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95,177 | 064cefc2ffde6efcdf27546bdbcae43a81a4aeed | (CNN) -- European and Spanish champions Barcelona dominate the shortlist for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or, the award given to the world's best footballer. Football's global governing body announced a 23-man shortlist for the award on Tuesday, with eight members of Josep Guardiola's Barca squad in the running for the prestigious prize. The award is a combination of the FIFA World Player of the Year accolade and France Football Magazine's Ballon d'Or, with the new incarnation of the honor awarded for the first time in 2010. Barcelona's Argentina star Lionel Messi was the inaugural winner, and he has again been nominated along with clubmates Eric Abidal, Dani Alves, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Xavi, David Villa and Cesc Fabregas, who signed from English club Arsenal in August. Is Messi the only candidate for the Ballon d'Or? Barca's Spanish rivals Real Madrid earned five nominations, including 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal. Brazil striker Neymar, 19, is the only nominee not based in Europe, having decided to stay with Santos despite being linked with several top overseas clubs. Former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, who this season left Italy's Inter Milan for Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia, is the only African player on the shortlist. The winner of the 2011 prize, along with the awards for the world's best female player and the finest male and female coaches, will be handed out at the second annual FIFA Ballon d'Or gala on January 9. 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist: . Eric Abidal (France), Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Xabi Alonso (Spain), Dani Alves (Brazil), Karim Benzema (France), Iker Casillas (Spain), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Muller (Germany), Nani (Portugal), Neymar (Brazil), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Gerard Pique (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Wayne Rooney (England), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Luis Suarez (Uruguay) David Villa (Spain), Xavi (Spain). | Football's ruling body unveils the shortlist for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or award .
Barcelona's Lionel Messi won the trophy in 2010 and is nominated again this year .
The award will be handed out at a FIFA Ballon d'Or gala on January 9 . |
223,927 | adf0ca611db2338da554b96042e700935b20495c | A tatty Mini, which spent 20 years languishing in a garage and doesn't even start, has set a new world record after it sold for £31,000. The dinky Austin Mini Cooper S's engine doesn't work, there are paint defects on the car's bodywork and it doesn't have an MOT or tax. But despite its shabby appearance the iconic British motor was snapped up by a keen collector for almost four times its pre-sale estimate of £8,000. Collector's car: This tatty Mini, which spent 20 years languishing in a garage and doesn't even start has set a new world record after it sold for almost four times its pre-sale estimate . Experts are thanking the entirely 'original features' of the almond green and white car for helping achieve the huge price - and say the result makes it the most expensive Mini Cooper S ever to sell at auction. Matt Whitney, head of classic cars at . Dorset-based auctioneers Charterhouse, said: 'The sheer originality of . this car is what makes it so unique and valuable. 'Minis like this simply don't come on to the market much any more - they are incredibly rare. I would think there are fewer than a dozen of these cars existing in the world today.' Shabby chic: despite its shabby appearance the iconic 1966 British motor broke the record when it went under the hammer for £31,000 in Dorset . Boys' toy: All the car's features are original from the 1275cc engine with twin carburettors to its two-tone interior trim and body panels. It has the ultimate spec for a Mini . The Mini was made in 1966, seven years after the model was launched by the British Motor Corporation. It had just three registered owners and 75,000 miles on the clock. Its last owner, a doctor from Leicester, bought the car in 1968 and drove it until 1993 when he covered it up and left it in his garage after replacing it with a Peugeot 205. Although it needs £2,000 spending on it . just to make it roadworthy, the Mini could be worth even more than its . enormous selling price once the work is complete. Car collectors showed great interest in the battered old Austin Cooper S - bidding went through the roof and set a world record . The . Cooper model, a collaboration with Formula One and rally car . manufacturer John Cooper Cars, debuted in 1961 as a performance version . of the popular car. Richard Bromell of Dorset auctioneers Charterhouse, who sold the Mini Cooper for a record-breaking £31,000 . The Mini Cooper S was an even more powerful model released in 1963 featuring a souped up 1275cc engine. As well as being sold to the public, it was popular on the race track and won the famous Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. Mr Whitney adds: 'All of its features are original from the 1275cc engine with twin carburettors to its two-tone interior trim and body panels. It has the ultimate spec for a Mini. 'The last owner bought it in 1968 and stored it in a garage for 20 years. 'That said, it needs a complete recommission because currently the engine doesn't work, it needs new brakes and the bodywork needs attention. 'It would cost about £2,000 to get it back on the road, and the market for an iconic car like this is only going one way - and that's up. 'There was a fierce bidding war between collectors who were set on getting their hands on this car. We knew it was a special car but it wildly outsold our estimated price.' Auctioneer Richard Bromell added: 'This was not a mint condition car by any means - it has been used well. 'Lots of people were shocked when bidding went past the £16,000 mark. The final price is a world record for a Mini Cooper S sold at auction.' | It needs new brakes, it has paint defects and no MOT or tax .
People were shocked when bidding went past the £16,000 mark .
It's £2,000 to get .
it back on the road, but the market for a car like this is 'up' |
24,609 | 45c4a7f6de7b2adc2066316af0a01cfb1a12eb06 | Washington (CNN) -- Venezuela's consul general in Miami has been declared to be persona non grata and must leave the United States, a State Department spokesman said Sunday. Spokesman William Ostick declined to comment on specific details behind the decision to expel Livia Acosta Noguera, who has headed Venezuela's consulate in Miami since March 2011. The Venezuelan Embassy in Washington was informed of the decision Friday, Ostick said in a written statement, and the State Department said Acosta must depart the United States by Tuesday. It was unclear Sunday whether or not she was still in the United States. There was no immediate response from the Venezuelan government. Last month, a group of American lawmakers said they had "grave concerns" about Acosta and called for an investigation after the Spanish-language TV channel Univision aired a documentary alleging that she was among a group of Venezuelan and Iranian diplomats who expressed interest in an offer from a group of Mexican hackers to infiltrate the websites of the White House, the FBI, the Pentagon and U.S. nuclear plants. The evidence that the plot was real, according to Univision, are secret recordings with diplomats who ask questions about what the hackers can do and promise to send information to their governments. Univision interviewed a purported Mexican whistle-blower -- a student at the National Autonomous University of Mexico named Juan Carlos Munoz Ledo. The student told Univision he was recruited by a leftist professor who wanted to wage cyber attacks on the United States and its allies. Munoz told Univision he secretly recorded a meeting in 2008 with Acosta, who was then the cultural attache of the Venezuelan Embassy in Mexico. According to a recording Univision aired as part of its report, Acosta is heard saying that she can send the information gathered by the hackers straight to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Chavez has called the report "lies." One of the Iranian diplomats told Univision that although he, indeed, was presented with a hacking plot by the Mexican group, he turned it down, in part because he thought they were CIA agents. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last month, Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, David Rivera, Mario Diaz-Balart and Albio Sires asked the State Department to require Acosta's "immediate departure" from the United States if the Univision report proved true. Ros-Lehtinen, who is chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, cheered the decision to declare Acosta persona non grata on Sunday, but said the United States must do more to "counter Iranian plots in the Western Hemisphere." Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is on a four-nation Latin American tour this week, a visit the Florida Republican said serves "as a somber reminder that our enemies are welcomed by our undemocratic neighbors." "We must strengthen our regional alliances to confront the onslaught of anti-democratic forces in Latin America whose goal is to undermine our nation," Ros-Lehtinen said. A State Department spokesman said last month that the United States did not know about the alleged plot, but that it found the Univision allegations "very disturbing." However, "we don't have any information, at this point, to corroborate it," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. CNN's Rafael Fuenmayor, Jill Dougherty, Juan Carlos Lopez and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report. | NEW: Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen says the U.S. must do more to "counter Iranian plots"
There was no immediate response from the Venezuelan government .
U.S. State Department: Livia Acosta has been declared persona non grata .
She has been Venezuela's consul general in Miami since March 2011 . |
248,929 | ce20768e61d1223d7b5b8a3e2fca338aa89494e6 | Animal rescue workers have expressed their shock after seven little puppies were dumped by the side of the road. It is thought the litter of mongrel pups were abandoned in a laundry basket by their breeder because they were not sold in time for Christmas. The seven-week-old pups were left by the side of the busy country road with no food, or water, in freezing winter weather. Scroll down for video . Seven little puppies have been handed into animal rescue workers after they were found next to a busy road . Kaye Mughal, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Old Windsor centre manager, said: 'The puppies were found on the side of a country road in a bucket, so it's very obvious they were dumped deliberately. 'Given the timing we're worried they were bred as Christmas presents by someone looking to make a quick buck, but when they failed to sell they were disposed of. 'Dumping animals without food or water near a road could have disastrous consequences, but thankfully a member of the public acted quickly, and they're now recovering from their ordeal and are looking for new homes.' The four brown and three black puppies were found by the side of a road in Chertsey, Surrey, last week and will be rehomed next year when they are old enough. Carly Whyborn, Head of Operations at Battersea, said: 'Many of these puppies are being brought to Battersea for the right reasons, but others are cruelly dumped over Christmas. 'We pick up the pieces when people buy pets as presents.' | Seven-week-old puppies found dumped by the side of a busy country road .
It is thought the animals were bred to sell for Christmas but were not sold .
They are now being looked after at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, London . |
155,986 | 55a4d042fdada1af4cc0645ff367ce21c3b4f213 | By . Ruby Warrington for The Mail on Sunday . Wine and dine: Sweets such as wine gums are good for a quick energy boost . I am 73 and running in my first half marathon. Can you advise me on diet, both before the event and on the day? Firstly, congratulations on stepping up to the challenge! In the US last year, only four per cent of marathon-runners were over the age of 65, so you’re part of a fitness elite. Your nutritional needs before and during the event won’t differ significantly from your fellow runners, but your age does mean there are a few things to consider when it comes to your recovery. During training, it’s common wisdom that you should significantly increase your carb intake because the body’s preferred fuel for running (or any endurance sport) is glycogen, which is how the body stores carbohydrate. Aim for 60 to 70 per cent of your daily calories to come from carbs, which can be in the form of whole grains, fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Endurance runners also need 50 per cent more protein than sedentary adults (about 12 to 15 per cent of your daily calories), as it’s essential for muscle growth and repair. To figure out the right amount, multiply your weight in kilograms by 1.3, or your weight in pounds by 0.6, to calculate the number of grams of protein you should consume per day. On race day, seasoned marathon-runners refuel regularly – before the tank runs out – with concentrated energy sources. There are specific products for this, like sports drinks, chews and gels, but wine gums and other sweets are popular. Another trick is to drink beetroot juice before the race, as it helps blood vessels dilate and increases blood flow to muscles during exercise. Which brings us to recovery nutrition. Older runners are more susceptible to muscle damage – upping your intake of Vitamin C, omega-3, sulphur-containing amino acids, bioflavonoids and antioxidants in the weeks after your race will help rebuild and maintain muscle tone and strength. Good luck! My husband and I really need to slim down, but it’s hard to know where to start. When our daughters were younger, we got lots of exercise running around after them or going on healthy walks, but they’ve long since left home. I don’t think we eat badly, we don’t eat ready meals or junk food and I don’t have a sweet tooth, except for a few sugars in my tea. But clearing out a cupboard recently, I found a favourite old dress – size 10, and I’m now squeezing into a 16. I’m worried for my husband’s health as he’s bigger than his father was when he died of a heart attack. There’s a trendy local gym but it’s not for us – we’re both mid-50s. My daughter got me down to a Zumba class but I hated it. What else can we do to lose weight? Self control: Ruby advices a woman to start eating smaller portions and cut out the daily sugar in her tea . You’re right to address this issue now. The earlier you can get down to a healthy weight, the better – especially with your husband’s family history of heart disease. About 75 per cent of weight loss is down to what you eat and it’s great that you cook your own meals, because it should be easy for you to start planning lighter options. Simply eating less – aka portion control– is the first place to start! My friend Robyn bought smaller plates to stop her overeating. As a visual guide, each meal should be able to fit comfortably into your two cupped hands. Be really honest with yourselves about how much you snack between meals; try sticking to a solid three meals a day. Keeping a food diary will help you keep track. Those sugars in your tea all add up, too. There are roughly 30 calories in two teaspoons of sugar, so at four cups a day that’s 120 calories – the equivalent of a small packet of crisps. Time to cut it out. Have you ever thought about trying a vegan diet? Following the guidelines in the hit book Forks Over Knives, which recommends a plant-based, wholefood diet as a way to combat all kinds of health issues, helped Bill Clinton, also a high-risk candidate for heart disease, drop more than two stone. And who says your healthy walks have to stop just because your daughters have left home? If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere you can get out and go rambling, make the most of it. It sounds as if long walks with your husband are something you’ll both enjoy. Gwyn way or the highway: Gwyneth Paltrow likes to keep herself - and her men - in shape . On the subject of exercise for couples, I love the story about Gwyneth Paltrow sending her new squeeze Brad Falchuk (the co-creator of Glee) off to train with scary Tracey Anderson. Fitness fanatic Gwyneth is rumoured to work out two hours a day, six days a week to maintain her trim physique, and obviously wants her man showing the same commitment. While we can’t all be expected to maintain an A-list exercise regime like theirs, working out with your other half can be a great motivator in achieving your fitness goals. A word of caution though, Gwynnie – Tracy Anderson’s method involves eating a lot of puree, and I’m pretty sure the way to a man’s heart isn’t through feeding him baby food... Festival season is a distant memory – but one ‘did I dream that’ moment that keeps coming back to me was Conservative MP David Tredinnick’s talk on astrology for health with Daily Mail star-gazer Jonathan Cainer. As vice-chairman of the Government’s herbals working group, to say Mr Tredinnick – who openly champions complimentary medicine – is outspoken would be an understatement. He now seems to be giving David Icke a run for his money by admitting he believes studying your astrological chart can give vital clues into an individual’s health and wellbeing. Well, David, I salute you! I find astrology fascinating, and in the Indian Ayurvedic medical system, used by millions of people, working with the planets is often key to diagnosing the right course of treatment. The idea is that the horoscope is a blueprint of the whole being, reflecting the complex interaction of body, mind and spirit. I take the odd painkiller, rarely, and am lucky never to get ill. I was raised with homeopathy as the family go-to for many everyday ailments. I know a lot of people out there think its all crackpot stuff, but tell me this: is exploring alternatives more or less foolish than the constant antibiotic overuse that has left us on the brink of these life-saving drugs becoming useless? Leaky Gut Syndrome is the latest digestive ailment for neurotic New Yorkers. The unappetising ‘condition’ is blamed for everything from food allergies, low energy levels and joint pain to thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions and a slow metabolism. It refers to a weakened gut wall developing holes that allow undigested food particles, bacteria and toxins to pass into the blood stream. IBS and bloating can be early symptoms, while multiple food sensitivities are another giveaway. Common causes are said to be stress, poor diet and eating unsprouted grains, sugar, genetically modified crops and dairy products. DO YOU DO YOU HAVE A DIET OR FITNESS QUESTION FOR RUBY WARRINGTON? Email us at [email protected] or write to Health,The Mail on Sunday, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT. Ruby can only answer in a general context and cannot respond to individual cases, or give personal replies. | Transform your body and mind with our girl in New York . |
142,175 | 43db2cb37f8fbeb38a585a13f61197202b2ab6fd | Brits looking for a warm winter escape in Spain ended up trapped in their cars instead during heavy snowfall and temperatures which fell well below freezing. Rescue workers dug through 16 inches of snow to rescue around 220 people who were stranded for up to 17 hours on roads in northern Spain yesterday. These included around 100 British expats and holidaymakers who had only just arrived in Santander by ferry from Portsmouth when they became stuck. Scroll down for video . Emergency services dug through 16 inches of snow to rescue around 220 people who were stranded for up to 17 hours on roads in northern Spain. Pictured, a trapped car near Barrios de Luna, in northern Spain . A woman used a shovel to free a car which got stranded during a snowstorm near Barrios de Luna, in northern Spain, yesterday . Around 60 stranded travellers were put up in a gymnasium and a school in the small town of Aguilar de Campoo, north of Madrid. Some were forced to remain in their cars, while others resorted to staying in the caravans they had been towing. Gwynn and Valerie Roberts, from Prestatyn in Denbighshire, Wales, were trapped for four hours when the A67 became blocked following Wednesday's deluge. After being rescued by local police, they took shelter in the village school in Aguilar de Campoo with about eight other British tourists. The couple, who arrived in Santander by ferry, had been heading for Marbella when they became stranded. A snowplough tries to get a trapped car out of the snow on the N-718 road in Pamplona, northern Spain . A lorry in heavy snowfall on a highway near the Basque city of Agurain, left, and right, vehicles of the Spanish Army Emergency Unit (UME) are seen in Aguilar de Campoo . Mr Roberts told BBC Wales: 'They told us it had been snowing and to be careful. We set off on the motorway and there was a bit of snow and ice – not a lot. 'As we carried on, it started again, really heavy snow. I have not even seen it like that in Snowdonia.” He added: 'Come to Spain for the winter sun, they say, and you get loads of snow.' A fresh wave of bitterly cold weather yesterday hit 33 of Spain's 50 provinces, the meteorological service said. Local media reported temperatures of -15C (5F) and up 40cm (1.3ft) of snow. A tractor with a blade clears snow from the road in the Basque village of Araia following heavy snow storms . A man shovels snow in a bid to free a car stranded during a snowstorm near Barrios de Luna, northern Spain . El Pais reported hundreds of cars were trapped on the A67 and N-611 highways between Cantabria and Palencia, in northern Spain. The A67 motorway between Santander and Palencia is still closed between Arenas de Iguña and Aguilar de Campoo due to heavy snow. Police said that dozens of military vehicles and snow ploughs are being used to clear the area. The freezing conditions are expected to worsen today, with the coldest temperatures expected at the weekend, according the national weather service . Authorities also warned of a serious risk of flooding in Catalonia, northeast Spain, and the Balearic islands while more snow and ice is expected elsewhere. The recent bad weather has already claimed the lives of two people. A 70-year-old man died after his vehicle was swept away by flood water, while a skier was killed in an avalanche. Local media reports said many schools in northern Spain were closed and numerous power cuts had occurred. Thousands of children stayed home on Wednesday and on Thursday morning and around 5,000 homes in the Basque province of Bizkaia were without electricity after a power cut. People clear snow in the Basque village of Araia following heavy snow storms in northern Spain yesterday . A dog waits chained to a tree beside snow covered cars in the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, northern Spain . A local worker uses a machine to clear a street of snow in Aguilar de Campoo, where some rescued travellers were given shelter . A woman shovels out the snow in front of her home in Matallana del Torio town, in Leon province . | Workers dug through 16 inches of snow to rescue around 220 people .
These included around 100 British expats and holidaymakers .
They just arrived by ferry from Portsmouth when they became stuck .
After being rescued, some stranded travellers were put up in a local school .
Others were forced to remain in their cars or stay in their caravans .
Are you stranded in Spain? Contact [email protected] . |
42,728 | 7879407cd63be334369d4843635a991db173c04d | (CNN) -- Claudio Ranieri paid the price for Greece's humiliating defeat to the Faroe Islands when it was confirmed Saturday that he had been sacked as national team coach. The 63-year-old Italian's fate was sealed after the 1-0 loss in Athens, which left the former European champion bottom of its Euro 2016 qualifying group with a single point from four games. Ranieri had only been in charge since July, taking over from Portugal's Fernando Santos, who had led the Greeks to the last 16 of the World Cup in Brazil. But results since have been poor and an opening defeat to Group F leaders Romania set the scene for Ranieri's eventual departure. A statement on the official website of the Greek National Football Federation said Ranieri and his coaching staff had been relieved of their duties. The writing on the wall was clear for all to see in the immediate aftermath of Friday's defeat with federation president Giorgos Sarris openly admitting that Ranieri's appointment had been a mistake. "Following today's devastating result for the national team, I take full responsibility for the unfortunate choice of coach," he said in a statement on the official website. No replacement has been named, but Greece is due to meet Serbia on Tuesday, a team also without a coach after Dick Advocaat stepped down after a 3-1 home defeat to Denmark in Group I Friday. Ranieri took full responsibility after the defeat but said he would not resign. "This defeat was a surprise for me and my players. It was very painful. A very bad result," he told gathered reporters. Ranieri had previously managed big-spending Monaco -- taking them to second in the French Ligue 1 in 2013. He has also been in charge of English Premier League Chelsea and a trio of Serie A clubs Inter Milan, Napoli and Roma. | Greece sacks coach Claudio Ranieri .
Departs after 1-0 home defeat to Faroe Islands .
Greece has just one point from four Euro 2016 qualifying games .
Ranieri took over after Greece's successful 2014 World Cup campaign . |
78,665 | dedfcda1e1a524efec653995364ec5423d65d0f0 | Boston (CNN) -- Graphic testimony from a forensic anthropologist, including images of decomposing bones and brain matter, continued Thursday in the federal case against Boston's reputed mob boss, James "Whitey" Bulger. Dr. Ann Marie Mires, a Massachusetts state forensic anthropologist, showed jurors gruesome photos of human remains found in shallow graves in the Boston area. One grave was at Tenean Beach in Dorchester, and two sets of remains were excavated along the Neponset River. The remains at Tenean Beach were found in a 3-foot grave in September 2000, Mires told the court. Jurors were shown several photos of the remains there, including parts of a pelvic bone, a fractured skull with decomposed brain matter and a claddagh ring with part of a decomposed finger bone. Earlier this week, Kevin Weeks, Bulger's longtime crime associate, told jurors that at this location, Bulger said, "Drink up, Paulie," in reference to Paul McGonagle. Authorities believe Bulger killed McGonagle, who was a leader of a rival gang in Boston. Expletives fly between Bulger and ex-partner . Most of McGonagle's remains were severely decayed due the shallow grave and the corrosive damage from the water, Mires explained. Some of his remains were very much intact, though. Jurors were shown a picture of a pair of shoes, socks and leg bones extending straight out of the socks. Bulger is charged in the deaths of 19 people during some two decades when prosecutors say he ran Boston's Irish mob. He also faces charges of extortion, racketeering and money laundering. Two set of remains that were found along the Neponset River had also been damaged by water and tidal currents, Mires said. The first set of remains was excavated there in late September 2000, and it included part of a skull with a bullet hole, she said. The remains were found with a bulletproof vest, a navy, three-piece suit, driving gloves and a claddagh ring around a finger bone. Mires testified that these were the remains of Thomas King. John Martorano, one of Bulger's hitmen, testified earlier in Bulger's trial that Martorano himself shot King in the back his head, and he knew where King's body was dumped. "I was driving over Neponset Bridge (in Boston) one day, and Whitey said, 'tip your hat to Tommy .... He's over there,' " Martorano testified. The remains of Debra Davis were discovered about a month later along the river. Most of her remains were discovered in plastic bags along with rope around the bags, Mires explained. Almost all of Davis' bones were recovered. Because her body was in bags, even some of her hair was preserved. Mires showed the jury photos of the remains, the hair found on the skull, and how the tidal movement corroded Davis' skull. Her hair, along with pieces of her bones, were tested for DNA and were positively identified as the remains of Davis, according to Mires. One of the shortest and more emotional testimonies of the day came from Elaine Barrett, the widow of alleged Bulger victim Arthur "Bucky" Barrett. Earlier in the trial, Weeks testified that he saw Bulger shoot Barrett in the back of his head after Barrett had tried to buy his way out of death. "He called at 11, said he wouldn't be home for a while; he had to get money," Elaine Barrett told the court. "Did your husband, Bucky Barrett, ever come home?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Wyshak asked the widow. "No." Barrett answered, tearing up. She said she never saw or spoke to her husband again. Earlier in the day, before the jury entered the courtroom, the judge heard a request from J.W. Carney, Bulger's attorney, to postpone the trial until next week. He said the defense team needed more time to go over the materials and evidence and that Bulger, 83, was tired. Bulger imitates machine gun, talks about a killing in recorded jail visit . Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Hafer argued against the motion, telling the judge that the victims and their families have waited long enough for justice and the defense had enough time to go over the materials. U.S. District Judge Denise Casper dismissed Carney's request. Thomas Donahue, a son of one the alleged Bulger victims, told reporters outside of court on Thursday, "I don't care if he (Bulger) is tired," in response to Carney's request. "Like it was said in court he (Bulger) had 16 years to relax... He will be fine," said Steve Davis, brother of Debra Davis. Bulger's trial continues Friday when the prosecution plans to call a forensic dentist as well as Steve Davis. | A forensic pathologist walks jurors through photos of the remains of alleged Bulger victims .
Several bodies buried in shallow graves had decomposed, Dr. Ann Marie Mires says .
Widow of one alleged victim describes the last time she spoke with her husband .
Reputed mob bass James "Whitey" Bulger is charged with murder in 19 deaths . |
115,541 | 211674bc67e75c43bb30b79ed08fc064b9dd90b3 | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 09:57 EST, 16 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:28 EST, 16 October 2013 . Miss De Gerin-Ricard collided with a lorry outside Aldgate East Tube station while she rode home . The family of the first person to be killed on a 'Boris bike' watched as the moment she was knocked off her wheels by a lorry was shown to her inquest. The parents, brother and sisters of Philippine De Gerin-Ricard, 20, wept as CCTV footage was played showing the moment the French-born student died. Coroner Mary Hassell warned the images were 'very very graphic' as she prepared the De Gerin-Ricards and the HGV driver Richard James, who was at the wheel, for the emotional evidence. The family watched the CCTV footage, taken from different cameras, showing Miss De Gerin-Ricard as she collided with a lorry outside Aldgate East Tube station while she rode home to Bromley-by-Bow, in east London, on July 5. She was cycling along one of the London mayor’s so-called flagship commuter cycle routes, though the section she was in provides no segregated space for cycling. The coroner had introduced the footage with a 'very strong warning' that it shows 'Philippine coming off her bike and I imagine it would be very distressing for her family'. Turning to Mr James, she added: 'I know this will be very upsetting for you too.' Mr James, an HGV driver for about 22 years, told Poplar Coroner's Court in east London that he had been travelling at around 10-12mph in the slow- moving peak traffic at about 7pm. He was approaching the crossroads and the traffic lights were probably on red. There was scaffolding from building works at one side of the road. She was cycling along one of London's commuter cycle routes, though the section she was in provides no segregated space for cycling . Mr James told the inquest the first he knew of the crash was the sound of a 'tinkling or rattling noise which I thought was my mirrors catching the scaffolding.' He added: 'Then I could see a young lady tumbling backwards off her bike. Then I stopped.' His lorry was positioned 'squarely' in the lane, the court heard. Within minutes, an ambulance was at the scene and a bus driver and passers-by had stopped to try to help. Miss De Gerin-Ricard, who suffered a collapsed left lung, died of multiple injuries . Miss De Gerin-Ricard, who suffered a . collapsed left lung, was rushed to the nearby Royal London Hospital but . died of multiple injuries. Asked by the coroner if in hindsight there was anything he could have done differently, Mr James shook his head and said 'No'. Asked if there was anything he could suggest to help with the safety of road cyclists, he told the court: 'Possibly with the bicycle hire scheme - the Boris bikes - they could give reflective clothing with the bikes for the riders.' On seeing the crash, bus driver Richard Brown hit a special button in his cab which contacted the emergency services, he told the inquest. He noticed it was 'very narrow' between the lorry and the scaffolding. 'It did not occur to me that she collided with the lorry but she did seem to wobble slightly, at which point she fell backwards to her right side and into the lorry,' he recalled. 'I really feel there was not sufficient space for Philippine to pass or attempt to pass the lorry. I think the gap was too small to go by the lorry safely.' Asked by the coroner for some potential safety points, he suggested that perhaps roads should be kerbed off for riders at junctions, and high visibility clothes for them would also be helpful. Investigating officer Pc Mike Andrews told the inquest the front of the lorry collided with the rear wheel of the bicycle. Miss De Gerin-Ricard had been riding on the footpath before passing the scaffolding, possibly in a move to try to get past a bus. Pc Andrews said: 'Philippine is coming . down the passenger side of the lorry. The lorry has just started moving . but she is moving faster and is able to move in front of the lorry. 'Their . speeds, at some point, would be the same but the lorry is still able to . go quicker and collides with the rear of the bicycle.' Miss De Gerin-Ricard's mother, Anne Boudet du Mochet (centre), pleaded for road safety for cyclists in London to be tackled 'now and quickly' CCTV of the dreadful moment the student came off her bike was played at Poplar Coroner's Court . There would have been about 3.72 seconds in which Miss De Gerin-Ricard could have been spotted, according to Pc Andrews. He went on: 'As Mr James conducted his pre-movement check in the mirrors, Philippine was riding on the footpath - at best she would have been on the very limit of his view. 'With the other pedestrians at the bus stop and milling around, it would have been quite difficult for him to recognise her as a bicycle rider.' Miss De Gerin-Ricard's mother, Anne Boudet du Mochet, pleaded for road safety for cyclists in London to be tackled 'now and quickly'. Through an interpreter, she told the court: 'I do not reside here - I live in France - but I am speaking for people who still live and will be living in London. 'There were a number of factors that have come together. The accident did happen, but as Philippine's mum I have seen the impact on all those people who cycle. 'The accident Philippine had was the straw that broke the camel's back. 'The problem with cycle lanes here in London is not a new problem. Things have been asked by cyclists - if anything had been done, it has not been helpful to cyclists. 'I have heard the clothing that cyclists wear and what Philippine should have been wearing was discussed here. 'What needs to be discussed is the provisions of lanes for cyclists. Action needs to be taken. 'Today it is my family who is living in this situation and it is also the driver's family too. Significant action must be taken now and quickly.' | Philippine De Gerin-Ricard, 20, collided with a lorry while she rode home .
Was cycling along one of London mayor's flagship commuter cycle routes .
Driver Richard James said crash sounded like a 'tinkling or rattling noise'
Coroner hears how student suffered collapsed lung and multiple injuries . |
161,753 | 5d280e40462acaa06bdc3c33b1b93cc52bcc7454 | By . Sean Poulter . Vincent de Rivaz (pictured) is the chief executive of EDF Energy, which has announced it will cap winter bills at 3.9 per cent . Energy giant EDF has shamed its ‘big six’ rivals by capping its winter bills price rise at 3.9 per cent. The increase is bad news for its 2.6 million customers - however it is less than half of the 10 per cent imposed by its major competitors. Independent analysts said EDF customers will be paying an extra £52 a year, taking the average annual dual fuel bill up to £1,384. The French-owned firm’s decision to cap the increase means its new standard tariff is up to £107 cheaper a year than the likes of Npower, British Gas, SSE and Scottish Power. The fact that it has been able to announce a lower price rise will increase suspicions that its rivals are guilty of profiteering. EDF said that just £1 of the latest rise can be blamed on a higher cost of wholesale gas and electricity. The rest relates to costs imposed by the government and regulators, most of which are associated with cutting energy use and carbon emissions in a switch to green energy. It said the price rise would have been £50 higher if it had factored in the rising cost of the government ECO scheme. This involves applying a supplement to all bills to finance free home energy efficiency measures – loft insulation, double glazing and efficient boilers – for the poor. EDF said that as the Prime Minister has signalled plans to shake-up this scheme, perhaps shifting the bill to general taxation, it has decided to hold off adding this to tariffs. Its chief executive, Vincent de Rivaz, said: ‘The best way to help customers is for us to keep our prices as low as possible. ‘I know that price rises are always unwelcome, but we have taken the first step to show what can be done if rising costs are tackled head-on.’ Mr de Rivaz said he supported schemes to make homes more energy efficient, but insisted the cost of the schemes needed to be cut. ‘Something can and must be done for consumers,’ he said. ‘Energy firms, politicians and consumer groups need to be part of the solution and stand on the side of customers to give them energy at an affordable price.’ While EDF was keen to claim credit for its lower price rise, the reality is that the company remains more expensive than a number of small independents. For example, Spark currently has a variable rate tariff charging an average of £1,116.41 a year, which is a saving of £268 versus EDF. For those looking for more certainty, First Utility has a fixed rate deal until June 2015 with a relatively low average bill of £1,178.48. E.ON UK, the only one of Britain’s big suppliers yet to increase prices for this winter, declined to comment on whether it was rising prices yesterday. It is reported to be planning a 6.6 per cent increase. EDF said that as the Prime Minister has signalled plans to shake-up this scheme, perhaps shifting the bill to general taxation, it has decided to hold off adding this to tariffs . Energy Secretary, Ed Davey, said he was ‘encouraged’ that EDF had kept its price rise much closer to the general rate of inflation than some of its competitors. He insisted the energy market is becoming more competitive and said people can make meaningful savings by shopping around. Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd welcomed EDF’s lower price rise, saying: ‘Today’s announcement will make people question why other major suppliers have hit their customers so much harder.’ Tom Lyon, energy expert at uSwitch.com, said: ‘Any winter price rise is a blow to consumers as it makes the struggle to afford to stay warm that little bit harder. ‘However, EDF Energy is to be applauded for the stance it is taking by factoring in the potential reduction on green levies into its calculations. ‘This means that customers will know upfront that they will benefit from any step the Government takes to reduce the impact of ‘hidden’ taxes on bills. More importantly it also challenges the Government to put its money where its mouth is and to make good its pledges on affordability.’ Energy industry expert, Adam Scorer, director of Consumer Futures, said: ‘This is a smaller price rise because it comes with strings attached. It puts pressure on the Government to shift the burden of some policy costs from the bill to taxation.’ | Analysts said EDF customers will be paying an extra £52 a year, taking average annual dual fuel bill to £1,384 .
