketer and scene of the fourth and final cricket Test between Australia and India. The commentating icon will not be heard calling the game as he continues his battle with ill health . Benaud has led the Channel Nine commentary team since the days of World Series Cricket began in 1977, after a stellar all-ground career for his country . Legendary cricket commentator Richie Benaud will not be heard during the final Test match of the summer in Australia as he recovers from health problems. He has however signed on to be a 'lambassador' for the Australia Day celebrations later this month . Benaud may be known as the voice of Australian cricket, but now he's using his marvellous tones to spruik lamb ahead of Australia Day. He's taken on a role of alongside regular 'lambassador', AFL legend Sam Kekovich, in this year's Australia Day lamb campaign. 'To me, Australia Day is the perfect excuse to get together with friends and family over a BBQ and enjoy some delicious lamb chops,' the former Australian captain said. The ad campaign featuring two of the country's best loved sporting greats is about to be rolled out. Richie Benaud has been a regular during the English summer too, featuring in many as a commentator over the past four decades. Here he is pictured at The Oval during an Ashes battle. He is unlikely to be make it back to the commentary box during the current Australian summer as he battles health problems . Richie Benaud has taken on legendary status in his homeland, the silver fox looks and beige jacket a staple during Australian summers - even leading to fans mimicking his look at last year's Ashes Test in Sydney . The 84-year-old has been absent from the Nine Network's cricket commentary team this summer while he battles skin cancer. 'He's a man of great manners and he knows that the offer is there and he would have made contact by now,' Crawley said. He hasn't returned to the commentary box since a car crash left him with two crushed vertebrae 15 months ago and he revealed at Nine's cricket launch on December 6 that he was also undergoing treatment for cancer. 'To me, Australia Day is the perfect excuse to get together with friends and family over a BBQ and enjoy some delicious lamb chops' the former Australian captain said. Richie Benaud will feature in an ad campaign ahead of Australia Day . There had been speculation Benaud could even contribute to the commentary from his lounge-room in seaside suburb Coogee, but that too is unlikely. 'I very much doubt he'll be calling over the next five days,' Crawley said. 'But if he did decide to jump in a taxi and get over to the SCG, well, the door is always open to him.' Crawley said only Benaud would decide if and when he got behind the microphone again. 'With Rich we just want him to get better,' Crawley said. 'All that matters is his health and recovery.' Benaud has been heard in pre-recorded snippets this summer, including a brief tribute to the late Phillip Hughes during the 1st test in Adelaide and a small segment for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne where he recounted his battle with illness and his gradual recovery at home . | Richie Benaud has been battling health issues after skin cancer treatment and a car accident .
Channel Nine bosses were so keen to have the cricket legend involved they explored possibility of Benaud calling games from his lounge-room .
The cricket icon has not been a part of the commentary team since his crash 15 months ago .
But Benaud is sinking his teeth into a new role, as a 'lambassador' alongside AFL great Sam Kekovich ahead of Australia Day . |
128,124 | 319665260bf2f437d0b2866bfc64e753de33ef31 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 11:40 AM on 27th July 2011 . A former hospital worker is facing jail after embezzling $1.5m from his employer by ordering, stealing and reselling printer toner. Marque Gumbs ordered the office supplies while working at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, but sold the toner on to help fund his luxury lifestyle. The receiving clerk would order unneeded printer toner on the hospital's bill before meeting the supplier on the street, reselling the product and pocketing the cash. Profit: Gumbs ordered printer toner cartridges for the hospital and sold them on himself to fund his luxury lifestyle . While carrying out the scheme, Gumbs, 33, bought a 2011 BMW, a diamond-encrusted Rolex watch and Vuitton bags. He also lived in a luxury £2,250-a-month condo in New York's Trump Tower while carrying out the elaborate three-year scam and regularly took holidays to Las Vegas and the Caribbean. Prosecutors said Gumbs ordered over $1.5m of printer toner between September 2007 and August 2010 while employed as a low-level receiving clerk. Ill-gotten gains: Gumbs used the toner profits to rent a luxury condo in New York's Trump Tower . He carried out the scam while earning just $37,800-a-year at the hospital, and would often order toner cartridges which didn't even work on the hospital campus machines. Gumbs faces up to seven-and-a-half years jail after admitting grand larceny yesterday at Manhattan Supreme Court. The former hospital worker had worked at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center since 1999, but was fired in November after his arrest. The court heard Gumbs had password-protected access to a computer at the hospital used to order supplies from Office Depot. After . ordering the toner, Gumbs would instruct suppliers to meet him in the . street for delivery before the items reached the normal receiving area. Gumbs . pleaded guilty and accepted a likely jail term of between . two-and-a-half and seven-and-a-half years rather than go to trial and . face a possible 25-year sentence. He . will be sentenced in August 8 and was also ordered to return the BMW . X6, diamond-encrusted watch and other luxury items bought through funds . from the scheme. Luxury lifestyle: The receiving clerk also used the scheme to pay for a BMW X6 (file picture) Guilty: Gumbs admitted the scheme at Manhattan Supreme Court this week . | Worker used toner profits to buy BMW, diamond-encrusted watch and luxury condo . |
232,343 | b8d74a6a499ccb789c955a89d681ccad873018a6 | The mother of a three-year-old taken to Syria by his father to fight for ISIS has begged the terror group to send her son home, saying she 'never stops thinking about him'. Lidia Herrera issued the tearful plea on an Italian talk show after images of her son Ismail, 3, wearing a black headband and carrying an AK-47 were posted online by accounts linked to ISIS. The boy's father, Ismar Mesinovic, was killed fighting in Aleppo in September, but Miss Herrera had not heard from or seen her son for a year until the picture emerged. Lidia Solana Herrera says this image shared on social media accounts linked to ISIS terrrorists shows her son Ismail, who was taken by his father to Syria last year to fight for the terror group . Ismar Mesinovic (left, with unknown friend) holds son Ismail who he kidnapped and took to Syria to sign up for ISIS, before he was killed in Aleppo, leaving the child abandoned . Miss Herrera (pictured on an Italian talk show) says she thinks about her son every day and hopes he will be returned to her,and has begged ISIS to return him to her . Speaking to TV programme Ano Uno, she said: 'I never stop thinking about him; whether he is cold, whether he’s hungry, if he needs me. He is small. He needs his mother. 'I beg these people to let me speak to him, to see a photo. Without him I don’t know what I am going to do.’ In a separate interview with Il Giornale she added: 'I want him back in my arms. In the name of Allah give me back my son. 'They say they are real believers but what they are doing is wrong. It is not right to tear a child away from its mother. 'I hope that they look into their hearts and think about me a mother who is desperately searching for her son. Even if my husband told them to raise him I am his mother and I love Ismail like every mum in the world.' Miss Herrera says she had no idea her husband was a radical, saying he talked about women and children being killed in Syria, but did not seem angry about it . Miss Herrera (left) was raised as a Catholic in her home country of Cuba, but converted to Islam 'out of love for my husband' (right) Miss Herrera made a tearful appeal for Ismail's (pictured) return on Italian TV, saying she thinks about him all the time 'whether he is cold, whether he’s hungry, if he needs me' The heartbreaking image shows Ismail wearing a black headband inscribed with Arabic writing while walking across a battle-scarred landscape holding the hand of an unknown man. While it is not known when exactly the image was taken, this man is unlikely to be the boy's father as he is believed to have been killed during fighting in September. ISIS sees children as central to its mission to create a Caliphate in the Middle East, and has long actively recruited youngsters. Children are indoctrinated into a life of violence early, often witnessing executions, and are encouraged to stage mock beheadings using toys. Fighters will often post images of their youngest recruits, which they refer to as 'cubs', and Islamic state Twitter feeds promote services offered to children, such as free healthcare and schooling. Miss Herrera lives in the northern Italian town of Belluno, but originally comes from Cuba. She was raised as a Catholic but converted to Islam 'out of love for my husband', who comes from Bosnia and has family in Germany. She said she often visits her family back in Cuba, and added it was not unusual for her husband to care for the child while she went away. So when she handed her son over last year, she had no idea Ismail would be taken to Syria. She added: I never had the faintest suspicion my husband was a terrorist. ‘I remember he was very upset by the massacres in Syria. He always watched the reports on TV about the war. 'He would talk to me about women and children who were killed but he seemed normal. I could never have imagined that he would go to Aleppo to die. ‘He would go to the mosque but when he came back he was completely normal. 'He never spoke to me about recruiters who came to talk to him. If he had done I would never have let him take the little one away. “When I knew they had left for Syria it was like everything around me fell apart. My little one in Syria...You can only imagine how a mother feels in front of news like that.” Miss Herrera says she had no idea that her estranged husband, who is now believed to have been killed in the fighting, was a terrorist (file image of a fighter holding the ISIS flag) According to La Repubblica anti-terrorism police and secret service officers are now investigating the boy's disappearance. They are believed to be probing a group of Islamists who operate in the northern Veneto region, along with a notorious imam, Bilal Bosnic who is accused of recruiting many of Italy’s jihadis. Miss Herrera added: 'I never had the faintest suspicion my husband was a terrorist. When I knew they had left for Syria it was like everything around me fell apart. 'My little one in Syria...You can only imagine how a mother feels in front of news like that.' | Lidia Herrera left son with former husband while she visited family abroad .
But instead of babysitting Ismail, 3, father Ismar Mesinovic fled to Syria .
Joined ISIS with the boy and is believed to have been killed in September .
Now Miss Herrera has seen image of her son circulated on ISIS websites . |
132,942 | 37e5ebb433178a0e20c9472805dc09961a6ce712 | By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 13:17 EST, 5 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 03:25 EST, 6 January 2014 . A good friendship is priceless – but it appears to be almost timeless as well. Researchers suggest that being close to others with similar personality traits goes back millions of years. They found the phenomenon occurs not only in people but also in chimpanzees. This indicates its origins date to when humans and the apes had a similar evolutionary path before going their separate ways. Good friends: An alpha male chimpanzee and his brother in a tropical forest in western Uganda . The last common ancestor of chimps and humans lived at least six million years ago, indicating the first ‘best friends’ walked the Earth all that time ago, said Austrian and Swiss researchers. They studied colonies of chimpanzees in two Dutch zoos and firstly rated their personality traits. Sociability was measured by physical proximity, for example how often individuals were within 6ft of another chimp. The frequency of grooming, in which the apes remove dirt and parasites from each other, was also crucial as it builds bonds. Then, to work out which chimps were friends, they examined how often one sat or lay in physical contact with another. This could include sitting side by side, back to back or resting a whole leg or arm on another ape – all signs of friendship. Analysis revealed the closest friends had similar characters. The researchers said: ‘Chimps of a feather sit together.’ Jorg Massen, of the University of Vienna, said: ‘The most sociable and bold individuals preferred the company of other highly sociable and bold individuals. The shy and less sociable ones spent time with other similarly aloof and shy chimpanzees.’ In the US journal Evolution of Human Behavior, he added: ‘What draws both chimpanzee and human friends together is similarity in gregariousness and boldness, suggesting that preference for self-like friends dates back to our last common ancestor.’ He added that teaming up with someone of similar character can help build trust, while friendships between daring chimps would help when trying to fight off predators. | Study finds that chimps, like people, form close friendships .