Decision to cap the increase means its new standard tariff is up to £107 cheaper than the likes of Npower, British Gas, SSE and Scottish Power . |
143,796 | 45f382ede550a047ffff72b3d93677edd8868d71 | By . Gordon Currie . PUBLISHED: . 08:45 EST, 21 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:53 EST, 22 February 2013 . Robert Oliphant Maxtone-Graham pleaded guilty at Perth Court to possessing cannabis. He had complained to police that the gift from a friend was poor quality . With his private education and impeccable pedigree, he should perhaps have grasped the legal aspects of the situation. But aristocrat Robert Oliphant Maxtone-Graham was so aggrieved when his cannabis supply proved substandard that he complained to the police. And as a result, the former government advisor of of Balbeggie, Perthshire, ended up getting arrested himself. Maxtone-Graham was yesterday fined after he admitted being discovered with hundreds of pounds worth of the illicit drug. The 57-year-old, who served on a number of cross-party groups, was arrested after calling the police to his rural cottage over an ongoing spat with another man. He told police he had been given a large lump of cannabis as a gift from a former friend and complained to the officers about its poor quality. His own solicitor even admitted that it was ‘a somewhat unusual case’. Perth Sheriff Court was told that Maxtone-Graham tried to hand the cannabis in to officers at the local police station but was told to go away as they were too busy. The aristocrat, whose family can be traced back to the 13th century, then asked officers to come to his home and showed them an email relating to the drug. He then led the police to his car where he produced a large block of cannabis resin. Maxtone-Graham admitted possessing cannabis worth almost £600 at his home between September 6 and October 2 last year and was fined £360. Fiscal depute Rebecca Kynaston said: ‘Whilst the police were making inquiries, it became clear there were controlled drugs within the property.’ Solicitor Jamie Morris, defending, said: ‘It is somewhat unusual. The expression that comes to mind when you look at the circumstances is that it was an “own goal”. A file picture of cannabis resin. Maxtone Graham's block was estimated to be worth almost £600 . ‘He was in touch with a then relatively close friend. That friend indicated he had some cannabis he did not want and he offered it to Mr Maxtone-Graham. ‘The substance arrived and it became clear it was of extremely poor quality. ‘He did persevere and use some of it but he then fell out with the friend. As a strategy of getting back at his friend, he contacted police. ‘Had he not volunteered the information to police there’s probably no chance at all this would have seen the light of day. ‘The prospect of him troubling the authorities again are very modest. The circumstances are very unusual in my experience.’ ‘The substance arrived and it became clear it was of extremely poor quality. ‘He did persevere and use some of it but he then fell out with the friend. As a strategy of getting back at his friend, he contacted police.' - Defence solicitor Jamie Morris . The father of two, who is known as Rob Maxtone-Graham, 18th of Cultoquhey, can trace his lineage back to the 1200s, when the family was gifted the land of Cultoquhey near Crieff, Perthshire. The original Maxtone died in the battle of Flodden in 1513. Educated at Glenalmond College, Perthshire, Maxtone-Graham was a member of the cross-party group on tourism, renewable energy and Scottish traditional arts. The group was formed to provide a platform within the Scottish parliament to discuss issues relating to all forms of traditional Scottish arts. Outside court, Maxtone-Graham said yesterday: ‘I served on a number of cross-party groups. It was something to do when I wasn’t working.’ | Robert Oliphant Maxtone-Graham was gifted a 'large block' of cannabis by his friend .
It was 'extremely poor quality' so Maxtone-Graham went to police .
Solicitor calls the aristocrat's actions an 'own goal' |
14,607 | 29728a28a2a4191839214c1027a70ef246c6e4fd | Live bears were used by the American military to test the safety of the pilot ejection capsule on the world's first supersonic jet bomber, it has emerged. The B-58 Hustler was created in the 1950s during the height of the cold war. It was faster than the U.S.S.R jets at the time and was the first ever bomber capable of Mach 2 - the term given to planes flying at twice the speed of sound. Scroll down to watch video . Trapped: A drugged bear is tightly strapped into the ejection capsule of a B-58 Hustler to test its safety . Take off: The B-58 Hustler - which was the first aircraft to travel at twice the speed of sound - prepares to take off in the U.S. Air Force video . Test dummies: The U.S. Air Force used Himalayan and American black bears to test the aircraft's ejection system which rocketed pilots into the sky before automatically opening into a parachute . But the plane had several issues - including that the crew could not use the emergency ejection system when the plane was flying at Mach 2. A new ejection was designed so crew could evacuate at any time but the U.S. Air Force wanted to test the safety of the aircraft's ejection system before letting its elite pilots try it out. A pre-ejection handle yanked the pilot's legs in close before enclosing him in a shell that still allowed rudimentary control of the plane, i09.com reports. The actual ejection handle then sent the capsule up with a rocket burst and automatically deployed a parachute. The capsule could float and contained survival supplies in the event of a crash. Spectators: Members of the Air Force watch the ejection capsule descending to the ground on a parachute . A crew member looks in on a bear used to test the ejection system after it lands back on earth . None of the bears used in the experiments died during the test flights but some did suffer broken bones and internal injuries . Live Himalayan and American black bears were sedated and then sent up in the four jet engine aircraft to test the new ejection system. The bears were ejected at various altitudes and speeds in a various conditions to check its safety. Upon landing, the bears were checked over for any injuries. Some did suffer broken bones, internal injuries and bruising but no bears died in the test flight ejections. The ejection tests, which saw bears ejected at speeds up to Mach 1.6 at 45,000 feet, and medical checks after the flights can be seen in an Air Force video. But i09 reports that a white paper by the National Academy of Sciences National Research Council, called Impact Acceleration Stress, states that the bears were euthanised and underwent an autopsy afterwards. Members of the U.S. Air Force carry the bear out of the aircraft capsule . The bear is put on to a stretcher and carried over to another aircraft to take it back to a U.S. Air Force base . The B-58A Hustlers were only used for around ten years until intercontinental missiles made the need for their use obsolete . | The U.S. Air Force used Himalayan and American black bears to test the safety of the B-58 Hustler's ejection system .
Hustlers were the first aircraft to fly at twice the speed of sound - Mach 2 .
The bears suffered broken bones but none were killed in the tests . |
155,534 | 550a1653d3fa9793d18e4460ebca628c2afc50c1 | What is it about lacy lingerie that lures celebrities into thinking they can become fashion experts overnight? From Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for Marks & Spencer, to Kelly Brook for New Look, scores of famous faces are adding ‘lingerie designer’ to their CVs — despite little or no prior knowledge of the rag trade. But are their designs any good? We asked fabric expert Mairwen Jones, who has worked as a technologist for M&S and model Lauren McAvoy, who wears size 10 knickers and a 34C bra, to blind-test some celeb smalls . . . Scroll down for video . BRITNEY SPEARS . Triangle bra, £32, and briefs, £19, asos.com . Mairwen says: Not bad. Simply made, well-finished and the fabric feels soft. This would be impractical for anyone over a size B cup as it would provide little support. 6/10 . Lauren says: I love how chic and elegant it looks. I would never guess this was Britney’s design — surely it should be luminous pink? 8/10 . 14/20 . KELLY BROOK - 15/20 . Kelly Brook long line bra, £16.99, and Brazilian briefs, £7.99, newlook.com . Mairwen says: A well put- together set. The bra has wide mesh side-panelling with extra boning for support. The fabric ends appear to have been cut by hand, which is preferable as there’s less material that could scratch. 8/10 . Lauren says: The bottoms are ill-fitting and creased, but the bra is better. Well-structured, it felt like scaffolding for my chest! The cup padding is generous, which larger busts may not like. 7/10 . 15/20 . SADIE FROST . Floozie by Frost French. T-shirt bra, £16.50, and briefs, £6.50, debenhams.com . Mairwen says: The underwire was a little rigid, so this might be uncomfortable. There was also a horribly messy join in the stitching on the briefs. 5/10 . Lauren says: I can’t imagine anyone over 20 wearing this set, the frills on the knickers would annoy me and show through tight clothing. It fits well, though, and the cups were the perfect size and shape. 7/10 . 12/20 . DITA VON TEESE . Bra, £42, and briefs, £25, figleaves.com . Mairwen says: Good attention to detail. Labels are the same colour as the fabric, and there’s a well-fastened, antique-style cameo between the cups. A few messy threads and the lace looks a bit fragile. Minor details, though. 7/10 . Lauren says: Turquoise and brown is unusual, but it feels sexy and wearable. It fits perfectly and gives the perfect amount of cleavage. 9/10 . 16/20 . HELENA CHRISTENSEN . Dusky glow bra, £75, and briefs, £50, triumph.com . Mairwen says: The thick band on the knickers is insubstantial. After a few washes, it would sag. On the shoulder strap, they’ve used similar elastic, but reinforced it. Why did they forget about the briefs? 5/10 . Lauren says: Elastic on the bra, rather than underwire, held firm, as did the knicker elastic for the time being. The oversized briefs feel like a nappy and the giant bows would show through clothes. 6/10 . 11/20 . ELLE MACPHERSON . Elle Macpherson intimates contour bra, £38, and briefs, £23, figleaves.com . Mairwen says: This looks cheap. The bow ends on bra and briefs were uneven (by 0.5 and 1.5cm respectively); the underwire felt stiff; the lace was scratchy, the label at the back wasn’t attached tidily. Black labels in light-coloured sets also shows little care for design. 4/10 . Lauren says: Eek! The bra cups were too small, meaning I spilt ungracefully over the top. The back strap dug in and the knickers felt scratchy. Not my favourite set. 4/10 . 8/20 . ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY . Rosie for Autograph plunge bra, £25, and knickers, £12.50, marksandspencer.com . Mairwen says: Clearly the best of the lot, the fabric and finish is exceptional. No loose ends, beautifully soft, stretchy lace. The fabric has been treated to keep it supple, and flat-locked stitching on the knickers stops threads sticking out or rubbing. Someone knows what they are doing. 10/10 . Lauren says: I liked the romantic, neutral colour, and the bra had subtle seams and pleats that wouldn’t be visible underneath a T-shirt. But the pants were baggy and wrinkled unflatteringly — I’d have to go down a size. 8/10 . | Lacy lingerie lures celebrities into thinking they can become fashion experts .
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has designed for Marks & Spencer .
Kelly Brook has a New Look range .
But are their designs any good?
Expert Mairwen Jones and model Lauren McAvoy blind test celeb smalls . |
154,574 | 53bf88b5b3c146ae64c830577494547f885f584e | By . Emily Payne . PUBLISHED: . 12:57 EST, 12 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:57 EST, 12 December 2012 . You'd be forgiven for thinking a steaming hot toddy is the best remedy for a cold, but according to new research it's lager you should be knocking back to beat the dreaded lurgy. A new Japanese study suggests that a key ingredient found in beer may help to warn off the winter sniffles. Researchers at Sapporo Medical University found that humulone, a chemical compound in hops, was effective against the respiratory syncytial (RS) virus and was found to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Can drinking beer really keep a winter cold at bay? Jun Fuchimoto, a researcher from the beer company, said: 'The RS virus can cause serious pneumonia and breathing difficulties for . infants and toddlers, but no vaccination is available at the moment to . contain it.' Particularly common during cold winter months, the RS virus can also cause symptoms similar to that of the common cold in adults. Beer contains natural antioxidants and vitamins that can help prevent heart disease and rebuild muscle. Darker beers contain more antioxidants, which help reverse cellular damage that occurs in the body. Hops contain polyphenols, which can help lower cholesterol, fight cancer and kill viruses. Sapporo Breweries now hopes to . create humulone-containing food and (non-alcoholic) beverages that both . adults and children can consume. It's not the first time that the health benefits of beer have been touted. In November, Alexis Nasard, chief commercial officer of Heineken, announced that beer was not only natural but 'healthy'. In an interview with CNBC, he added that beer has fewer calories than a lot of things, including a glass of milk.Previous research has suggested that drinking beer may help build better bones thanks to its high silicon content. The mineral is important for the growth . and development of bone and connective tissue and helping reduce the . risk of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. Sniffles: Many Britons suffer from an annual winter cold . But before you reach for a cold one, while experts agree that beer may be beneficial for some people when consumed in moderation, guzzling too much beer - or indeed alcohol - can result in weight gain, dehydration and a plethora of other physical and social hazards. And since only small quantities of . humulone can be found in beer, researchers say you would have to . drink about 30 12 oz. cans of it to benefit from the . anti-virus effect. However another leading beer expert, Professor Ramon Etruch of the University Hospital in Barcelona, has previously said that only a single unit’s worth of beer is required to obtain some of the beneficial health effects. | Humulone, the bitter-tasting chemical compound found in hops, is said to be effective against cold and flu virus .
Now, a Japanese beer company plans to create .
humulone-containing food and non-alcoholic beverages . |
226,885 | b1c99c5525eda98172e93ee0ae0a1b29e36fc54e | Under-fire Australia coach Ewen McKenzie resigned a few hours before the Wallabies were beaten 29-28 by world champions New Zealand in Brisbane, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said in a statement. McKenzie, who took over from Robbie Deans just over a year ago, had come under pressure over the last two weeks for his role in the row over offensive text messages Kurtley Beale allegedly sent to a team official in June. He was forced to deny he had been involved in an intimate relation with Di Patston, the official in question, and faced the accusation that he had lost the support of senior players over her role with the team. Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie resigned from his post before his team's 29-28 loss to the All Blacks . A spectator is removed from the stadium after he allegedly poured a drink over McKenzie during the game . CEO of Australian rugby Bill Pulver speaks to the Australian media following McKenzie's resignation . The defeat to the All Blacks was a third straight loss for the Wallabies after defeats in South Africa and Argentina over the last month and left McKenzie with a 50 percent winning record in his 22 matches in charge. 'I did not ask Ewen to resign, but understand his decision. He informed me this morning of his intention to resign, regardless of tonight's result,' ARU chief Bill Pulver said in a statement. 'Ewen is a world-class coach and a world-class individual who has been committed to playing entertaining rugby for our fans since he started in the role. 'We sincerely wish Ewen well for the future professionally and personally.' All Blacks centre Malakai Fekitoa crashes over in the final minute as New Zealand snatch a late victory . Australia player Kurtley Beale is currently under investigation for two separate disciplinary incidents . Pulver empathised with McKenzie following a difficult two weeks in the Wallabies camp . Pulver said he hoped to appoint a new coach before the end of the week when the Wallabies depart for their November tour of Europe. Former Springbok coach Jake White, who was in the frame to replace Deans last year, and Michael Cheika, who led New South Wales Waratahs to the Super Rugby title this year, are likely to be leading candidates. | McKenzie had come under pressure over his role in text message saga involving Kurtley Beale and team official last June .
'What's happened to Ewen over the last two weeks is pretty disappointing,' says Wallabies CEO Bill Pulver .
McKenzie replaced Robbie Deans as Australia head coach in August 2013 .
Wallabies were leading All Blacks 28-22 at Suncorp Stadium with seconds of the game remaining . |
274,013 | eeec033ee201305c1d1e6c88a069fd2acd63b75e | By . Shari Miller . PUBLISHED: . 08:03 EST, 21 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:14 EST, 23 April 2013 . A British doctor can thank her lucky stars for seeing her stunning photographs of the night sky turned into stamps. Dr Samantha Crimmin was working as an . emergency medic for the British Antarctic Survey team, when she took the . celestial images over South Georgia. Using long exposures and plenty of patience, Dr Crimmin was able to capture these incredible shots, which show star trails in a perfect circular motion. A series of stunning photographs by Dr Samantha Crimmin, which show the night sky over South Georgia, have been turned into a series of stamps for the south Atlantic territory . Cosmos on camera: Dr Crimmin captured this stunning picture above Hope Point in South Georgia . Heavens above: Star trails above Grytviken church in South Georgia . Stunning: These star trails were captured above the wrecks of two Norwegian whaling boats in South Georgia . Her gallery of photographs depict the night sky above different locations on the tiny outpost in the south Atlantic, which is 800 miles away from the nearest light pollution. They include one above the Harker Glacier, named after British geologist Alfred Harker, and over the wrecks of two Norwegian whaling ships at Grytviken. Dr Crimmon, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, also captured beautiful photographs of the Milky Way above the southern seas. She was able to create the circular starry effect, by taking multiple snaps from the same point on a 30-second exposure over a two-hour period. Because the shutter was open for 30 seconds, each star had a little trail behind it from where the Earth moved in that time-frame. Using computer software, the 33-year-old then 'layered' the images on top of one another to create the images. Freeze frame: Samantha's lonely tent on the Harker glacier in South Georgia . On ice: Samantha Crimmin braved freezing temperatures on the Harker Glacier in South Georgia . The keen photographer usually sells prints of her photographs for £15 to £45. A spokesman for the Government of South Georgia said: 'South Georgia is an ideal location for astrophotography, as the nearest light pollution is over 800 miles away. 'On a clear night the quantity of stars is simply breathtaking. 'The images used for our Star Trail stamps were collected over six months and created by pointing the camera towards the south celestial pole and taking long exposure photos.' Star quality: Dr Crimmin's images are being used for a series of new South Georgia stamps . The night sky: Here the Milky Way is reflected in Cumberland Bay in South Georgia . Gorgeous galaxy: Another shot of the Milky Way, taken on the remote southern Atlantic island . Seeing stars: Dr Crimmin created her stunning images over six months and by using long exposure photographs while working for the British Antartic Survey team . | Images taken by keen photographer Dr Samantha Crimmin while she worked with British Antarctic Survey team .
Photographs, which were taken over six months, show the changing night sky over South Georgia .
Long exposure shots capture star trails over the southern Atlantic island in a perfect circular motion .
Series of pictures have been turned into stamps for South Georgia . |
224,156 | ae3f5bbe6b0d917590fac8e6eda1cd7e67f8a494 | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 11:36 EST, 21 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:43 EST, 21 June 2013 . Deprived: Michael Jackson may have been the only human to go two months without sleeping properl . Michael Jackson went for 60 days without sleep, making him the only person ever to have done so, a sleep expert has claimed. Charles Czeisler, a Harvard Medical School sleep expert, said he has never heard of any person who has gone 60 days with Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep as he testified at the wrongful death trial of concert promoter AEG LIve. Michael Jackson's mother Katherine is suing AEG Live, claiming it failed . to properly investigate her son's personal doctor Conrad Murray and . missed warning signs about his failing health. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 after giving Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol. Jackson's mother argues AEG Live pressured Dr. Murray to get her son to . rehearsals but ignored warning signs and failed to get him help. But AEG Live lawyers say Jackson chose and hired Murray so their executives had no way of knowing about the propofol treatments administered in his home. As reported by CNN, the jury was told by Dr Czeisler that the 60 nights of propofol infusions which Dr Murray said he gave Jackson to treat insomnia has never before been undertaken. Dr Czeisler, a sleep consultant to NASA and the CIA, told the jury that the drug does not offer REM sleep and disrupts the normal sleep cycle. But it leaves those who take it refreshed and feeling as though they have had a proper night's sleep. The doctor told the jury that the lack of REM sleep could eventually have taken the singer's life had he not have died when did. Legal action: Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson, left, is suing AEG Live, claiming it failed to properly investigate her son's personal doctor Conrad Murray, right . The jury was told that rats tested by scientists died after five weeks of no REM sleep. People who are deprived of REM sleep for . long periods become depressed, paranoid and anxious. They also lose their balance and appetite, and can have slower physical and emotional reactions. These . are symptoms which Jackson was said to be suffering from in his final . weeks. His show's producers reported that he became thinner, paranoid and forgetful, and was heard talking to himself. Suffering Rapid Eye Movement sleep deprivation for an extended period of time makes someone paranoid, depressed, unable to learn, distracted, and anxious, Dr Charles Czeisler testified in the trial. The sufferer loses their balance and appetite, while their physical reflexes get 10 times slower and their emotional responses 10 times stronger, he said. The brain needs seven to eight hours of sleep to repair and maintain neurons every night. Learning and memory also happen when you are asleep, he said. Without it, the sufferer completes tasks less successfully, he said. 'It would be like eating some sort of cellulose pellets instead of dinner,' he said. 'Your stomach would be full and you would not be hungry, but it would be zero calories and not fulfill any of your nutrition needs.' He explained to the jury that your brain needs seven to eight hours of sleep to repair and maintain neurons every night. 'Like a computer, the brain has to go . offline to maintain cells that we keep for life, since we don't make . more,' he said. 'Sleep is the repair and maintenance of the brain . cells.' Lawyers acting for AEG Live have said it was Jackson who chose and hired Murray. They say executives could not have known about the dangerous propofol treatments. Expert opinion: Charles Czeisler, a Harvard Medical School sleep expert, testified that the lack of REM sleep could eventually have taken the singer's life had he not have died when did . The trial, which has been running for eight weeks, continues. It is expected to conclude in August. Jackson passed away aged 50 on June 25, 2009 after he received a dose of propofol administered by Murray and stopped breathing. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s death and is currently serving four years behind bars in a L.A. County jail for providing the fatal dose. He is appealing the verdict, claiming it was Jackson who was responsible for his own overdose. | Singer 'only person to go two months without .
Rapid Eye Movement sleep'
Claims made by sleep expert at wrongful death trial of AEG Live .
Jury told lack of sleep may have eventually taken the singer's life . |
226,278 | b1022f7f7ba0da06da762058713b328ebc3a67e6 | (CNN) -- Dan Cathy, the CEO of Chick-fil-A, proudly proclaimed his opposition to marriage equality and drew flak from politicians and citizens nationwide, who said Cathy's position made the chain unwelcome on their turf. Some of the condemnation crossed the line, offending the First Amendment. Some did not. Many don't understand where the line is, and now a population already sharply divided over same-sex marriage is collectively less informed about the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects you from government action suppressing your right to free speech. It does not protect you from private individuals' negative reaction to your speech. As an extreme example: In my younger and more impulsive days, I punched out a guy who offended my then-girlfriend (now wife). He said he was exercising his First Amendment rights. I agreed and told him that I would defend him if the government messed with him, but the First Amendment didn't protect him from a private punch. I broke a few laws that day, but I didn't violate the First Amendment. Similarly, the First Amendment does not protect you from criticism. Sarah Palin infamously took us all back a few steps by ignorantly criticizing the media for its negative commenting on her views. She said, "I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media." This statement is utterly wrong. The First Amendment does not protect you from scrutiny or criticism by the media or others. Christian groups allege threats to religious freedom in anti-Chick-fil-A campaigns . Therefore, those claiming that the private calls to boycott Chick-fil-A have any First Amendment implications are wrong. Cathy put his thoughts into the marketplace of ideas, where they may be bought or rejected. He has no First Amendment right to our approval, or to our money for his sandwiches. But can cities use zoning to combat unpopular speech? Unfortunately, when we chip away at the First Amendment, unpleasant unintended consequences are not far behind. In Barnes v. Glen Theatre Inc., the Supreme Court allowed municipalities to use zoning to regulate strip clubs and adult bookstores to combat their "adverse secondary effects." In other words, a city can't ban adult bookstores because it doesn't like the books it sells. The city can effectively ban them by claiming it is doing so to prevent litter, traffic, lowered property values or other secondary effects it claims the business may cause (and needs scant evidence to support the regulation). Over the years, courts expanded the doctrine to be virtually limitless. Now a city need only mouth the words "adverse secondary effects" when enacting a regulation, and for the most part, courts will uphold it -- even though everyone knows the real reason is that the city doesn't like the books and movies that the store sells. Eatocracy: Why I'm celebrating Chick-fil-Gay Appreciation Day . When municipalities are told for years they can make up zoning or other regulatory issues to make an end run around the First Amendment, is it any surprise that they would look to zoning obstacles to stop Chick-fil-A from coming into town because they don't like the CEO's views on same-sex marriage? Some cities responded to Cathy's statements with proper deference to the First Amendment, but others have not. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino initially said, "If they need licenses in the city, it will be very difficult. ..." After considering the issue, though -- and probably talking with his attorneys -- Menino acknowledged he did not have the power to block the chain from operating in Boston. In contrast, Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno went further, saying he would work to block any Chick-fil-A in his ward. Moreno defended his view by saying, "You have the right to say what you want to say, but zoning is not a right." He then took a page out of the "adverse secondary effects" doctrine playbook by saying he had concerns about increased traffic in the area. So far, Moreno has not backed down. Chick-fil-A wades into a fast-food fight over same-sex marriage rights . These statements clearly raise First Amendment issues. A city can't deny permits because it disapproves of the owner's exercise of his First Amendment rights. Both Menino and Moreno were dead wrong even to claim they would do so. That crosses the line between simply speaking out and abusing government power. Menino's critics are right about his initial misuse of zoning law being a violation of the First Amendment, but after backing down on his threats, the mayor maintained he did not welcome Chick-fil-A in Boston. He was within his rights to do so -- expressing his own opinion, both personally and as mayor. In a letter to the chain, he wrote: "When Massachusetts became the first state in the country to recognize equal marriage rights, I personally stood on City Hall Plaza to greet same-sex couples coming here to be married," he added. "It would be an insult to them and to our city's long history of expanding freedom to have a Chick-fil-A across the street from that spot." As mayor of Boston, Menino has a First Amendment right, and perhaps even a duty, to express his views, as all political figures do. They have a position that gives them a platform to speak out, and be heard, on matters of public concern. Rick Santorum had a right to say that a mosque shouldn't be built in Lower Manhattan. A mayor in a less enlightened city has a right to say that Chick-fil-A is especially welcome, just as he might want to say that Starbucks is not welcome because it gives benefits to same-sex couples. A city council member has a right to say that "my district doesn't want an adult bookstore," and Menino has a right to say that Boston does not welcome a business run by someone who is prejudiced. As long as they do not then try and give their views the force of law, they are within bounds. And if their constituents disagree with their views, then they use the political process to cure the problem. Politicians' rights, however, do not bleed over into using their official power to deny a business its fair due because of its, or its CEO's, exercise of our cherished First Amendment rights. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Marc J. Randazza. | Marc J. Randazza: Dustup over Chick-fil-A shows confusion over First Amendment .
After CEO's remarks on same-sex marriage, some politicians said business unwelcome .
Randazza: Politicians can't deny permits to block free speech but have other recourse .
He says pols should have and express opinions but can't give them the force of law . |
75,750 | d6d6dc0775500bbb1c954f14ac689ede706cc5da | A record 54 per cent of families are now using discount stores – and high street prices are showing ‘historic’ falls as a result. The surge of budget chains such as Aldi, Lidl and Poundland, plus cheap fashion outlets including Primark, is delivering the biggest change in shopping habits since the 1950s. Industry figures show the average price across 500 of the most commonly bought products fell by 1.8 per cent in September. 'Historic' changes: The surge of budget chains such as Aldi, Lidl (pictured) and Poundland, plus cheap fashion outlets including Primark, is delivering the biggest change in shopping habits since the 1950s . The price of non-food items was down by an average of 3.2 per cent with particularly big falls for fashion, shoes and electrical items. Clothes were 10.2 per cent cheaper than a year ago, largely because retailers were forced to slash the cost of autumn coats and jumpers which did not sell because of the unusually warm weather. The figures come from the British Retail Consortium, which said food prices showed a modest annual increase of 0.3 per cent – the lowest level since the BRC launched its Shop Price Index in 2006. The cost of putting meals on the table has been tamed by a price war – triggered by the rise of Aldi and Lidl – forcing mainstream supermarkets to cut the cost of essentials. Discount supermarket chains such as Aldi are eating into the profits of the 'big four' supermarkets . Market shares figures this year showed large growth for discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl . The high street revolution has been a financial disaster for the likes of Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons. Tesco has lost around half its market value – about £15billion – in just one year, amid a record fall in sales that has followed decades of growth. Such is the pressure on the chain that some senior executives stand accused of signing off suspect accounts which appear to have overstated profits by £250million. Industry figures show Tesco’s sales are down by 4.5 per cent, while takings are down by 2.8 per cent at Sainsbury’s and 1.8 per cent at Morrisons. Research by the Institute of Grocery Distribution found 54 per cent of consumers have visited a discount store in search of bargains in the past month. As a result, sales are up by 29.1 per cent at Aldi and 17.7 per cent at Lidl as the two chains race to open new outlets at the rate of two a week. Morrisons has announced its intention to match the low prices of discount supermarkets . Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD chief executive, said: ‘Over half of shoppers tell us they’ve used a discounter in the past month, which is the highest level for four years when we started tracking the data. ‘Examples of good retail disciplines that shoppers tell us they like about discounters include: it’s easy to find things, they can get around the store really quickly and the meat is clearly labelled as British. ‘Over half of shoppers want price cuts more than multi-buys … People want pricing that makes a real difference.’ Morrisons boss Dalton Philips has described the retail change as the biggest since the rise of the big-box supermarkets in the 1950s. Last week he unveiled a bid to ‘neutralise’ the threat from Aldi and Lidl by launching a loyalty card scheme – the first to try and match their prices. Mike Watkins, head of Retail Insight for Nielsen described the price falls as ‘historic’. | Record number have shopped at a discount supermarket in the past month .
New study shows customers find stores' meat is clearly labelled as British .
They also believe it is easier to locate products in the cut-price stores .
Big four supermarkets still losing market share and are facing falling profits . |
240,387 | c331a0b7eb3e83a51b267692a58162dbe232ca65 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Tony Blair must not be allowed to delay the release of the Chilcot report into the Iraq War, a former Labour Attorney General warned today. Lord Morris called for ‘urgent clarification’ on whether Mr Blair, ex-PM Gordon Brown or the Cabinet Office are to blame for the delay in publication. The former law officer in Mr Blair’s first Cabinet urged David Cameron to make a ‘firm decision’ to release the report well ahead of next year’s General Election. Lord Morris, Attorney General in Tony Blair's first Cabinet, called for an urgent clarification of why the Chilcot report has not been published. Mr Blair, pictured today, has denied he is to blame for the delay . Mr Brown launched the inquiry by Sir John Chilcot in June 2009, soon after becoming Prime Minister. The inquiry last took evidence from a witness three years ago. There is mounting speculation that the process of declassifying documents, including Mr Blair’s correspondence with President George W Bush before the war, has stalled. Last week Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg expressed his frustration at the lengthy delays and suggested Mr Blair is to blame – a claim denied by the former prime minister’s office. Today Lord Morris, who spent two decades on the Labour frontbench, warned there is ‘now the real danger is that the publication will run into the 2015 election’. The Iraq Inquiry, chaired by Sir John Chilcot, was announced in 2009 and took evidence from the last witness three years ago . The British public may come to view the impact of the Iraq war 'differently', Tony Blair has claimed. In a speech in central London, the former Prime Minister defended the use of military intervention and warned of the failure to put boots on the ground in Libya and Syria. Mr Blair said: 'We change the regimes in Afghanistan and in Iraq, put soldiers on the ground in order to help build the country, a process which a majority of people in both countries immediately participated in, through the elections. But that proved immensely difficult and bloody. 'We change the regime in Libya through air power, we don't commit forces on the ground, again the people initially respond well. 'But now Libya is a mess and a mess that is de-stabilising everywhere around it.' He went on: 'It does not mean that we have to repeat the enormous commitment of Iraq and Afghanistan. It may well be that in time people come to view the impact of those engagements differently. But there is no need, let alone appetite, to do that.' Writing in the Daily Mirror, he urged Mr Cameron to commit to publication as soon as possible. ‘Who is responsible for the delay? Not Chilcot and his colleagues, who must be anxious to publish,’ Lord Morris said. ‘Two . past Prime Ministers - Gordon Brown and Tony Blair? A cabinet office . fighting to maintain a precedent that cabinet minutes and discussions . between the two previous Prime Ministers should be permanently kept . private? ‘Parliament deserves a clear statement from Mr Cameron as to the reasons for the delays.’ Cabinet Office officials insist that the declassification of the documents will be completed ‘soon’. But only after that will inquiry chairman Sir John begin the so-called ‘Maxwellisation’ process of warning figures like Mr Blair, Gordon Brown and former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw that they face criticism over the decision to go to war. Lord Morris added: ‘What urgently needs clarification now is where the main hold-up is. ‘Prevarication by either of the two ex-PMs? Masterly inactivity by the present Prime Minister and his Cabinet? 'Opposition by the Cabinet Office, who must have advised Gordon Brown in his statement to Parliament? Or the stringing out of the process of Maxwellisation?’ A report last week suggested that Sir John’s review may not be produced until next year, potentially making Iraq an issue in the 2015 general election campaign – something that concerns Labour leader Ed Miliband, who has sought to distance his party from the Blair years. Mr Blair has denied knowledge of the reason for the delays, telling a journalist: ‘I don’t know anything more than you do.’ Lord Morris served as Attorney General from 1997 to 1999. He had previously served on the Labour frontbench under Michael Foot, Neil Kinnock and John Smith. He was the Welsh Secretary in the Cabinet under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. | Lord Morris slams unacceptable delay to report, five years after it launched .