Researchers believe phenomenon has its origins in mists of time .
The first 'best friends' likely walked the Earth at least 6m years ago . |
155,504 | 54fda373b9d16585d02dd84d78145558186f509d | Berlin (CNN) -- Bomb squads in Germany successfully defused on Sunday two bombs and disposed of an additional air-dropped military device that had caused an evacuation of historic proportions in a city in the country's west. The 45,000 evacuated residents of the city of Koblenz, situated on the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, were allowed to return home. Workers rendered inert the two bombs, one 4,000-pound "air mine" and a smaller high-density explosive bomb. Then they destroyed a third non-explosive device by way of a controlled detonation, according to the Koblenz fire department. The fire brigade had pre-warned the population about the controlled detonation to allay possible fears that one of the powerful bombs may have exploded. Life had come to a standstill in the western German city of Koblenz, where 45,000 people -- nearly half of the city´s population -- had been evacuated after the discovery of several dangerous World War II bombs. "It's the largest German evacuation since the end of the war," fire brigade spokesman Ronald Eppelsheim said Sunday. For 65 years, the Rhine River hid two bombs and an fog-producing device that were dropped by American and British warplanes in the last years of the war. When water levels dropped to record lows last week, the bombs were finally found. The function of the fog-producing device was to block the vision of anti-aircraft personnel on the ground during WW II to make it harder for them to fire upon the allied planes carrying out the bombing mission. "While time passed by, and Koblenz was rebuild(ing), the bombs got even more dangerous," bomb-disposal squad member Jurgen Wagner said Sunday. The largest of the explosives is a 1.8 metric ton British air bomb that has the potential to destroy the city´s center, according to the fire brigade. But the focus of attention wasn't on the largest bomb -- it was on the much smaller, 125-kilogram (275-pound) American high-explosive bomb. It was "transformed on impact of the earth" making it more difficult to deactivate the detonator, Wagner said. Last week, hundreds of volunteers started evacuating two hospitals and seven homes for senior citizens. A prison and numerous hotels are also affected by the shutdown. By mid-Sunday morning, authorities declared the center of Koblenz a "forbidden area." About 1,000 authorities were searching the town to make sure any left behind leave. The fire brigade built a wall of more than 2,500 sandbags since the bombs were found in the river. Water pumps draining part of the river help ensure the two four-men teams can defuse the bombs precisely. Eppelsheim said he is optimistic the operation will be successful. "People in Koblenz are used to bomb findings," he said. Despite the inconvenience for those evacuated, the situation could have been much worse. "If we had found an even larger bomb, we would have been forced to evacuate all 100,000 citizens of Koblenz," Eppelsheim said. The deactivation of bombs is a common practice in Germany. Last year, a bomb exploded in the German town Gottingen -- killing three members of a bomb-disposal squad. During World War II, an estimated 257 British air bombs were dropped on Koblenz alone, according to the local fire brigade. It is not known how many of them did not explode and have been forgotten. Bomb-disposal squads have only managed to deactivate three of them until now. | NEW: Teams successfully defused two bombs and a fog-screen device from World War II .
NEW: Buses are to transport residents back into the city after follow-up procedures .
Fire official: It was the largest evacuation in Germany since the end of World War II .
One of the bombs weighed 1.8 tons . |
170,965 | 6946f9fd6cfcd802e76a6ab016c918859a89c1c4 | (CNN) -- Novak Djokovic escaped serious injury when a crowd barrier collapsed on him after his singles win at the Hopman Cup in Perth Monday. The World No.1 had just beaten Italy's Andreas Seppi in straight sets and was signing autographs for young fans at the side of the court. But as they pushed forward, the barrier gave way and fell onto the Serbian star's legs. Clearly shaken, Djokovic went down onto his haunches with his hands on his knees before walking gingerly off court. He canceled his post-match press conference while he received treatment, but did return later to play in the mixed doubles with Serbian teammate Ana Ivanovic. A jet lagged Djokovic, who had only arrived in the western Australian city on Sunday evening after winning an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi, later played down the incident. "I am good," he told gathered reporters. "It was a bit of a shock and I am glad that the children involved are okay. I am fine." Djokovic is using the mixed team event as preparation for his bid for a third straight Australian Open title next month. After his 6-3 6-4 win over Seppi, Ivanovic polished off Francesca Schiavone 6-0 6-4 to make sure Serbia made a winning start to their campaign with an unassailable 2-0 lead. The 25-year-old Djokovic showed no ill effects of his injury scare during the dead mixed doubles rubber, but he and Ivanovic were beaten 7-6 6-4 by Seppi and Schiavone. Hosts Australia are next up for the Serbians Wednesday as Djokovic tunes up for this defense of the opening grand slam of the season. The action gets underway in Melbourne on January 14, but Rafael Nadal, beaten by Djokovic in an epic final in 2012, has already withdrawn after being hit by a stomach virus as he recovered from a long term injury. | Novak Djokovic beats Andrea Seppi in his opening match at Hopman Cup .
Djokovic put Serbia 1-0 ahead in the mixed team event in Perth .
Crowd barrier fell on the World No.1 as he signed autographs .
He received treatment but was able to play in later mixed doubles match . |
253,042 | d380138e824e8b6b5b02e0aa34993bb3fe9f7736 | Hackers associated with the . Chinese government have repeatedly infiltrated the computer . systems of U.S. airlines, technology companies and other firms . involved in the movement of U.S. troops and military equipment, . a U.S. Senate panel has found. The Senate Armed Services Committee's year-long probe, . details of which were made public on Wednesday, found that the . military's U.S. Transportation Command, or Transcom, was aware . of only two out of at least 20 such cyber intrusions within a . single year. The committee's investigation also found gaps in reporting . requirements and a lack of information sharing among U.S. government entities. That in turn left the U.S. military largely . unaware of computer compromises of its contractors, it found. A US Senate report says there were about 50 hacker intrusions into a single military contractor's computers over a 12-month period . 'Unit 61398' of the Peoples Liberation Army of China is reportedly the site of origin for hacking attacks, but the Chinese government denies it . 'These peacetime intrusions into the networks of key defense . contractors are more evidence of China's aggressive actions in . cyberspace,' Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the . committee's chairman, said in releasing the report. The investigation focused on the U.S. military's ability to . seamlessly tap into civilian air, shipping and other . transportation assets for rapid troop deployments and the timely . arrival of supplies from food to ammunition to fuel. In a 12-month period beginning June 1, 2012, there were . about 50 intrusions or other cyber events into the computer . networks of Transcom contractors, the 52-page report stated. At least 20 of those were successful intrusions attributed . to an 'advanced persistent threat,' a term used to designate . sophisticated threats commonly associated with governments. All . of those intrusions were attributed to China, the report stated. Senate Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the committee's top . Republican, called for a 'central clearinghouse' that makes it . easy for contractors, especially small businesses, to report . suspicious cyber activity. Among the investigation's discoveries was that a 'Chinese . military intrusion' into a Transcom contractor between 2008 and . 2010 'compromised emails, documents, user passwords and computer code.' At least 20 cy ber attacks were attributed to an 'advanced persistent threat' and linked to China . In 2012, an intrusion was made into multiple systems of a . commercial ship contracted by Transcom, the report said. The Senate probe could further increase tensions between the . two world powers over cyber spying. Officials with the Chinese embassy in Washington were not . immediately available to comment. The results of the investigation were revealed months after . U.S. authorities in May charged five Chinese military officers . and accused them of hacking into American nuclear, metal and . solar companies to steal trade secrets. Last month, Community Health Systems, one of the . largest U.S. hospital groups, said Chinese hackers had stolen . Social Security numbers and other personal data from some 4.5 . million patients. | Senate report says there were about 50 intrusions into a single military contractor's computers over a 12-month period .
Michigan Democrat slams 'China's aggressive actions in cyberspace'
Hacking 'compromised emails, documents, user passwords and computer code'
In may the US charged five Chinese military officers with hacking into American nuclear, metal and solar companies to steal trade secrets . |
172,458 | 6b300e322f3ec808c2ce79e2d58e685f2fe6ec29 | By . James Chapman . Another Star Wars movie is to be made in Britain in the latest sign that the force is with the burgeoning film industry. Chancellor George Osborne tonight announced that filming of the latest film - a keenly anticipated spin-off - will begin next year. The recently announced stand-alone Star Wars film will be directed by Gareth Edwards, with filming to take place at Pinewood Studios. A Star Wars spin-off, a scene from 1977 film A New Hope pictured, is to be made in Britain with filming starting at Pinewood Studios next year . The spin-off, a still from 1980's Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, pictured, will be directed by Gareth Edwards. The film-making industry has brought billions to the British economy in the past few years . The Chancellor sealed the deal with Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, on the set of Star Wars: Episode VII, where they met with Lucasfilm President, Kathleen Kennedy and that film’s director, J.J. Abrams. New reliefs have helped attract billions of pounds worth of filmmaking to Britain over the past few years. In the last year alone, over 300 films received tax incentives from the Government. They include films such as Skyfall, Burke & Hare, Hugo, Inception, War Horse, The Iron Lady, The Woman in Black and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The Government has offered similar reliefs for quality TV productions. Chancellor George Osborne met with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy while filming Star Wars: Episode VII, one set in Abu Dahabi pictured, to confirm the deal . The Star Wars franchise was given a dramatic new release of life last year when creator George Lucas sold the rights to Disney in a $4.05billion deal to buy Lucasfilm. Multiple global locations were used between 1976 and 2003 for the production of the first six Star Wars films to provide the setting for alien planets, . Some of the early movies were shot at Ealing and Elstree Studios. The costumes of the stormtroopers, Darth Vader, and C-3PO were made by British craftspeople. The Chancellor said: 'Lucasfilm and Disney’s decision to shoot the Star Wars standalone movie in the UK is testament to the incredible talent in Britain. The filming will take place at Pinewood Studios, pictured. Previous filming for the films has taken place shot at Ealing and Elstree Studios . 'This will mean more jobs and more investment. It is great news for people working at Pinewood Studios, from the set designers to the carpenters. 'As Chancellor I have been determined that we back our brilliant creative industries which is why we have invested in skills and training as well as providing tax relief for films, high-end TV, animation, video games and regional theatre. 'The further changes the government made to the film tax relief at Budget 2014 will support our highly skilled, innovative creative sectors so that they continue to thrive and encourage more films to be made in the UK.' George Osborne sealed the deal with Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, on the set of Star Wars: Episode VII, cast pictured in London. The pair met with Lucasfilm President, Kathleen Kennedy and that film¿s director, J.J. Abrams (front left) Star of the original franchise Carrie Fisher appeared on The Paul O'Grady Show this week. She played Princess Leia in the popular sci-fi films . Kathleen Kennedy said: 'The UK crew that we’re working with on Star Wars: Episode VII is incredible. They’re among the most gifted and passionate when it comes to film and storytelling. 'Star Wars couldn’t be in better hands.' Mr Javid said: 'This is great news for the UK and is further proof of the world-leading position of the UK film industry. 'We have studios, tax incentives and talent, both in front of and behind the camera, which are amongst the very best in the world. Given Lucasfilm’s decision to film another Star Wars movie in the UK, it is clear that the Force is strong here.' Britain has long had connections to the Star Wars franchise - with Darth Vader's costume (pictured) along with those for the characters of C-3P0 and the stormtroopers made in the UK . By choosing the UK, films can benefit from the UK’s film tax relief, which gives 25 percent tax relief on the first £20million of qualifying expenditure, and 20 percent thereafter. Investment in UK-based film production in 2013 was over £1billion – an increase of 14 percent on the previous year. Film tax relief also helped to attract international filmmakers to the UK, with inward investment reaching over £868 million for 2013. | Star Wars spin-off to be made in Britain - with filming starting next year .
Stand-alone film will be directed by Gareth Edwards at Pinewood Studios .
George Osborne confirmed deal on set of Star Wars: Episode VII .
Met with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy to make announcement .
British film-making has generated billions for economy in recent years . |
11,119 | 1f9913f3167dbb6b7ac9f5db878f02d58db33e64 | Oklahoma lost another round in its effort to restrict abortions when the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday declined to hear an appeal in a case that would force women seeking an abortion to have an ultrasound first. The justices, without comment, refused to accept the state's appeal over HB 2780, which would require healthcare providers to perform an ultrasound scan before terminating a woman's pregnancy. Lower state courts found the law unconstitutional. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said those judges did not give proper legal weight to previous high court rulings allowing some regulation and restriction on abortions. The new law mandated that pregnant women seeking an abortion be given the chance to view the ultrasound image and be given a medical description, including "the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, the presence of cardiac activity, if present and viewable, and the presence of external members and internal organs, if present and viewable." Neither the woman nor her doctor would be punished or penalized if she refused to look at those images, but the procedure, performed either vaginally or abdominally, and the explanation would be required. State lawmakers supporting the legislation said the ultrasound requirement was designed to allow women to make an "informed decision" before undergoing an abortion. Abortion rights groups objected to the Oklahoma statute. "Oklahoma's unusual law imposes serious burdens on a woman's decision whether to terminate a pregnancy," said the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed a brief urging the Supreme Court to stay out of the case. "It is difficult to imagine a requirement more physically invasive than the state-mandated insertion of a medical device into one's body even when the patient and the doctor think it unnecessary." The U.S. high court last week dismissed an Oklahoma appeal on a separate state law limiting abortions performed with medicine instead of surgery. That law would have regulated the ability of doctors to prescribe a medication regime -- using RU-486 pills -- to terminate early pregnancies, and make it a crime to deviate from the federal government-approved dosage and time limits on the drugs. But many physicians, backed by abortion rights supporters, say they routinely induce medical abortions through a combination of drugs they determine is simpler, safer, and less expensive than the current federal protocols on the use of abortion drugs. This was the first of several restrictive abortion laws nationwide to get a recent review by the Supreme Court. A federal appeals court last month allowed a similar law from Texas on medical abortions to go into effect. But a coalition of abortion rights groups immediately asked the Supreme Court for an emergency injunction to block that law's enforcement. The justices could rule on that request as soon as Tuesday. The Oklahoma ultrasound case is Pruitt v. Nova Health Systems (12-1170). The pending Texas case is Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Surgical Health Services v. Abbott, Texas Attorney General (12A452). | This is the second abortion law Oklahoma has had shot down recently .
The Supreme Court justices refused to hear the appeal on sonagram requirement .
Justices could rule soon on injunction request for Texas abortion law . |
11,669 | 212708ca0fcf3cda60ecc8a58eabd784a564c6bf | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Reuters Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:02 EST, 27 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:10 EST, 29 May 2012 . As Tropical Storm Beryl moves across the Atlantic, tens of thousands of people were left without power as beach vacations and some Memorial Day remembrance services were drenched. Though winds raged to 70mph soon after it hit, they later died down to about 35 mph, leading forecasters to downgrade the storm to a tropical depression and cancel all warnings and watches less than 11 hours after it made land in southern Georgia and northern Florida. Joyce Connolly and her daughters left their home in Hurricane, West Virginia, to head south for a Memorial Day beach vacation — and ended up in the center of Tropical Storm Beryl. While it left little damage after sweeping ashore with 70mph winds after midnight on Monday at Jacksonville, Florida, the storm still wrecked much of Connolly's trip. Scroll down for video . Bearing down: This image from NASA's GOES Project, shows Tropical Storm Beryl as it blasts closer to the US coastline near Florida, Georgia and South Carolina . Danger: Officials are warning beachgoers to stay indoors as the severe thunderstorms from Beryl make landfall. Here, strong waves batter Folly Beach, South Carolina . She skipped a graduation because powerful winds kept her and her daughters from venturing past the beach boardwalk when the storm approached on Sunday. And she postponed their drive home Monday as Beryl, downgraded to a tropical depression, continued to dump rain near the Georgia-Florida state line. 'It definitely changed our vacation to unfortunate circumstances that we're not happy with. But you just have to live with it,' said Connolly, who at least found the irony of her hometown's name 'pretty funny.' Beach lifeguards turned swimmers away from the ocean because of dangerous rip currents from Jacksonville to Tybee Island, Georgia's largest public beach 140 miles to the north. Skip Sasser, who oversees the island's lifeguards as its fire chief, said beach traffic was unusually thin for a holiday. The ocean was declared off-limits to swimmers for a second day in a row. 'It's been raining intermittently, so it's chased a lot of them off,' Sasser said. 'There was a lot of traffic this morning heading westbound out of Tybee.' Veterans groups, meanwhile, carried out outdoor Memorial Day ceremonies despite the grim forecast. At Savannah's historic Bonaventure Cemetery, American Legion members worked through a downpour to make sure its plot for veterans had a small American flag planted by each headstone. 'When we were setting up, I had a different shirt on and I got soaked to the skin. My socks and my underwear probably are, too,' said Jim Grismer, commander of American Legion Post 135 in Savannah. 'I had so many people trying to talk me into moving it inside. But I said then you can't have the live firing salute and the flag raising.' Aside from ruining holiday plans, the rain was welcome on the Georgia coast for bringing some relief from persistent drought. According to the state climatologist's office, as of May 1, rainfall in Savannah was 15 inches below normal for the past 12 months. Emergency officials said minor flooding was reported near the coast, but the ground was quickly soaking up the water. And the winds had died down considerably. 'We've needed it for a long time,' said Ray Parker, emergency management director for coastal McIntosh County south of Savannah, who said the worst damage came by trees falling on two homes overnight. 'We were lucky that we didn't get 3 to 4 inches in 30 minutes. Most of it soaked right in before it had a chance to run off. It fell on an empty sponge.' The rainfall stopped in Savannah and other northern parts of the Georgia coast on Monday afternoon, but more was expected through Tuesday. A frontal system moving south from the Great Lakes is expected to cause the storm do a U-turn and push it back out to sea. According to NBC News, Beryl is the strongest May tropical cyclone to hit the U.S. since a hurricane hit the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of 75 mph on May 29, 1908. The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that the center of Beryl made landfall near Jacksonville Beach at around 12.10am with reports that the weather system was in the process of making landfall. 'There are strong rain bands that are rotating around the center of the storm,' forecaster Al Sandrik said in an audio statement on the NHC website. Danger: This map shows tropical storm warnings in in the Southeast, while thunderstorms threaten a ridge of Midwestern and Great Plains states . So close: A shot of Tropical Storm Beryl on Saturday shows just how near to the coastline it is . At 8pm last night, Beryl was packing sustained winds near 70 miles per hour and located about 75 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida, the hurricane center said. An increase in wind speeds to 74 miles per hour or more would make it a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson intensity scale. Beach-goers and campers already had their Memorial Day weekend plans ruined as they were forced to pack up and leave the coastline to go inland. A tropical storm warning remained in effect early today for coastal areas from Flagler Beach, Florida to Edisto Beach, South Carolina, according to MSNBC. But the storm is forecast to weaken throughout today and tomorrow as winds die down. 'We're seeing about the best that Beryl has right now as far as its winds are concerned, with winds about 70 mph,' forecaster Al Sandrik told the station. 'The model shows significant weakening of the storm in 12 hours.' Other forecasters said the storm surge and high tide could bring up to four feet of flooding in northeastern Florida and Georgia. The storm's approach led some vacationers in Georgia to leave early, said Alden Alias, the front desk manager at The King and Prince Hotel on St Simons Island, a popular coastal resort town. 'The waves are pretty big,' she said. 'The winds are starting to pick up.' City officials in Jacksonville canceled Memorial Day ceremonies scheduled for Monday and closed some local parks as the storm drew closer. "I am encouraging all area residents to stay indoors and off the streets as the storm hits," said Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. Overcast: Beachgoers stayed outside on Sunday, even as Tropical Storm Beryl drew closer to shore and began to turn the weather sour . Forced out: These vacationers at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina are likely to have their trips to the beach ruined when the storm makes landfall . 'A three-day thunderstorm is what it's probably going to be,' said Jay Wiggins, emergency management director for Glynn County, which is about 60 miles south of Savannah and includes Brunswick and St. Simons Island in Georgia. 'Unfortunately, it's going to ruin a lot of Memorial Day plans.' Wiggins said he expects some flooded roadways and scattered power outages, perhaps some minor flooding in waterfront homes, but otherwise little damage. However, he urged beachgoers to beware of dangerous rip currents. Computer forecast models show Beryl moving on an eventual path back out over the Atlantic after coming ashore, posing no threat to U.S. oil and gas installations in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is forecast to dump as much as 4 to 8 inches of rain, with as much as 12 inches in some areas, and threatens rip currents and possible coastal flooding, the hurricane center said. Beryl formed off the South Carolina coast late on Friday as a subtropical storm, a reference to the storm's structure. Subtropical storms usually have a broader wind field than tropical storms and shower and thunderstorm activity farther removed from the storm's center. It was reclassified as a tropical storm on Sunday. Service: Carrying small American flags, two Boy Scouts look for any grave markers without a flag in the Vicksburg National Cemetery in Vicksburg, Mississippi . Never forgotten: U.S. military veterans salute during a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of an unknown Union soldier who died during the Civil War at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC . Beryl followed the season's first major storm, Tropical Storm Alberto, which was the earliest-forming Atlantic storm since 2003. The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30. While Georgia hasn't taken a direct hit from a major hurricane in 114 years, the last time a tropical storm made landfall here was in August 1988. Tropical Storm Chris hit near Savannah but did little damage as it pushed northward into South Carolina. In South Carolina, Beaufort County Emergency Management deputy director David Zeoli said Saturday that word went out to first-responders along the coast near the Georgia line to pay attention to the storm's progress. Poignant: 33,000 American flags are on display on the Boston Common in honor of Memorial Day and fallen soldiers in Boston, Massachusetts . In memory: A young girl carries flags at the National Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas as she visits with her mother . On Saturday, the East Coast experienced air travel chaos as a heavy thunderstorm caused Newark International Airport In New Jersey and Logan International Airport in Boston to close for a time to incoming traffic, leaving thousands delayed on Memorial weekend. The cause was a powerful thunderstorm which was raging across the north eastern coast, with Philadelphia International Airport also experiencing departure delays of anywhere up to 45 minutes. The storm caused even more problems as it moved over the New York City area with La Guardia International and JFK International Airport reporting minimum departure delays of 15 minutes, with the storm passing over early Saturday evening. Reflection: First Sgt. Christopher Pry reads the names on crypts at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West on Friday in Hopkinsville, Kentucky . Touching: Passers-by pause at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington. The wall will begin the national commemoration of the Vietnam War's 50th anniversary . In memorandum: People take rubbings of names of fallen etched on the wall of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington . Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . VIDEO: Georgia and Florida hit by tropical storm Beryl . | Thunderstorms drenched the Georgia coast, northern Florida and South Carolina .