Asks if 'prevarication' by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown is to blame .
Takes a swipe at Cabinet Office for slow progress on releasing documents .
Blair uses speech to claim people may come to view Iraq War 'differently' |
278,761 | f5251b8f5da5c2129525708d9a791ffae18278d3 | (CNN) -- At the funeral of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, his good friend, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was photographed embracing Chávez's bereaved mother, in a show of compassion and support. Back home in Tehran, Ahmadinejad was immediately bashed by newspapers and by conservative politicians who cited a religious prohibition against touching a woman who is not your wife or a relative. While theology is a factor, there may have been a deeper message to this backlash from Tehran: that it's no longer cool to be supporting Chávez, his family and political allies, and that this alliance, like others cultivated by Chávez, may be in jeopardy. Chávez put great effort into his friendship with Iran and into a broader alliance with other states in Latin America, with both efforts motivated in part by opposition to the United States' international role. Chávez's death is certainly changing the political calculus in Venezuela, but will it also result in a broader shift that could realign much of Latin America and affect attitudes toward, and relationships with, the United States? The answer is likely "yes." First, the grouping of nations previously opposing the United States under Chávez's leftist alliance -- namely the "Alba" alliance, comprised of Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Bolivia -- could well wither away, due to Venezuela's ongoing recession and fears that alliance members will no longer have Venezuela's financial backing. When combined with reports of Chávez's expressed desire to strengthen ties with the Obama administration, regional hostility towards the United States may decline. Since assuming office in 1999, Chávez viewed Washington as an oppressive force manipulating Latin American politics while keeping the region underdeveloped through its dependence on U.S. resources. In response, Chávez approached like-minded leaders to build a coalition challenging the regional influence of the United States. By 2005, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Honduras and Ecuador joined Chávez's coalition, which led to the formation of the Bolivian Alliance of the Americas, also known as Alba. Alba served as an alternative to the Free Trade Act of the Americas, with an explicit focus on poverty reduction, but it also facilitated the unification of these nations in their anti-American sentiments . With Chávez gone, however, there may be no one left who has the clout to keep financing this alliance. Venezuela is Alba's largest financier, contributing millions in aid to its members as well as oil at low prices. But Venezuelans may believe that with ongoing poverty and inequality, their country's needs are more important than those of Chávez's small club of nations. This situation worries Alba members. According to Cynthia Arnson of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, while Bolivia and Ecuador are independently wealthy and not financially dependent on Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua are. Cuba receives roughly 100,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil a day, while Venezuela accounted for $8.3 billion of Cuba's $20 billion in foreign trade in 2011. Chávez also paid approximately $6 billion annually for 40,000 Cuban doctors and nurses, according to Reuters. Cuban citizens fear that Chávez's death will push them back to the days of the post-Cold War recession, when Russia gradually withdrew its funding for Cuba. Meanwhile, Nicaragua has received approximately $500 million a year in loans and oil credits, increasing to $609 million in 2011, while earnings from agricultural exports to Venezuela increased from $2 million in 2006 to $300 million in 2011. But alliance members also realize that they have options. Nicaragua's economic minister, Bayardo Arce, recently stated that it's time to diversify Nicaragua's economic relations with China, Europe and the United States, mainly because Nicaragua has "to anticipate that Alba is not going to be permanent." Cuba may also seek to strengthen its relations with Brazil, its second-largest trade partner in the region. In fact, both governments already have plans to engage in several trade and infrastructure projects and are ramping up trade, mainly in sugar exports. Ecuador and Nicaragua are working more closely with Brazil in helping to construct hydroelectric energy plants and chemical industries, respectively. In addition to strong economic growth rates, Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff's policy commitments to the poor and enhanced control over key economic sectors, such as oil, may provide a more appealing leftist model. In recent years, Chávez was also interested in improving relations with the United States. He saw President Obama's re-election victory as an opportunity to strengthen diplomatic ties. Chávez once commented: "I wish we could begin a new period of normal relations." Chávez was so committed to this endeavor that even from his hospital in Cuba, he authorized his second in command, Vice President Nicolas Maduro, to start negotiating with the U.S. State Department. While it may seem that Maduro may have a difficult time working with the United States, considering his accusations that the United States has historically plotted against Venezuela and the recent removal of U.S. diplomats from Caracas, it appears that this was mainly done to gain the trust of Chávez political supporters in order to secure Maduro's position as the next president. U.S. diplomatic officials view Maduro as a pragmatist and the fact that he was supportive of initiating closer ties with the United States last year suggests that this could continue, especially in light of Venezuela's economic troubles and the need to increase revenues through trade. Chávez's passing should motivate the United States to seek a new partnership with Venezuela. First, Secretary of State John Kerry should reopen the U.S. embassy in Caracas, which has been closed since 2010, while assigning diplomats who are committed to engaging in peaceful dialogue and political and economic cooperation. Second, Kerry should take this opportunity to strengthen cooperation over issues that can provide mutual benefits in the areas of national security and the economy, such as counternarcotics, counterterrorism, as well as sustaining oil trade: the United States currently imports just under 1 million barrels a day from Venezuela. But the United States should also see this situation as an opportunity to strengthen its ties with other nations, such as Cuba. With the likely decline in economic assistance to Cuba from Venezuela, Cuban President Raul Castro may consider stepping up negotiations with the Obama administration over the U.S. embargo, human rights and the release of American prisoners, such as Alan Gross. Chávez is gone, but the United States' commitment to peaceful democratic relations persists. Going forward, the United States should explore ways of strengthening its ties with Venezuela and other Latin American nations. But this is not a one-way street: Maduro in Venezuela will also need to find ways to strengthen his government's ties with the United States, which may be a balancing act if he wants to sustain his government's good relations with Iran, particularly after Ahmadinejad leaves office. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Eduardo J. Gómez . | Eduardo J. Gómez: Ahmadinejad criticized back home for hugging Chávez's mother .
He says support in Iran may be waning for alliance with Venezuela .
Chavez bankrolled anti-U.S. alliance, but new leaders may not want to, he says .
Gómez: Nations in Latin America may see benefits of improved relations with U.S. |
116,943 | 22f7e48dd44375d10a7b7c248611a2141a9df616 | Lewis Hamilton has welcomed the idea of London hosting a Grand Prix in the future. The recently-crowned world champion said it would be 'insane' for himself and compatriot Jenson Button to compete at a Grand Prix in England's capital city. Formula One's British Grand Prix is currently held at Silverstone in Northamptonshire - but Hamilton is keen to race in London. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Lewis Hamilton parades Mercedes F1 car outside BBC studio . Lewis Hamilton, pictured in Manchester, has revealed he would love to race in the streets of London . Hamilton, who won his second World Championship at the weekend, visited MediaCityUK on Tuesday . Speaking to ITV News London, Hamilton said: 'I’m proud to be British and I’m proud to represent the country. There’s only really me and Jenson doing it. 'When you win the Championship and you have the chance to get the flag, it’s one of the proudest moments. Having the British Grand Prix is really important because sport is huge here. 'A London Grand Prix would be insane. We have the Singapore Grand Prix in the streets of Singapore and it's unbelievable at night time there. 'It would be even better here. It would bring more tourists in, not that we need any more because it's always such a popular place.' Hamilton arrived in London on Monday after landing at Heathrow Airport alongside girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger. The 29-year-old flew over from Abu Dhabi a day after winning the prestigious World Championship. Hamilton arrived at Heathrow alongside girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger following his world title win . Hamilton was crowned world champion after winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday . Hamilton waves the Union Flag above his head in what he describes as 'the greatest moment in my life' | F1 champion Lewis Hamilton would love to race on the streets of London .
Hamilton won his second World Championship in Abu Dhabi on Sunday .
He arrived in London's Heathrow Airport alongside Nicole Scherzinger . |
81,220 | e626c3e6bf11cc8a4af557a4b0d9c3142ad0dc1c | Danny Alexander wants to target pension pots . The Liberal Democrats will today promise to increase NHS spending by targeting the pension pots of the middle classes. Danny Alexander, the Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the party would spend £1billion a year more on the Health Service than David Cameron pledged earlier this week. The spending increase will be paid for by measures including limiting tax relief on pension pots for what the Lib Dems called ‘high earners’. But experts said last night that the raid would hit thousands hoping to retire on annual pensions of £30,000. The pledge – which could affect many public sector workers – will be announced at the Lib Dem conference, which gets under way in Glasgow today. It comes as a survey of party members found that two thirds believe fewer than 40 Lib Dem MPs would be elected at next May’s general election – down from 57 at the last election. Earlier this week, David Cameron said the Conservatives would ring-fence the Health Service budget. But Mr Alexander will announce that the Lib Dem manifesto will promise to spend £1billion a year more than this. This would be funded from measures to reduce the lifetime allowance for tax relief on pension savings from £1.25million to £1million. In addition, the Lib Dems want to adjust dividend tax for additional rate taxpayers, and end the Tory policy of ‘shares for rights’ under which workers sacrifice basic employment rights in exchange for shares in the company for which they work. Mr Alexander said: ‘A comprehensive Health Service paid for by the taxpayer and delivered free at the point of need was a Liberal idea and is a central part of our vision of a stronger economy and a fairer society. ‘We will raise this extra money from asking the better off to contribute a little more in tax. This Liberal Democrat commitment is fully and fairly funded.’ Mr Alexander said the Lib Dems would spend £1billion a year more on the Health Service than David Cameron pledged earlier this week . But former Treasury pensions adviser Dr Ros Altmann said the raid on pension pots would affect those expecting annual post-retirement incomes of around £30,000. ‘These are not wealthy people – £30,000 a year is hardly a king’s ransom,’ she said. ‘This would make many people very upset. ‘A lot of people, particularly in the public sector, on good final salary schemes could be caught in the tax net. You should be free to make your money grow as much as possible.’ Yesterday a YouGov poll put the Lib Dems on only 6 per cent of the vote, equalling its lowest level since the polling organisation was formed in 2000. The poll for The Sun and The Times – carried out after the Prime Minister’s promises of tax cuts at the Tory conference – gave his party a lead of one percentage point over Labour. The Conservatives were on 35 per cent, Labour on 34 per cent and Ukip on 14 per cent. Meanwhile, a poll of 735 Lib Dem party members for Liberal Democrat Voice, an activists’ website, found that 80 per cent continue to support the Coalition. But 67 per cent said they expected the party to slip below 40 MPs at the next election. While 50 per cent said they were satisfied with Mr Clegg’s leadership, this is only just ahead of the 48 per cent who said they were ‘dissatisfied’. | Danny Alexander, the Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury, made pledge .
Said the Lib Dems would spend £1billion more on NHS than Conservatives .
Will be paid for by measures including limiting tax relief on pension pots .
Experts said the raid would hit thousands hoping to retire on annual pensions of £30,000 . |
241,266 | c453ceda054427d189a85d43e95fc2e0e83ac3f1 | Gareth Bale has set a new record after being voted Welsh footballer of the year for the fourth time. Both Mark Hughes and John Hartson individually received the Football Association of Wales award on three occasions but no man has previously been named Welsh player of the year four times. The Real Madrid star retained the trophy at the FAW awards dinner at Cardiff's St David's Hotel and has now won it four times during the past five years. Real Madrid star Gareth Bale with the Welsh player of the year award . Bale's incredible year saw him win the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Copa del Rey for Real, while his performances for Wales have also caught the eye. The 25-year-old scored both goals in Wales' opening Euro 2016 qualifier last month, a 2-1 win in Andorra, and has now scored 10 times in his last 11 internationals. Bale also picked up the Vauxhall fans' player of the year trophy for the fourth year in succession, while three more of the main awards were retained by last year's winners. Bale and Swansea captain Ashley Williams with their awards on Monday night . Defender Ben Davies was named young player of the year following his big-money move from Swansea to Tottenham. Swans skipper Ashley Williams was again rewarded for his sterling performances at the Liberty Stadium by winning the club player of the year award for the fourth year on the trot. Wales captain Jess Fishlock also retained her crown as women's player of the year for the fourth time in succession. Bale also picked up the fans' player of the year trophy for the fourth year in succession . Angharad James was named young player of the year and Cardiff City's Michelle Green, who made her Wales debut in 2001 and has won 95 caps, was recognised as the club player of the year. Scott Ruscoe was named Welsh Premier clubman of the year after making over 250 appearances for The New Saints since joining them 14 years ago. Bale's incredible year saw him win the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Copa del Rey . Two FAW long service awards were made with former Wales skipper Kevin Ratcliffe taking the accolade for the men's game and Swansea City Ladies secretary Julie Lowe for the women's game. A special award was also made to Jamo Matikainen, who recently finished managing the Wales women's team after four years to return to Finland. | Gareth Bale sets new record after being voted Welsh footballer of the year for fourth time in five years .
Real Madrid star eclipsed Mark Hughes and John Hartson, who individually received the award on three occasions .
Bale also picked up the Vauxhall fans' player of the year trophy for the fourth year in succession . |
230,103 | b5f536df5aca439ac09ee2be318f4f959541f398 | (CNN) -- In the dying days of the Battle of Mogadishu two years ago, on the beachside base used by Ugandan African Union troops in their successful campaign to drive Al-Shabaab from the capital, I came across three new prisoners. Handcuffed, dirty and dejected, the eldest of them was 17, the youngest 15. They were volunteers, they said, who had put their hands up when an Al-Shabaab recruiter came to their school. This had happened a fortnight before; they had surrendered when they became separated from their unit and ran out of bullets. Why, I asked, had they put their hands up in the first place? The boys all looked at each other. "We were given a piece of fruit every day," one of them said. I later interviewed several Al-Shabaab deserters in a government camp set aside for the purpose, prepared for anti-Western hostility from a gang of hardened jihadist militants. Instead I found a crowd of teenagers, spirited, unruly, and for the most part instantly likeable. It was disorienting, but in their Lakers T-shirts and Nile tracksuits, they resembled schoolboys anywhere in the world. Their average age was 15; one of them, Liban, was 9. Like so many young Somalis in this shattered country, Liban was an orphan; the militants, for whom he had already fought for two years, were his surrogate family. "I'm not scared!" he trilled. "I'm ready to fight again -- for the government!" These boy soldiers, I found, had little interest in Islamist ideology. Most of them had decided to join Al-Shabaab -- particularly in 2011, a famine year -- simply to survive. They wanted what all young people want everywhere: security, food and water, and (if a little older than Liban) at least the prospect of an education, a job, a family, a home -- the chance of a half-decent life. And until such time as the Mogadishu government, and by extension the Western governments who support it, finds ways to start meeting those basic needs, Al-Shabaab will likely continue to find support. Children have always been useful to Al-Shabaab, an organization whose name, after all, means "the youth" or "the lads" in Arabic. Children are capable of the most terrifying, feral violence when armed, as well as insane courage in the battlefield. Liban's moral compass was not so much awry as completely absent: No one had ever shown him one. He made life in Al-Shabaab sound like "Lord of the Flies" with automatic weapons. A good dollop of jihadi claptrap helps put backbone into some of them. The impressionability of some young Somali recruits is as breathtaking as the cynicism and hypocrisy of their mentors. Martyrs for Islam, famously, are rewarded with the attentions of 72 virgins in the afterlife. Adult trainers are said on one occasion to have shown their pupils Bollywood DVDs and told their young charges that they were watching real footage shot by militants who had blown themselves up, and then beamed it down from Paradise. Recruits from abroad are generally not so naive. Americans have long feared that Al-Shabaab's poison-merchants are also at work in U.S. Muslim communities, notably in Minnesota's Twin Cities, home to the largest concentration of Somalis in exile in the United States. Since 2007, at least 20 young Somali-American men are known to have vanished from their homes and re-appeared in their homeland as volunteers for the Islamist cause. At least three of them have died as suicide bombers; and two or three of them might have been among those who attacked the Nairobi Westgate mall in Kenya. Ideologues do exist in America. The Yemeni-American Anwar al-Awlaki, killed by a U.S. drone missile in Yemen in 2011, is perhaps the most prominent example. Awlaki was necessarily a sophisticated orator: Westernized Somalis are unlikely to be seduced by the promise of a piece of fruit. Of far greater influence, however, are online videos of fiery speeches and stirring footage of, for instance, Al-Shabaab's latest and carefully edited successes on the battlefield. The FBI says that the Al-Shabaab recruitment process in Minneapolis has no evil "mastermind" as such, but is, as FBI Supervisory Special Agent E.K. Wilson told me in Minneapolis, "a very lateral, peer-to-peer organization," which is another way of saying the recruits tend to talk each other into it. Those who make it to Somalia often do not like what they find. Some of the Minnesota boys sent e-mails home complaining about the heat or the malaria. They missed things like McDonalds and coffee. Burhan Hassan, 17, once a diligent student at Roosevelt High School who was eventually killed in 2009, phoned his mother to say that, while traveling by boat to a Shabaab base somewhere in southern Somalia, he had been so violently sick that his glasses had flown overboard. His mother sweetly fetched his prescription and read it out to him, in the faint hope that he could find an optician to replace them. Some of the gunmen at the Nairobi mall also showed a disarmingly human side. One of them, scolded by 4-year-old British boy Elliott Prior as a "very bad man," replied, "Please forgive me -- we are not monsters," and gave him a Mars Bar. There can be no better illustration of the insane contradictions and conflicted morality of killing innocents in the name of Islam. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of James Fergusson. | James Fergusson: Somali teens lured into Al-Shabaab by promise of food, security .
Many are orphans, he says, with no real Islamic ideology, who want to survive .
Recruiters tell of virgins in heaven, he says; Americans lured by tales of battle .
He says until Somalia gives teens a chance at a decent life, they will turn to Al-Shabaab . |
258,039 | d9f1ad92cdb5df89adac4a5df4896b7d5d3a98ad | The issue of how best to balance a film's accuracy with its entertainment value has long vexed Hollywood executives. And it now appears to have ruffled feathers at the British Museum after the latest Ben Stiller film shot on site featured a number of scenes curators are concerned could mislead visitors. British Museum staff treated to an advanced screening of Night at the Museum 3: The Secret of the Tomb were aghast when a scene showed its characters fleeing from lava during the eruption of Pompeii. Actor Ben Stiller pictured in a scene from the film. Staff from the museum have been forced to clarify that some of the exhibits featured in the movie are not actually held at the museum . The film is about a museum security guard (Ben Stiller, pictured) who goes on adventures inside the museum with a group of exhibits who have come to life . Staff at the British Museum (pictured) have forced to clarify what exhibits the museum does and does not hold after several major liberties were taken by the filmmakers . The audience let out an audible gasp, with one woman screeching: 'There was no lava at Pompeii - Vesuvius erupted with a pyroclastic flow', The Times reported. The ancient Roman town was buried in the deadly explosion not by lava, but ash and pumice. British Museum staff have now provided an information guide to rectify some points the film portrays for the purposes of entertainment, but which have little basis in reality. Sian Toogood, the musesum's broadcast manager, told The Times curators instinctively disliked inaccuracies, but she was hoping the film would draw in new visitors despite a few liberties being taken. She said: 'We don't have a model of Pompeii at all, so it's kind of moot what kind of eruption it has. We're really hoping that it will encourage people who might not normally come to the museum. 'But if they want dinosaurs they should go to the Natural History Museum.' While much of the film does portray real exhibits - albeit ones which come to life - other inaccuracies include an impressive but entirely fictional triceratops skeleton. Filmmakers were obviously building on the popularity of the previous films' tyrannosaurus rex character when they added it into the script. In reality, the British Museum holds no dinosaur skeletons - they are all located at the Natural History Museum. An artists' illustration of the eruption of Pompeii, which buried the city under a layer of ash and pumice - not lava, as depicted in The Night at the Museum 3 . Not planning to adhere to the strict rules of accuracy like that of its subject matter, Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb has taken a few liberties which may mislead those planning a visit to the British Museum. The museum doesn't hold a triceratops skeleton. In fact, it contains no dinosaur skeletons as complete or impressive as the foreboding monster Ben Stiller's character faces. In the film, two beautifully glazed porcelain ornaments, known as the Kakiemon elephants from 17th Century Japan, are portrayed as the size of real elephants. In reality, they are only 14inches tall. Although the museum boasts an incredible 120 human mummies, it does not hold the Egyptian pharaoh Ahkmenrah's tomb as scenes from the film would suggest. British Museum directors have also been forced to remind visitors that it does not hold a 'nine-headed demon snake cast in bronze'. The monster was a feature of Chinese mythology but the museum hold such object. Medieval period enthusiasts will be disappointed to hear that the museum holds nothing that could be attributed to Sir Lancelot - who the curators gently remind is a fictional character - after he makes an appearance in the film. Nor does it have a 'medieval gallery' through which Ben Stiller's character is chased by the museum's fictional triceratops. | Latest Night at the Museum film contains numerous historical inaccuracies .
It also features exhibits which are not actually held at the British Museum .
Staff have released a guide for visitors clarifying what the museum holds . |
86,232 | f4a86dadb3ddacef19e6a741ff86dea9a22b529d | The brother of condemned Bali Nine drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran has told of his brother's love for Indonesia as reports emerge that fighter jets have arrived in Bali to escort the two men to their deaths. Speaking on behalf of his brother outside Kerobokan prison today, Chinthu Sukumaran told reporters that both Myuran and Andrew Chan are very grateful to the Indonesian people for their respect and help during their ten years in jail. 'Myu and Andrew love Indonesia, they have a great respect for the Indonesian people and its culture,' Chinthu said. Scroll down for video . The executions of Andrew Chan (L) and Myuran Sukumaran who are on death row in Indonesia for drug smuggling have been delayed . 'It was through the support of the Indonesian justice system that they were able to help set up many programs that have helped a lot of Indonesians and has also helped better themselves and they are very grateful for that', Mr Sukumaran told Perth Now. It comes after four Air Force Sukhoi fighter jets were spotted at Bali's Denpasar International Airport. It is believed the jets will be used to transfer Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran to the prison island of Nusakambangan. Michael Chan (left) and Chinthu Sukumaran (right) outside Kerobokan prison today to visit their brothers Andrew and Myuran . Chinthu Sukumaran arrives at Kerobokan Prison in Bali last week to visit his brother Myuran who is facing execution by firing squad in Indonesia with fellow Australian Andrew Chan . The presence of the fighter jets only adds fire to speculation that the men may be flown from Denpasar to Nusakambangan in helicopters, instead of taking the traditional route of sailing there. Chinthu Sukumaran told reporters the family barely speak when they visit Myuran in jail and said he does not need the added strain of seeing his beloved family members crying at the moment. 'We were all standing around barely talking,' Chinthu Sukumaran told reporters of the morning his family had gathered at the prison to say what they thought were their last goodbyes. 'We were trying to tell each other there was still hope but it just felt like we were lying to each other' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. The family had understood the move would 'definitely happen this week.' Both Michael and Chintu spoke on behalf of their brothers who are awaiting execution at the prison . Chinthu Sukumaran told reporters that both Myuran and Andrew love Indonesia and the respect they have shown them during their 10 years in prison . Chinthu Sukumaran said his brother Myuran was comforting his family on Tuesday as they collected his artworks and wept. 'He was trying to be strong,' he told the Herald. 'It was very difficult. For him to stay strong at a time like that, he really didn't need people crying around him.' When news reached the Bali Nine pair at midday that their transfer to Nusakambangan 'death' island would be delayed, Myuran Sukamaran got back to his painting and had something to eat with his loved ones. Four Air Force Sukhoi fighter jets were spotted at Bali's Denpasar International Airport.It is believed the jets will be used to transfer Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran to the prison island of Nusakambangan . 'Myuran said he could actually taste the food. That hadn't happened for a long time,' his younger brother told reporters. He also slept for the first time in a long while. Indonesian authorities had planned to move Sukumaran and fellow prisoner Andrew Chan to the island at midnight but announced a last-minute delay because of 'technical matters.' It leaves the men more time to spend with family visiting from Australia, and more time for their lawyers to prepare a legal challenge. The men have been locked-up in Kerobokan prison for almost 10 years for trying to smuggle drugs to Australia. Despite the delay, President Joko Widodo has insisted that that their killings will go ahead as planned, telling Indonesian media on Friday that it was the nation's 'legal sovereignty,' and that the postponement was 'only about technical matters'. An earlier picture of Chinthu Sukumaran (left), his mother Ranjini and sister Brintha with a photo of Myuran Sukumaran, one of the 'Bali Nine' condemned to die by firing squad for drug trafficking in Indonesia . Indonesian President Joko Widodo has claimed that 'technical issues' were to blame for the postponement . Indonesia's Attorney-General H.M. Prasetyo explained that isolation rooms and executions fields on the island were not ready for the pair,The Sydney Morning Herald reported, but said the pair's execution should take place 'the sooner the better.' The reason was later disputed by officials on Nusakambangan island, following claims that the families of Chan and Sukumaran were entitled to more time with the pair. Meetings to plan the transfer continued on Friday, but no date has been set. 'As soon as Nusa Kambangan is ready, we'll send them immediately,' Bali chief prosecutor Momock Bambang Samiarso told reporters. On Thursday, Husain Abdullah, the spokesman for Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, said the execution of the drug smugglers 'will be delayed for between three weeks to a month from now due to technical reasons.' Jusuf Kalla took a phone call on Thursday afternoon from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who reportedly thanked his government for delaying the men's transfer to the execution site on Kambangan island. The news came after senior government figures expressed concerns Mr Abbott had derailed efforts to save the Bali Nine duo from execution by making comments taken as a 'threat' by Indonesia. Andrew Chan's and Myuran Sukumaran's families speak to journalists at a press conference in Jakarta last week. Indonesian president Joko Widodo has insisted that that their killings will go ahead. Ms Bishop has been leading a carefully crafted campaign to spare the lives of Australians Sukumaran and Chan, exercising caution in pointing out problems with Indonesia's legal system while remaining respectful, Fairfax reported. But on Wednesday, Mr Abbott linked the men's fate to Australia's donation of $1 billion in aid following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami that killed more than 200,000 in Indonesia, and suggested the Asian country should 'reciprocate in this way at this time'. President Widodo told local media that Ms Bishop had clarified the remarks, speaking directly with Vice-President Jusuf Kalla. 'She has explained that it wasn't the intention. Actually we wanted to say something but since it has been explained, we cancelled it,' said Widodo. Senior government figures were concerned Prime Minister Tony Abbott (left) had derailed efforts to save the Bali Nine duo, after Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's (right) carefully crafted campaign to spare their lives . The comments had previously sparked a sharp rebuke from the Indonesian government, with the country's foreign affairs ministry spokesman, Arrmanatha Nasir, hitting back by saying 'no one responds well to threats'. Senior members of the Abbott government slammed the prime minister's comments as 'awful'. 'It undid a lot of the good work,' a source told Fairfax . Ahmad Yuspahruddin, chief of the Indonesian Justice Ministry's Central Java penitentiary division which governs the prisons on Kambangan island told Daily Mail Australia today that preparations were in place to put the two Australians to death by firing squad. 'Nothing problem, everything is okay here,' Mr Yuspahruddin said, 'Whenever the Bali nine duo will be coming we have prepared it for some days ago. We are waiting for them.' Chan and Sukumaran are enjoying a few days' reprieve from the firing squad after Indonesia delayed moving them from their Bali jail cells . 'Everything is ready for execution - we are waiting for them': The 'death island' prisons boss Ahmad Yuspahruddin (pictured), chief of the Central Java penitentiary division which governs Nusakambangan Island is prepared to execute Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran . Condemned men: Myuran Sukumaran (pictured in a Bali holding cell) The temporary reprieve gives the condemned men's lawyer, Michael O'Connell, precious time to progress their case. Mr O'Connell says it's a strong one, but lawyers will first have to clear jurisdictional hurdles to determine whether Mr Joko's decree can be characterised under administrative law or is simply a decision that's a matter for the president. Mr O'Connell said the Sydney men were coping extremely well. 'They're humbled really by the depth of support that has been coming from Australia and to some extent in Indonesia as well,' he said on Thursday. 'They are very grateful for it and they simple wait and hope.' | Chinthu Sukumaran has told of his brother Myuran's love for Indonesia .
It comes as reports have emerged that fighter jets have arrived in Bali .
They are expected to escort the men to their deaths .
Chinthu says his family were trying to tell each other there was still hope for his brother, even if it felt like a lie .
Chan and Sukumaran were slated for transfer to death island on Tuesday .
The move was delayed for 'up to a month' to give them time with family .
Indonesian President Joko Widodo claims 'technical reasons' behind delay .
He said that their deaths will go ahead as plans despite postponement .
Indonesian Attorney-General said 'the sooner the better' for executions . |
122,563 | 2a66b859fc04115955ef4b0d90f627fe4f474ff1 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:37 EST, 10 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:37 EST, 10 May 2012 . A high school baseball team forfeited the championship game because they were unwilling to play against a girl. Our Lady of Sorrows school refused to play Mesa Preparatory Academy this evening because Paige Sultzbach, 15, covers the second base. The student had already agreed to not play two previous games with the highly religious school in the Arizona league. A league of her own: Paige Sultzbach, 15, plays at second base for the Mesa Preparatory Academy's baseball team in Arizona . The girl's father John Sultzbach told Fox News: 'We hadn’t anticipated coming across that. I think it’s sad.' Miss Sultzbach's team has won every single game but supported their teammate's decisions to want to play. Our . Lady of Sorrows issued a statement saying they felt compelled to . forfeit because they do not allow mixed athletics and believe in . teaching boys and girls separately. Our Lady of Sorrows, is run by the Society of St. Pius X, a branch of the Catholic Church which broke away in 1970. Stand by me: Mesa Preparatory Academy's baseball team stood by Miss Sultzbach's decision to want to play in the championship game eventhough it meant their rivals defaulted . The Society of St. Pius X has schools across the U.S. where they teach male students to be 'deferential' to female classmates. Randy Baum, executive director of the Arizona Charter Athletic Association, said Our Lady of Sorrows had pulled out of games in the past because there were girls on the team. However before the baseball season began this year, the school asked if any teams had girl players - but Miss Sultzbach had not yet joined the squad. | Paige Sultzbach, 15, covers second base for Mesa Preparatory Academy .
Teammates supported her decision to want to play in the final .
Religious beliefs mean all-boys team at Our Lady of Sorrows cannot play . |
282,333 | f9aa8f6a708b83e558dd4f6f3ac4f25762586bb5 | Malala Yousafzai is donating $50,000 she was awarded after winning the World Children's Prize to rebuild U.N. schools in Gaza . Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban for championing girls' right to education, is donating $50,000 to help rebuild schools in Gaza. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala, 17, is using cash she was given for winning the World Children's Prize to rebuild U.N. schools destroyed by fighting between Israel and Palestine. Malala, who was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen on a school bus two years ago, praised the U.N. agency for 'performing heroic work to serve children in Gaza, in very difficult circumstances.' She added: 'The needs are overwhelming – more than half of Gaza’s population is under 18 years of age. They want and deserve quality education, hope and real opportunities to build a future. 'This funding will help rebuild the 83 schools damaged during the recent conflict. Innocent Palestinian children have suffered terribly and for too long. 'We must all work to ensure Palestinian boys and girls, and all children everywhere, receive a quality education in a safe environment. 'Because without education, there will never be peace. Let us stand together for peace and education because together we are more powerful.' Dozens of Gaza's schools were damaged or destroyed during the 50-day war, in which Israel accused Hamas of hiding weapons near the buildings to maximise civilian casualties for political ends. UNRWA commissioner-general Pierre Krähenbühl said: 'We share with you the profound belief in the importance of education as a means to lift young girls and boys out of isolation and oppression. The money will help to rebuild 83 schools damaged in this summer's fighting between Israel and Palestine, in which Hamas was accused of hiding rockets near classrooms (stock image) 'You have become a symbol of the boundless potential that lies within each and every child on earth. 'You are an aspirational figure to the next generation in Palestine and beyond. You are an inspiration to all of us. Thank you.' UNRWA was established in 1949, and its mission is to assist 5million Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip. | Malala Yousafzai, 17, was handed $50,000 as part of World Children's Prize .