Powerful thunderstorm caused flight delays at New York's airports - including Newark and JFK on Saturday .
Temperatures reached 90 degrees in some states .
Rain welcome in areas hit by drought . |
134,082 | 395897388b0febb5819fd998996b3d9313293ab6 | Claire Hughes piled on weight after having a hysterectomy . Cruel locals called her 'Nessa after the plus-size Gavin & Stacey character . Mother-of-two shrank six dress sizes after taking up boxing as a hobby . She is now full time boxing coach helping other women to get fit . By . Toni Jones . PUBLISHED: . 07:08 EST, 2 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:11 EST, 2 October 2012 . A mother-of-two was shamed into losing eight stone after she was forced to get off a Ferris wheel - . because she was too fat for it to go round. Claire Hughes was left mortified . after rider operators told her she was too heavy for the Ferris wheel to . operate on a family day out. The 31-year-old from Maypole in Birmingham was so embarrassed that it forced her to change her unhealthy . lifestyle and lose almost eight stone. Claire Hughes was shamed in to losing eight stone after a fairground Ferris wheel she was riding ground to a halt because of her XXL size . Previously Claire's large frame had . been the subject of taunts in the street as people would call her 'Nessa, . after Ruth Jones’s larger than life character from comedy series Gavin . and Stacey. But after taking up boxing, the Rocky-style work outs helped Claire get fighting fit and shed six dress sizes. Claire, . who is now a full time boxing coach said of the day that changed her . life: 'The ride started to make a really weird creaking nose and as it . got half way up it just wouldn’t go any further. 'They had to bring it all the way back down and the guy controlling it told me I was going to have to get off. 'I didn’t know what to say to him, so I just tried to laugh it off, but I was mortified.' Claire ballooned to a size 26 dress, tipping . the scales at 23 stone after tragedy struck four years ago. The 31-year-old tried to laugh it off but was so embarrassed that she decided to change her unhealthy lifestyle . The humiliating incident left Claire determined to change her unhealthy lifestyle . She said: 'I had been diagnosed with . endometriosis, polycystic ovaries and had been told I had pre-cancerous . cells on my cervix after a routine smear. 'I . was left with no choice but to have a hysterectomy. In some ways it was . a relief as I was always in so much pain, but obviously it was . heartbreaking. 'After the operation I . became so depressed that I just ate as much as I could. I didn’t do any . exercise because the operation left me unable to move for quite a while. 'I turned to food and just found myself getting bigger and bigger. 'People would call me all sorts of names - they said I looked like Nessa from Gavin and Stacey. It was awful. 'I tried loads of diets including Atkins and Dukan, but I knew they were just quick fixes.' After the day at the fair, Claire realised she needed to do something about her body. 'Everyone was laughing away at me, and I tried to join in, but deep down I was mortified. 'I . never realised how big I was until then. I knew I wasn’t really skinny, . but I didn’t realise how much bigger I was. It was horrible.' Claire pictured on a different ride the same day that she got stuck on the Ferris wheel in Birmingham . The day at the fair struck a chord . with the pretty brunette, but it wasn’t until a personal trainer friend . of Claire’s suggested she take up boxing that the weight really started . to shift. 'My friend gave me the number to a boxing gym and told me to go down.' said Claire. 'I was really apprehensive, and I’d never normally go to a gym, but this one was different. 'It’s all one to one and a great way to get your anger out! 'I found myself going more and more, and before I knew it I’d lost the weight, and now I’m even teaching classes there. 'It’ is pretty hard to please my coach, but I think even he’s impressed.' Claire is now enjoying a new lease of life with her children. Claire is now a full-time boxing coach and runs classes at the same gym that she used to kick start her new fitness routine . 'They never said it when I was big, but my daughter always goes on about how I couldn’t do certain things when I had a ‘fat tummy’. 'I don’t think I realised it at the time but it was just as bad for the kids as it was for me. We’ve all got a more balanced diet now, and they see me eating healthy foods and exercising. 'I feel a million times better than I ever remember feeling. My friends use my old clothes as their maternity outfits now!' Claire hopes her boxing classes will inspire others to fight the flab too. 'The day at the fairground was so embarrassing, I want to make sure that nobody feels how I did a year ago. 'If you work for it, you can do it. You’ve just got to believe in yourself.' The mother-of-two is now enjoing a new lease of life with her children and wants to inspire other women to get fit too . | Claire Hughes piled on weight after having a hysterectomy .
Cruel locals called her 'Nessa after the plus-size Gavin & Stacey character .
Mother-of-two shrank six dress sizes after taking up boxing as a hobby .
She is now full time boxing coach helping other women to get fit . |
152,042 | 507d2d57039343e94a1441d8bef57432de7ba4c3 | (CNN) -- Actor Ed Begley Jr., best known for his roles in "St. Elsewhere," "The West Wing," and "Best in Show" (he's also twice appeared on "The Simpsons"), is the star of "Living with Ed." It's a reality show that follows him and his wife Rachelle Carson, as they attempt to live the green life on the outskirts of LA, while competing to out-eco neighbor Bill Nye. Begley has been a committed environmentalist for decades and is the author of "Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life." CNN asked him what it takes to "live like Ed" and his take on the current state of environmentalism. CNN: What do you hope to achieve with "Living with Ed"? Begley: To engage viewers with entertainment, then give them a "take-away" or two every show that will save them money and help the environment. CNN: When did you "go green", and why? Begley: I did it because my father, Ed Begley, Sr. was a conservative that liked to conserve. We always lived in a modest home. We turned off the lights, turned off the water, saved string, tin-foil, we threw precious little away. So, by the time Earth Day came around in 1970, I was primed and ready to take some additional steps, and do more. It's worth noting that my father died a few days before the first Earth Day, so I did it to honor him, as much as anything else. CNN: The show has been very successful -- have you been surprised by the level of interest? Begley: Yes. I've tried other "green" shows in the past. None of them worked. I credit "Living With Ed" success to the addition of my wife to the mix. CNN: Right now it seems like environmentalists are losing ground to climate change deniers over global warming, with the email scandal at the University of East Anglia. Some polls show less people believe the science than a year ago. Do you ever get despondent? What gives you hope? Begley: I find it a bit unsettling that the deniers are winning, for now. But, I think more people will understand our role in climate change over time. I just hope it's not too late. CNN: Do you think one of the problems is that people feel overwhelmed -- both with fear for the future and the level of effort required to think about the moral, ethical dimension of all their consumer choices? If so, how can we move beyond this? Begley: It's human nature to resist change. We did with our efforts to combat smog in the early 1970s. But finally people realized that we wouldn't go broke cleaning up the air, if we did it right. They soon became aware that there were jobs making catalytic converters, combined-cycle gas turbines, spray-paint booths and cleaner fuels. We need to remind folks of our success in improving air quality and how similar clean-tech industries can spur the economy again today. CNN: If you could ask CNN readers to do one thing, what would it be? Begley: Get out of your car as much as you can. Ride a bike, if weather and fitness permit. Take public transportation, if it's available near you. CNN: Do you think we should stop eating meat? Begley: I stopped eating meat in 1970, and I'm a very healthy 60-year old man. It can be good for our health, and the health of the planet. CNN: In the end, do you think making personal changes to our lifestyle will be enough? Or do we need a lead from government? Begley: Personal action is one important component [but] Government and industry must also do their fair share. CNN: Do you think that any big environmental legislation is likely in the U.S., given the scale of opposition? Begley: Sadly, there will be no strong environmental laws passed anytime soon, as the extractive industries have been successful at convincing folks that we can't afford them. To give another prospective, [I'll not] only quote an oil man but the name of T. Boone Pickens who said, "We can't drill our way out of this problem". CNN: If you had the chance to whisper some advice in President Obama's ear, what would it be? Begley: Be true to the environmental ethic that you forged in the Senate. Do what's right, and great good will come of it; hopefully, sooner, rather than later. CNN: Do you have a message for climate change skeptics? Begley: Let's agree to disagree. Let's pursue fiscally sound green technology for the following reasons: to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, to clean up the air in our cities, to put money in our pockets. And if you do it right, you just bought an insurance policy to protect you against climate change, if the many scientists who believe in it are correct. CNN: Arguably, we are moving into politically uncharted territory now, and the scale of the global co-operation required to deal with global warming, biodiversity loss and the other environmental problems we face is unprecedented in human history. Do you think we can do it? Begley: Yes. But, we must act now. Tomorrow is too late. | Actor Ed Begley Jr has been a life-long environmentalist .
New reality TV show gives tips on how to live a greener life .