Announced she was donating the cash award to rebuild 83 schools in Gaza .
Dozens of school buildings were destroyed in 50-day war this summer . |
195,625 | 89360136616dbd6c69a27f1d38f7c03d4daabd34 | (CNN) -- Former Olympic star Carl Lewis fails to meet residency requirements in New Jersey and is ineligible to run for the state Senate, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State Kim Guadagno decided Tuesday. Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medal winner, wanted to run for the state Senate seat in the 8th Legislative District. New Jersey Democrats had sought Lewis, a resident of Medford, New Jersey, to put his name on the Democratic ballot against Republican state Sen. Dawn Addiego, in the Republican-leaning Burlington county. Both New Jersey's state houses are currently controlled by Democrats. Guadagno, a Republican, ruled that Lewis, who grew up in New Jersey before going to college out of state, failed to meet a four-year residency requirement. The campaign for the June 7 Democratic primary would have been the 49-year-old track legend's first time vying for a political seat. The running star won four gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, two golds for the long jump and 100-meter 1988 in Seoul, two more at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and one gold for the long jump at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Lewis is the third athlete leaping into the political sphere in Burlington County in recent years. Former Philadelphia Eagle lineman Jon Runyan was elected to Congress last year and former NHL player Brian Propp ran an unsuccessful campaign for a 7th District Assembly seat in 2007. | A Republican official decides Lewis fails to meet residency requirements .
Lewis wanted to run as a Democrat .
49-year-old holds nine Olympic gold medals . |
141,390 | 42d3cbb0772861e0a0750f0726d7ef2d151babce | A woman accused of trying to sneak aboard countless flights and was sentenced to jail less than two weeks ago in California has again been arrested at a Phoenix airport. Police say 62-year-old Marilyn Jean Hartman was taken into custody Tuesday on suspicion of criminal trespass after officials noticed her loitering near the baggage claim at Sky Harbor International Airport. Police are requesting a mental health evaluation for Hartman, who was ordered to spend 117 days in jail on August 13 for a probation violation, after she was spotted at Los Angeles International Airport when a court had banned from the premises just days earlier. However Hartman - who is said to have a 'fixation' on airports because they make her feel safe - was released Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood on August 16 - just three days later - due to overcrowding. It is unclear how she made it from L.A. to Phoenix in the last 10 days. She will me remanded in custody pending a court hearing. Released: Marilyn Jean Hartman served just three days of a 117-day jail sentence - after violating her probation for repeatedly sneaking onto flights - due to overcrowding . Hartman, who has made previous attempts . to sneak aboard flights at other airports, was arrested August 4 after successfully taking a Southwest Airlines flight from San Jose to Los Angeles without a . ticket. Safe place: Marilyn Jean Hartman has a history of mental illness and has said that she feels safer in airports than on the streets . At Mineta San Jose International Airport, Hartman tried at least three times to get to a plane before she finally went past a security screener who was busy checking a family's documents, law enforcement officials said. She later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of willfully and unlawfully entering Los Angeles as a stowaway on an aircraft and was sentenced to two years of probation. Her boarding status was discovered once the Southwest flight landed in Los Angeles, the officials said. Hartman later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of willfully and unlawfully entering Los Angeles as a stowaway on an aircraft. A judge ordered her to stay away from LAX unless she had a valid ticket. Outside . the courthouse after sentencing, Hartman said she would never try to sneak . onto a plane again. 'It was stupid, and it is something I don't want to . repeat,' she said. However, . Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon said he had a feeling . the woman 'with a fixation on flying' would return to LAX, so police . passed out fliers with her picture. 'She was (then) seen wandering through several terminals in what appeared to be a scouting mission,' he said. Repeated attempts: Hartman was sentenced to 18 months probation for attempting to board three Hawaii-bound flights earlier in the year. She spent three days in jail . In . February, Hartman was sentenced to 18 months' probation in San Mateo . County after being arrested for attempting to board three Hawaii-bound . flights at San Francisco International Airport on three separate days. Her . breach of security at the San Jose airport caused federal officials and . the airline to launch investigations. It also prompted criticism of the . airport in light of the trespassing of a teenage boy who stowed away in . the wheel well of a Hawaiian Airlines flight and survived an arduous . journey to Maui. Hartman, who authorities say has a . history of mental illness, has now been arrested eight times for . trespassing at airports this year - though this is the first time she's . been caught after successfully boarding a flight. She . said last week that homelessness drove her to take 'desperate . measures,' and that she feels safer being in airports than in the . streets. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said that Hartman has no family and has never married. According . to a her blog, found by the San Francisco Chronicle, she has lived in . sketchy motels and squalid apartments from Seattle to San Diego in the . last few years. Records . indicate Hartman was arrested November 6, 2010, at the Lihue Airport in . Kauai after trespassing into the baggage claim area, the Chronicle . reported. She was charged with simple trespass, but failed to show up . for court hearings - and remains the subject of a bench warrant. Plane fixation: Hartman tried at least three times to breach airport security before she was able to get through a checkpoint without a boarding pass at Mineta San Jose International Airport on Monday, August 4 . According . to the newspaper, Hartman said in her blog that she had successfully . hopped a plane once before. She was found out and detained - but later . released without charge. In May - after being arrested seven times at San Francisco International Airport - Hartman was placed in a mental treatment program but she stopped attending last month. 'She declined all of our efforts to offer her assistance,' Wagstaffe said. 'And we tried all of the alternatives we had because we weren't interested in locking her up on our end.' Then she went back to the San Francisco airport, but Wagstaffe's office declined to file charges after her seventh arrest in July for another failed attempt. On Monday, Hartman was only caught after the plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport and the crew counted the passengers who remained on board for the final destination to Phoenix. She was hauled off the plane and charged with trespassing by the Los Angeles Police Department. | Marilyn Jean Hartman, 62, was sentenced to 177 days in prison for violating her probation on August 13 .
A routine stowaway, she was already on two years probation after flying without a ticket from San Jose to Los Angeles when she was caught at LAX .
Hartman was released from jail on August 16 due to overcrowding .
Now she has again been arrested at a Phoenix Airport .
Hartman has been arrested seven times at San Francisco airport alone .
She has a mental illness and has said she feels safe in airports .
Hartman has no permanent address and is said to have lived in sketchy hotels for the last few years . |
149,903 | 4dcea669add337d7b5eb9f52b4207d67e9931f34 | For the first time since 50,000 Geordies hissed their deafening disapproval and forced him to retreat to his dugout, Newcastle manager Alan Pardew returned to St James’ Park. After five minutes he made his first tentative steps into the technical area which had been the scene of his public persecution three months ago. Given the sedate setting of a pre-season friendly, however, he escaped a repeat of such vitriol. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Newcastle have greater attacking threat - Pardew . Embrace: Managers Alan Pardew and Jagoba Arrasate greet each other before the game . Delight: Moussa Sissoko celebrates scoring the only goal of the game for Newcastle on Saturday . Tussle: Massaido Haidara and former Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero fight for the ball . It had been during the 3-0 victory over Cardiff in May – Pardew’s first game back on the home touchline following his ban for butting Hull’s David Meyler — that supporters had turned on him. Has the passage of the summer and the arrival of nine signings won Pardew a reprieve? Does he feel relations have been repaired? We do not know, for the club are refusing to allow their boss to speak to the press, and therefore the fans. He did offer — via his programme notes — that he was happy with the ‘healthy’ nature of his squad. But that team barely raised a pulse during a subdued and sodden 90 minutes which left fans pining for the start of competitive action. That comes on Sunday when champions Manchester City visit St James’, and only then will we get a measure of fans’ forgiveness. For the feeling on Tyneside is that they remain ready to turn, regardless of new investment. Pardew, though, is happy with the £35million backing from owner Mike Ashley this close-season, as he wrote: ‘We came up short at times last season, but everyone has worked hard to ensure we have a team that will represent this great club in a fitting manner over the coming months, and I’m relishing the prospect of what lies ahead. Slide: Yoan Gouffran slides in for a tackle during the first half against Real Sociedad . Pain: Yoan Gouffran goes down after a heavy challenge during Newcastle's final pre-season friendly . Escape: Haidara skips away from Carlos Martinez during the match at St James' Park . Tackle: Granero puts in a tackle on Haidara, not something the creative midfielder is renowned for . Transfer: New signing Remy Cabella goes in for a challenge rather tentatively . ‘The squad we have assembled is healthy in terms of numbers, experience and quality and that is all any manager can ask for when he is looking ahead to a long and arduous marathon.’ Long and arduous was one way to describe yesterday’s friendly. For even by pre-season standards it was a tedious affair. Moussa Sissoko was the match-winner following a dreadful performance which was about as far removed as imaginable from his impressive showing at the World Cup with France. With two minutes remaining Gabriel Obertan attacked the by-line and drew back to Sissoko’s unmarked feet on the edge of the area. Given how he had performed until that point, those in the Gallowgate End would have been forgiven had they ducked for cover. But Sissoko kept his composure and produced the game’s one moment of quality, tucking into the bottom corner with authority. Next Sunday against City should feature five full debutants from their summer splurge but Pardew can afford no bedding-in period with those new faces. The pressure will be on from the off and, unable to communicate with the fans except via sanitised, official outlets, his existence could again be a lonely one should results not go his way. Skipper Fabricio Coloccini certainly feels the arrival of new faces has reinvigorated a squad which, in light of Yohan Cabaye’s £20m sale in January and no subsequent investment, had grown disillusioned with the direction of the club. VIDEO Newcastle have greater attacking threat - Pardew . Manager: Pardew will be hoping for a better season than last, which trailed off in the second half . Forward: Emmanuel Riviere signed this summer from French side Monaco . Battle: Former Manchester United midfielder Gabriel Obertan tussles with Yuri Berchiche . Celebration: Sissoko after scoring his side's 88th minute winner, Gabriel Obertan assisted the goal . Respect: Steven Taylor and referee Martin Atkinson share a joke during the game at St James Park . ‘The new arrivals have given everyone a lift,’ he said. ‘They are good guys and, most importantly, they are good players who have added even more quality to the team.’ Remy Cabella looks the pick of them and the France midfielder was again the stand-out performer against Sociedad. The 23-year-old brings guile and energy to a side sadly lacking in both departments last season and he could well be the next player to use the Magpies as a launchpad to greater things. In the meantime Pardew will be looking to Cabella — and the likes of former Ajax captain Siem de Jong and Holland defender Daryl Janmaat — to win him a few friends among the Toon Army. For while he is unhappy with the silence imposed upon him by the club’s hierarchy, should the home fans remain equally muted when he returns to his technical zone against City, Pardew will be a relieved man. | Pardew was back in the home dugout for the first time since he was booed by fans in May .
Moussa Sissoko's late goal won it for the Magpies in a drab affair .
Daryl Janmaat and Remy Cabella both impressed for the home side . |
262,166 | df907e70cfc3f36135bbe5e5a5b36116db79f96a | They say opposites attract and that's certainly the case for 3ft 11in Kat Hoffman, whose husband-to-be is almost double her height. The 26-year-old from Bellefontaine, Ohio, who earns more than $1,000 a week as a stripper, met 6ft Eich Buscher last year through a friend and they hit it off instantly. 'Our personalities clicked . . . I always go for tall men, I love the size difference,' Kat mused. Busher, 35, says their difference in appearance 'does pose some problems' but nothing too big that they can't handle. 'Obviously she walks slower,' he joked. Scroll down for video . The look of love: They say opposites attract and that's certainly the case for 3ft 11in Kat Hoffman whose husband-to-be is almost double her height . Set to wed: The 26-year-old from Bellefontaine, Ohio, who earns more than $1,000 a week as a stripper, met 6ft Eich Buscher last year through a friend and they hit it off instantly . The wrestling enthusiast who is a soldier in the U.S. army has a full body tattoo from his neck to his ankles so is used to getting 'strange looks' in public. He continued: 'This whole world is filled with different kinds of types of people and you have to realise that some people will not accept you for who you are. 'You just ignore those people.' Busher's fiancee was born with diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism which means her arms, legs and torso are shorter than average and weighs just 61lbs. Growing up she faced abuse for her size but now she's having the last laugh after forging a lucrative career as an exotic dancer and finding the love of her life. Growing pains: Kat was born with diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism which means her arms, legs and torso are shorter than average and weighs just 61lbs . Body confident: Growing up Kat faced abuse for her size but now she's the last one laughing after forging a lucrative career as an exotic dancer and finding the love of her life . Having a ball: Kat strikes a pose for the camera as she is held up by friends . Transformation: The unlikely pin-up girl said she felt like an outcast at school and she was 'angry at the world' The unlikely pin-up girl said: 'At school I felt like an outcast, people bullied me because of my size and I was angry at the world. 'Since getting famous as a dancer I've learned to be myself. Now all the people who ignored me at school want to be my friend on Facebook. 'I call myself a smile producer - not an exotic entertainer. I just want to put smiles on people's face.' Growing up in the city suburbs with parents Sherry, 52, and Wayne, 53, Kat found life difficult and at 16 she was taken out of school to be homeschooled. She said: 'High school was a difficult time, other kids were rude and brutally bitchy. I dreaded school every day - no one wanted to speak with me.' At age 18 Kat visited a strip club with a friend who worked there and decided to get up and dance. She said: 'Despite the bullying I was always proud of my body and by the end of the night I was on stage in the nude - it was such a buzz. 'A lot of us disabled people don't feel sexy because of our handicaps - but I don't think it's necessary. All smiles: Kat at six months old (left) and aged seven (right) - she was later home schooled because the bullying got too much . Teenage days: Kat pictured with friends - she said during her younger years she often felt like an 'outcast' Having the last laugh: 'Since getting famous as a dancer I've learned to be myself. Now all the people who ignored me at school want to be my friend on Facebook,' Kat says . Career choice: At age 18 Kat visited a strip club with a friend who worked there and decided to dance . 'Everybody is sexy in their own way and personality is all that matters. You have to have a heart, that's really all it takes to be sexy in my book. 'During my first week of dancing I made $1,000 in one week, so I decided to make a living out of it.' Since then Kat has appeared in clubs all over the U.S. as 'Kat the Midget Stripper' and also dances at birthdays and bachelor parties. While her profession is controversial for some - her family are generally supportive of what she does. Her mother even hand-makes her stripper outfits, which don't come in her size. However, Kat's sister, Renee, is less enthusiastic. Renee said: 'I've been to her shows before and they don't go there to see her, they go there to laugh at her. Support: While her profession is controversial for some - her family are generally supportive of what she does . Happy couple: There is no word on when Kat and Eich will marry . 'This job has taught me to appreciate my body and who I am - I'm so glad I found it,' Kat says of stripping . 'It hurts a lot watching that because that's my baby sister. I wish she would stop but I don't think she will.' But Kat has no plans to leave the stripping business just yet. She says her fiance doesn't mind what she does for a living and could never get her to stop anyway. The brunette concluded: 'I give myself five more years if not longer. 'It just depends on how much the world wants to work my joints on the stage in the next few years. We'll see how long I last. 'This job has taught me to appreciate my body and who I am - I'm so glad I found it.' Whirlwind romance: Kat's fiance Eich is a soldier in the U.S. army and enjoys wrestling in his spare time . Perfect match: Eich has a full body tattoo from his neck to his ankles so is used to getting 'strange looks' He continued: 'This whole world is filled with different kinds of types of people and you have to realise that some people will not accept you for who you are' Strike a pose: Kat and Eich Buscher seen at the living room of their home on November 25, 2014 in Ohio . | 3ft 11in Kat Hoffman and 6ft Eich Buscher met last year through a friend .
The couple hit it off instantly and recently got engaged .
'Our personalities clicked. I always go for tall men,' Kat said .
While Eich is a U.S. army sergeant, Kat works as a stripper under the name 'Kat the Midget' |
234,141 | bb1e0fbd920423c220551ecfe996cb1b11fb61f8 | Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- Twenty Greenpeace activists entered a nuclear reactor compound in eastern Spain early Tuesday and several of them climbed a refrigeration tower to protest the use of nuclear power, a Spanish official and Greenpeace spokeswomen said. The security breach occurred at the Cofrentes nuclear power plant at the town of Cofrentes in eastern Valencia province, where the activists painted the word "peligro," which means "danger," high up on the tower. A spokeswoman for the Spanish government's main office in the Valencia region said the "vital" parts of the nuclear plant were not affected, were tightly secured and were operating normally. A plant security guard was "slightly injured" by the activists as they entered. The guard was treated at the plant medical facility, the government spokeswoman said. Greenpeace activists maintained a running blog on the environmental organization's website about the events, writing that the Greenpeace team entered the plant around 7 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) and that six of them scaled the 125 meter, or 400 foot, tall refrigeration tower. The government spokeswoman, who by custom is not identified, said there might have been as many as 14 Greenpeace activists up on the tower. Others on the ground were quickly identified by security personnel and sent to a local courthouse. Cofrentes, one of eight nuclear reactors in Spain, started operations in 1984. But its current 10-year operating license expires next March 20, Spain's nuclear regulatory body, the Nuclear Security Council, said on its website. Greenpeace has long been known for its stance against the use of nuclear power. Government officials did not immediately comment on how the activists managed to breach security at the Cofrentes plant. Due to previous Islamic terrorist attacks in Madrid and elsewhere in Europe, the Spanish government has repeatedly said it has a fine tuned security plan for its nuclear plants and other installations, such as dams, that are considered a priority to the nation's security. Spain in 2007 generated only about 20 percent of its electricity from nuclear power; the rest coming from coal, renewable wind, solar and other sources. | Greenpeace activists breach security at nuclear plant .
Spanish official says "vital" parts of the plant were not affected .
Plant's license expires soon; Greenpeace opposes nuclear power . |
153,819 | 52caaa731fdb107d3af58ef21c5b6f8fa2567ca6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:57 EST, 27 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 00:15 EST, 28 September 2012 . The man who sparked protests across the Muslim world with a video mocking the prophet Muhammad was yesterday arrested and jailed for violating his probation. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, has been on probation for a 2010 federal cheque fraud conviction that brought a 21-month prison sentence. Under the terms of his probation, he was not to use computers or the internet for five years without approval from his probation officer. A judge ordered that he be held in jail, as there is a high risk that he could attempt to flee if released on bail. Arrested: Filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, pictured on the set of Innocence of Muslims, is accused of violating the terms of his probation . Jailed: Nakoula was ordered to be detained without bail due to the risk he could abscond . Defence: His lawyer said he risked violent reprisals from Muslim inmates if sent to prison . Nakoula was taken into custody on Thursday, according to a U.S. Attorney's spokesman. At a U.S. District Court hearing in Los Angeles, judge Suzanne Segal denied him bail, saying he had 'every incentive to disappear' and adding: 'The court has a lack of trust in this defendant at this time.' Nakoula had eight probation violations, including lying to his probation officers and using aliases, and he might face new charges that carry a maximum two-year prison term. He will remain behind bars until another hearing where a judge will rule if he broke the terms of his probation. The defendant's attorney Steven Seiden sought to have the hearing closed and his client released on $10,000 bail, adding he was concerned his client would be in danger in federal prison because of Muslim inmates. Subterfuge: Nakoula was accompanied by U.S. marshals and a police convoy after his hearing on Thursday . Custody: Nakoula was taken for questioning on September 15, after his film provoked riots in the Muslim world . In hiding: The filmmaker was driven away by police from his home in Cerritos, California . Protests have erupted around the . Middle East over a 14-minute trailer for the film Innocence of Muslims . that depicts Muhammad as a womanizer, religious fraud and child . molester. The trailer was . posted to YouTube in July, but the violence did not break out until . September 11 and has spread since, resulting in the death of Chris . Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, alongside three other Americans. Nakoula, a Christian originally from Egypt, went into hiding after he was identified as the man behind the trailer. The full story about Nakoula and the film is still very unclear. The movie was made last year by a man who called himself Sam Bacile. After the violence erupted, a man who identified himself as Bacile called media outlets taking credit for the film and said it was meant to portray the truth about Muhammad and Islam, which he called a cancer. The next day, it emerged that 'Bacile' was in fact Nakoula, a former gas station owner with a drug conviction and a history of using aliases. Federal authorities later confirmed there was no Bacile and that Nakoula was behind the movie. Flames: The reaction to the video led to the sacking of the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, pictured . Suing: Cindy Lee Garcia says she was misled over the role she would be playing in the controversial video . Before going into hiding, Nakoula acknowledged that he was involved with the film, but said he only worked on logistics and management. A film permit listed Media for Christ, a Los Angeles-area charity run by other Egyptian Christians, as the production company. Most of the film was made at the charity's headquarters. Steve Klein, an insurance agent in Hemet and outspoken critic of Islam, has said he was a consultant and promoter for the film. The trailer still can be found on YouTube. The Obama administration asked Google, YouTube's parent, to take down the video but the company has refused, saying it did not violate its content standards. Meantime, a number of actors and workers on the film have come forward to say they were duped. They say they were hired for a film titled 'Desert Warrior' and there was no mention of Islam or Muhammad in the script. Those references were apparently dubbed in after filming was completed. Actress Cindy Lee Garcia has sued to get the trailer taken down. | Nakoula Basseley Nakoula was sentenced on fraud charges in 2010 .
Banned from using the internet without permission for five years .
But apparently uploaded controversial anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims to YouTube, leading to bloody riots throughout Middle East .
Judge refused to let him out on bail due to 'lack of trust' |
188,769 | 807b786669d7e0463d90cef1861cca194dbc336e | By . Helen Pow . and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 19:05 EST, 30 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:55 EST, 31 October 2013 . Michelle Obama was crying with laughter, punching the air and flexing her muscles today as she and Sesame Street characters Elmo and Rosita announced a cunning plan to get children 'begging' for fruits and vegetables in the grocery store. At a press conference at the White House, the First Lady revealed the nonprofit behind the beloved children's educational TV program will let the fresh produce industry use Elmo, Big Bird and Sesame Street's other furry characters free of charge to market fruits and veggies to kids. 'Just imagine what will happen when we take our kids to the grocery store, and they see Elmo and Rosita and the other Sesame Street Muppets they love up and down the produce aisle,' Mrs Obama said. 'Imagine what it will be like to have our kids begging us to buy them fruits and vegetables instead of cookies, candy and chips. It can be done!' Scroll down for video . Elmo love: Michelle Obama embraces Elmo, left, and Rosita, right, as they announce free licensing of Sesame Street characters to promote fresh fruit and vegetables . Yes! First lady Michelle Obama, center, with PBS Sesame Street's characters Elmo, left, and Rosita, right, in an event to help promote fresh fruit and vegetable consumption to kids in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, October 30, 2013 . Under the arrangement, Sesame Workshop is waiving the licensing fee for its Muppet characters for two years. The goal is to get children who often turn up their noses at the sight of produce to eat more of it. As soon as next spring, shoppers and children accompanying them can expect to see their favorite Sesame Street characters on stand-alone signs and on stickers and labels on all types of produce regardless of whether it comes in a bag, a carton or just its skin. An 'unprecedented step,' Mrs Obama said of the agreement. 'And they're doing this free of charge. Yes!' she said as she pumped her fists in the air before an audience seated in the State Dining Room of the White House. The first lady cited a study published last fall in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in which Cornell University researchers gave more than 200 boys and girls ages 8 to 11 the choice of eating an apple, a cookie or both. Most kids went for the cookie. Asked to choose again after researchers put Elmo stickers on the apples, nearly double the number of kids chose the fruit, she said. Strong: First lady Michelle Obama, center, flexes her arms for PBS Sesame Street's characters Elmo, left, and Rosita, right, during the press conference . Unprecedented: Sesame Workshop and the Produce Marketing Association joined in Partnership for a Healthier America in announcing a two-year agreement to use the Sesame Street characters to help deliver the messages about fresh fruits and vegetables . Rainbow: The first lady and her furry friends talk about their favorite fruits and vegetables . The agreement between Sesame Workshop and the Produce Marketing Association is the latest step by the private sector to support 'Let's Move,' the first lady's nearly 4-year-old campaign to reduce childhood obesity rates in the U.S. It also is the first announcement since a summit on food marketing to children that Mrs Obama convened at the White House last month, where she urged a broad range of companies to do more, faster, to promote foods with less salt, fat and sugar to youngsters. Sesame Street characters Elmo and Rosita, who also speaks Spanish, joined her for the announcement. Afterward, Mrs Obama joined the Muppets at her garden on the South Lawn for the annual fall harvest. White House staff helped students from elementary schools in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia with the harvest. The group, including the first lady, also prepared — and ate — turkey veggie wraps made using some of the freshly picked cucumbers and tomatoes. Kids: Michelle Obama invited local school children to take part in the fall harvest in the White House Kitchen Garden . Green thumb: U.S. first lady Michelle Obama harvests pumpkins in the White House Kitchen Garden in Washington October 30, 2013 . Pumpkins: The first lady harvests pumpkins in the White House Kitchen Garden . Sam Kass, the 'Let's Move' executive director, said it was a big step for Sesame Workshop to waive its licensing fee, which is a major source of income for the nonprofit. 'For them to step in and do this is a really big thing,' said Kass, who also is an assistant White House chef. Sherrie Westin, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Sesame Workshop, said waiving the fee is not normal practice and that it's too early to say how much revenue would be lost. But she said the deal gives the company another way to use the characters to pitch to children and families the healthier-eating messages that are part of its TV show. 'It would be a shame not to use them to that end,' she said of the Muppets. Larry Soler, president and chief executive of the Partnership for a Healthier America, said kids younger than 5 don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, and that it gets worse as children grow up. He said the agreement hopefully will 'drive excitement' and interest in eating fruits and vegetables that might not otherwise exist. The partnership is a nonprofit organization that supports the first lady's campaign. Full barrow: First lady Michelle Obama, carries a pumpkin harvested from the White House garden, located South Lawn of the White House . Broccoli: Mrs Obama harvests broccoli in the White House Kitchen Garden with some young friends . Giant carrot: Local children harvest carrots with Mrs Obama on Wednesday . | The First Lady announced Wednesday that the produce industry can use Elmo, Big Bird and Sesame Street's other furry characters free of charge to market fruits and veggies to kids .
The goal is to get children who often turn up their noses at the sight of produce to eat more of it .
Under the arrangement, Sesame Workshop is waiving the licensing fee for its Muppet characters for two years .
Afterward, Mrs Obama joined the Muppets and local school children at her garden on the South Lawn of the White House for the annual fall harvest . |
119,505 | 265cda50e2a8c05f771fdb4c88dfcb2dbc275b2e | (CNN) -- Germans may be full of indignation at the alleged tapping of Angela Merkel's phone by the U.S National Security Agency -- but the outrage is more than the disappointment of being betrayed by a friend, for the shadows of Germany's past are never far away. Not 25 years ago, Chancellor Merkel was a young scientist behind the Iron Curtain. She grew up a pastor's daughter which, under one party Communist rule in East Germany, put her on the fringes of society. People who moved in religious circles were considered problematic because they often did not conform to the party line. And those who didn't follow party rules came under scrutiny, had their choices of a career and a life limited, and sooner or later became a case for the Stasi, the secret police of East Germany. It was the Stasi, the "shield and sword" of the Communist party, that was charged with ensuring the power of the party. And it did that mostly by monitoring of people and their behavior. Because even in a regime as repressive as East Germany, people wanted to express who they really were. Many found the courage to follow their hearts and thus became a danger to the existing power structure. That is why the Stasi became an all-encompassing entity in East Germany. It had to have its eyes and ears everywhere possible to make sure "enemies" of the party were uncovered early and disrupted in their activity. OPINION: Merkel's anger is genuine . In the fall of 1989, shortly before the Berlin Wall fell, the Stasi had 91,000 staffers and some 173,000 unofficial collaborators, according to their own files. Many more contributed through official functions to the information gathering of the secret police on co-workers, fellow students, neighbors, visitors, even friends and sometimes family. Any and all technical means, including phone tapping, were used by the Stasi to gather information. Many thousands of people landed in jail for their desire to travel freely, to express their opinions openly and to vote for candidates they wanted -- to exercise their human rights, in essence. When finally people gathered the courage to stand up against the repression of the Communist party, one of the accomplishments of the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 was the opening of the Stasi archive. People demanded the accessibility of these files to reclaim their stolen lives, to make public and transparent the secret system that had kept them under control for so long. Over the past 20 years Germany through the Stasi archives has examined the exact mechanisms of control through the secret police to better understand their vast network of information gathering and its consequences on the lives of many people. This has been a constant part of public debate in Germany. In its course the Stasi became synonymous for blanket surveillance and for uncontrolled access of a state into its own citizens' lives. So when the Chancellor's phone is bugged, Germans don't have the bliss of ignorance as Americans might have. Germans can't convince themselves that surveillance might serve a higher purpose, or that it's acceptable because it's happening to everyone else in the world. Unlike the Americans we have experienced the dangers of a nation that condones unchecked state power. We've seen the results when a state does not respect laws and its citizens' right to privacy and human rights. OPINION: Why White House 'ignorance' doesn't cut it . Granted, it is not as simple as "the NSA = the Stasi." We have thoroughly studied the mechanisms of dictatorship so we can sharpen our senses for democracy. What is different today? Phone tapping as a source of information gathering is an intelligence tool regardless of the regime using it. Discussing it in public and demanding stricter rules for its implementation is something that was not possible for four decades in East Germany. It is something we do today, knowing full well the dangers to democracy if we don't. The vast ocean of digital information that each and every one of us contributes to as a consequence of modern life has created a new reality. It has created never before imagined opportunities for businesses, for personal connectivity, for politics, and for intelligence gathering. And it also makes one wonder what the Stasi would have done with a vast information hub like Facebook that would have let it pry into many, many lives and gather personal information beyond its wildest dreams. But it is precisely because of the Stasi's hunger for information and its abuse of East Germany's citizens that we are today so sensitive about modern day surveillance. It is not just about a wiretapped phone -- it is a reminder of the fragility of free societies. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dagmar Hovestädt. | Hovestädt: Germans see surveillance differently than U.S. due to Stasi .
Stasi were East Germany's secret police during Cold War era of Communist one party rule .