Begley : There is hope for future; action now is necessary . |
233,693 | ba88077cd2afa55651ac8d8547ab88c3911600f7 | COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- At least 22 people were killed Friday in two bus bombings in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan security officials inspect the bus that was the target of the roadside bomb attack. Initially, police said 21 commuters were killed and more than 53 wounded when an explosion hit a crowded bus in a town south of the capital of Sri Lanka on Friday, police said. Police accused Tamil Tiger rebels of carrying out the attack in Moratuwa, a southern suburb of Colombo. Police said they also discovered and defused a Claymore mine in the same place, preventing another explosion. A few hours later a bomb explosion in a bus outside Sri Lanka's hill capital of Kandy killing one person, police said. The incident took place at Polgolla, some eight kilometres from the outskirts of Kandy where the bus was headed from the hill country town of Matale. Police also blamed Tamil Tiger rebels for that explosion. At Moratuwa, police and soldiers sealed off an area around the scene and searched for suspects. Authorities also intensified security in Colombo. Initial reports said an explosive device was placed on the ground and detonated with a remote control device, police said. In an adjoining town, another bomb was discovered and diffused immediately, they added. Watch medics treat bus blast survivors » . The explosion came as rebel bomb attacks on civilian targets in Colombo and its suburbs have showed a marked increase. Pro-rebel web sites have accused Sri Lankan security forces of attacks on civilians in Wanni, the northern region dominated by them. On Wednesday, a packed train heading to Colombo from the southern suburb of Panadura narrowly escaped severe damage when an explosion hit the track. The blast injured 23 commuters. On May 26, an explosion on the same southern railway line killed nine and injured 84. | At least 22 commuters were killed and more than 53 wounded in blast .
Explosion hit a crowded bus near a southern suburb in the city of Colombo .
Police defused claymore mine in the same place, preventing another explosion . |
105,580 | 142af5368c334e41e6e956c9146165104dec4d20 | (CNN) -- Venezuela has thwarted a plan by two paramilitary groups to kill President Nicolas Maduro, state-run VTV reported Monday. Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres said members of the groups, made up of nine Colombian citizens, were arrested Sunday in the country's northwest before they were able to enter the capital, Caracas, with heavy weapons. Intelligence officials are tracking a third group, he said. "This may be part of a plan that was orchestrated from Colombia to kill President Maduro and de-stabilize the Venezuelan government," he said. The two nations have had a contentious relationship since 2007 when then-President Hugo Chavez said he was cutting ties with Colombia and especially former President Alvaro Uribe. He said the Colombian president had bowed to pressure from Washington "to get rid of Chavez." In March of this year, Maduro struck a similar tone, accusing Uribe of hatching a plan to send a paramilitary force into Venezuela to kill him. An attorney for Uribe called Maduro "a desperate person who holds power illegitimately." Maduro was sworn in as president on April 19 after winning a tightly contested election against Henrique Capriles Radonski. Election officials credited Maduro with 51% of the vote. The election followed the death of Chavez, who died in March following a long battle with cancer. He was 58. While both Maduro and Capriles have publicly called for peace after the announcement of the tight election results, tensions have been running high in Venezuela. Venezuela's opposition has filed a lawsuit with the country's Supreme Court, contesting the results, citing election irregularities that totaled more than 180 pages. Ahead of the suit, Capriles told CNN affiliate Globovision that the results were illegitimate and new elections should be held. "According to the law," he said, "what should happen would be a new election, without any of the irregularities that we have denounced." | The government says two paramilitary groups plotted to kill Maduro .
The groups are made up of nine Colombian citizens .
Maduro won a tightly contested election against Henrique Capriles Radonski .
Former President Hugo Chavez died in March . |
129,641 | 33977b529aa1e203fa372151ab193ba71ca47775 | Miroslav Klose has beaten Ronaldo's record to become the top scorer in World Cup history. The German forward scored his side's second goal in their staggering 7-1 victory in the semi-final against Brazil to become the record holder outright with 16. 'We are a team and it shows on the field,' he said. 'It's also important that our set pieces bring results. You saw it again today. Toni puts the ball where it has to go every time and that's a big strength.' VIDEO Scroll down for German fans celebrate their 7-1 victory over hosts Brazil . 16 and counting: Miroslav Klose celebrates all his World Cup goals at once . Record breaker: Miroslav Klose is the new top goalscorer in World Cup history . Miroslav Klose 16 goals . Ronaldo 15 . Gerd Muller 14 . Just Fontaine 13 . Pele 12 . Jurgen Klinsmann 11 . Gary Lineker 10 . After scoring against Brazil, in his 23rd career World Cup game, Klose refrained from doing his trademark back flip. 'I got hit in my left foot while attempting a shot and I was not able to do the flip.' Germany coach Joachim Loew praised the veteran and only true striker on the team. 'It . really means a lot to all of us. This is a record. This is a record . that could be beaten only by (Thomas) Mueller. 'We believe that he really . deserves it. Because at his age, he is still playing at the highest . possible level.' It . was his second of the tournament after he came off the bench against . Ghana to net in the group stage, which put him level with the Brazil . legend. Debut: Klose celebrates his first World Cup goal against Saudi Arabia in 2002 . Powered home: And he scored his second in the same game . Hat trick goal: And he celebrates after netting his third of the day . Netted: Klose scores his fourth World Cup goal against Ireland in 2002 . Nodder: Klose peels away after scoring against Cameroon during the 2002 World Cup . Klose's first World Cup appearance came in 2002, where he scored a hat trick in an 8-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. He netted again in their next group game, a 1-1 draw with Republic of Ireland, before scoring the second in a 2-0 victory over Cameroon. Despite Germany's run to the final that year, Klose failed to find the net again in the tournament, eventually finishing level on goals with Rivaldo, and behind top scorer Ronaldo who grabbed eight. During his home World Cup four years later in 2006, the forward found the net five times again, which was enough for the Golden Boot. . VIDEO Disbelief in Belo Horizonte after devastating Germany win . Hitting the back of the net: Klose celebrates scoring his sides second goal against Costa Rica in 2006 . Reeling away: Klose celebrates scoring his side's third goal against Costa Rica in their opening 2006 World Cup game . Strike: Klose scoring his third goal of the 2006 World Cup against Ecuador . Brace: Klose celebrates his second against Ecuador in their final Group A game in 2006 . Nutter: The forward leaping to head the equaliser against Argentina in the 2006 quarter-final . He scored two goals in their opening 4-2 victory over Costa Rica, and twice more in their final group game against Ecuador. Klose's final goal in that World Cup was his vital 80th-minute equaliser against Argentina in the quarter-finals, that brought the score to 1-1, with Germany eventually winning on penalties. And in 2010, he managed four more strikes: one in their opening 4-0 win over Australia, once in their 4-1 demolition of England in the last-16 and twice in their 4-0 destruction of Argentina in the quarter-finals. Third tourney: Klose celebrates his 11th World Cup goal in their opening game against Australia in 2010 . Slipped in: Klose scoring the opener of a 4-1 victory against England in the last-16 in 2010 . Scourge: Klose nets his first of two in the 4-0 win over Argentina in the 2010 quarter-final . Rout: And Klose scored again in the game to make it 4-0 . Finisher: The German forward scored his 15th goal in finals in the 2-2 draw with Ghana . Historic: The strike that made hm the record holder . | Klose beats Brazilian Ronaldo's World Cup goalscoring record .
He has now scored 16 goals in the history of the tournament .
The 36-year-old scored against Ghana in the group stage .
And he netted five times in 2002 and 2006, and four in 2010 . |
141,212 | 429a56c3d57dae8cb530df3cad9f04687b52e22a | (CNN) -- Evangelist Billy Graham was admitted to a hospital overnight for treatment of a pulmonary infection believed to be bronchitis, a North Carolina hospital and his evangelistic association said. "Upon admission, he was alert and in good spirits," said the statement, which was released both by Mission Hospital in Asheville and the The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The 93-year-old also was hospitalized for pneumonia last November, six months after similarly being admitted to a hospital for the same condition. Since then, he has remained "in good overall health ... though he continues to remain at home due to age-related conditions," according to the hospital and the association. The influential preacher went to the hospital for treatment for bronchitis and after developing a "slight fever overnight," his spokesman A. Larry Ross said via Twitter. He is being treated with oral antibiotics and improving, at one point Sunday even sitting up in bed to remotely watch his grandson Will Graham give a guest sermon at First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Ross later said. Graham, who Ross said had no fever by Sunday morning, ate lunch with daughter Gigi and one of his grandchildren at the hospital, where he had been chatting up the staff, said Ross. "Doctors are encouraged by his progress, and he's been alert all day ... taking meals (and) sitting up in bed," Ross said Sunday night. On Sunday, Graham was "resting comfortably" and in stable condition, Mission Hospital and the association said in their statement, citing pulmonologist David Pucci at the hospital. Physicians expect Graham to remain in the western North Carolina medical facility for "a couple of days," according to Ross, who earlier noted that "no date has been set for discharge." "He's made farther progress than for previous hospitalizations (for pulmonary infections)," Ross said, adding that Graham is "in good hands" and "feels comfortable" at Mission Hospital, where he has previously been treated. Graham, a resident of Montreat, about 18 miles east of Asheville, has provided counsel to generations of U.S. presidents beginning with Harry S. Truman and is the founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The Charlotte native has preached to untold millions over six decades, beginning his missionary work in 1944 when he started speaking at rallies for the Youth for Christ Campus Life ministry. Five years later, Graham was holding crusades in tents in downtown Los Angeles. Originally scheduled for three weeks, the crusades drew so many followers they were extended to seven. His "last crusade" in June 2005 drew 230,000 people. Even with his advanced age and health issues, Graham remains "actively involved in ministry and writing projects," his evangelistic association and the hospital said. That includes writing a new book, which is almost done, "summarizing his Gospel message over the past seven decades of public ministry." He also has weighed in on hot-button issues of late, including supporting North Carolina's constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, which voters passed earlier this year, and last month defending the president of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain for his opposition to same-sex marriage. Also in July, in a letter released by his organization, Graham leveled deep criticism at the United States. He compared the country to Sodom and Gomorrah, the biblical cities synonymous with sin. "Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle," Graham wrote. CNN's Greg Botelho contributed to this report. | NEW: Graham should be in the hospital for "a couple of days," his spokesman says .
The influential evangelist is believed to have bronchitis, an Asheville hospital says .
He's been alert and in good spirits, says the hospital and his evangelistic association .