Hovestädt: Germans have seen danger of condoning unchecked state power . |
58,919 | a72417357dbcbda609cc82cb12388a3145eaaa49 | By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 13:19 EST, 17 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:08 EST, 20 May 2013 . Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla died in prison aged 87 . Former Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla died in his sleep while serving life in prison for crimes against humanity aged 87. Videla took power over Argentina in a 1976 coup and led a military junta that killed thousands of his fellow citizens in a dirty war to eliminate people considered to be subversives. Federal Prison Service Director Victor Hortel said Videla died in the Marcos Paz prison. He was found lifeless in his bed and declared dead at 8:25 a.m.. Videla ran one of the bloodiest military governments during South America's era of dictatorships, and later sought to take full responsibility for kidnappings, tortures, deaths and disappearances when he was tried again and again for these crimes in recent years. He said he knew about everything that happened under his rule because 'I was on top of everyone.' Videla had a low profile before the March 24, 1976, coup, but quickly became the architect of a repressive system that killed about 9,000 people according to official accounts. Human rights activists believe the real number was as high as 30,000. In 2003, during the presidency of . Nestor Kirchner, the Supreme Court nullified the amnesty laws, and a new . era of human rights investigations began, finally reaching the trial . stage in the last few years. In 2010, Videla was condemned to life in . prison for killing 31 political dissidents, and was ordered to serve the . time in common prison. The baby thefts conviction, with its . 50-year sentence, was handed down in 2012. All of the crimes involved in . both convictions were considered crimes against humanity under . Argentine law. Videla ultimately served only five . years in prison after his right to serve his time at home because of his . advanced age was revoked in 2008. Videla died while standing trial in a . case focused on kidnappings and killings related to Operation Condor. This 'dirty war' introduced two frightening terms to the global lexicon of terror: 'disappeareds' - people kidnapped and never seen nor heard from again - and 'death flights,' in which political prisoners were thrown, drugged but alive, from navy planes into the sea. Argentine dictator Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla with Former Paraguayan dictator Gen. Alfredo Stroessner in 1977 . Complaints from families looking for missing loved ones were later heard internationally, and suggested that the regime many Argentines initially welcomed as an antidote to political violence and economic chaos was much bloodier than first thought. 'The disappeareds aren't there, they don't exist,' Videla told a news conference defensively in 1977. Videla's dictatorship also stood out from others in Latin America for its policy of holding pregnant prisoners until they gave birth, and then killing the women while arranging for illegal adoptions of their babies, usually by military or police families. This happened hundreds of times, and the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo rights group has relentlessly sought to reunite these children, now in their 30s, with their biological families. Last year, Videla was convicted and sentenced again, to a 50-year-term, for the thefts of these babies. Adolfo Perez Esquivel, who spent 28 months in prison during the dictatorship and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work documenting Videla's crimes, said the general's death should not be cause for celebration, and urged Argentina's justice system to keep investigating the dirty war era. Videla was among 46 officials of the former regime being sought for extradition by Spanish judge Baltazar Garzon to face trial for crimes against humanity . 'The death of Videla should not bring joy to anyone. We need to keep working for a better society, more just, more humane, so that all this horror doesn't ever happen, never again,' Esquivel said in an interview with Radio Once Diez. Neither does Videla's death end an era, Esquivel said: 'It goes beyond Videla, it's a political system that they implemented throughout the country and in Latin America.' Videla's regime, known as the 'Process of National Reorganization,' fought against armed leftist guerrillas, but these movements were already weakened and nearly destroyed at the time of the coup. The junta soon pursued political opponents, union members, student activists and social workers, rousting people from their homes and torturing them in clandestine detention centers. The process soon spread internationally as the junta joined Operation Condor, an effort launched by Chile's dictator, Gen. Augusto Pinochet to make sure the countries of South American's southern cone provided no refuge to each other's leftist enemies. 'Paraguay's dictator Alfredo Stroessner joined the pact, as did the leaders of Bolivia, Brasil, and Uruguay. Secret documents released decades later showed that U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was kept well informed. Videla told journalists Maria Seone and Vicente Muleiro, authors of his 2001 biography 'The Dictator,' that the three essential elements of his state-sponsored terror campaign were clandestine detention centers, torture to obtain information and the subsequent disappearance of the prisoners, so that they "don't have identity," and are "neither alive nor dead." Videla's junta closed Congress, banned political parties, intervened in unions and universities, and imposed an iron censorship over the media. The military leaders engineered a joint venture with the owners of the newspapers La Nacion and Clarin to control newsprint and thus ensure sympathetic coverage. The high point of Videla's regime came in 1978, when Argentina hosted soccer's World Cup. Just blocks from the River Plate stadium where Diego Maradona's goals made Argentina the champion, detainees were being tortured inside the Navy Mechanics School, a leafy campus where thousands were taken, never to be seen again. Argentinian former dictator Jorge Rafael Videla (L) and Reynaldo Bignone (2L), last President of the dictatorship, attending a judgment against them in Buenos Aires . Videla retired in 1981 and handed leadership to a succession of other generals. By then the government was already weakened, pressured by persistent inflation, a sluggish economy and explosive growth in foreign debts after nationalizing the debts of leading private corporations. The dictators then launched an ill-advised war against Britain for the Falkland Islands, which Argentina claims as the Malvinas and considers part of its territory. That military defeat hastened the return of democracy on Dec. 12, 1983. With constitutional rule restored, then-President Raul Alfonsin created a truth commission to investigate the dictatorship's crimes, and its report, titled "Never Again," served as the basis for a historic trial of the dictators, which ended with Videla's first life sentence in 1985. Alfonsin's government also passed amnesty laws designed to put an end to human rights trials for everyone other than the junta leaders, and his successor, President Carlos Menem, then pardoned Videla in 1990. Videla was free until 1998, when a judge charged him in the baby thefts. He spent a month in prison before asserting the right that Argentines over 70 have to house arrest pending trial. Videla came from a long line of military officers dating back to Argentina's war of independence from Spain. He was born on August 2, 1925, in Mercedes, a town in Buenos Aires province. His father, Lt. Col. Rafael Videla, participated in an earlier coup that toppled President Hipolito Yrigoyen in 1930. Following family tradition, he went to Argentina's military college, became a general in 1971 and was designated commander of the army in 1976. He married Alicia Raquel Hartridge in 1948 and had seven children. | Videla took power over Argentina in a 1976 coup and led a military junta .
The 'dirty war' was meant to eliminate people considered to be subversives .
Was found lifeless in his bed and declared dead at 8:25 a.m .
Said he knew everything that happened under his rule because 'I was on top of everyone.' |
209,868 | 9bcbdd1fe9626f0df9c160eb29123bf80cd36fe9 | (CNN) -- Today, August 19, the world's top bartenders will compete at the International Bartender's Association's World Cocktail Championship in Prague, shaking, stirring, pouring and flaring in their attempts to make 2013's best cocktail. To mark the occasion, we've found 12 weird and wonderful cocktails worth seeking out around the world. Doug Laming's Margarita . There are apparently only two Cointreau Caviar Spherification Kits in Australia, and the Rabbit Hole Bar has one of them. This magical piece of kit allows barmen to create pearls of booze that burst in the mouth. "I love the different reactions you receive from first-time patrons when you bring it to the table," says Matthew Smith, assistant manager at the Rabbit Hole Bar. Barmen use sodium alginate, calcium lactate and the spherification kit to create balls of Cointreau. Other cocktails served include a "Jellied G & T" -- a jelly cube of Hendricks' gin. Rabbit Hole Bar, 82 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000; +61 02 8084 2505; Doug Laming's Margarita: $11 . Coquetier . Served in an eggshell, the ingredients for this drink include rum, chocolate and cinnamon. Antoine Amédée Peychaud was an apothecary known for the brandy toddies he served out of egg cups at New Orleans Masonic gatherings in the 18th century. Two hundred years later, the team at Pret a Diner have recreated this historic cocktail. The key ingredients are rum, chocolate, cinnamon and of course the chicken egg in which the cocktail is served. Fans of the drink include supermodel Bar Refaeli. Pret a Diner, Zinnowizerstr.7, Mitte district, Berlin, Germany; Coquetier: $9.30 . Camel milk cocktail . A non-alcoholic cocktail originally created for Muslims fasting during Ramadan. Compared to cows' milk, camel milk is three times as rich in Vitamin C and is full of iron, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins. The camel milk drinks will be available after Ramadan at Mijana, the Ritz-Carlton's Arabic restaurant. "Camel milk mixologist" Mohammad Daoud originally created his range of camel milk cocktails for Muslims celebrating Ramadan. Due to the high level of protein and other nutrients, it's the ideal drink to consume during Suhoor, the meal taken prior to sunrise during Ramadan, and comes in several flavors including strawberry, cherry and nut. The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Khor Al Maqta, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; +971 2 818 8888; Camel milk cocktail: $6.20 . Sourtoe cocktail . The Sour Toe cocktail served by the Sourtoe Cocktail club can be any drink -- what turns it into the Sour Toe cocktail is the addition of a real, preserved amputated toe, which is dropped into the glass. Although nobody seems sure of the origins of the drink, it first appeared in 1973 when drinkers who consumed a glass of Champagne or beer that contained the toe could then declare themselves true "sourtoers." Today, the toe can be placed in any drink but one rule still applies: "You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow -- but the lips have gotta touch the toe." Some 60,000 people have reportedly tried the Sourtoe cocktail to date. Sourtoe Cocktail Club, Downtown Hotel, Dawson City, Yukon; Sourtoe Cocktail: $5.80 . The Rum Blazer . Jerry "The Professor" Thomas was an American bartender who's considered the father of American mixology. Thomas perfected the technique of lighting whisky and throwing the flaming liquid between two silver tankards. The late bartender inspired Shaka Zulu's Rum Blazer: a fiery concoction prepared at the customer's table and only served at a temperature below 50°F/10°C. It contains spiced rum, Grand Marnier Liqueur and cinnamon dust and was inspired by the famous Blue Blazer cocktail. Shaka Zulu, London, UK; +44 0203 376 9911; The Rum Blazer: $17 . Gunpowder Plot . This Guy Fawkes-inspired cocktail is the creation of Sydney bartender Grant Collins, whose favorite ingredients include dry ice, liquid nitrogen and jelly. Previous creations have included the Bacon and Maple Syrup Manhattan and the La Premiere, which blends Appleton Rum with popcorn. "For the Gunpowder Plot, we infuse gin with gunpowder flavors and shake it with fernet branca (a traditional herbal digestive) and egg white," explains Colin Tam, head bartender. "This method leaves the cocktail with a thick layer of froth on the top. When the cloche is closed and smoke is added the froth is infused with a smoky, wooden flavor which changes the drink completely." It contains gunpowder-infused gin, spiced gunpowder syrup and bitters and comes served in a smoking cloche amidst a pile of twigs and oak-scented fog. Zeta Bar, Level 4, 488 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000; +61 02 9265 8374; Gunpowder Plot: $20 . The Crapper . Drinking a cocktail out of a toilet bowl might not seem like the classiest way to start the night, but they go down a treat at Rock and Rita's in Las Vegas. The calorie-filled Crapper is a chocolate-based Piña Colada garnished with a Snickers bar. You get to keep the glass once done. Rock and Rita's, Circus Circus Hotel & Casino, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, USA; +1 702 691 5991; The Crapper: $25 . Diamonds are Forever . Only the finest ingredients go into this luxurious $1,347 cocktail: L'Heraud Grand Champagne Cognac, Luxor 24k Gold Flake Champagne and The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas bitters. Served in a Swarovski Crystalline Cocktail Glass, which contains diamonds in the stem and which you get to keep, it was inspired by the Junsui Lounge in the Burj Al Arab, which features 29,000 Swarovski crystals. Skyview Bar, 27th Floor, Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; +971 4 301 7600; Diamonds are Forever: $1,347 . Dukes HRH Baby Cocktail . Inspired by the recent royal birth, the creators of this cocktail made passion fruit puree one of the key ingredients. It also, thankfully, contains Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut NV, Cointreau and passion fruit -- the perfect drink for summer. Dukes, St. James's Place, London, UK; +44 0207 491 4840; Dukes HRH Baby Cocktail: $25 . Wakey, Wakey, Mary, Eggs and Bacey . This unusual cocktail was designed to help drinkers recover after a heavy night and comprises a basic Bloody Mary with the addition of hot sauce, Irish stout, a garnish of pickled vegetables, quail eggs, bacon and a grilled cheese sandwich. "The quail eggs and grilled cheese combined with the vegetables turns this drink into a little meal specifically designed to take the edge off of a rough morning," explains Chapel Tavern owner Duncan Mitchell. It forms part of the bar's "hair of the dog" cocktail menu. Chapel Tavern, 1099 S Virginia St Reno, Nevada 89502, United States; +1 775 324 2244; Wakey, Wakey, Mary, Eggs and Bacey: $10 . The Bullshooter . Aromatic foams, jelly and candyfloss all appear on OnlyOne's cocktail menu, but the most popular offering is the Bullshooter -- a glass containing three test tubes filled with aromatic pearls of Blue Curacao, ABSOLUT Vodka and Red Bull. OnlyOne is Dresden's first molecular cocktail bar and its menu also includes edible cocktails such as Caipirinha with candy floss. OnlyOne, Alaunstraße 83 01099 Dresden, Germany; The Bullshooter: $8.78 . Earl Grey caviar martini . Air and caviar are used to give extra flavor and texture to this drink, one of several unusual concoctions served at Hong Kong's Quinary cocktail bar. Other Quinary cocktails include a Bloody Mary made with wasabi-redistilled vodka. This spectacular cocktail contains caviar molecules and an Earl Grey-flavored martini, topped with a dollop of Earl Grey-infused air. "The Earl Grey Caviar Martini is also a refreshing combination of freshly muddled cucumber, lime and lemon juice, with elderflower and apple juice," says Quinary mixologist Antonio. "These ingredients go especially well with the citron vodka." Quinary, Ground Floor, 56-58 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2851 3223; Earl Grey caviar martini: $15.60 . | Coquetier cocktail includes rum, chocolate and cinnamon and comes served in an eggshell .
Wakey, Wakey, Mary, Eggs and Bacey includes a full morning-after meal .
The Crapper is a chocolate-based Piña Colada garnished with a Snickers bar, served in a miniature toilet bowl . |
241,190 | c43ca0cb634296b2a4233062d4d10eac0adc6da5 | (CNN) -- Authorities have busted a luxury-vehicle theft ring that took orders from clients in Africa and then stole the cars from New York. "This criminal enterprise used the streets of New York City as one giant showroom for stealing cars," New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said. The operation specialized in the theft of Toyota and Lexus SUVs and other automobiles -- Toyota Venzas, Highlanders, Sequoias and Lexus RX 350s, GX 460s and GX 470s -- as well as other high-end makes, including Acuras, his office said. A local broker in Africa would relay the order to the theft crew boss, specifying what was to be stolen by model, year, color and accessory package. "Members of the steal crew would then 'fill the order' by locating the specified car" and stealing it, court documents said. The stolen vehicles were worth more than $1 million. Law enforcement arrested 14 people Wednesday in raids spanning several states, culminating a yearlong investigation. They were charged with felonies under a 58-count indictment. The sophisticated operation used "forged document specialists," a locksmith and a portable computer to sync a key to the vehicle's unique code, allowing the vehicle to be stolen without damage, authorities said. The cars and SUVs were then loaded into shipping containers and transported to Africa with forged titles and vehicle identification numbers. Some of them went for up to $40,000 in cash, the attorney general's office said. Those that didn't go to Africa ended up on the black market in Chicago. | Some vehicles went for up to $40,000 in cash, New York attorney general says .
The stolen vehicles were worth more than $1 million, officials said .
Fourteen people are arrested in raids in several states .
The operation specialized in the theft of Toyota and Lexus SUVs and other automobiles . |
268,605 | e7ea9debd66e7c8c18a50f18341f8c5e97b05ae8 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 09:39 EST, 1 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:41 EST, 2 January 2013 . Five female teachers in Pakistan have been slaughtered by Islamic militants bent on keeping women and girls away from education. They were murdered in a New Year's Day ambush on the van carrying them home from their jobs at a community centre and primary school in the north-west of the country. The teachers and two health workers - one man and one woman - were killed this afternoon in the conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Scroll down for video . Survivor: Doctors treat the injured driver who survived a shooting by Islamic fundamentalists who murdered five female teachers . It was in this region that a Taliban gunman shot 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai in the head last . October for criticizing the militants and promoting girls' education. She is currently recovering in Britain. The attack was a reminder of the risks faced by educators and aid workers, especially women, in an area where Islamic militants often target women and girls trying to get an education. Many militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province oppose female education and have blown up schools and killed female educators as a way to discourage girls from getting an education. Lucky: The driver is dragged from the scene covered in blood but seven were slaughtered in the van he was driving . Attack: Today's tragedy came in the same region of Pakistan where Malala Yousufzai, who is recovering in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, was shot just because she went to school . The workers were on their way home from a community centre in the town of Swabi where they were working at a primary school and adjoining medical center. Gunmen on motorcycles opened fire with automatic weapons, said Javed Akhtar, executive director of the non-governmental organization Support With Working Solutions. The NGO conducts programs in the education and health sectors and runs a primary school and a medical clinic at the community center in Swabi, he said. Swabi police chief Abdur Rasheed said most of the women killed were between the ages of 20 and 22. He said the four gunmen who used two motorcycles fled the scene and have not been apprehended. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident. | Two health workers also murdered in the ambush on a van taking them home from work today .
It came in same region of Pakistan where Malala Yousufzai, 15, was shot in the head just for going to school . |
271,475 | eba1b58ec4f3b492a6a4ec887cae469bcb5804cf | By . Emma Innes . A super-fit cage fighter has been given just months to live after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Wil Handford, 22, from Burnley, Lancashire, was ‘in the best shape of his life’ - at 6ft 5in and 14st - when he was taken ill. Within weeks he had lost 2st and was struggling even to eat a bowl of cereal. Scroll down for video . Wil Handford, 22, has been given just three to six months to live after being diagnosed with inoperable bowel cancer. He is pictured before his diagnosis . He has been hailed as ‘inspirational’ and received hundreds of messages of support after posting a diary of his battle on his blog. He says his doctors say the cancer is terminal and have given him three to six months. Bowel cancer is extremely rare in young people. About three quarters of all case occur in over-65s but Stephen Sutton, 19, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, who has raised £3.1million for charity, also has bowel cancer. Mr Handford, a mixed martial arts expert learned he had cancer after returning from a boxing training camp in Thailand. He said he started to suffer agonising stomach pains after a sparring session and couldn’t sleep or eat. Mr Handford, a cage fighter, fell ill while attending a training camp in Thailand . Mr Handford (pictured with his girlfriend Rose Barrowclough) was diagnosed after experiencing unexplained weight loss, severe stomach pains and difficulty eating . After a few days he visited a local hospital where scans revealed nodules around his abdomen. Doctors urged him to return to the UK for further tests. His mother, Karen, met him at Manchester Airport, where he said she looked ‘gutted’ as he ‘looked like a skeleton’. Bowel cancer is cancer which starts in the large bowel. It is sometimes also called colon cancer or rectal cancer. Symptoms include blood in the stools, a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss. As the disease progresses, it can also cause fatigue and breathlessness. Bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer in England and there are about 40,000 cases diagnosed every year. Approximately 72 per cent of bowel cancer cases occur in people who are over 65. People who are older, who eat a diet low in fibre and high in fat, those who are overweight and those who take little exercise are most at risk. People who smoke and drink a lot of alcohol, as well as those with a family history of the disease, are also at increased risk. Source: NHS Choices . She took him straight to Royal Blackburn Hospital where he spent two weeks. Doctors then gave him the devastating news he had bowel cancer which had spread through his abdomen and his colon. Describing the moment, Mr Handford said: ‘After that, they went on to give more and more bad news. They said because of the severity of it they couldn’t operate. ‘There were a few big tumours. They said all they could offer is to try to reduce it to prolong my life. ‘When you’re sat there and they’re telling you this, it’s hard to clock in your head. I said: “So you’re telling me I’m going to die from this?” and they just said “yeah”. ‘They said at this stage if you do nothing at all, it’s really aggressive. You’ve lasted as long as you have because you’re young and fit. You’ve probably got three to six months. I was just sat there gobsmacked.’ But Mr Handford, who had hopes of becoming a plumber, has vowed to ‘keep his chin up’ and not let cancer beat him. And he said his whole family, including his mother Karen, twin sister Catherine, little brother Eduard, and long-term girlfriend Rose Barrowclough, are backing him in his ultimate battle. He said: ‘You’ve got to keep fighting, chin up. I’ve had loads of support and it’s great to know you’ve got people that care for you. ‘But you’ve got to keep the fight and I will be doing that. 'It was tough telling my family, my sister, my girlfriend, all my friends. It’s horrendous news for everyone. Mr Handford saw doctors in Thailand when he first experienced symptoms and they urged him to fly home for further tests. As soon as he arrived in the UK his mother took him to hospital where he was diagnosed . Mr Handford (pictured before his diagnosis) has been told the cancer has spread throughout his abdomen . ‘But I’m trying to be confident about it, trying not to get down. That helps everyone in the house. ‘Everyone has got a really good attitude for it really and believe, no matter what the doctors say, I’ll come out on top.’ Messages of support for Mr Handford have flooded in from Facebook users. Ryan Scott posted: ‘You’re the most fun loving and optimistic guy I’ve had the pleasure meeting Will, you show the rest of us up.’ Mr Handford (pictured before he was diagnosed) says he will fight the cancer with everything he has . Mr Handford (pictured cage fighting before his illness) said: 'Everyone has got a really good attitude for it really and believe, no matter what the doctors say, I'll come out on top' Victoria Rowe Mate said: ‘You’re so brave. Thoughts are with you, keep smiling & stay this positive just as you have been.’ Steff Neville Will wrote: ‘Absolutely inspirational!’ And Danny McCabe wrote: ‘Always stay positive, Wil. If you stay mentally well you’ve won the battle, nothing changed from school...still an amazing guy.’ | Wil Handford was diagnosed after losing 2st in weight in a matter of weeks .
He was also struggling to eat and suffering severe stomach pains .
Doctors have told him the cancer has spread through his abdomen .
They say they are not able to operate because the cancer is too advanced .
They have now given him just three to six months to live . |
24,600 | 45b9fb89ac2724f2d7de56b2f8c9397bca03326e | Serena Williams took the metaphor head over heels literally after she celebrated her WTA Finals title triumph on Sunday. The 33-year-old beat Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0 in Singapore to collect her third-successive season-ending championships victory. After collecting the trophy for the fifth time in her career, Williams uploaded images via her Instagram account posing alongside the silverware as she performed handstands in the locker room. Serena Williams uploaded Instagram photos in celebration of her WTA Finals win against Simona Halep . Williams (right) posed for photos with Halep after their final in Singapore on Sunday . Williams' success over Halep allowed her to avenge an embarrassing group-stage loss to the Romanian player just four days prior during the group stage of the tournament. The American won 11 of the last 12 games in the match in what was the most one-sided championship clash in the WTA Finals since Kim Clijsters beat Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-0 in 2003. In winning the tournament Williams has joined tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf as the only players to have won the event five times. Williams proved too strong for her opponent as she won 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-3, 6-0 triumph . | Serena Williams beat Simon Halep to win the WTA Finals title on Sunday .
33-year-old won 6-3, 6-0 to lift the trophy for the fifth time in her career .
Williams did handstands in the locker room after the match in celebration . |
259,921 | dc8b3bb3582ee5230e2965703e67adbca9155000 | (CNN) -- She suffers from an autoimmune disease, but seven-time grand slam winner Venus Williams refused to blame her health for an early exit at the Australian Open. The former world No. 1 came into the year's first grand slam in good form after reaching the final of a warm-up event in Auckland in New Zealand, but despite winning the first set against Russia's Ekaterina Makarov, Williams slipped to a 2-6 6-4 6-4 defeat. Williams, ranked 37th in the world, was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome -- which causes joint pain and can deplete energy levels -- in 2011. She hasn't won a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2008. But the American, who will compete in the doubles event alongside her sister and top seed Serena Williams, refused to look for excuses after her defeat by the 22nd seed Makarova, who will face U.S. world No. 141 Irina Falconi in the second round. "I think that's a factor for any professional athlete, so I don't think I'm any different from anyone else," Williams, who made 56 errors during the match, told reporters when asked if her health was the reason for her defeat. "The last 12 months I have had issues, but this year I definitely am looking forward to having a good run and feeling well." Williams will now focus her energies on supporting Serena, who wasted no time in wrapping up a 6-2 6-1 win over Australian 17-year-old Ashleigh Barty. The biggest upset of the opening day saw sixth seed Petra Kvitova slip to a 6-2 1-6 6-4 reverse against Thailand's world No. 87 Luksika Kumkhum. It was Kumkhum's first ever match with a top 10 player and her victory means she will at least equal her best grand slam performance to date -- reaching the second round in Melbourne last year. "I didn't play well," conceded Kvitova, a Wimbledon winner in 2011. "I didn't play my game that I really tried all off season to work on. It was a great off season. I was really excited to be here, feeling good. "But I think that probably I wanted too much, and then everything just fell down." Australian Sam Stosur delighted the crowd by chalking up a 6-3 6-4 win over Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic. Seventeenth seed Stosur won the U.S. Open in 2011 but has never been beyond the fourth round of her home grand slam. The weather looks set to play a major part in the tournament, with temperatures expected to top 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday after relatively mild conditions on Monday. Organizers are reportedly preparing ice vests and ice towels to keep players cool, but Stosur felt perfectly at home in the heat. "It was pretty hot out on court," said the 29-year-old Australian. "You get that response from the court and balls when it's hot and the sun is shining. "I was jumping and using my spin and all that whenever I was able to, so that was nice." Fourth seed Li Na, beaten by Victoria Azarenka in last year's final, admitted she knew nothing of her Croatian opponent Ana Konjuh before registering a comfortable 6-2 6-0 success. Li's reward for beating the world No. 239 is a second round meeting with Switzerland's Belinda Bencic. Fresh from picking up her first title in two years in Auckland, 14th seed Ana Ivanovic beat Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 6-4 6-4. There was also joy for Germany as both world No. 15 Sabine Lisicki and Angelique Kerber, seeded ninth, advanced courtesy of wins against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Jarmila Gajdosova respectively. | Venus Williams loses in the first round of the Australian Open .
Former world No. 1 loses 2-6 6-4 6-4 to Russia's Ekaterina Makarova .
Australia's Sam Stosur records a straight-forward win over Klara Zakopalova .
Li Na and Ana Ivanovic also safely into the second round . |
186,471 | 7d8b1a2aef6010bf27800a92318873d722773e86 | Signals from the black box of AirAsia Flight 8501 were detected Thursday near where the plane's partly submerged tail was located, but the signals were lost soon after. An Indonesian Armed Forces Commander said that a recovery of the tail, where the flight recorders are typically located, is in progress. The black box or flight data recorder could help determine the cause of the crash, however it only has 30 days of battery life. It comes as news that the families of the victims of AirAsia flight QZ8501 will be offered $US100,000 in compensation by the airline as those searching for the plane claim they are just hours away from finding the plane's black box. It follows an offer of $US24,000 after family members were given a draft letter from AirAsia, which detailed its initial compensation deal,CNN reported. Scroll down for video . Indonesian navy divers prepare to dive in an area where they found the tail of AirAsia QZ8501 in the Java sea . Signals from the black box of AirAsia Flight 8501 were detected Wednesday near where the plane's partly submerged tail was located, but the signals were lost soon after . Australian experts have flown into Indonesia to help identify the victims of the AirAsia QZ8501 flight . Several divers jumped into the sea where the plane is located on Thursday in a bid to locate the missing black box. Lieutenant. Edy Tirtayasa, commander of Indonesia's navy rescue team, told Channel News Asia they are planning to send two contingents to the plane. 'We are going to send down one observation team to take photos. Then two teams will do the recovery process -- to recover bodies if there are any,' he said. 'If not, they will recover the black box for investigation and then other debris from the aircraft,” There were 162 people on board the flight, so far only 40 bodies have been recovered with more expected to be found in the plane's fuselage which lies at the bottom of the sea, off the coast of the Indonesian island of Borneo. Of the 162 people on board, 155 were passengers while others were pilots and crew members. No survivors have been recovered since the search for the plane began 11 days ago. Family members have been left confused about the letter's wording and raising issue with the airline approaching families separately in relation to compensation, the Wall Street Journal reported. But Indonesia AirAsia's director of safety and security defended the isolated discussions to The Strait Times on Tuesday, saying: 'We respect that [some] families are still hoping to see that their relatives survived, so we offered [compensation first] to those whose family members have been identified'. So far 40 bodies have been recovered from the Java Sea. Families of victims have been offered compensation . They have been offered $US100,000 after they were initially offered $US24,000 by the airline . Captain Raden Achmad Sadikin added the airlines would be compensating families in line with Indonesian policy. According to the regulatory body that is responsible for Indonesia's finance sector, agencies that insure airlines were liable to give 1.25 billion rupiah for every one of the 155 passengers including 315 million rupiah to 750 million rupiah for the 25 passengers who bought flight insurance. This news comes as searchers are hopeful they will recover the plane's black box on Thursday after finding the aircraft's tail the day before. Bad weather conditions have hampered the search, which has prevented divers from confirming the object in the water is in fact the tail, according to the Singapore-based news website. It is thought the black box and voice recorders were inside the end of the plane. The search area for bodies and debris was expanded this week to allow for the strong currents that have been pushing debris around, Indonesian search and rescue operation coordinator Tatang Zainudin said. On Wednesday, searchers looking for the plane say they believe they have found the aircraft's tail . Along with the tail, the fuselage is thought to be with it, off the coast of the Indonesian island of Borneo . The black box is thought to be inside the tail. It will help shed some light on the last moments of the flight before it crashed . The water in the Java Sea is relatively shallow, about 30 meters deep, but this is the worst time of year for a recovery operation because of monsoon rains and wind that create choppy seas and blinding silt from river run-off. But in some ways, it is easier to find a missing plane compared to the extreme depths of the Indian Ocean, where searchers continue to hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared last March with 239 people aboard. 'Because the Java Sea is such an enclosed basin, and there's not really big currents passing through it, everything just stays there for quite a while and the waves make it so that the sediment doesn't slowly sink to the bottom,' Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at Sydney's University of New South Wales, said. 'It continuously keeps churning it up.' Dr van Sebille said the conditions also make it particularly dangerous for divers because the water is dark and murky, making it easy for them to cut themselves on jagged wreckage or become snared and trapped. During the dry season, he added, it would likely be easy to see the plane underwater from the sky. Searchers remain hopeful the recovery of the tail would happen sometime on Thursday . Indonesina Sea and Coast Guards display recovered seats from the AirAsia flight QZ8501 on Tuesday . National Search and Rescue Agency personnel carry wrecked seats from the AirAsia plane to land . Indonesia Sea and Coast Guard carries remains of seats from the Royal Malaysian Navy KD Kasturi at Port of Kumai on January 6 . As the cause of the incident remains a mystery, the find would shed light on what happened during the final moments of the QZ8501 flight. But The Indonesian meteorological agency said weather was the 'triggering factor' of the crash in the Java Sea, with ice likely damaging the engines of the Airbus A320-200. Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Indroyono Soesilo told reporters the black box would be analysed by experts in Indonesia when it was located. It will provide essential information about the plane along with final conversations between the captain and co-pilot. The ping-emitting beacons still have about 20 days before their batteries go dead, but high waves had prevented the deployment of ships that drag 'ping' locators. Sonar-equipped ships involved in the massive international hunt have identified what they believe to be the fuselage of the plane in recent days. Five other big objects have been found on the floor of the ocean, though no visual confirmation has been obtained yet . Five other big objects have been found on the floor of the ocean, though no visual confirmation has been obtained yet. Smaller pieces of the plane, such as seats and an emergency door, have been collected from the surface. Tony Fernandes, AirAsia's chief executive officer, welcomed the news. If it is the right part of the tail section, he tweeted, then the cockpit voice and flight data recorders, or black boxes, 'should be there'. He said the airline's priority still is to recover all the bodies 'to ease the pain of our families'. One released image appeared to show an upside down 'A'' painted on a piece of metal, while another grainy shot depicted some mechanical parts. So far, 40 corpses have been found, including an additional one announced Wednesday, but time is running out. At two weeks, most corpses will sink, said Anton Castilani, head of Indonesia's disaster identification victim unit, and there are already signs of serious decomposition. Officials are hopeful many of the more than 122 bodies still unaccounted for will be found inside the fuselage, which is believed to be lying near the tail. Just before losing contact, the pilot told air traffic control he was approaching threatening clouds, but was denied permission to climb to a higher altitude because of heavy air traffic. No distress signal was issued. | Signals from the black box of AirAsia Flight 8501 were detected then lost .
The flight data recorder could help determine the cause of the crash .
A recovery of the tail, where the box is located, is currently underway .
$US100,000 will be offered as compensation to families of QZ8501 victims .
It comes after they were offered $US24,000, with some declining the offer .
Searchers of the plane believe they have found aircraft's tail on Wednesday .
So far 40 bodies have been found, with 122 people still yet to be recovered . |
147,452 | 4aa4967095ca2bd7c5dbfbf1457c211b2af616c2 | Chris Gayle produced another spellbinding innings as the West Indies completed a record chase in a Twenty20 international to seal their three-match series against South Africa. Gayle followed up his 77 from 31 balls in the first game of the series by smashing 90 from 41 balls - an innings containing nine fours and seven sixes - as South Africa's 231 for seven was chased down in spectacular style with four balls and four wickets to spare. West Indies' remarkable victory at Johannesburg's New Wanderers ground gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead and left South Africa wondering just how to stop Gayle and company. West Indies batsman Chris Gayle (left) congratulates captain Darren Sammy after beating South Africa . Gayle was in sensational form for the second game running after hitting 90 off 41 balls . Gayle hits a six as the West Indies complete a T20 record chase by overturning South Africa's 231 . The reply removed India's 211 for four against Sri Lanka in 2009 from the record books as the highest successful chase in T20 history and South Africa could be forgiven for being shell-shocked after Faf du Plessis become only his country's second batsman to score a T20 century. Du Plessis came to the wicket when Morne van Wyk fell to Sulieman Benn in the first over and proceeded to take the West Indies attack apart. The 30-year-old hit the second-fastest T20 century from 46 balls and ended up with 119 from 56 deliveries, smashing 11 fours and five sixes before finally picking out Bravo in the deep off Jason Holder. South African batsman Faf du Plessis hit the second fastest century in the history of T20 . Du Plessis celebrates becoming only the second ever South African batsman to hit a T20 century . It was the third highest international T20 score and Du Plessis had dominated the innings to such an extent that David Miller (47) was the only other batsman to exceed 20. Bravo (two for 32) and Holder (two for 40) were the pick of the West Indies bowlers but South Africa knew they had never lost a T20 international defending a 180-plus score before. But the West Indies made a savage reply to their daunting run chase, losing Dwayne Smith (17) leg before to Marchant de Lange but reaching an incredible 86 for one in their six-over powerplay with Kyle Abbott, in particular, in the firing line as he conceded 68 runs from his four overs. Dwayne Bravo (right) of the West Indies avoids being run out by South Africa's Kyle Abbott . Man-of-the-match Gayle was at his violent best and had explosive support from Marlon Samuels as the pair put on 152 in 65 balls for the second wicket. South Africa finally broke the partnership when Gayle nicked David Wiese to wicket-keeper Van Wyk and Samuels soon departed for 60 from 39 balls to the same bowler. Wiese finished with figures of three for 43 after removing the big-hitting Kieron Pollard cheaply but Andre Russell (14) and Bravo (10) made valuable contributions before Darren Sammy's unbeaten 20 from seven balls saw the visitors over the line. | West Indies defeated South Africa in their Twenty20 international series .