The 93-year-old has been in good overall health the past year, after getting pneumonia . |
177,328 | 718d10ab837e6007856be2d3e83adbbbfa114e1b | A female school teacher in California has been arrested after allegedly having sexual encounters with a female student in her classroom. Rebecca Eileen Diebolt was arrested yesterday by detectives in Placentia on suspicion of allegedly copulating with a person under the age of 18 while working at Valencia High School. She is also accused of sexual penetration with a person under the age of 18. Rebecca Eileen Diebolt, a 35-year-old teacher, who has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a female pupil . She was detained as she parked her car at a shopping centre on East Imperial Highway in the City of Brea and was booked at the Orange County Jail with bail set at $100,000. Diebolt, 35, was a language arts teacher as well as a swimming and water polo coach at the High School. According to officials, the alleged victim told police last week that she had a sexual relationship with the suspect for four years from 2004 to 2008, which started when she was 15 and was a language arts student with Diebolt. She said that sexual encounters with the teacher took place in both the classroom as well as at Diebolt's home. The alleged relationship is said to have taken place while Diebolt was a teacher at Valencia High School in Placentia, California, pictured . They also took place after school had finished and on weekends. Police added that the relationship started off casually but soon became sexual. Staff at the school told NBC4 that Diebolt is a married with a family and that they are shocked by the allegations. The relationship also continued after the alleged victim graduated from high school and went to college. Detective say they are now working to establish if there are any more possible victims and are encouraging them to come forward. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Rebecca Eileen Diebolt, 35, was arrested by police in California yesterday .
Accused of having sexual encounters with a female student when she was 15 .
Relationship said to have lasted for four years between 2004 and 2008 .
Alleged to have took place while she was a teacher at Valencia High School .
Was booked at Orange County jail with bail set at $100,000 . |
189,906 | 81e4c7ede7e1db8079122484bd9ff19321a609e2 | Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- A boat carrying illegal migrants sank off the coast of Tripoli on Sunday, killing at least 40 people, the spokesman for Libya's Interior Ministry told CNN. Some 50 others were rescued, and an unspecified number remain missing, Rami Kaal said. Kaal did not have information on the specific nationalities of the migrants on the vessel but said Libya is suffering greatly from the "huge number" of illegal migrants in his country. According to the spokesman, most have come from sub-Saharan Africa, neighboring countries like Egypt and Tunisia and, more recently, more have come from Syria. The migrants arrive to board boats headed to European shores, particularly Italy and Malta. Kaal feels that the European countries have an obligation to help Libya deal with this "serious problem" but said, so far, they have done little. According to Kaal, the flow of illegal migrants has contributed to the rise in crimes such as killings and armed robberies in Libya. He referred CNN to the statements made by acting Interior Minister Salah Mazeq on Saturday. The minister threatened to "facilitate" the passage of migrants and "flood Europe" with them unless the countries stepped up and helped Libya. "I warn the world, especially the European Union, unless they assume their responsibility ... we warn that Libya could facilitate the passage of this flood (of illegal migrants) and fast," Mazeq said. He went on to say Libya has paid the price; now it's the EU's turn to pay the price of combating the problem. Libya's porous southern borders have been a favorite launch pad for illegal migrants trying to reach Europe due to its proximity to countries like Malta and Italy. Since Libya's revolution in 2011, the country has been struggling to deal with this growing phenomenon. To give scope to the problem, Kaal told CNN last week more than 400 migrants were caught in one day as they tried to board vessels to Europe. Asked how Europe can offer assistance, he offered the example of the delivery of boats for Libya's coastguard from an unnamed European country that has been stalled for more than 18 months. Following the Interior Minister's comments, the Libyan Interim Government released a statement, saying in part: . "The government also reaffirms it is continuing to cooperate with all concerned countries, especially Italy, in monitoring the borders to stem the flow of migrants. The Government renews its call to all countries to create development projects in the countries of origin in an effort to cut down on this phenomenon." Migrants die as two boats capsize off Greek island . Italian navy rescues over 1,000 migrants from overcrowded boats in a day . | A boat sank off the coast of Tripoli Sunday killing at least 40 people .
50 others were rescued and an unspecified number remains missing .
The boat was carrying illegal migrants trying to reach Europe .
Libya has asked Europe for help dealing with the "serious problem" of illegal migration . |
275,645 | f115c78f7ff0d88b086d9af4129a6907a49e473e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:54 EST, 25 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:40 EST, 26 November 2012 . It's not easy being one of the world's richest men and top philanthropists. But with the fame and fortune of billionaire Stewart Rahr are numerous stories of tantrums, violence and pay-offs - all of which he denies. Rahr, one of the world's richest men who sold his pharmaceutical supplier company Kinray for $1.3billion in 2010, is known for his mountain of photos with top celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Mark Wahlberg, Alicia Keys, Andre Agassi and Joaquin Phoenix. Rubbing elbows: Stewart Rahr, one of the world's richest men is perhaps best known for his mountain of photos with top celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West . Famous friends: Rahr also has photos with music legend Clive Davis, left, as well as Russell Simmons and Brian Grazer, right . The New York Post reported that Rahr was willing to hand over a million dollars in an effort to get accepted at ultra-exclusive Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, Long Island. Security aficionado Bo Dietl told the Post: 'The guy was dying to get in there. So he actually handed me a blank check for a million dollars for the owner to give to a charity of his choice. I told [club founder Michael Pascucci], "Don’t let this douchebag in."' Dietl added: 'I've known him for 20 years. He buys everybody.' But Rahr tells a different story, saying that 'he came to me eight months later and wanted the check back. I said, "Forget it."' Another incident stemmed from a dispute between Rahr and professional gambler RJ Cipriani. Allegations: Professional gambler RJ Cipriani and his wife Greice Santo, have accused Rahr of trying to force his way into her hotel room . Cipriani told the Post that he was flying to Las Vegas recently with his wife Greice Santo and Rahr, and Rahr promised to look after his wife after he was unexpectedly called away to Los Angeles. Santo claimed that Rahr grew angry with her after she refused to meet him and friends for dinner at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. She said that Rahr tried to force his way into her room at the hotel, and would not leave when she asked him to. But Rahr again denied any wrongdoing, telling the Post: 'I tried to help the guy. I wish I’d never met him.' Last week, it was reported that Rahr pulled a gun on an elevator operator at New York's Trump Tower after an altercation with the man. When police arrived, Rahr was found to have a gun, which was confiscated by officers. He claimed it wasn't loaded. Earlier this month, Rahr was banned from top New York restaurant Nobu after the staff said that he allegedly threatened to kill the manager when he didn't get his favorite table. Rahr reportedly sent a email of complaint to Nobu owner Drew Nieporent. Rahr admits having a disagreement with a female manager but denied threatening to kill her after she ignored his phone call, according to the Post. The paper reports that after the face-to-face confrontation with the manager, he sent a caps-locked tirade to Nieporent and CC'ed a group of his famous friends including Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Alicia Keys, Andre Agassi and Joaquin Phoenix. Three other recipients have some political pull, including NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, Rahr's 'buddy' Donald Trump, and Robert DeNiro who co-owns the restaurant chain with Nieporent. The dispute stems from an incident where the 66-year-old allegedly got into a verbal altercation with restaurant manager Sharon Hofstetter when Rahr tried to get his favorite table on the night of his wife's surprise birthday party. Powerful pals: Rahr prides himself on his celebrity connections, seen here with Prince Harry at a polo match . Close: Rahr (right) sent an email complaint to the owner of Nobu and cc'ed a number of celebrities including Mark Wahlberg (second right). Though in this picture, Cindy Crawford, her husband Rande Gerber, and Jeremy Piven didn't get the email . He reportedly walked up to an occupied . table and asked the group who was dining there to move so that he could . have 'his' table. A bartender told the paper that the group refused and he offered to pay their bill if they would agree. Rahr, who calls himself 'Stewie Rah . Rah- the No. 1 King of Fun', then left an irate message for Hofstetter, . who was not at the restaurant at the time of the interaction. She did not call him back immediately so he went to the restaurant on 57th Street to have it out with her in person. 'He called me the c-word and said he would kill me,' Hofstetter told The Post. Rahr claimed that Hofstetter was supposed to meet him at his office to plan the party in question, so he went to the restaurant to give her a piece of his mind. 'I told her "I can't stand you. You're despicable." Did I curse at her or threaten to kill her? No true- please. I would never say that,' Rahr told the paper. Feeling like his message may not be clear, Rahr decided to send the email to Nieporent and copy his A-list pals. Leading ladies: Rahr has been pictured with Victoria Beckham (left) and model Petra Nemcova (right) 'I GUESS THAT U R MUCH TOO BUSY TO . CALL BACK AN UPSET CUSTOMER. I HAD TOLD U THAT I HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM . & A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE EXPERIENCE CONCERNING A SURPRISE PARTY FOR A . VERY VERY CLOSE FRIEND THIS PAST WEDS,' he wrote in the email. Rahr, . who owned drug manufacturer Kinray until he sold it for $1.3billion in . 2010, went on to talk about his wealth in the email, using it as an . unexpected way to rub his business savvy in Nieporent's face. Upset: Stewart Rahr took issue with how he was treated at Nobu57 in Manhattan . 'I . HAD ONLY 3 employees & revenues of only $40,000... WHEN I RECENTLY . SOLD MY company last year I EMPLOYED almost 2,000 employees n REVENUES . of $5,000,000,000 (thats what 5 BILLION (W AN 'B' AS IN BOY NOT AN 'M' AS IN MAN...' he wrote in the angry- and typo-laden- email. Now, Rahr is no longer welcome at any of the 25 international Nobu locations. Given . his affinity for self tanner and trademark uniform of purple t-shirts . and yellow Ray Ban sunglasses, it would be easy to spot him if he tried . to sneak in. This is far from the first time that Rahr has used his connections to make a point, as he was described in a New York Observer profile of showing off his hundreds of photos with various celebrities. And . he has no problem expressing his distaste for others: He openly . bad-mouthed Tiger Woods, calling him 'the most selfish guy I know out of . the 500 celebrities on this wall', and had a PR back-and-forth over a . slight to comedian George Lopez. But . others in the celebrity world paint a different picture of Rahr, a man . they say donates generously and has made a huge impact on the charities . close to the rich and famous. Among . them is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who told the Post that he . has 'nothing but great things to say about [Rahr] and his generosity. Stewie Rah Rah has got a soft spot for those in need.' Similar skin colors: Rahr, seen here with close friend Donald Trump, also sent the real estate mogul the email complaining about the service he received at Nobu . Banned: Now Rahr is no longer welcome at any of Nobu's 25 locations around the world . | Tales of rants and violence following the billionaire around the country .
Claims arise that he was rejected from exclusive golf club and recently got into spat with manager at Nobu .
Rahr sold Kinray for $1.3billion in 2010 .
Others know him for his big heart and frequent donations to charity . |
164,167 | 604cf7651123b836ebf1c3cf2ad60cd94c1ddcf4 | Convicted rapists and paedophiles across the UK are being taken on ten-pin bowling and cinema trips in a taxpayer-funded scheme. The extraordinary soft-touch initiative means sex offenders who are freed early from prison are then escorted on recreational outings. The scheme, known as Circles of Support and Accountability, is already running in England and is being offered to councils across Scotland after an initial trial in Fife. As of July last year, there were 96 local programmes, known as 'Circles' - which consist of one offender and four to six volunteers - operating in England and Wales. The annual average cost per circle is £9,800 and on average, this amounts to £295,500 across England and Wales (including the cost of volunteers) each year. Scroll down for video . Sacro’s director of operations Paolo Mazzoncini, left, said ‘social isolation and emotional loneliness’ can increase the risk of reoffending’ and but Scottish Tory chief whip John Lamont, right, criticised the move as 'a slap in the face for victims' The scheme is based on the idea that ‘our neighbourhoods are not safer places when we reject or ignore those involved in sexual offending’. Volunteers are recruited with the aim of ensuring that sex offenders are not ‘socially isolated’, as this can increase the chances of reoffending. The mentors, who are supervised and trained at public expense, provide personal and practical support for the ‘lonely’ criminals, helping them to reintegrate into the community. The scheme has run in England since 2002, and in 2008, Circles UK, a national body supporting the development, quality and effectiveness of the scheme in England and Wales was launched. Between April 2008 and March 2010, the National Offender Management Service funded two pilot sites in Hampshire and the Thames Valley. For these two pilots, the total annual cost of the programme (including the cost of volunteers) was £415,000. There are 96 'Circles' operating in England and Wales which consist of one offender and four to six volunteers . But last night Scottish Tory chief whip John Lamont described the move to Scotland as a ‘slap in the face for victims’. He said: ‘Perhaps if sex offenders such as these served their full term inside, it would allow the rehabilitation process to have more effect. ‘That would negate the need for these schemes which seem to be a soft-touch compensation for automatic early away days for sex offenders release. 'This is a slap in the face for victims and their families who will not think this is the best use of taxpayers’ money, and it goes some way to reinforcing the impression the justice system spends more time catering for the needs of criminals than their victims.’ They ‘buy in’ the service at an average cost of £9,000 per offender. It is estimated that within five years around 100 sex criminals across Scotland will be participating in the initiative. Volunteers are recruited with the aim of ensuring that sex offenders are not ‘socially isolated’ Paolo Mazzoncini, Sacro’s director of operations for the east of Scotland, said ‘social isolation and emotional loneliness’ have been shown to be ‘two factors which can increase the risk of reoffending’. He said that in the scheme volunteers from the local community ‘form a circle’ around the offender – known as the ‘core member’ under its terminology – to provide a support network for the ‘personal and practical needs of the offender’. Part of the volunteers’ job is to challenge the offender if they show ‘any signs of minimising their behaviour’ and to hold them accountable. Mr Mazzoncini, on a YouTube video released in an attempt to reassure the public about the scheme, says: ‘Should circle members have cause for concern, they will report them to the authorities and they will be acted upon quickly and robustly.’ He stresses that the circles are not intended to replace statutory supervision of sex offenders by police and social workers. One volunteer, known as Geoff, says on the video that the volunteers are there to ‘help society in general and try to ensure there are no more victims’. Volunteers say the circle meetings can be ‘very light-hearted’ – and can even include a ‘trip down memory lane’ for the paedophile. One of the sex offenders involved in the scheme says he was ‘lonely’ and had no friends, but the circle members gave him advice and helped to ‘keep him safe’. He said the meetings were initially ‘a bit awkward’ but the volunteers helped him to ‘avoid risky situations’ and to develop greater confidence. The idea for the scheme came from a similar project in Canada. A survey by the country's prison service found it reduced reoffending by 70 per cent. The Canadian social enterprise project involves creating employment for marginalized individuals, including ex-offenders, young people at risk of offending, the homeless, and people with disabilities. The 'United We Can Bottle Depot' is an example of this type of successful social enterprise project. Since 1995, United We Can has aimed to provide jobs for the disadvantaged in impoverished area of Vancouver through a recycling scheme. More than 700 'binners' bring recyclables to the project's warehouse each day where materials are sorted by 150 employees. A source close to the scheme conceded that the recreational trips for sex offenders were an ‘emotive issue’ and the paedophiles could be escorted to the local library as well as to cinemas and bowling alleys, depending on their interests. The insider said: ‘The idea is to provide support to them as they go about their normal daily lives.’ The sex offenders are expected to pay for their cinema tickets themselves, but the volunteers who accompany them have been trained and must be supervised at taxpayers’ expense. The original idea is from Canada, where a survey by the country’s prison service found it reduced reoffending by 70 per cent. Tom Halpin, Sacro’s chief executive, said: ‘Social isolation and emotional loneliness have been shown to be two key factors in increasing the risk of sexual reoffending. ‘Circles of Support and Accountability places a “circle” of highly-trained volunteers, supported by experienced professional staff, around an offender to monitor and support them with reintegration. It is not a replacement for existing public protection arrangements. ‘This is about keeping communities safe and making them safer, preventing people being harmed. ‘A circle is about working in partnership, assisting an offender to reintegrate into the community with the community as a resource.’ | Sex offenders freed early from prison are escorted on recreational outings .
Volunteers recruited to ensure offenders are not 'socially isolated'
Mentors provide practical and personal support for 'lonely' criminals .
Scheme costs on average £295,500 each year in England and Wales .
96 local programmes or 'circles', consisting of one offender and four to six volunteers, in England cost £9,800 each .
Volunteers recruited to ensure sex offenders are not 'socially isolated'
Now after an initial trial, scheme is being offered to councils in Scotland .
Original idea from Canada, where survey by country’s prison service found it reduced reoffending by 70 per cent . |
104,595 | 12f7b153d2de3bb91fdbba379d4135d29fb7910a | A former Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl in Minnesota has been arrested in his native country of India, where he was a fugitive for the past several years. The Rev Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul fled to southern India after he was accused of molesting Megan Peterson, now 22. Ms Peterson came forward last fall to say she was abused by Jeyapaul in 2004 when she was seeking advice about becoming a nun. Scroll down for video . Arrested: Police in southern India have arrested Rev. Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, who is wanted in the U.S. on sexual assault charges . Alleged victim: Megan Peterson (right) now 22, claims she was sexually assaulted by Jeyapaul when she was 14; she is pictured with attorney Jeff Anderson . The Rev. Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul appeared Monday in a New Delhi court and will be held in custody pending a formal U.S. request for his extradition, to be filed along with case evidence, government officials said. But he won’t go to trial any time soon - processing the request could take up to three months. Police detained Jeyapaul on Friday near the southern Indian town of Erode after Interpol issued an alert, police Subinspector Pugal Maran told the Associated Press. Jeyapaul, 57, an Indian citizen, has denied molesting a Ms Peterson when he was working at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Greenbush, a Minnesota town near the Canadian border. Priesthood: Jeyapaul worked as a priest at Infant Jesus Church in India, but was banned from being around children . Captured: He was arrested in the Erode district, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu . He returned to India in 2005 to visit his ailing mother, and was asked not to return to the Minnesota church after being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with another 16-year-old. The criminal case relating to the 14-year-old was filed later. Jeyapaul never returned to the United States and has been a fugitive there ever since. Vatican officials recommended Jeyapaul's removal from the priesthood, but the local Indian bishop instead sentenced him to a year in a monastery through a canonical trial, the Chicago Tribune reported. Former parish: He had served at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Minnesota . Prosecuting: Attorney Jeff Anderson (left) speaks about Father Joseph Jeyapaul case in St. Paul . Jeyapaul was one of many foreign priests brought to the United States to help fill shortages in American parishes. Ms Paterson told the paper she was shocked that Jeyapaul was arrested so quickly, following a March 11 interview she did with the Tribune. ‘I find it quite ironic that we did that interview and then a week later he is in handcuffs,’ Ms Peterson said. ‘I wasn’t expecting it to happen this fast.’ Watch video here: . | Joseph Jeyapaul accused of sexually assaulting Minnesota girl, 14, in 2004 .
Living as fugitive in native India for past seven years, still serving as priest .
Will be extradited to U.S. to stand trial . |
233,105 | b9c879c953f875dd94a75c033af0803edead2e17 | London has come out on top as the most popular city for a New Year break. British and world travellers want to ring in 2015 in the UK capital more than any other destination in the world, according to a TripAdvisor study. And visitors to London will escape the worst of the price hikes that other cities have put on New Year's Eve hotel rates. Spectacular: Britons and world travellers have made London the most popular New Year's Eve break . According to the poll, the average nightly hotel price for New Year’s Eve in London is £160.50, which is only five per cent above the average rate for 2014. In Edinburgh, the second-most popular city for a New Year break with Britons, the average hotel price is £149.28, which is 20 per cent higher than normal. Prices in Blackpool, averaging £105.71 for a New Year's Eve stay, are 32 per cent above normal. Revellers gather for the New Year's Eve fireworks display in London on December 31, 2013 . Of the most popular destinations for Britons, New York has the highest New Year's Eve rates . British holidaymakers who are heading to the Big Apple to watch its traditional Times Square ball-drop ceremony can expect big prices. Of the ten most popular destinations for Britons, New York has the highest New Year’s Eve rates, at £255.46 on average, which is 18 per cent higher than normal. But the biggest price hike is found in Dubai, where the average rate of £164.39 is 60 per cent higher than normal on New 31 December. This New Year’s Eve, almost a third of British travellers will be going away, with one in eight (12 per cent) choosing to head somewhere in the UK and one in five (19 per cent) venturing abroad, according to TripAdvisor. Amsterdam is one of the top five New Year's Eve destinations for Britons . After London and Edinburgh, the most popular New Year’s Eve destinations for Britons are New York, Amsterdam, Paris, Dubai and Blackpool. Berlin, Sydney (where prices have jumped by 50 per cent) and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, round out the top ten. For world travellers, the top destinations are London, New York and Paris. TripAdvisor spokesman James Kay said in a statement: ‘Many destinations experience significant price hikes over the new year when it comes to hotels, so it's worth doing your research before deciding on where to head for the celebrations.’ Earlier this year, a study by MasterCard predicted London would be the most popular tourist destination in 2014 with 18.7 million international visitors. | Average nightly hotel price for 31 December in London is £160.50 .
Edinburgh is second-most popular city for a new year break with Britons .
Of the top ten destinations for Britons, New York has the highest rates .
At 60 per cent, biggest price hike is found in Dubai .