Chris Gayle added 90 runs to the 77 he scored in the opening match .
The Windies completed a record chase after overturning the host's 231 .
Faf du Plessis became only second South African batsmen to hit a T20 100 . |
147,127 | 4a3c762b9ff4619d1191ff1b94cfbb84c9e84b2b | Sen. Rand Paul told a group of college students on Wednesday that Ebola is 'incredibly contagious' and can spread from a person who has the disease to someone standing three feet away and said the White House should be honest about that. His comments directly conflict with statements from world health authorities who have dealt with Ebola outbreaks since 1976. Paul, a doctor and a presumed GOP presidential contender, made his comments during a stop at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. In his remarks, he suggested Ebola could spread at a cocktail party attended by someone who is symptomatic, according to CNN video footage. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Sen. Rand Paul is greeted by New Hampshire GOP Chair Jennifer Horn at the party headquarters on Thursday in Concord. The likely 2016 Republican presidential candidate was in the nation's first presidential primary state yesterday to rally voters ahead of November's midterm elections . Paul walks through a crowd of young Republicans at the state GOP headquarters. While Paul was speaking before a group of college students yesterday, he intimated that the White House is lying about easily Ebola can spread . Paul has made similar comments in the wake of the first diagnosis of Ebola in the U.S. earlier this month. The Kentucky senator told a conservative radio show host that 'we should not underestimate the transmissibility' of the virus and warned that society may not be 'making sound, rational, scientific decisions' about Ebola 'because of political correctness.' 'It's a big mistake to downplay and act as if "oh, this is not a big deal, we can control all this." This could get beyond our control,' Paul, who has an MD in optometry from Duke University, told Laura Ingraham. 'My suspicion is that it's a lot more transmissible than that if people who are taking every precaution are getting it.' Since Paul first lobbed the accusations at the government, two more people within the United States have come down with Ebola. On Wednesday Paul said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes the transmission of Ebola sound similar to that of AIDS. Ebola, he says, is easier to contract. 'You're not going to get AIDS at a cocktail party. No one's going to cough on you and you're going to get AIDS. Everybody knows that. That's what they make it sound exactly like,' Paul said. 'But then you listen to them closely, they say you have to have direct contact. But you know how they define direct contact? Being within three feet of someone.' The Kentucky senator made phone calls to rally voters at the state GOP party headquarters . Likewise in the epidemic zone in West Africa, people involved with burials of highly infectious bodies are at high risk. 'Should you be worried you might have gotten it by sitting next to someone?' Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said Wednesday. 'The answer to that is no.' Still, Paul's team pointed to the CDC's website that says being within three feet of an infected patient for a prolonged period of time without the proper gear is a 'low-risk exposure' for Ebola. 'I think from the very beginning they haven't been completely forthright with us,' Paul told Bloomberg News on Thursday. 'They have so wanted to downplay this that they really, I don't think, have been very accurate in their description of the disease.' Politicians across the political spectrum have weighed in on President Barack Obama's response to the arrival of Ebola in the United States, with more than 40 calling for travel bans to West African countries that are being ravaged by the disease. The first U.S. patient diagnosed with Ebola, Thomas Eric Duncan, came to the United States from Liberia shortly before his diagnosis. The other two people diagnosed with Ebola in the United States cared for Duncan when he was in the hospital. President Barack Obama said on Thursday that 'a flat-out travel ban is not the way to go.' The White House explained Thursday afternoon that it believes that placing travel restrictions on Ebola hot spots will just encourage people from those countries who wish to travel to the U.S. to go 'underground' and find other ways to enter the country that allow them to bypass Ebola screenings. It also asserted that a ban on travel from West Africa would make it difficult to send cargo critical to stopping the spread of Ebola to the region, as commercial airlines would most likely be unwilling to come back empty handed. Instead, the president ordered heightened screenings at the international airports that 94 percent of West Africans come to America through. Congressional lawmakers who participated in a rare recess hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday said they believed a moratorium on travel from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone is necessary to keep more carriers of the disease from entering the country. | Paul, a doctor by trade, claimed Ebola can spread from a person who has the disease to someone standing three feet away .
He said the CDC makes the transmission of Ebola sound similar to that of AIDS; Ebola, he says, is easier to contract .
His comments directly conflict with statements from world health authorities who have dealt with Ebola outbreaks since 1976 . |
25,064 | 4706ea6f02984dd7f72eb95fbbb2d71b8a4d2d0b | New York Mayor Bill de Blasio feared police officers were spying on his conversations during his election campaign last year, it has emerged. In an early sign of his tension with the force, de Blasio's team was 'convinced' that members of his police detail were listening in on his private conversations inside his city-assigned car, a former de Blasio aide has told Politico. De Blasio would even step into the street to make sure he was out of their earshot, the aide added. The mayor's office has not yet responded to a request for comment on the claims. Scroll down for video . Fears: Bill de Blasio, pictured on the campaign trail in September 2013, had fears at the time that police officers were listening to his private conversations, according to one of his former aides . They have been made as tensions between the mayor and the NYPD are at an all-time high, with many accusing de Blasio of inciting violence against police officers. They say his distrust ultimately led to the murders of two officers in a patrol car in Brooklyn on Saturday. The vitriol towards de Blasio comes after he threw his support behind crowds protesting police violence in the aftermath of the deaths of unarmed black men Eric Garner and Michael Brown at the hands of white officers. After expressing his shock that grand juries had failed to indict the officers involved in the cases, de Blasio also explained that he has long warned his teenage son Dante - who is mixed race - to be careful of his conduct around police. He has also been pictured with civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton and invited him to City Hall, where he denounced the police - as he sat at a table with Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. Earlier this month, the city's largest police union said the mayor had abandoned the police and urged members to sign a letter insisting that the mayor stay away from their funeral should they be killed while on duty. This weekend, following the deaths of Wenjian Liu, 32, and Rafael Ramos, 40, cops made their contempt for de Blasio known by turning their backs on him as he arrived at the hospital where the bodies were taken. Reject: De Blasio (circled) visited the hospital where two slain police officers were taken this weekend and officers turned their backs on him. They accuse him of siding with protesters rallying against cop violence . Opposition: After the deaths of the two police officers, Twitter users suggested de Blasio's opposition to the cops was responsible for the killings, including former New York Governor George Pataki, pictured . Fallout: Police Commissioner Bill Bratton (right) has said attitudes towards the police mirror those in the 1970s. De Blasio (left) has now called upon protesters to stand down until after the officers' funerals . Two union leaders also said the mayor had 'blood on his hands' for the officers' deaths. Former NYPD detective Bo Dietl even compared him to 'Big Bird' as he spoke to Page Six. 'He's tall and he's silly and he doesn't know what he is doing,' he said. 'He knows nothing about policing. He knows nothing about "stop and frisk".' On Monday, Bratton told the Today show that tensions are as bad as the 1970s, when New York City was rocked by racial clashes and 60 officers were killed in the line of duty. By Monday evening, de Blasio reinforced Bratton's call for protesters to stand down until after the funerals for the slain Brooklyn officers. 'It's a time for everyone to put aside political debates, put aside protests, put aside all of the things we will talk about in due time,’ he said said in a speech to a charity with close ties to the NYPD. The plea fell on dead ears. NYPD officers: The gunman fired a fatal round of bullets at Wenjian Liu (left) and Rafael Ramos (right) Condolences: De Blasio and Bratton visited the home of Ramos to pass on their condolences on Monday . Civil rights activists, led by Sharpton, were quick to dismiss de Blasio's request and vowed to carry on protests stemming from the decisions of the grand juries not to indict police officers. 'It's a time for everyone to put aside political debates, put aside protests, put aside all of the things we will talk about in due time,’ de Blasio said in a speech to a charity with close ties to the New York Police Department. Sharpton, who joined Garner's relatives over the weekend to denounce the slaying of the officers, said he would not change planned prayer vigils at the scene of Garner's death and elsewhere over the coming days to mark the family's first Christmas without him. On the other side of the tension, rank-and-file officers took to social media sites and message boards to express their frustration with the mayor. On sites like PoliceOne and Thee Rant, officers wrote anonymous posts calling on de Blasio to stay away from the slain cops' funerals. Support: On Tuesday morning, de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, visited a makeshift memorial near the site where the officers were murdered in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn on Saturday . 'A little too little. A little too late,' wrote user Interceptor828. 'I am wondering if he feels that it is worth a confrontation showing up to a funeral no one wants him at.' Another user, otjkid, ranted at the mayor: 'Back peddling too late . You hate us. Get lost. All of sudden you support us with 400 million dollars for what? Cameras lol.' Killer: Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, shot dead the police officers and then took his own life in the subway . But David Axelrod, Obama's longtime adviser, told Politico that de Blasio's struggle between speaking the truth to the police while also wanting to hold his power is not a new problem. 'My sense is that he sincerely appreciates both the hard job the police do and the gulf that exists today, and is trying to close that breach,' Axelrod said. 'And he has to weather the storm and speak hard truths to police and the community and over time, the public will appreciate his role as a rational voice, trying to heal the city and move forward.' Others told the publication that the mayor 'doesn't have a clue' - citing his relationship with City Hall staffer Rachel Noerdlinger, whose son and boyfriend posted anti-police remarks on Facebook. Even when the comments emerged - as well as the fact her boyfriend had tried to drive a police officer off the road in New Jersey - the mayor stood by her. She eventually left the job. 'His words and his deeds don't match,' said veteran cop reporter Leonard Levitt. 'You had Noerdlinger's son calling cops 'pigs' and de Blasio doesn't think that's inappropriate? What message are you sending? 'De Blasio says it's just the union guys who are angry. It's not. It's everybody. I've been covering this for 25 years and I have never seen anything like it… The mayor doesn't have a clue.' A message to New York . Over the past weeks, many in this city and across the nation have been attempting to define the New York City Police Department in their own terms. They are attempting to answer for themselves questions about who we are, what we do, and how we do it. But the men and women of this Department know exactly who we are: we are Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. They were loving fathers, husbands, and sons—points of great pride for their communities. They were also part of our NYPD family, bonded by the experiences, triumphs, and challenges we face so that others won’t have to. They dedicated their lives to the defense of others, and understood what that commitment could ultimately mean. They were people of faith, of conviction, and of principle. They answered the call to service, and did so each and every day they wore the uniform. They were devoted to the protection of this city and the safety of its people. They didn’t do this work to be thanked, congratulated, or admired. They did it because it must be done, because we all have the basic right to live free from fear. And with all of us, they stood tall to guard those who cannot guard themselves, to shield the frightened, the weak, and the vulnerable. We are their memory. We are their legacy. And we still stand. These deaths cast a dark cloud on the rest of our holiday season and the flags will remain at half-staff past Christmas. But as we mourn their sacrifice, we also honor them through the work we do every day. May God grant Officer Wenjian Liu and Officer Rafael Ramos rest. And may God bless the New York City Police Department. William J. Bratton . Police Commissioner . | Bill de Blasio's team feared members of his police detail were listening to his conversations inside his car during the campaign, a former aide said .
He would step outside his car to be out of their earshot, the aide claimed .
It was an early sign of the tension between de Blasio and police, which has boiled over in the wake of two police officers' deaths on Saturday .
Police union leaders said he had 'blood on his hands' after supporting protests against the death of Eric Garner, who died at the hands of cops .
De Blasio has now called for protesters to stand down until after the funerals of Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos - but they have refused . |
70,611 | c83351f7b009c7e46190b3b92b6883ad2ec16480 | By . Lizzie Parry . Belgian police used water cannons and pepper spray to control thousands of protestors who flooded the streets of the capital as part of a demonstration by labour unions demanding a better deal for Europe's working men and women. Demonstrators hurled oranges and cobblestones at police officers as the protest took hold of Brussels. Thousands took part in the action, organised by the European Trade Union Confederation to oppose austerity measures implemented across the 28-country European Union. Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Brussels today taking part in a demonstration by labour unions demanding a better deal for Europe's working men and women . Police officers used water canons and pepper spray to try and control the crowd, which reached around 25,000 according to officials . Demonstrators hurled oranges and cobblestones at police officers as the protest took hold of the Belgian capital . A protestor is knocked off his feet as police douse the crowds with powerful water canons to try and retain order . Protestors voiced their opposition to social dumping, whereby businesses import cheaper workers to replace local hires or export jobs to a low-wage country or area. The demonstration paralysed the traffic network in the capital and sent the U.S. Embassy into lockdown as the American ambassador to the EU, Anthony L. Gardner, was conducting an unrelated briefing for journalists. Embassy staff said it was the first lockdown they could recall in years. At one of the protest hot spots, near the European Union headquarters buildings, longshoremen from the Belgian cities of Antwerp and Ghent clashed with riot police. Police said one demonstrator was hurt when a rock he was trying to throw hit him on the head instead. Several people were injured, including a policeman apparently struck by a cobblestone. Organisers had expected 40,000 people to take part in the demonstration, but Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere estimated the turnout at about 25,000. Thousands took part in the action, organised by the European Trade Union Confederation to oppose austerity measures implemented across the 28-country European Union . Protestors voiced their opposition to social dumping, whereby businesses import cheaper workers to replace local hires or export jobs to a low-wage country or area . A group of protestors seek shelter from the water canons behind a piece of metal fencing, as one appears to try and throw a missile at the authorities . The demonstration paralysed the traffic network in the capital and sent the U.S. Embassy into lockdown as the American ambassador to the EU, Anthony L. Gardner, was conducting an unrelated briefing for journalists . | Thousands descend on the streets of the Belgian capital to demand a better deal for Europe's working population .
Demonstrators hurled oranges and cobblestones at police, who showered the crowds with water canons .
The protest was organised by the European Trade Union Confederation to oppose austerity meausures . |
24,021 | 442bdf35230b46f9033e8f54523a2d9950fea28e | Sam Allardyce has revealed that his West Ham strikers are enjoying working with retired frontman Teddy Sheringham. The Hammers boss, who employed Sheringham as a coach during the summer, believes the former England international is handing down invaluable insight to Andy Carroll and Co. Allardyce told Sky Sports Goals on Sunday: 'He (Sheringham) is in for a couple of days a week and the lads enjoy what he does. VIDEOS Scroll down to watch . Sam Allardyce believes Teddy Sheringham has been having a positive effect on the West Ham strikers . The former West Ham striker was employed by Allardyce during the summer . 'I like Teddy to talk about the finer things a striker needs to do. We can all do things like shooting practice, but passing his experience on in terms of when you’re in the box is what's important. 'If he talks to them about that. How are you striking the ball, timing or runs - all that sort of stuff. The one on one stuff is more important for him to give to them. When asked if Sheringham has been important to West Ham's sensational start to the Premier League season which has seen Allardyce's side storm into fourth spot after 17 games, the 60-year-old added he can't be the only to to take credit. Allardyce said: Of course, Teddy has had an affect because every member of staff has to take credit for what we have been doing this season. Sheringham has been putting on training sessions for the likes of Andy Carroll (left) and Diafra Sakho . Carroll has scored three goals in his last three games for the east London club . Sheringham spent three years as a player at West Ham between 2004 and 2007 . | Sam Allardyce believes his West Ham strikers are learning well from former frontman Teddy Sheringham .
Sheringham has been putting on coaching session for the likes of Andy Carroll during West Ham training .
Allardyce claims Sheringham should take credit for club's form . |
119,722 | 26ac89f649c3c3e07af71adab949a01a71554690 | Clutching onto her relatives in heartbreaking despair, an anguished mother climbs into her son's grave, grief etched across her tear-stained face. Just moments earlier, she had watched mourners desperately cling onto her child's coffin as it passed through their close-knit mining village, lovingly draped in a Turkish flag. Her son was among 18 workers who were trapped 11 days ago, when water surged through a coal mine in Karaman, southern Turkey. Today, emotional scenes unfolded as the community of Asagi Caglar in Karaman, came together to bid farewell to two of the victims. The mother of a worker who died in a collapsed mine in the Ermenek district of Karaman, southern Turkey, climbs into his grave during his funeral in Asagi Caglar earlier today . Her son was one of the 18 workers who were trapped 11 days ago when a water flooded a coal mine in Karaman, southern Turkey . The relatives were visibly distressed as the community came together to pay their respects to two of the victims, whose bodies were retrieved from the mine yesterday . Family members and friends clutched onto the coffins as they passed through the village, draped in the red and white Turkish flag . The service came less than 24 hours after authorities pulled the bodies - the first two to have been retrieved since the accident - from the Has Sekerler mine in the Ermenek district of the town. As mourners stood together in visible grief, two politicians reached across to console Sukru Haznedar, the father of miner Kerim Haznedar, one of those killed in the disaster. Lutfi Elvan, Turkey's transport, maritime affairs and communications minister and the minister of energy and natural resources Taner Yildiz were among those paying their respects. The miners were trapped more than 1,000ft below ground on October 28 after a sudden flood. Rescue teams, including divers, have continued their work at the mine, amid efforts to pump out 12,000 tons of water from the mine. But, within hours of the tragedy, hopes had all but faded that any of the trapped workers would be rescued. Turkey's transport, maritime affairs and communications minister Lutfi Elvan (second from right) and the minister of energy and natural resources Taner Yildiz (second from left) console Sukru Haznedar, father of one of the miners who died, Kerim Haznedar . A huge crowd gathered to offer prayers for the miners during their funerals. Their deaths have left the community heartbroken . Mourners carry the coffins of the two miners. Their funerals came 11 days after the incident, which unfolded when the workers were trapped 300 metres underground . Energy minister Taner Yildiz told reporters that the level of the water that flooded the mine had surpassed the area were the miners were situated, just hours after the incident. There has been no contact with the 18 men since they were trapped. The flood occurred around 3 p.m when . workers were eating their lunch at the site, which is about 70 miles north of Turkey's Mediterranean coastline. Locals watch as rescue workers try to save the miners trapped after a collapse in a mine in the Ermenek district in Karaman, Turkey . Catastrophe: Medics were seen comforting a relative of one of the miners trapped below ground . It was the second major industrial accident at a Turkish . mine in six months. Turkey's deadliest disaster occurred in May . in the western town of Soma, where 301 miners were killed. The disaster sparked violent protests across Turkey, directed at mine owners accused of ignoring safety for profit. Governor Murat Koca said the incident occurred at the Has Sekerler mine near the town of Ermenek in Karaman province, 300 miles south of Ankara close to Turkey's Mediterranean coast . There was also outrage directed at Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government, which is seen as being too close to industry bosses. The incident exposed poor safety standards and superficial government inspections in many of the country's mines. It also exposed the country's shoddy worker . safety record. Hundreds of labourers die every year. The incident led to more than two dozen arrests . | 18 workers were trapped after water flooded Has Sekerler mine in Turkey .
Efforts to pump out water have continued since tragic incident 11 days ago .
Yesterday, two bodies were retrieved from mine - funerals were held today .
Emotional scenes as grief-stricken community came together to bid farewell .
Accident is likely to lead to more concerns over country's safety record .
In May, a coal mine fire in the western town of Soma killed more than 300 . |
219,944 | a8aee5e5634276afb5889e9031ea5a009f3bae1d | Edward Snowden's girlfriend Lindsay Mills joined director Laura Poitras on stage after Citizenfour won the Academy Award for best documentary feature on Sunday night. Snowden, a National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified US government documents, congratulated director Poitras for the win later that night. Snowden said that, although he had at first been 'extremely reluctant', he was grateful Poitras had persuaded him to be a part of the film. Scroll down for videos . Edward Snowden's girlfriend Lindsay Mills (second right) shared the stage with director Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald, who collaborated on the film, and held Poitras' Oscar . Edward Snowden pictured with Lindsay Mills during a trip to the theatre in Moscow in 2014 . Mills once described Edward Snowden as her 'man of mystery' During her acceptance speech, Poitras thanked Snowden 'for his courage' and said she shared the award with 'other journalists who are exposing the truth' Mills also joined the Citizenfour team at the Independent Spirit Awards, where they won best documentary . 'The result is a brave and brilliant film that deserves the honor and recognition it has received,' he wrote in a statement released through the American Civil Liberties Union. 'My hope is that this award will encourage more people to see the film and be inspired by its message that ordinary citizens, working together, can change the world.' During her acceptance speech, Poitras thanked Snowden 'for his courage' and said she shared the award with 'other journalists who are exposing the truth'. She added that Snowden's disclosures in the film reveal threats not only to democracy, 'but to our lives ourselves'. Mills, a pole dancer who lived with Snowden, 31, before he fled the United States, moved to Moscow, Russia, after he received asylum there last year . Silent treatment: Mills has never spoken publicly about the Snowden scandal . Snowden congratulated director Laura Poitras after her film Citizenfour won the Academy Award for best documentary feature on Sunday night . 'The more important decisions being made affecting all of us are made in secret,' she said on the Oscar stage. 'We lose our ability to check the powers that control.' Poitras also shared the stage with journalist Glenn Greenwald, who was a collaborator on the film. After Poitras left the stage, ceremony host Neil Patrick Harris joked: 'Edward couldn't be here for some treason.' Snowden is currently in Russia, where he was granted asylum. US officials have promised to prosecute him if they are ever able to take him into custody. Citizenfour beat Finding Vivian Maier, Last Days In Vietnam, The Salt Of The Earth and Virunga. It is Poitras' first Oscar win. She was previously nominated for her film, 'My Country, My Country' Because of the sensitive nature of the footage, Poitras made Citizenfour under intense secrecy and edited it in Germany. The film shows glimpses of the former NSA contractor's paranoia. When room service calls his room, Snowden unplugs his phone and he ducks under a blanket to enter passwords on his laptop. Yet Snowden says in the film, and has repeated his sentiment since, that he was willing to be the target of criticism and derision and branded a traitor. 'If you're not willing to be called some bad names to serve your country, you really don't care that much about your country,' Snowden said at a forum earlier this month. 'So bring the names on.' One scene in the film shows Snowden cooking with Mills in their wood-paneled Moscow apartment, which is decorated with plants. Snowden said that, although he had at first been 'extremely reluctant', he was grateful Poitras (pictured with Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky) had persuaded him to be a part of the film . Last year Snowden admitted in a webcam interview at the New Yorker Festival that he misses America - a place he may never return to, Politico reported. 'The question is what don't I miss, whether it's my family, whether it's my home, whether it's my friends, whether it's my work at the agency, I was fulfilled and happy,' he said. 'Things as simple as having my old beat-up car, there's a lot to miss. It's a great country.' On her blog in 2013, after Snowden fled to Hong Kong following the leak, Mills dotingly called him her ‘man of mystery’ who she had followed around the world for the last four years. Mills wrote: 'My world has opened and closed all at once. Leaving me lost at sea without a compass. 'As I type this on my tear-streaked keyboard I’m reflecting on all the faces that have graced my path. 'The ones I laughed with. The ones I’ve held. The one I’ve grown to love the most. And the ones I never got to bid adieu. ‘But sometimes life doesn’t afford proper goodbyes.' | Lindsay Mills joined director Laura Poitras after Citizenfour won .
Snowden said he was grateful Poitras convinced him to be in the film .
Said he hopes movie will inspire people to see how ordinary citizens can change the world .
Poitras thanked Snowden for his 'courage' during her acceptance speech .
Said the film reveals threats not only to democracy but 'to our lives' |
205,489 | 96046278e60724e4c5c473bb261682eed44fb288 | (CNN)Last week, 16-year-old Maxwell Morton was arrested and charged with murder after he posed for a selfie with the body of a teenager he had just allegedly shot and then uploaded the picture to Snapchat. A friend of Morton showed a screen grab of the picture to his mom, who then called police. Of course, it's absurd to suggest a selfie was in any way an incentive or motive for the murder, just as it's absurd to suggest that social media causes criminal behavior. People have been killing each other since the days of stone tablets. But is social media, which allows for limitless self-absorption, exacerbating hatred and violence when mixed with seeming anonymity? Or is social media simply allowing us to be more open about what we do—and in some cases, allow crimes to be easily discovered and reported? In other words, does a "selfie culture" show us as we've always been or is it turning us into something worse? Last year, there were several instances in which sexual assaults were documented on social media by the alleged perpetrators. In July 2014, a 16-year-old Texas girl named Jada went to a party where she was allegedly drugged and raped. Jada doesn't remember what happened. What she does know is that picture of her naked and bent body was shared all over the Internet and then mimicked in what became a perverse "meme," in which others posted pictures of themselves in the same pose. In an eerily similar story, police say a 26-year-old North Carolina woman had no idea she was sexually assaulted during a party in September until pictures of her assault were later posted on social media. In November, several high school students in New Mexico allegedly sexually assaulted a young girl and posted pictures of their crime on social media. In the New Mexico incident, people reposted the pictures to hold the Albuquerque police and school district accountable for their failure to take action against the alleged assailants. In the Texas incident, Jada spoke out about being victimized, not only by her assailants but also by those on social media—and this helped spark awareness and outrage about rape culture in America. Social media is also used by victims to tell their stories. A woman in Florida used social media to post a picture of her bruised arm, alleging her Florida State University football player boyfriend had battered her—leading to a police investigation. A woman in England posted a picture of her own battered face after a man had allegedly attacked her in a nightclub. The 29-year-old woman, Jeanne Marie Ryan, wanted to raise awareness about domestic violence and raise £100 for a women's shelter. She reportedly ended up raising £12,000—or over $18,000. There's no evidence that incidents of rape and sexual assault are increasing because of social media. It could be that the opposite is true. But, social media seems to have increased incivility or hate speech in our society by making us more aware of its prevalence. People who were once shouting sexist and racist epithets from the windowless basements of their parents' homes now have Internet connections and can share those epithets on Twitter and beyond. The assault on civility, just like the assault on women's bodies, is nothing new. The new part is that even the loneliest of people now have the tools to broadcast their assaults far and wide. One can't help but feel the simultaneous accessibility and anonymity of social media makes it easier to be less caring. Studies show Millennials feel that technology is dehumanizing. Posting the picture of an assault victim online, or a hateful tweet about someone, certainly is a dehumanizing act. Would the thousands who posted photos as part of the hideous #JadaPose meme have literally assaulted the 16-year-old girl if given the opportunity? I hope not. Did they even think their mocking photos were contributing to justify Jada's assault and re-victimizing her? Doesn't appear so. They probably weren't thinking much about Jada at all. She'd been reduced to a "meme"—an idea, a representation of a concept—not a person. We take more selfies than ever before, and yet we seem to be less self-aware. Social media allows the narcissism in all of us to come out. Some people take it to the extreme by posting assaults of violent acts. One has to wonder how much this public platform has eroded our humanity. | Maxwell Morton allegedly killed a teenager and posted a selfie with the victim on Snapchat .
Sally Kohn: Is a selfie culture in any way responsible for senseless actions? |
285,362 | fdc6f6c1ed36cd434ddbfac3e8135dad693ce87a | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 19:00 EST, 18 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 03:04 EST, 19 February 2014 . Officers were called to reports of a man attacking the woman at a shop in the centre of Gloucester, at about 5.50pm, a police spokesman said. The ambulance service attended the incident and took the 20-year-old victim to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. However, efforts to save her were not successful. Forensic police outside Fringe Benefits hair salon in Gloucester, where it is believed a 20-year-old woman was stabbed to death . Officers were last night hunting for the attacker, who fled the scene . The spokesman said next of kin and the coroner had been informed. A murder investigation is now under way. Police activity in the street is focused on the Fringe Benefits & La Bella Beauty salon, reports the Gloucester Citizen. Craig Bell, 24, who lives in the city centre, told the paper: 'I'm shocked it's happened, especially at a time when there would have been loads of people around. I just feel for the poor girl and her family.' Anyone who witnessed the incident or had any information was asked to call police on 101, quoting incident 340 of February 18. The ambulance service attended the incident and took the 20-year-old victim to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital . The spokesman said the woman's next of kin and the coroner had been informed . | Officers called after a man attacked the woman in the centre of Gloucester .
She died at hospital and a murder investigation is underway .
Police activity seen at beauty salon on busy town centre street . |
225,283 | afb8b6855337ff1e8eca6ecd0f00cf69facbd930 | The suspected ringleader and seven members of a gang behind a £1.3million cyber raid on a leading bank were arrested yesterday. Scotland Yard detectives say the 47-year-old Mr Big led the operation that siphoned off cash from the accounts of Barclays customers. One of the gang posed as an IT engineer at the bank’s branch in Swiss Cottage, north London, to install a device that hacked into its computer systems. Scroll down for video . Cyber-attack: Scotland Yard said today it had held eight men who they believed hacked a branch in Swiss Cottage, north London (pictured) to get £1.3m . Hacking: The Met Police has said a device similar to this was used by criminals, which when plugged into a computer transmits screen contents to a remote PC . But staff spotted the fraud and . tipped off police. Following a lengthy surveillance operation, the trail . led to a flat in nearby Marylebone, which was crammed with hi-tech . equipment. Eight men, including Chinese and . Romanians, were in custody last night. Thousands of credit cards and . financial records were seized at addresses across the capital. Santander raid: How the Mail reported it on September 14 . The gang is thought to be linked to . the criminals behind last week’s raid on a London branch of Santander . using an identical spying device.Detective Superintendent Terry Wilson, . who is a specialist in electronic crime, said: ‘This was a . highly-organised criminal network with each individual filling a . specific role. ‘All criminal networks have a head . and we very much believe we have now apprehended our Mr Big as part of . this operation. We believe this has put a major dent in this network’s . ability to commit cyber-crime in this country. We believe this was a . top-tier criminal network.’ Similarities: Last week a gang allegedly attempted to plug a discreet gizmo into a Santander computer to spy on its contents. He said his officers were working with banks to stop further thefts. Barclays has been able to recover a . ‘significant amount’ of the money stolen in the Swiss Cottage operation . by tracing the accounts into which the cash was moved. A . 'big mixture of nerdiness and having some nerves' would be needed to . try to pull off this type of fraud, according to internet security . expert Graham Cluley. Since . part of the crime involves walking into a branch and attaching the . gadget to a computer, this would need 'a bit of bottle on the part of . the criminal but you would have to be technical on the other end to be . able to get the information'. Valuable data such as access to keyboard strokes and what is happening on-screen could be obtained, according to Mr Cluley. A . KVM would be about 8ins by 6ins by 3ins in size and would probably look . like 'another anonymous box with loads of wires', he noted. He . said: 'They (would-be criminals) would need physical access to your . computer and the best way to do that is to be part of the cleaning staff . or part of the IT team and to just work in the office and plug the . thing in. 'With human nature being what it is, people do not often confront people they see as new in these roles in their office. 'Organisations . need to have proper physical security in place and foster an attitude . so staff can challenge people and say 'Where is your pass?'. 'It is not just money that could be stolen, but also data.' But customers are angry they were not told about the breach, which took place in April. Speaking outside the branch, Joseph . Mendy, 52, said: ‘I thought this would be something we would’ve been . informed about. I am shocked to hear about it.’ Alex Grant, of Barclays, insisted the protection and security of its customers was its highest priority. ‘We identified the fraud and acted swiftly to recover funds on the same day,’ he added.Graham Cluley, a technology expert, says cyber criminals are combining ‘nerdiness with nerves’ to carry out the thefts. ‘It takes a certain degree of bravery . to walk into a bank and do this posing as an IT technician,’ he said. ‘While these people no longer carry the physical threat of the bank . robbers of the 70s armed with a gun and a stocking over their head, they . are putting themselves at risk. It raises questions about whether . Barclays had enough security in place to spot the unusual movement of . money, as well as the physical security of its branches.’ The hackers planted spying hardware . known as a ‘kvm switch’, standing for keyboard, video and mouse. Purchased online for less than £100, this allows a single user to . control several computers from a remote location. Four men, from Hounslow, west London, have appeared in court charged with conspiracy to steal in the Santander raid. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Fake computer engineer sent into Swiss Cottage branch to install 'bug'
The device transmits what's on a computer desktop to a remote viewer .
'One is a significant arrest. He is the Mr Big of UK cyber crime,' Met says .
Another gang tried same audacious heist on Santander branch last week . |
111,137 | 1b4f548944ebbe286f9ef0696b1d8f14fac772c2 | (CNN) -- Linkin Park canceled its Thursday night show in Washington, D.C., after the group's lead singer fell ill, the band said on its website. "Lead vocalist Chester Bennington is ill and under doctor's orders to refrain from performing," the statement said. "The band sincerely regrets this unavoidable cancellation and apologizes to fans for any disappointment caused." The California sextet is on tour to promote its latest release, "A Thousand Suns." The band's website says Linkin Park's next scheduled show is Friday in Uncasville, Connecticut, at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) says the alternative metal band has sold more than 19 million units -- a combination of CDs and digital downloads. | Linkin Park music sales top 19 million units .