For world travellers, top destinations are London, New York and Paris . |
126,364 | 2f509baec41bd3c75678e182346155185b43d9cf | Laura Robson appears set to shelve plans to make her comeback next week at a low-key event in Arizona. The former British No 1, whose last appearance came more than 12 months ago at the Australian Open, had been considering a return at a $25,000 lower-tier tournament at a place called Surprise starting next Monday. Her agent, Max Eisenbud, was quoted in Melbourne last month as pinpointing this as her comeback schedule ahead of making a return to the full WTA Tour at the much higher profile Indian Wells event in early March. Laura Robson is not likely to appear in the lower-tier Surprise, Arizona, tournament as initially planned . However, informed sources say that, while there has not been any major setback in her rehabilitation, her wrist is still not ready for the rigours of full-on competition. The 21-year-old former British No 1 is adamant she won't rush back from a long-suffered wrist injury . While Eisenbud was not responding to inquiries, it is also suggested that it is far from certain that she will play at Indian Wells or the Miami Open that follows it later next month. Robson was struggling with wrist problems from late 2013 onwards and in late April of 2014 underwent surgery, putting her in a cast for the rest of the summer. She was able to return to training and practice later on last year, working mostly in Florida, but as with all wrist injuries in tennis it has proved a torturously long process, and the watchword has always been caution. Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro is the most prominent example of this and has been plagued by issues off and on for nearly four years, having undergone surgery on both wrists. He played at the ATP event in Sydney last month but then had to pull out of the Australian Open, and has subsequently had another minor procedure done on his left wrist. Although she has found the hiatus in her career immensely frustrating, Robson is adamant that she will not be rushing back until she feels absolutely ready, although she is said to be doing plenty of hitting. A clue to her immediate plans could be found in a reply on her ever-lively Twitter feed, which said she planned to go and see 50 Shades of Grey this weekend. Robson's endured a frustrating recovery and hasn't competed since last year's Australian Open . | Laura Robson was due to return to action at event in Surprise, Arizona .
The 21-year-old hasn't appeared since last year's Australian Open .
Despite being frustrated, Robson is adamant she will not rush back . |
283,677 | fb7f3e94ab76a1e5fc894ff1760774ac56a0ae2c | By . Rebecca English, Royal Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 10:59 EST, 23 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:20 EST, 23 December 2012 . The Queen missed church today after being hit by a nasty bug, but insists she will be well enough to celebrate Christmas. The 86-year-old monarch has been laid low by a illness which a spokesman described yesterday as 'the tail end of a heavy cold'. Yet it was enough to make her miss Sunday service at Sandringham for the first time in living memory, much to the disappointment of a crowd of 100 well-wishers who waited outside the 11am service at St Mary Magdalene Church. Service: Prince Philip arrives without The Queen but with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie . Tradition: Prince Philip is joined by Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor . Other members of the Royal family led by Prince Philip, 91, did attend the service, however, walking the few hundred yards from Sandringham House. Philip was accompanied by Prince Andrew, his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, Prince Edward, his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex and their nine-year-old daughter Lady Louise Windsor. Hayley Shaw of Norwich, Norfolk, who was in the crowd, said: 'A member of the Royal entourage came out just before the service and told everyone that the Queen would not be coming. 'Somebody said they had come all the way from Wales and the aide replied that he was sure the Queen would be at church as normal on Christmas Day. 'When Sophie Wessex came out of the church, I overheard her talking to the vicar, suggesting that someone had a sore throat and would have found it hard to sing. I guess she was talking about the Queen. It was a disappointment not to see the Queen and it made me a little bit worried about her - but Philip was looking very healthy.' Well-wishers: Prince Philip and Prince Andrew outside the church, where around 100 people had gathered . Illness: The Queen was absent at the church service for the first time in living memory . Missed: A spokesman described The Queen's illness as the 'tail end of a cold' Another onlooker added: 'Word went around a few minutes before the service that the Queen would not be in attendance - but no explanation was given. 'It left everyone wondering what the problem could be. The Queen is normally a stickler for routine and nobody can remember her missing a service here before. 'But Prince Philip and the other Royals seemed quite happy and were smiling which suggested it might not be anything too serious.' A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: 'She is getting over the tail end of a cold. That is why she was not at church today. 'It will certainly be business as usual next week. She hopes to be at church on Tuesday for the Christmas Day service - absolutely.' Public appearance: The Queen was last seen in public boarding a train to Norfolk in London three days ago . The Royal party walked back to . Sandringham House after the 45 minute service. Eugenie and Beatrice . stopped to accept gifts of flowers from several children. An estate worker at Sandringham said: 'This has taken everyone by surprise. Apparently the Queen was fine on Saturday when she gave out Christmas presents to staff.' The Queen was last seen in public on Thursday when she and Prince Philip caught a train from King's Cross to King's Lynn, Norfolk, at the start of her Sandringham break. Last year Prince Philip fell ill over Christmas at Sandringham. He underwent surgery to have a stent inserted into a blocked artery and spent four nights in hospital. The Queen traditionally spends the . festive period with her family gathered around her at her Norfolk . estate. But this year there will be some empty spaces around the table . on Christmas Day. Happy family: 'The other Royals were smiling which suggested it might not be anything too serious' Stroll in the park: The Royals walked the few hundred yards to the church from Sandringham House . The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are planning to spend Christmas at the Middleton family home. And Prince Harry is currently serving as an Apache pilot in Afghanistan. Yesterday, St James's Palace said Prince William and his pregnant wife are to spend the day privately in Bucklebury, Berkshire - a decision taken with the approval of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. But the pair do plan to visit Sandringham at some point over the festive period. Kayleigh Allen, nine, who was standing in the crowd outside the church, brought a special soft toy labelled My First Toy for the pregnant Duchess. Last year, hundreds of well-wishers turned out to see the Duchess of Cambridge attend her first Christmas Day service at church in Sandringham. | The monarch missed the service for the first time in living memory .
Other members of the Royal Family were led to church by Prince Philip .
Spokesman describes The Queen's illness as the 'tail end of a cold'
Prince Andrew joined daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie .
Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor also attended . |
250,737 | d0805951293ef2beedd7c97f84afb31747a53344 | Bayern Munich might have thrashed Roma 7-1 in the Champions League but their coach Pep Guardiola still wasn't satisfied on Tuesday night. The German title holders celebrated their win with a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday morning but Guardiola insisted his side could still improve and that mistakes had been made in the Stadio Olimpico demolition. And all this despite Pope Francis apparently telling a Bayern delegation they had played 'a wonderful game' and admitted his 'surprise' at the margin of victory. VIDEO Scroll down to watch It won't be as easy next time - Guardiola . Bayern Munich players link arms in celebration after their comprehensive victory over Roma in Italy . Pep Guardiola (right) insists that, despite their impressive win, Bayern Munich must still improve . Arjen Robben scores Bayern Munich's first goal as they went on to win 7-1 against Roma in the Italian capital . Bayern Munich celebrate as a team after scoring during the club's deserved victory against Roma . Robert Lewandowski scores his header while former Chelsea defender Ashley Cole (left) looks on helplessly . Guardiola's side handed Man City a lifeline with their biggest-ever away win in the Champions League . Phiipp Lahm (far left) and Manuel Neuer (second left) present the Pope with a signed Bayern Munich shirt . Roma: De Sanctis, Torosidis, Yanga-Mbiwa, Manolas, Cole (Holebas, 46), Nainggolan, De Rossi, Pjanic (Ljajic, 78), Iturbe, Totti (Florenzi, 46), Gervinho . Subs (not used): Skorupski, Destro, Astori, Paredes . Goals: Gervinho (66) Bookings: Iturbe, Torosidis, Nainggolan . Bayern Munich: Neuer, Bernat, Boateng, Benatia, Alaba, Lahm, Alonso, Robben, Muller (Rafinha, 60), Gotze (Shaqiri, 79), Lewandowski (Ribery, 68) Subs (not used): Zingerle, Dante, Pizarro, Hojbjerg . Goals: Robben (9, 30), Gotze (23), Lewandowski (25), Muller (35, pen), Ribery (78), Shaqiri (80) Bookings: Bernat . Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden) Guardiola told Sky Sports Italia: 'We have a few things to improve and one of them is that we gave Roma too many chances at the start of the second half.' Bayern scored five times in the opening 35 minutes on their way to a record away win in Europe that left them top of Group E with maximum points. 'This game is an exception, an incident,' Guardiola acknowledged. 'It's not the difference between the two teams, we will see that in two weeks. 'We got a quick goal and that relaxed us, then we got another. Roma are a team who always play well, but we were very aggressive, made the right decisions and found space.' Bayern took a ninth-minute lead through Arjen Robben before strikes from Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Robben again put them 4-0 up by the half-hour. A Thomas Muller penalty extended the lead and, after Gervinho pulled one back, late goals from Franck Ribery and Xherdan Shaqiri completed the rout. Ashley Cole had a particularly chastening night and was taken off at half-time after being terrorised by former Chelsea team-mate Arjen Robben. Guardiola's opposite number Rudi Garcia took responsibility for the disaster. Bayern were made the bookmakers' favourites to win the Champions League, ahead of Real Madrid . Robben gives a thumbs up to the crowd after scoring twice during Bayern's impressive victory . Roma fans lit smoke bombs before the match at Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday night . Rudi Garcia has taken responsibility, admitting that he made a mistake with the Roma's strategy . 'It was a technical collapse, not a mental one,' said the Frenchman, whose last match against Bayern ended in a 6-1 defeat when he was coach of French club Lille two seasons ago. 'The first person to make a mistake was myself. I got the strategy wrong. In the second half, we showed some pride and would have scored more goals if it hadn't been for their goalkeeper. 'Bayern have showed that they are stronger than us. We were spectators at the match, we should have been more aggressive and compact. 'We need to accept this defeat which shows how far we have to go to get close to the world's best teams. We can still qualify from this group, but not playing like this.' Bayern Munich's Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (second right) celebrates after scoring . Bayern salute the crowd after winning 7-1 against Roma - their largest away win in the Champions League . Bayern's Robben ran rings around Roma's Ashley Cole (pictured, left) who was substituted at half-time . The scoreboard at the Stadio Olimpico shows the scoreline after full time as Roma were crushed by Bayern . VIDEO It won't be as easy next time - Guardiola . Midfielder Daniele De Rossi said the difference between the sides was not as big as the scoreline suggested. 'It's a stab in the heart, the city and ourselves had waited so much for this game,' he said. 'There was a technical imbalance, they are stronger than us. But I don't think the difference is as big as the scoreline suggests. 'This defeat can be a lesson for the future and shows us that there is a long road ahead. We got a bit demoralised because all they did worked and nothing came off for us.' Goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis added: 'The only positive thing about this evening has been the behaviour of our fans. This was an unjustifiable defeat. We all take the responsibility.' | Bayern Munich eased past Roma 7-1 in the Champions League .
Pep Guardiola described the game as 'an incident', and insisted that 7-1 does not correctly show the difference between the sides .
The Spaniard said his side still need to improve on their performance .
Roma manager Rudi Garcia took responsibility for the heavy defeat . |
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