The band is on tour to promote its latest release, "A Thousand Suns"
Linkin Park's next scheduled show is Friday in Uncasville, Connecticut . |
187,547 | 7ee1d7f706ee2580f67cb031ee5b4898896f7df1 | (CNN) -- A Florida judge Friday handed a legal victory to a former astronaut accused of assaulting a romantic rival, ruling evidence found in her car and statements she made to police after her arrest were inadmissible at trial. Lisa Nowak, accused of using pepper spray against a romantic rival, is set to go on trial in April. Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Marc Lubet ruled that all were unlawfully obtained. He said his decision stemmed from a variety of factors, most concerning police tactics in their interview of Lisa Nowak and the fact that no written consent was obtained to search her car. "In each and every case, this court must ensure that the constitutional protections afforded by our forefathers are scrupulously honored," Lubet wrote in his opinion. "Unfortunately, in this case those protections were not as thoroughly followed as the law demands." Nowak, 44, is accused of stalking Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman and using pepper spray against her in a parking lot at Orlando International Airport in Florida on February 5. She pleaded not guilty March 22 to charges of attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm, battery and burglary of a vehicle using a weapon. Her trial is set for April. If convicted, she would face a sentence of up to life in prison. Her defense attorneys had claimed Nowak's comments to police and her consent to search her car were made under duress. During a hearing held in August, Lubet heard testimony from, among others, Nowak, Shipman and Orlando police detective William Becton, who interviewed Nowak after her arrest. Lubet said in his ruling that when Nowak asked Becton if she needed an attorney during the interview, he failed to answer her question in a "simple and straightforward manner." "There was a concerted effort to minimize and downplay the significance of the Miranda rights by referring to these constitutional rights as 'formalities' " during the interview, Lubet wrote. On the audiotape of the interview, there was no audible response from Nowak on whether she understood that her statements could be used against her in court, and when she was asked whether anyone had threatened or promised her anything to get her to talk to police, Lubet wrote. "Thus, there is nothing in either the audio recording or the transcript of the interview that demonstrates that defendant understood these two rights and waived them." Nowak testified at the August hearing she did not respond to Becton's questions because she was confused, Lubet wrote. In addition, he said, Becton used "legally impermissible" statements and techniques, including threats, to get Nowak's statements and consent. "Well, what you say can change what you're charged with," Becton said at one point. "Right now we're looking at [a] possible life felony of carjacking." In a written statement, an Orlando Police Department spokeswoman said it was inappropriate for the department to comment on the case since it is pending in court, and referred questions to prosecutors. Lubet noted that, although Nowak was given the opportunity to use the restroom and was asked if she wanted something to eat, she was "subjected to a barrage of questions" beginning in the predawn hours and was questioned for six hours without being given the opportunity to sleep or make a phone call. "Defendant had not slept during the preceding 24 hours," the judge said. Nowak's consent to search her car, Lubet wrote, "followed illegal police activity, such as a prolonged detention, threats to obtain a warrant and repeated requests for consent." Prosecutors accuse Nowak of driving nearly 900 miles from Houston to Orlando -- wearing NASA diapers to cut down on the number of stops she needed to make -- and donning a disguise before following Shipman from baggage claim to a parking lot. Her attorney has strongly denied that she wore the diapers. Shipman told police that after she got into her car, Nowak feigned distress and knocked on the window. When Shipman cracked it to talk to her, Nowak sprayed her in the face with pepper spray, Shipman said. Police said Nowak was detained as she was disposing of her disguise in an airport trash bin. Nowak has said she merely went to the airport to talk to Shipman, who had begun dating Nowak's former love interest, Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein, who was also an astronaut but has since left the astronaut corps. At the August hearing, Becton testified that when he searched Nowak's car, he found maps showing how to reach the airport, maps of the airport's layout, a buck knife and papers including a letter Nowak appeared to have written to Oefelein's mother. He also testified he found used and clean diapers in the car. Police previously said they also found a BB gun, a steel mallet, a 4-inch knife and rubber tubing in the vehicle. Nowak's attorneys in August filed a notice of intent to rely on an insanity defense, saying in court documents her diagnoses include a litany of more than a dozen psychiatric disorders. On August 30, Lubet granted Nowak's attorneys' request that her electronic tracking ankle bracelet be removed. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Cristy Lenz contributed to this report. | Judge: Lisa Nowak's statements and items in her car were unlawfully obtained .
Nowak's attorneys have said her comments were made under duress .
Former astronaut is accused of stalking and assaulting a romantic rival .
Nowak has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted kidnapping . |
273,338 | ee14d42f2b34f4bb5bf90d8c813934aa5d6b5e01 | By . Rosie Taylor . PUBLISHED: . 09:44 EST, 20 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:20 EST, 20 June 2013 . Threesome: Graham Allen Robertson admitted downloading indecent images of his ex-girlfriend onto CDs and putting them in envelopes addressed to her family and colleagues but denied mailing them . A 62-year-old male witch has avoided jail after photos of him having a threesome with his 30-year-old girlfriend and an unnamed man were mailed to her mother and work colleagues. Graham Allen Robertson was devastated at the end of his brief relationship with the woman after she began an affair with a separate man. In what was described as a cathartic ritual, he downloaded 51 of the indecent images onto 13 separate DVDs and labelled them with her name and the words 'The Shetland Dogger'. The discs were then sent to addresses in her home town of Lerwick, including the Shetland Islands Town Hall where she worked, numerous pubs and hotels, a taxi firm, hairdressers and the local boating club. But despite Mr Robertson admitting he had carefully packaged the discs in envelopes, he said he had never intended to send them and they were posted by a friend who had found them in his home in Glastonbury, Somerset. Mr Robertson, who describes himself as 'a witch', had several sexual encounters with the 30-year-old when she visited Glastonbury for a family holiday in October 2011, Somerset Magistrates heard. Prosecutor Simon Cooper said: 'They arranged to meet again and it was agreed Robertson would bring along a male friend to take part in consensual sexual activity with the woman and himself. 'While that was taking place, photographs of a sexually explicit nature were taken and she was aware of this.' Following the holiday she returned home and continued to contact Mr Robertson by phone and text messages. After another visit to Somerset six weeks later, he sent her a number of Christmas presents to her home, along with gifts for members of her family. Robertson then discovered she had started a relationship with another man from the Glastonbury area and as a result their relationship came to an end. He asked her to return the gifts he had sent her which she did apart from one, and it was after then that he downloaded 51 of the photographs onto discs. One by one the discs started to be received by businesses and individuals on the Shetland Islands, including the victim's own mother. Mr Cooper said: 'Several of the individuals contacted the police and when police searched Robertson's home address he handed over four similar discs with the same labelling. Significant: Mr Robertson describes himself as 'a witch' and said he chose to prepare 13 discs as the number has a special significance for him - but he maintains they were posted by a friend who found them in his hall . 'When he was interviewed he said he had become obsessed with the woman and the breakdown in their relationship had affected him very badly.' However, Mr Robertson told the court that despite previously saying that he had sent the discs, he had lied during his police interview to protect his new partner. He said he had suspected she sent them as he claimed she hated the victim after seeing the emotional breakdown he had suffered following their split. It was not until the autumn of 2012 that another woman, Julie Raybould, confessed that she had bought stamps and posted them on his behalf after finding them in the hallway of his home, saying she assumed he had intended to send them. Mr Robertson said he had prepared 13 discs and the number 13 was of great significance to him. 'I am a witch and I do things completely differently,' he said. 'They were not for sending but it was a symbolic thing I was doing. Not guilty: Mr Robertson was cleared by the court of sending offensive communications because the prosecution could not prove he posted the discs . 'I had a complete breakdown after the relationship ended and lost three stone in weight and was feeling very stressed. 'Downloading the photos onto discs was my way of dealing with this and I did a lot of research on the internet and found names and addresses of individuals and businesses and put the discs into envelopes but then put them away. 'I put all my frustrations and anger into it and that was my way of dealing with it, but they were never ever meant to be sent.' Mr Robertson's friend Ms Raybould, also from Glastonbury, said that she had found a large number of envelopes in Robertson's hallway and had taken them to a post office where she weighed them, bought stamps and then posted them to the various addresses not realising what they contained. In a written statement the victim explained that Mr Robertson had discovered her affair with the other man after she was tricked into accepting a friend request he had sent to her on Facebook while posing as a female. The police in Lerwick then contacted her saying that various people and businesses had started receiving the discs containing the explicit images. She said: 'He was bitter about me breaking contact with him and when I learned about the images he had sent I was shocked and felt physically sick.' Mr Robertson, of Manor Close, Glastonbury, denied 11 counts of sending a communication of an indecent or offensive nature between March 1, 2012 and March 31, 2012 when he appeared before Somerset Magistrates sitting at Yeovil on Tuesday. He was found not guilty after chairman of the Bench Christopher Thomas-Peter said it had not been proved beyond all reasonable doubt that Mr Robertson was the person who had sent the discs. | Graham Allen Robertson prepared CDs of illicit images after break-up .
But court heard they were posted by a friend who found them in his house .
Male witch said he only made CDs as 'cathartic ritual' and did not send them . |
28,065 | 4f89a42e62b6c23a5654b1263405773e3e4f06ee | (CNN) -- Passengers have been rescued from a gondola dangling over a freezing creek after the tower snapped in half Tuesday at a ski resort near Whistler, British Columbia. Rescuers try to reach the passengers trapped inside one of the suspended gondolas Tuesday. Doug Forseth, senior vice president of the resort, said a total of 53 passengers had been rescued. He said no more people are trapped. The section of the lift affected by the accident had 15 cars going up the mountain and 15 coming down at the time, but they were sparsely populated, Forseth said. Three people were freed on the up side, each in a different gondola car, along with 50 people divided among the 15 cars on the down side, he said. The accident occurred at a tower that was constructed in two pieces, and the top part came away from the lower part, Forseth said. He said resort officials did not know what caused the structural failure, but an investigation would be conducted Wednesday. Tyler Noble, a reporter for CNNRadio affiliate CKNW in Vancouver, was on the scene at the Whistler Blackcomb resort about 110 miles north of Vancouver. He reported that at least two gondola cars hit the ground after the accident, both from relatively low heights near the tower that split and caused the system's heavy cable line to slacken. "One hit a bus stop and the other hit a house," Noble said. "Another one was suspended over a creek, but everyone is out of that car." But Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Steve Wright stressed that no gondolas had fallen. Watch gondola dangle in the air » . "At no time was anyone in serous risk and at no time were the cars separated from the line," Wright said. Canadian Television News footage showed rescuers walking down a fire truck ladder escorting passengers from one gondola over the frozen water. At least six people were trapped inside that cabin, which was the closest to the base of the mountain, CTV News reported. Cynthia Jennings told CTV News she was in a car halfway down the mountain when the tower snapped. "All we saw were other cars swinging sideways and we thought we were going to crash to the ground," she told CTV News by cell phone. "I thought the whole cable system was going to come down. I couldn't even breathe." Authorities said they did not know the cause of the accident. "It just started really suddenly, we saw people running everywhere," Jean-Philippe Plante said. Watch passengers describe what happened » . Plante, from Vancouver, was visiting the ski resort when the gondola snapped. Plante said he planned to go skiing Tuesday morning, but changed his mind. "We just went for a walk, so I guess it's a good thing because we might have been one of the people stuck here," he said. No serious injuries were reported, but a spokeswoman for the Whistler Blackcomb resort said five people required medical attention. Three were taken to a nearby clinic and two were taken to a hospital as a precaution, said spokeswoman Tabetha Boot. Skiers were evacuated from the area and the resort -- site of the alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games -- was closed while authorities worked to remove riders from the cars and investigate the accident. The gondola cars affected were close to the ground when the accident occurred, Boot said. CNN's Nick Valencia contributed to this report. | NEW: All 53 people trapped on gondolas have been rescued, officials say .
Gondola tower at resort near Whistler, British Columbia, snaps in half .
At one point there were about 30 gondola cars suspended, police say .
No serious injuries were reported; situation under control, authorities say . |
10,106 | 1ca9bf09bf534add02b7cfe6ebae6d17cde66286 | By . Conor Sheils . PUBLISHED: . 11:12 EST, 12 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:08 EST, 13 April 2013 . Publican Alastair Scott discovered he was allergic to beer after taking an allergy test . A pub landlord who tastes ales for a living has discovered he is allergic to BEER. Alastair Scott was the first in the UK to qualify as a beer sommelier after it became a recognised qualification two years ago. However, after working in the pub industry for more than 20 years, he was devastated to find out he couldn't stomach beer any longer. Alistair took a home intolerance test after feeling unwell for months but was shocked to find that this was all down to the yeast in beer. Alistair, 49, said: 'I almost wanted to double check it and get it changed! 'I didn't think it was right, I just didn't believe it. 'I was coughing a lot and spluttering in the mornings, and generally feeling tired and lethargic. 'I wouldn't have done anything about it if other people hadn't complained - it was my family that made me find out because I had just accepted I wasn't very well. 'I was worried about what I wasn't going to be able to have but I never thought it would be beer. The father-of-three earns a living by travelling around the country, taste-testing beer. He said: I'm in the pub for work three or four days a week and it's rare that I don't have a drink for work purposes 3 or 4 times a week. 'Sometimes I can drink up to six ales in a pub.' Alastair's work involves reviewing beer and matching specific ales to different foods. He added: 'Beer is a big part of my life and I just cant avoid it, I'm heavily involved in the pub industry, I just love it. 'It's a great job - it's hard work but I feel I'm lucky to be able to visit pubs and help them through their beer.' Worrying times: The father-of-three travels across the UK taste testing beer for a living . Alastair, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, used an at -home YorkTest kit which showed he suffered a severe reaction to yeast, which is found in many of the things he enjoys every day. He said: 'It's in beer, wine, bread, even salad dressing. 'It could have been caused by drinking too much of it. I mainly drink ales and they are very heavily yeasted so I may have just overloaded my body.' Mr Scott owns the Square and Compass bar in Harrogate, Yorkshire (pictured) along with another bar in Bristol . But as beer is essential to his job, Alistair has been forced to take on a new approach to get him through the working week. 'I now sip not sup, that's more difficult than you think because you have to properly drink ales to decipher the full flavour. 'You can't just swill it round your mouth and spit it out like you can do with wine. 'I'm just going to have a bit now though rather than drinking full pints!' Despite the allergy Mr Scott claims he will carry on drinking beer in smaller amouts . Alistair, who owns two pubs in Bristol and Harrogate, has had to change what he drinks socially because of his new-founded allergy. 'Duvel ale was always my favourite beer but it has a very large amount of yeast in it so I've now switched to drinking lager. 'I spoke to Carlsberg who told me there are only trace amounts of wheat in most lagers as they are so heavily filtered, so they shouldn't affect me. 'I would rather cut out bread than beer and, I just love it that much. 'I'm hoping if I can stay off it for the summer, then I might be able to see how it goes!' | Alastair Scott took home allergy test after feeling tired and unwell .
The pub landlord was shocked when he discovered he was allergic to wheat - a key ingredient in beer .
But the defiant ale lover insists he will continue to drink . |
32,372 | 5c0e969a377a83ed9046222825d7fe4a03ca327b | By . Leon Watson . Dramatic pictures emerged today of a tornado-like cloud formation whirling in the skies off the coast of West Sussex. Stunned witnesses described seeing the giant funnel of cloud over the English Channel near the seaside town of Selsey around 7.15pm. Coastguards launched a lifeboat as a precaution, but there was no distress signal. Storm brewing: Father-of-two Carey Mackinnon, a Coastguard watch manager, took this picture of a tornado-like cloud formation off the coast of West Sussex . Twisting cloud formations like those . pictured only technically qualify as tornadoes if they make contact with . the ground - over sea they are usually called waterspouts. But despite their name, waterspouts do not suck up water as the water seen in the main funnel cloud is actually water droplets formed by condensation. Father-of-two Carey Mackinnon, a Coastguard watch manager, saw the formation. The 57-year-old said: 'I was driving to Selsey from Chichester to deliver some lights when I saw out of the window a long way in front of me. 'It was an incredible sight, something I've never seen before in England. I've seen them on TV of course, but not here. 'I stopped the car and took some pictures and then drove on to a car park near the lifeboat station to take some more. It really was quite dramatic and the pictures rather belittle it. Ominous: Mr Mackinnon, 57, stopped his car to take this picture as he was on his way to the seaside town . Dramatic: Twisting cloud formations like these only technically qualify as tornadoes if they make contact with the ground . 'It looked like you could see water being sucked up into it, as if there must have been thousands and thousands of gallons going up. 'I saw a cruise ship going towards it and the people on board that must have had an incredible view.' Selsey has been hit by tornadoes . before. In January 1998 a tornado damaged 1,000 buildings, causing . damage estimated at £10 million. Roofs were ripped off, walls and fences blown over and trees uprooted as the tornado cut a swathe through the town. The tornado also wrecked the observatory belonging to celebrity astronomer Patrick Moore, who lives in the town. Selsey was also hit by a tornado in 1986. Then it damaged 200 houses and cut a swathe 70 metres wide. | Witnesses described seeing a funnel of cloud over the English Channel .
Coastguards launched a lifeboat, but there was no distress signal .
Seaside town of Selsey hit by tornadoes .
before, in 1998 and 1986 . |
62,064 | b057ca0b5a4e6bb83544208a04de0ec8377b6d3b | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Charlie Sheen plans to return to work on his hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men" by the end of February, his representative said Thursday. CBS placed the show on "production hiatus" after the actor began rehab treatments in the wake of an emergency hospital visit last week. "My understanding is that he will be back on the set at the end of February," Sheen representative Stan Rosenfield said. The network ordered additional episodes of the sitcom "Rules of Engagement" to fill any gap in their Monday night schedule, but if Sheen returns as expected they may not be needed. Sheen issued a written statement Wednesday thanking his fellow cast members, the show's crew and network executives for their support. It did not directly address the incident. "I have a lot of work to do to be able to return the support I have received from so many people," Sheen said in a statement . "Like Errol Flynn, who had to put down his sword on occasion, I just want to say, 'thank you,'" Sheen said. Sheen was "very, very intoxicated, also apparently in a lot of pain" last Thursday morning, according to a 911 call from a doctor who had just talked to the actor. "Kind of weird, the phone call I received," Dr. Paul Nassif told the Los Angeles Fire Department dispatcher in the recorded call, which was released by the fire department Wednesday. Porn actress Kacey Jordan has told media outlets that a two-day party preceded Sheen's collapse. Paramedics went to Sheen's Los Angeles home and then took him by ambulance to a hospital, where he spent several hours. Sheen's representative later blamed a hernia for Sheen's pain and ambulance ride to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He did not respond to a CNN request for comment on the 911 call Wednesday. Sheen's manager has said the actor is undergoing rehab at home, not in a residential facility. Nassif, in an interview Tuesday with HLN's "Showbiz Tonight," said he couldn't tell if Sheen, who is his friend, was drunk. What he told the emergency dispatcher last week was different. "I got him on the phone and he was very, very intoxicated, also apparently in a lot of pain," Nassif said on the 911 call. He told the dispatcher that Sheen was saying, "Don't call 911." Nassif is a facial plastic surgeon and is not Sheen's medical doctor, Nassif told HLN. He later explained to HLN that he was protecting his friend by saying in Tuesday's interview that he wasn't sure Sheen was drunk. Sheen and now ex-wife Brooke Mueller were married in Nassif's Beverly Hills home, Nassif said. Nassif's wife, Adrienne Maloof-Nassif, appears on "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." "They wanted to get married, and a mutual friend introduced all of us, and they said, 'Let's get married, can we get married at your house?' and that's how we met and soon after that we became very good friends," Nassif said. Nassif drove Sheen home from the hospital, but he declined to provide details of their conversation. "There were things he said I don't feel comfortable" disclosing, Nassif said. At another point in the interview, Nassif added: "Obviously we all want Charlie to keep his sobriety. No one can push him into it." CNN's Kareen Wynter contributed to this report. | The actor began rehab last week after an emergency hospital visit .
Sheen's "Two and a Half Men" is on a "production hiatus"
CBS ordered extra espisodes of another sitcom to fill the gap . |
47,207 | 8508b9897df06c3e7a4efddd666c23f5aab8049e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:22 EST, 14 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:35 EST, 14 September 2012 . Quackers council chiefs have banned a bow tie-wearing duck from collecting cash for charity - unless it gets a permit. The bird - called Star - wears a dickie bow and waddles alongside his owner Barrie Hayman raising money for sick youngsters. Star and Barrie regularly visit businesses collecting cash from the public - already raising £6,500 for a children’s hospice. Kind hearted: Barrie Hayman and Star (pictured together) have collected thousands of pounds for charity as a popular double act on the streets of Devon . But Mr Hayman has now been told by several councils that his sidekick could be deemed 'irritating' and needs a permit. Mr Hayman, of Bideford, Devon, now has to apply 28 days in advance for a single day’s permit - meaning he would only be allowed to collect on one day each month. He said: 'If I was putting into my own pocket, I could understand it, but everything goes to the sick children. 'If a permit covered me for a year and I was able to visit a different town each day, that would be fine, but on this basis I don’t think I can carry on.' Mr Hayman and Star collect on average £200 a day by going into businesses around North and Mid Devon. Partnership: Mr Hayman (pictured left) fears he and Star (pictured left and right) could be restricted to collecting just one day a month under the terms of the permit . Star dons a bow tie and Barrie . carries a bucket and together the pair have raised £6,500 for Children’s . Hospice South West in Fremington, Devon. But council officials say to be fair to all charities, they must limit how often fundraisers are allowed to collect cash. They . also say they have to ensure charity collectors are limited in their . efforts to make sure they do not become 'irritating' to the public. But local businesses have slammed the decision and are calling for Star to be allowed to collect money as often as possible. Sally . Shephard, of Blazeys Deli in Bideford, said: 'If other charities have . complained, they must be jealous that Barrie has got off his backside to . do something to help. 'He entertains so many people. They crowd around him, and he does an amazing job. Cute: Star, an Indian runner duck, pictured when he was just days old . 'We all feel very upset because it’s such an amazing charity. Everyone’s in uproar.' Mr Hayman says the enforcement was started by North Devon District Council, who told him certain charities had complained. He is now facing the same instructions from Torridge and Mid Devon district councils. A North Devon District Council spokesman said: 'All he’s got to do is apply for a street collection permit, which is a fairly simple process. 'Our policy is to allow one charity collection per day per parish, so that the streets aren’t full of people collecting for charity, which is irritating to the public. 'We need to give all charities equal opportunities to collect.' Alana Marie Smith, director of fundraising for the hospice, said Star’s work had been ‘wonderful’. She said: 'Barrie and Star are tremendous in their fundraising efforts and in their wonderful support of the sick children.' | Barrie Hayman told that Star the duck could be deemed 'irritating' by the public .
Mr Hayman fears permit would restrict how many days they could work each month .
The quirky double-act have raised thousands of pounds for sick children by collecting on the streets of Devon . |
189,033 | 80cd7d07018659c638843d94f1981019f98945cf | By . Dan Bloom . Since the dawn of air travel, we've felt guilty for gorging on fried food in dingy departure lounges in the middle of the night. But red-eyed passengers finally have an excuse to scoff themselves silly - because a carb-heavy fry-up could help conquer jet lag. Scientists have said foods which kick-start a big release of insulin, such as carbohydrates, could be crucial to resetting our body clock when we get out of sync with our natural cycle. Eat up... then go to bed! Researchers in Japan claim to have found a link between insulin - triggered when we eat many foods, including carbohydrates - and the resetting of our circadian rhythms which govern sleep . The researchers at Yamaguchi University, Japan, were trying to find ways of disrupting circadian rhythms, which govern how much our bodies want to sleep and when. It has long been known that darkness prompts the body to feel sleepy by sending signals to a central 'pacemaker' in the brain. In the same way, natural light makes us feel more awake. But the researchers also said each of our millions of cells has its own miniature sleep pattern which, when they are all taken together, contribute to the body overall. They found insulin could kick-start the tiny sleep patterns within each cell and encourage our bodies to change the time at which we want to fall asleep. The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, tested the theory on mice which were fed unusually large meals during the night. Airline food: Passengers on a red-eye flight could now have a good excuse for gorging on unhealthy meals . Scans of the rodents' liver cells found insulin, the hormone released by the pancreas when they ate food high in sugar and starch, had an effect on the cells' circadian rhythms. Dr Makoto Akashi, one of the lead researchers on the project, said: 'In short, insulin may . help the stomach clock synchronize with mealtime. 'For example, for jet lag, dinner should be enriched with ingredients promoting insulin secretion, which might lead to a phase advance of the circadian clock, whereas breakfast would be the opposite.' There would be side effects to using insulin to treat insomniacs, Dr Akashi warned. And any treatment would not be as effective on patients with type 2 diabetes, who have problems producing the hormone. The researcher added his theory needs more testing before it can be seen as conclusive. But he claimed the research could be crucial to the world's health - as defying our natural sleep patterns 'carries a significant . risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, . sleep disorders, and cancer'. | Research was carried out by scientists from Yamaguchi University in Japan .
It has long been known light affects the circadian rhythms of sleep .
But scientists experimented on mice to see if food could also have an effect .
Tiny circadian rhythms existed inside cells triggered by insulin, they found .
Hormone could help 'reset' the body clock - helping air passengers . |
72,384 | cd343b9e1b9bba073649c0a6cb55e219bc16d9de | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 23:26 EST, 14 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 23:29 EST, 14 June 2013 . The Associated Press obtained a report Friday that detailed the investigation into misconduct by the top official at the U.S. Military Academy. According to the report by Pentagon investigators, Lt. Gen. David Huntoon, the school's superintendent, didn't properly compensate workers at a charity dinner and used his position to obtain 'car care' among other things. The Department of Defense inspector general concluded that West Point superintendent Lt. Gen. Huntoon misused his position, government resources and personnel, according to a heavily redacted report released to The in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. West Point officials said they would not comment on the report, which said Huntoon took full responsibility and repaid the affected parties $1,815 based on prevailing labor rates. Review: A report obtained by the AP details the investigation into misconduct by Lt. Gen. David Huntoon, the superintendent of West Point . The report said the Army inspector general conducted a preliminary inquiry in 2010 into allegations Huntoon improperly allowed an employee to get government quarters at West Point based on a 'personal relationship' with her. The Army investigators determined those allegations were unfounded. The separate Pentagon investigation found Huntoon improperly used government personnel, accepted gifts of services from subordinates and misused his position. In the case of the charity dinner, workers were paid with $30 and $40 Starbucks gift cards, which investigators said was 'not sufficient.' Redactions in the report make it impossible to determine the complete nature of most episodes or details about the people involved in them. For example, the report says Huntoon misused his position to get cat-feeding help for a friend, but it was unclear who was feeding the cats and who the friend was. It also is unclear which relative or friend received driving lessons. Cats: One of the highlights of the report is that Huntoon misused his position in order to get 'cat-feeding services' for a friend . Improper pay: In one instance, Huntoon had workers at a charity dinner paid with $30 or $40 dollar Starbucks gift cards . Forced out?: Huntoon will be retiring this summer - something army officials deny is related to the 2010 investigation . Military officials first disclosed in April that an inspector general's investigation found Huntoon had engaged in misconduct, but they did not release specifics about the report. At that time, the Army said Huntoon had no pending disciplinary action against him. The report released Friday called for the secretary of the Army to 'consider appropriate corrective action' in regards to Huntoon. In a statement, an Army spokesman said the report was referred to the vice chief of staff of the Army, who is responsible for handling disciplinary actions. Lt. Col. Justin Platt said that on October 5, 2012, Huntoon was issued a 'written memorandum of concern, which admonished him for the improper use of subordinate personnel for unofficial purposes.' Platt said the report found that Huntoon improperly used two enlisted aides for unofficial functions at his headquarters and that a subordinate employee 'improperly provided driving lessons to a family member of LTG Huntoon.' Huntoon, a 1973 West Point graduate, will retire this summer after three years as superintendent. Army officials have said the retirement comes after 40 years of service and is not related to the investigation. The investigation into his actions was among a series of negative stories from the venerable academy on the Hudson River. An Army sergeant assigned to West Point was charged last month with secretly photographing and videotaping at least a dozen women at the academy, including in a bathroom. And West Point's men's rugby team is temporarily disbanded after cadets forwarded emails that were derogatory to women. | Lt. Gen Devid Huntoon, superintendent of West Point was investigated for misconduct as early as 2010 .
Report found he misused position to get cat-feed services and driving lessons for friends .
For a charity dinner, he paid workers in $30 and $40 dollar Starbucks gift cards .
Huntoon will be retiring from his position this summer . |
87,979 | f99fb23e7031d50818dfb62c398b4363250f0213 | The scheme is named after Clare Wood, 36, who was strangled and set on fire in 2009 by her ex-boyfriend who had a hidden history of abuse . Women have uncovered the abusive pasts of more than 1,300 partners under Clare's Law since it was introduced 12 months ago. The figures underline the shocking scale of abuse taking place behind closed doors across England and Wales. Police forces took action on more than one out of three occasions, passing on sensitive information 1,335 times out of 3,760 applications. Clare's Law was rolled out nationally in March last year, following a 14-month pilot in Gwent, Wiltshire, Nottinghamshire and Greater Manchester. It allows the police to disclose information about a partner's previous history of domestic violence or violent acts. The scheme is named after Clare Wood, 36, who was strangled and set on fire in 2009 by her ex-boyfriend who had a hidden history of abuse. Her father Michael Brown, 71, said he is 'quietly delighted' the law is being used, but fears the figures are only the 'tip of the iceberg'. He said: 'This is just people that are coming to the fore. This is only the tip of the iceberg. There's an awful lot of it not reported, people are frightened to come forward. 'We didn't have the lofty ambitions to do away with domestic violence – that would have been nonsensical. 'What we did was try to give ladies and gents who were in trouble another chink in their armour. I think we succeeded in that. 'This is just the start. This is what it is in just the first year, all these people know about Clare's Law, they're going to tell another five, another dozen, and next year this is going to snowball.' Michael Brown (second left), the father of murdered Clare Wood said he's 'quietly delighted' law is being used . Figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws revealed huge regional variations in the likelihood of information being released. Outside the four forces involved with the Clare's Law pilot, Lancashire had the highest number of disclosures at 146, while Norfolk had made five disclosures, the lowest level. Greater Manchester is the force most likely to reveal information, which it did in 60 per cent of cases, while in neighbouring Merseyside the figure is just 11 per cent. Miss Wood, 36, was strangled and set on fire by her ex-boyfriend George Appleton at her home in Salford, Greater Manchester. Appleton had a history of violence towards women and prowled dating websites, often using different aliases. He hanged himself six days later in a derelict pub. Other figures revealed the courts have granted 2,220 domestic violence protection orders, which can be used to protect victims. The orders were launched in the same month following a one-year pilot in West Mercia, Wiltshire and Greater Manchester. Salford and Eccles MP Hazel Blears, who campaigned for the law, said the figures show the scale of the threat of domestic violence. But she said she is concerned that the variations in disclosures suggest the law is being applied differently by forces. Last year, the police watchdog found thousands of domestic violence victims are being failed by police due to 'alarming and unacceptable weaknesses'. There were 269,700 domestic abuse-related crimes in England and Wales between 2012 and 2013, with 77 women killed by their partners or ex-partners in the same period. On average, the police receive an emergency call relating to domestic violence every 30 seconds and around 8 per cent of recorded crime is made up of abuse in the home. Polly Neate, of Women's Aid, said any woman who asks for help under Clare's Law should also be referred to support groups for help. | Clare's Law was rolled out in March last year following death of Clare Wood .
She died at the hands of an ex-boyfriend who had hidden history of abuse .
Has allowed police to pass on information about partner's violent past .
Women uncovered abuse pasts of more than 1,300 partners since then . |
242,749 | c63267f5fbd483ec2a1736e28ec9d61d7427b420 | The mother who was pictured crying in a mugshot after she left her kids in her car to attend a job interview has finally regained custody of the children. Shanesha Taylor, 35, from Phoenix, Arizona, was granted custody of her three children at a hearing in a Maricopa County courtroom on Thursday. The court previously agreed to dismiss the abuse charges against her as long as she completes parenting classes. 'I finally breathed,' Taylor told AZ Central after the hearing. 'I don't think I breathed for three days before that.' Scroll down for video . Relief: Shanesha Taylor smiled with relief on Thursday after regaining custody of her three children. The single mom was arrested after two of the children were found in her car as she went for an interview in March . Smiles: Taylor, pictured with her attorney, said she was looking forward to having ice cream with the kids . The single mother-of-three and Air Force veteran was barred from seeing the children after she was arrested on March 20 for leaving her two sons - aged six months and two years - alone in her car for 45 minutes while she went for an interview. A witness found the baby crying hysterically and sweating profusely as temperatures inside the SUV topped 100 degrees . Emotional: Taylor, 35, appeared in this teary mug shot following her arrest in Arizona in March . According to court documents, firefighters found the vehicle's windows rolled down an inch and no running air conditioning to keep the children cool. The story made national headlines after Taylor's emotional mug shot emerged, and she revealed that she had acted out of desperation after the babysitter pulled out at the last minute. 'It was me knowing my family was in crisis and knowing that I had to make a choice between providing for my children or caring for my children,' she told Matt Lauer on the Today show earlier this summer. As strangers donated more than $114,000 to pay her legal fees and other expenses, the story sparked a national debate about how much access single mothers or those in dire financial situations have to public assistance. She was released from jail on March 31. Her children were taken to hospital on the day of her arrest but were not found to have suffered any injuries. They were placed with family and Taylor was eventually allowed to see them under supervision. After the court's decision on Thursday, she was allowed to collect her children and she said she planned on seeing them as soon as possible - and expected they'd be getting ice cream. Taylor said she is still looking for a job and hopes to land one in the service industry. See below for video . | Shanesha Taylor was granted custody of her children at a hearing last week and said she planned to collect them and take them for ice cream .
The mother-of-three and Air Force veteran was arrested in March after she left two of her kids alone in a car for 45 minutes as she went for an interview .
The story made national headlines after her teary mug shot went viral .
The court agreed to dismiss the charges if she completes parenting classes .
Taylor, 35, is still looking for a job . |
169,859 | 67d4c89c46005892cc15d3482749a1ab5948da93 | Aurora, Colorado (CNN) -- Last week, Ashley Moser lost her daughter Veronica when the young girl was among 12 people killed when a man opened fire in a packed Colorado movie theater. And now she's suffered another tragedy. Moser was among scores wounded in the Aurora shooting. She is one of 11 victims still recovering at three hospitals, including five in critical condition. "Tragically, the extreme trauma she sustained also caused a miscarriage," the Moser family said in a statement Saturday. Funeral arrangements for 6-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan are still pending, according to the statement. The girl was the youngest person killed in the rampage, which authorities say was carried out by a 24-year-old recent dropout from a Ph.D. program in neuroscience at the University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. He is being held without bond in a Colorado prison. 4 victims remembered at memorials . Veronica's mother, meanwhile, faces significant physical and emotional challenges, undergoing an additional surgery Saturday morning. The family statement asked people to go to any Wells Fargo bank to donate to the "Donation Account for Ashley and Veronica Moser" to help her in the months and years ahead. "Our sincere appreciation goes out to all of those who have been sending well-wishes, prayers and good thoughts to Ashley," the family said. "Her lifetime of care will be a long road." At a loss: Comforting grieving parents . Making peace with a monster . Colorado shooting: Stories of survival . CNN's Elwyn Lopez contributed to this report. | Ashley Moser was one of dozens wounded in a July 20 Colorado theater shooting .
"The extreme trauma she sustained also caused a miscarriage," the family adds .
Her 6-year-old daughter, Veronica, was among 12 killed in the rampage . |
118,939 | 2595376cd10077d6f9afc6ba6b49df155557d7d6 | Unnecessary: Valerie George shows a strand of cotton similar to the one which she dropped on the floor, landing her with a £75 fine . When a strand of cotton fell from one of her gloves as she was out shopping, Valerie George didn’t even notice. So the 71-year-old grandmother was astonished when a council warden pointed out the thread on the pavement – and handed her a £75 spot fine for dropping litter. ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes,’ she said yesterday. ‘I’m just an ordinary grandmother out shopping, not a litter lout throwing rubbish around.’ Mrs George said that when the environmental enforcement officer first stopped her, she had protested her innocence. But then he took her to the scene of the crime, showed her the curled-up strand of cotton, and issued the fine. Yesterday, council officials continued to insist that an offence had been committed, but said they would no longer be demanding that Mrs George paid the penalty, which would have had to come out of her £105 weekly pension. The pensioner said: ‘I wouldn’t have paid it anyway – I would rather have gone to court. It is ridiculous.’ Mrs George, the wife of a retired factory worker, was shopping in her home town of Brynmawr, near Ebbw Vale, South Wales, when she was stopped. ‘I had caught my watch on my glove and a piece of cotton had come off and fallen to the ground,’ she said. Fine: Mrs George was handed the penalty by an over-zealous official . ‘I didn’t notice. If I had I would have picked it up. I told the man it was a complete accident but he said it was still litter and to take the matter up in court. ‘It was a strand of cotton, not a cigarette butt. I can’t believe they would fine a pensioner for dropping something like that. ‘I asked the enforcement officer, who was burly and rude, “Are you really going to take £75 off an old age pensioner?” ‘I am a pensioner, I’ve worked all my life and I’ve never claimed anything. I live on my £105 pension – £75 is a big chunk of that for dropping a tiny piece of cotton.’ The incident happened on a busy street in Brynmawr, South Wales (file photo) Her husband Les, 72, said: ‘My wife was very shaken by the whole thing.’ Blaenau Gwent Council yesterday confirmed that a fixed penalty fine had been issued for the piece of cotton but said it had withdrawn it after an investigation. A spokesman said: ‘While we are satisfied an offence was committed, it is not in line with our priority of tackling litter more associated with affecting street cleanliness.’ In 2009, Kerrie-Anne Hickin, 30, was given a £75 fine after a tissue she was using to wipe her nose blew away in strong winds as she ran to catch a bus in Oldbury, West Midlands. Last year, Nicola Bayston was threatened with a fine of up to £75,000 after putting up 1,000 posters around her home in South Hiendley, South Yorkshire, when her Patterdale terriers, Jess, five, and Bramble, three, disappeared. | Valerie George, 71, handed on-the-spot fine . |
2,832 | 084e7df11ee1ff017f2282f10d1058e2f3bce85f | England physio Gary Lewin was carried off on a stretcher with a dislocated ankle in bizarre circumstances after Daniel Sturridge's equaliser. Lewin, a former member of Arsenal's physio staff, picked up the injury after standing on a water bottle while celebrating England's 37th-minute leveller - and was even carried off on the stretcher usually reserved for his players and will fly back to England. Roy Hodgson's staff jumped off the bench in celebration but Lewin, who will be replaced by Steve Kemp for the remainder of the tournament, immediately fell to the floor and repeatedly banged the ground with his fist. Sore one: Gary Lewin was taken off in the fist half after hurting his ankle in the dugout . Lewin was left in pain after standing on the water bottle in Manaus and needed urgent medical treatment . England manager Roy Hodgson and Italy coach Cesare Prandelli talk while Lewin is treated . The physio was said to be 'gutted' after being stretchered off from the side of the pitch in Manaus on Saturday night . Attention: Lewin injured himself while celebrating Sturridge's equalising goal against Italy . Concern: It was a mystery initially who had gone down after Sturridge's goal in the 2-1 loss to Italy . The 37th minute incident saw Lewin receiving medical treatment from both FIFA officials and players before he was ushered down the tunnel . Lad-up: The physio left the playing area on a stretcher after slipping while celebrating Daniel Sturridge's goal . Lewin was stretchered off after he dislocated his ankle by standing on a water bottle while celebrating . 'That was a very sad moment for us,' England boss Roy Hodgson said. 'In celebrating the goal he jumped up, landed on a water bottle and dislocated his ankle. 'It was very painful. He was taken to hospital. The doctor set it, put it back in at the side of the field, but it's the end of the World Cup for Gary.' Lewin left the field on a stretcher after a short break in play, with the team's Twitter official feed, @england, swiftly confirming the severity of the injury. 'England physio Gary Lewin was injured during celebrations for @england's goal,' the post said. 'He has dislocated his ankle. Get well soon Gary #3Lions' The Football Association later said the 50-year-old Londoner had suffered a fracture and dislocation. An FA spokesperson added: 'We do have another physio with us - Steve Kemp.' With little known about the protocol for injured medical staff, given the rarity of the situation, Lewin was quickly surrounded by a crowd of around a dozen staff from both sides and FIFA. Lewin was first team physio at Arsenal for 22 years and became an England physio in 1996 alongside his job at the North London club. But in 2008 he quit the Gunners to become Head of Physiotherapy for the national side. In 2007, Lewin was credited with possibly saving John Terry's life in the League Cup Final after the Chelsea captain swallowed his tounge and Lewin, then Arsenal physio, was first off the bench to assist him. During his time at Arsenal he was also credited with saving striker Eduardo's career after he suffered a horror leg break. Hodgson’s staff haven’t had much luck with injuries recently – assistant manager Ray Lewington is on crutches after emergency knee surgery 24 hours before the team’s final friendly against Honduras. England manager Roy Hodgson confirmed Lewin (pictured at the airport ready to fly home) had suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle. He said: 'It is the end of the World Cup for him I'm afraid' On the mend: Lewin was put in a wheelchair after having his ankle tended to . Get well soon: Theo Walcott sends his best wishes to Lewin, who he has worked with for Arsenal and England . Help: Lewin was first team physio at Arsenal for 22 years and became England's in 1996 . | Daniel Sturridge scores equaliser against Italy and England staff celebrate .
England physio Gary Lewin stood on water bottle during celebration, dislocating his ankle, and was carried off on a stretcher .
Steve Kemp will replace Lewin as England physio for rest of tournament . |
99,503 | 0c33d8f7a6b01e8520a85b71e3ea0bd652afde3a | (CNN) -- A small plane crashed Friday near an Ohio-area high school during a football scrimmage. Spectators at a high school football scrimmage watch as a plane goes down Friday in Ohio. Spectators at a practice game at Harrison High School watched from the bleachers as the plane went down at 8:08 p.m. ET, said police officer Jennifer Coyle, who witnessed the incident. Two people on the plane died at the crash scene, authorities said. According to CNN affiliate WLWT, witnesses said the plane was heading toward the football field when it suddenly dropped, crashing in a gravel pit near the school. "It looked like he was going straight for the boys on the field, but then just did a straight nosedive," Mindy Brinson told WLWT. It is not yet known what caused the plane to crash. Harrison is in the southwest corner of Ohio. CNN's Dave Alsup contributed to this report. | Plane crashes near football scrimmage at Ohio high school .
Witness says plane was headed toward field when it did a sudden nosedive .
Two people on board died in the crash, authorities say . |
256,386 | d7d9ade0de8b3502b288c3552aa46c18c91a7ff8 | By . Daniel Miller . Shoppers will soon be able to use their mobile phones to scan items themselves and then pay for them without unloading the trolley. Sainsbury's is currently testing the new Scan & Go app at stores in Tadley, Hants, Clerkenwell in central London and Bethnal Green, East London. It allows users to bag their shopping up as they walk around the store and pay for them at a self-checkout counter without having to unload. Trolley good show: Sainsbury's supermarket are testing a new app that allows you to scan and pay for your goods with your phone . The innovative programme even directs customers around the store according to the items on their shopping list potentially saving even more time. The customer logs in by scanning a Quick Response(QR) code, when they arrive. They then scan the QR codes on packaging or on the shelf next to the price information. Loose items like fruit and vegetables are weighed on scales, and a QR code is printed out which can be scanned by the app. Smart buy: Customers scan the QR codes on packaging or on the shelf next to the pricing information using their mobile phone camera . The customer is then able to pay for their shop at the self checkout without the hassle of having to unload . A learning function monitors spending habits and flashes up special offers depending on the shopper's whereabouts in the the store. Critics suggest the system will enable supermarkets to cut back on staff and effectively spy on their customers by monitoring their spending habits. But Sainbury's describes the system as a third option and insist they are not planning to phase out manned or self-service tills. | Sainsbury's testing the new Scan & Go service at three of its stores . |
178,783 | 73770c0f4a5117aa739558472124eff474f68811 | Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- Kenyan soldiers, as part of African Union forces in Somalia, captured the key Al-Shabaab-controlled town of Afmadow on Wednesday, according to a Kenyan Defence Force spokesman. "We now control Afmadow with our troops," Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir told CNN. The operation started early Wednesday, he said, with KDF forces capturing the town of Hayo. Six Al-Shabaab militants were killed in that operation. "(The troops) then moved straight onto Afmadow," said Chirchir. Military analysts believe that Afmadow is a key step in Kenya's campaign against Al-Shabaab, the Islamic militant group they have been fighting since they entered Somalia in October of last year. The town would serve as a staging point for any move on Kismayo, Al-Shabaab's stronghold in southern Somalia. "Afmadow is an important administrative town that was supplying Al-Shabaab fighters with money. It was their nerve center," said Chirchir. "After the fall of Amfadow there is only Kismayo." Last week, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said it, along with Somali troops, had launched an offensive against militants in the Afgoye corridor, a densely-populated enclave near the volatile Somali capital of Mogadishu. The corridor, which has been controlled by the al Qaeda-backed Al-Shabaab, is populated with one of the largest populations of internally displaced people. The African Union said the militants have blocked many aid agencies from operating in the area. The campaign was "going well," AMISOM spokesman, Lt. Col. Paddy Nkunda said last week. "Al-Shabaab tried to fight, but they know they are about to lose Afgoye and our soldiers broke through their early resistance." Al-Shabaab announced in February that it was tightening its ties to al Qaeda. It has long been considered a terrorist movement by the United States. Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency against Somalia's feeble Transitional Federal Government since 2007, but has suffered recent setbacks in its heartland in southern Somalia. AMISOM and government forces drove Al-Shabaab fighters from the center of Mogadishu last year, while Kenyan troops crossed into southern Somalia in October to hit back for a rash of kidnappings it blamed on the group. Despite their efforts, however, Al-Shabaab has continued to launch terror attacks in the capital. In a second operation, 14 Al-Shabaab militants were killed and 10 others injured Tuesday when a Kenyan Defense Forces naval ship engaged with militants at an Al-Shabaab seaport watch station, the KDF said. "The incident occurred when a KDF naval ship was conducting routine sea patrol in the vicinity of (the) port of Kismayu," according to a KDF statement. Two on-shore structures were destroyed, officials said. Elsewhere, in Fafadun, 20 Al-Shabaab militants surrendered to KDF, officials said. | Kenyan troops now control Afmadow, an official says .
The town is considered a key step in the campaign against Al-Shabaab .
African Union troops last week launched an offensive against the militants . |
224,441 | ae9c0584301c0470e88d4992e931e23707d54dd6 | A father-of-three serving in Helmand was shot dead by a rogue Afghan soldier just days before he was due to fly home. Lance Corporal Michael Foley was one of two family men murdered when Lieutenant Gul Nazir went berserk with his semi-automatic rifle after being refused entry to the UK’s base in Lashkar Gah. The 25-year-old from Burnley fell alongside father-of-one Sergeant Luke Taylor, 33, in the attack on Monday. Brave: Sergeant Luke Taylor of the Royal Marines, left, and Lance Corporal Michael Foley of the Adjutant General’s Corps, right, were killed at the base in Lashkar Gah on Monday . L/Cpl Foley, who served with the . Adjutant General’s Corps, leaves his wife Sophie and their three sons . Calum, Warren and Jake. He deployed to Afghanistan in September and was . preparing to return to his loved ones. Sgt Taylor, from Bournemouth, was . serving with the Royal Marines and had been in the warzone just four . weeks. He leaves wife Nicola and young son Roan. Nazir was shot dead by British troops. The shooting was the latest in a string of 'green on blue' attacks in which members of the Afghan security forces have opened fire on international allies. Tragic: The shooting took place at the British HQ in Lashkar Gar in Helmand province . Lieutenant . Gul Nazir is said to have arrived in an army vehicle with several men . pretending to be assigned to guard a delegation of VIPs visiting the . base. But when he was challenged by guards . and told to wait outside, he opened fire with an M16 semi-automatic . rifle, killing the two men and wounding a third. Ghulam Farooq Parwani, deputy . commander of the Afghan National Army (ANA) in Helmand, said the gunman . had told sentries he was providing security for government ministers . from Kabul. Tribute: Defence Secretary Philip Hammond led tributes to the 'true and devoted family men', saying they 'died in the service of their country' Sgt Taylor, from Bournemouth, Dorset, . leaves behind his wife Nicola and their son Roan, while L/Cpl Foley, . from Burnley, Lancashire, leaves his wife Sophie and their three sons . Calum, Warren and Jake. It is understood that Sgt Taylor worked in intelligence. He had only arrived in Afghanistan four weeks before his death. The Royal Marine’s commanding officer, who cannot be named because of the nature of his work, described him as 'a natural leader with inspirational flair who was devoted to his family'. He added: 'Sgt Luke Taylor was one of those very unique ‘soldiers’ who combined the highest professional standards with a completely disarming and relaxed personality. 'Always an absolute pleasure to work with. You knew that Sgt Taylor would deliver first time, every time.' Another colleague said: 'He had one of those infectious charismas, always able to talk himself out of a situation. For me, like so many, Luke was simply an inspiration.' A joint British-Afghan investigation has been launched to try to discover whether Nazir was working for the Taliban. The renegade soldier was a member of . the Fourth Kandak of 3-215 Brigade and had been a soldier for four . years. The Taliban said he had been in close contact with them. But a . military insider in Whitehall said: ‘The Taliban often over-egg their . involvement for propaganda.’ Their deaths came on the same day a mass suicide attack which was to target buses in the Afghan capital of Kabul was foiled. Intelligence . officials seized 11 custom made 'suicide jackets' in the country's . ministry of defence, less than a mile from the presidential palace. Several Afghans, some reportedly soldiers in the Afghan National Army, were arrested and taken in for questioning. | Soldiers named as Sgt Luke Taylor, 33, of Royal Marines and L/Cpl Michael Foley, 25, of Adjutant General’s Corps .
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond: 'They died in the service of their country'
Sgt Taylor described as having 'infectious charisma', 'always able to talk himself out of a situation' |
225,227 | afa33602b96a09fd4b24122cb106701dc1c9bdb7 | By . Damian Spellman, Press Association . Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has challenged summer signing Remy Cabella to take over Yohan Cabaye's mantle as a match-winner. The 24-year-old France international was a target for the Magpies in the immediate aftermath of Cabaye's £19million departure for Paris St Germain in January, but they could not strike a deal with his club Montpellier at the time. However, their patience was rewarded last month when they finally got their man in a £7m swoop, and the newcomer showed flashes of his talent in last Sunday's 2-0 home defeat to champions Manchester City. New boy: Remy Cabella was signed by Newcastle from French side Montpellier for £7million this summer . Replacement: Pardew believes Cabella can fill the void left by Yohan Cabaye's departure in January . Cabella is by no means a direct replacement for midfield schemer Cabaye, but he possesses similar star quality, and Pardew is hoping he and fellow newcomers Siem de Jong and Emmanuel Riviere can provide the flair and potency the club so clearly lacked during the second half of last season. The 53-year-old said: 'They are different players. What Remy does in terms of great moments in the game, he can create them - obviously Cabaye could do that, so there's a similarity in that. 'You need a framework for those players and a platform to win games. Now we need the other side of it, that special quality that Cabaye gave us, that Demba Ba gave, Loic Remy gave us. 'Cabella is very much a replacement for one of those three names, and De Jong and Riviere and Facundo (Ferreyra) and Rolando (Aarons) and Ayoze (Perez), who came on and produced a nice cameo, have got to ring the same bell a those other players.' Cabella and his team-mates - De Jong could be handed a Barclays Premier League debut for the club this weekend after shaking off a foot injury - will attempt to open their account for the season at Aston Villa on Saturday following a creditable display in defeat to City. Gone: Yohan Cabaye moved to Paris Saint-Germain for £19million in January, leaving Newcastle short . Poise: Cabella showed some nice touches during his debut for Newcastle against Manchester City . Newcastle might have snatched a point had in not been for a stunning last-gasp intervention by Fernando to deny substitute Perez a late equalizer and Sergio Aguero's injury-time strike, and Pardew and his players have taken the positives from that performance. The manager said: 'We are in good shape. The feeling in the local media and press and among our fans is one of optimism. 'That's felt on the training ground as well. It's felt by my staff - and some of my staff have been here for 25 years. 'There's a genuine feeling we have got a decent side here, and I think we need a couple of results under our belt and then we will see how quickly it grows. Creative: Cabella is expected to help Newcastle attack more this season and score a greater number of goals . 'There are a lot of new players, though. Someone said to me, are we carrying a bit of negative history for last season, but only half the team were playing. The other 50 per cent are new.' Four of the men who started last weekend's game - Daryl Janmaat, Jack Colback, Cabella and Riviere - were making debuts, and De Jong's inclusion this weekend would further enhance that new look. While that creates its own challenges, Pardew admits significant change was required and has been delighted with the way owner Mike Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley have responded to his pleas. He said: 'That really helps lift the players who were here last year. That's massive, I think, when you have had a disappointing season and the disappointment on the back of Cabaye's departure. 'One of the points I have made to Mike and Lee, it's important for new players to come in quickly. We did that and I'm pleased with that.' Spark: Manager Alan Pardew believes Cabella (right) is the sort of player Newcastle have been missing . | Pardew has challenged Cabella to step up to the plate and replace Cabaye .
The 24-year-old was a target for Newcastle when Cabaye left in January .
They finally signed him for £7million in July from French side Montpellier .
He is not a direct replacement for Cabaye, but offers an attacking threat .
Newcastle travel to Villa Park to take on Aston Villa on Saturday . |
87,375 | f7ea73ebf5699cddb1888e2eb50f41a01e91be73 | If you spotted David Cameron in your local restaurant, you would no doubt be taken aback. Becky Smith certainly was when the Prime Minister wandered into a Bristol branch of Nando’s for a chicken peri-peri and a glass of wine. And the 20-year-old managed to capture that sense of surprise with this cheekily snatched selfie alongside the obliging Premier. Hot sauce man: Prime Minister David Cameron made an unexpected visit to a branch of Nando's in Bristol last night... but may have dashed his cool credentials by opting to have his meal with a glass of red wine . Miss Smith, who was with a party of . 14 for a friend’s birthday, said: ‘When he walked past us we asked if we . could have a picture and he stayed there chatting for a while. ‘I . would honestly be the last person to say anything nice about the . Conservatives but to give him his due, he was very warm, and quite . funny. I then just swooped in and took the selfie.’ Witnesses . said Mr Cameron dined on half a chicken with regular fries and . coleslaw, washed down with a glass of red wine. Total cost: around £16 . (depending on the choice of wine). The . Prime Minister, taking a break from the European election campaign . trail, plumped for ‘hot’ sauce (‘highly combustible; proceed with . caution’). What’s more, he showed not a single sign of facial redness or . discomfort. Selfie: Becky Smith, 20 (left) was in Nando's with 13 friends for a birthday party when she talked to the PM . Hiding away: The Prime Minister pictured in the restaurant chain with aides. A Downing Street spokesman said: 'I don't think it's unusual for someone at the end of the working day to want to go and have a meal' Prime location: The Prime Minister dropped in on this branch of Nando's in Bristol city centre at around 8pm . | PM had a hot half chicken with coleslaw and regular fries... and a red wine .
It was his first visit to Bristol since region was devastated by floods .
One diner said: 'We all sang happy birthday and he didn't join in. So rude!'
Agents made a full sweep of branch two hours earlier - and ordered for him . |
2,838 | 08529a4ae65b3189e6c43f44fe8a49e16f4f34bf | By . Graham Smith . Last updated at 4:04 PM on 1st March 2012 . The Syrian regime today vowed to 'cleanse' a rebel-held district in the besieged central city of Homs after nearly four weeks of shelling. Government troops amassed outside the embattled neighbourhood of Baba Amr, raising fears among activists of an imminent ground invasion that could endanger thousands of residents, as well as two trapped Western journalists, who have been under heavy bombardment. The latest advance comes after helicopter gunships yesterday opened fire on civilians, activists claimed, as the brutal crackdown on Homs rebels continued for a 25th day. In response to the latest developments, Britain has withdrawn its diplomatic staff in the country and closed its embassy in Damascus. Readying themselves: Members of the Free Syrian Army are deployed in Homs today as the Syrian regime vowed to 'cleanse' a rebel-held district in the besieged central city after nearly four weeks of shelling . Lone resistance fighter: Government troops have massed outside the embattled neighbourhood of Baba Amr, raising fears among activists of an imminent ground invasion that could endanger thousands of residents . Foreign Secretary William Hague made the decision last night after it was decided the 'deterioration in the security situation' had put their safety at risk. Mr Hague urged those fighting for President Bashar Assad's regime to lay down their arms. In a written statement to Parliament, . Mr Hague stressed the decision to withdraw embassy staff 'in no way . reduces the UK's commitment to active diplomacy to maintain pressure on . the Assad regime to end the violence'. In Homs, snow blanketed the city, slowing a ground assault that began yesterday and is nearing Baba Amr, but also worsening the misery of residents short of food, fuel, power, water and telephone links, activists said. It today emerged that a Spanish . journalist who had been stuck in Homs has escaped to Lebanon, the second . foreign reporter to do so - following Sunday Times photographer Paul . Conroy - since a government rocket attack last week killed Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik and wounded Edith Bouvier and Conroy. The fate of the foreign journalists . has drawn attention to Homs, which has emerged as a key battleground . between government forces and those seeking to end the regime of the . authoritarian President Bashar Assad. The government's increasingly bloody attempts to put down the 11-month uprising have fuelled mounting international criticism. President Barack Obama summoned Syria's senior envoy in the U.S., Zuheir Jabbour, over the Homs offensive. The . State Department's top diplomat for the Middle-East, Jeffrey Feltman, . expressed his 'outrage over the month-long campaign of brutality and . indiscriminate shelling' in Homs. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told members of Congress on Tuesday that Assad could be considered a war criminal. UN . humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said Syria had not yet agreed to allow . her to into the country. Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United . Nations, called that refusal 'shameful'. Ms . Rice said: 'Rather than meeting the needs of its people, the barbaric . Syrian government is preparing its final assault on the city of Homs. Uprising: The Syrian government's increasingly bloody attempts to put down the 11-month uprising have fuelled mounting international criticism . Grim: An image taken from a video uploaded to YouTube allegedly shows the bodies of two Syrians, said to have been executed by the regime's forces and covered by the national flag . 'Meanwhile, food shortages are reported to be so severe that people, especially children, will soon start dying of hunger.' The . UN and the Arab League have appointed former secretary general Kofi . Annan as their joint envoy to Syria, but Damascus says it needs more . information on his mission's goals before it will let him in. The . UN estimates that more than 7,500 people have been killed since the . anti-Assad struggle started in March 2011, when protesters inspired by . successful Arab Spring uprisings against dictators in Tunisia and Egypt . took to the streets in Syria. As Assad's forces used deadly force to stop the unrest, protests spread and some Syrians took up arms against the regime. Activists put the total death toll at more than 8,000, most of them civilians. China . urged world powers to provide humanitarian assistance to Syria, as . Beijing tries to bolster diplomacy while continuing to oppose any armed . intervention in the conflict. Rolling on: Syrian troops, captured on footage uploaded to YouTube, move towards Homs yesterday . Battle scarred: A woman holds her daughter on the balcony of her building damaged by Syrian troops in Idlib . Heightening . fears of greater carnage, a Syrian official said the government was . planning a major offensive against the Homs neighbourhood of Baba Amr. He . said: 'Baba Amr will be under control complete control in the coming . hours and we'll cleanse all the armed elements from the area.' Activists . reported heavy shelling throughout Homs, raising concern that the . government was preparing a ground invasion to take back the city. Dead: Marie Colvin was killed in an attack last week . Since . the first week of February, government forces have showered parts of . Homs with daily barrages of mortars, tank shells and rockets. The . violence has caused many to flee the city of one million people, . Syria's third-largest, while those who remain are trapped inside. Hundreds have been killed in recent weeks, activists say, including residents who foraged for food outside their homes. It was virtually impossible to reach anyone inside Baba Amr yesterday. Activists . elsewhere in Homs said their colleagues based in the neighbourhood had . stopped communicating with the outside because of fears the army would . trace their satellite signals to target them. Activist . Mulham al-Jundi, speaking from another part of Homs via Skype, said: . 'Today has been very scary. They are still killing in Baba Amr and the . water and electricity have been cut to most of the city.' He and his colleague ran their computer off a small generator to communicate with the outside, he said. Armed . rebels from a loose-knit group called the Free Syrian Army had been . fighting with pro-government troops on the outskirts of Homs to try to . keep them from entering, but he said their inferior arms were not much . of a deterrent. He said: . 'The Free Army has been trying to defend the area with almost no . ammunition for 15 days. What can a Kalashhikov do against a tank and a . mortar? How can they resist?' Many civilians had fled the city's rebel-held areas, 'but now those who are in are stuck. There's no way out.' Rescued: Sunday Times photographer Paul Conroy was smuggled out of Homs and into Lebanon on Wednesday . | Government troops amass outside embattled Homs district of Baba Amr .
Activists fear imminent ground invasion could kill thousands of civilians .
Snow blankets city, slowing assault that started yesterday .
Britain withdraws diplomats from Syria and shuts embassy in Damascus .
Foreign Secretary William Hague vows to maintain pressure on President Bashar Assad to end the violence . |
110,487 | 1a6e7baf5ac6432f6c7250188cc760cbc545f1ca | (Silicon Alley Insider) -- Newspaper companies are a dying breed, and one consistent scapegoat for their demise is the rise of blogs and online news sites. In October 2009, Tom Curly, CEO of the Associated Press news service, said blogs were directing large amounts of revenue away from original content creators. At the same time, Rupert Murdoch sneered at bloggers, saying they would cause the "content creators" like his company News Corp., parent of the Wall Street Journal and New York Post, "to pay the ultimate price" if they were not held in check. Blogs and other new media from Facebook to Twitter have made newspapers less relevant. If you want quicker, more focused news, blogs are a great resource. If you want more local, hyperpersonal news -- i.e., what your sister's cat did today -- then Facebook or Twitter are your best bets. But despite factors of expediency and personalization, new media outlets are not to blame for the creeping death of newspapers. It makes for a great story to have upstart blogs destroying hidebound news organizations, but the truth is much more simple. Advertisers are killing newspapers. Advertisers have fled newspapers for the greener, cheaper pastures of the internet and they're not coming back. On the internet, an advertiser has a greater ability to target his or her ad spend. Want to advertise to just teenage boys interested in football? Can't do that with the newspaper. Want to advertise to women from Yale? Can't do that in a newspaper. The numbers prove this out. Alan Mutter, an expert on the economics of the newspaper industry, recently reported that newspaper advertising was down about 10 percent year-over-year for the first quarter of the year. Meanwhile, advertising on the internet, radio and television were all up. Web advertising was up 7.5 percent. Newspapers still attract more ad dollars than the web, but that is expected to change soon. PricewaterhouseCoopers' annual report on media trends reported that web advertising totaled $24.2 billion last year. The Newspaper Association of America reported $24.82 billion in advertising for 2009. By the end of this year, the web may be in front. The expansion of advertising on the web is both good news and bad news for newspapers. Newspapers like The New York Times have taken advantage of the web to create amazing products like interactive graphics and videos. This has helped propel their overall readership to new heights. Millions of people visit The New York Times' website daily. That's important to keep in mind when anyone thinks of blaming blogs for the death of newspapers. There's enough people on the web to go around. Newspapers and blogs are expanding their audiences simultaneously. As newspapers take advantage of the medium to tell stories, they'll see some of that $24 billion in online ad dollars. Unfortunately, it won't be enough to support what they do now -- and most of the money is going to the likes of Google. The New York Times online edition only generates a fraction of the revenue of the print publication. The Times is a lot less relevant as a place to advertise online than it was offline. And no, blogs are not siphoning many dollars off The New York Times online franchise. The Huffington Post is the most successful blog in the world, with some 12 million unique visitors a month. That traffic bests traditional news organizations like the Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal by a couple of million. Yet, for all its success, revenue remains relatively elusive. HuffPo only generated $15 million last year. It hopes to double that this year to $30 million, but that's still tiny. For some perspective, The New York Times' online revenue is an estimated $150 million to $175 million annually. If advertisers aren't spending heavily on blogs or traditional news organizations, where are they spending? Google. The search giant has annual revenue of more than $20 billion, with the vast majority of that from web advertising. The funny thing about Google is that it has tried to master almost every sort of business. It's investing in windmills, it's investing in mobile phones, it wants to lay cable for high speed internet connections, just to name a few. Yet, for all the businesses it has tried, there's one it says it has no interest in: print content like newspapers. The reason? Making money on newspapers, and getting advertisers interested in spending again on print publications, has even the big brains at Google stumped. Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently told newspaper editors, "We have a business model problem. We don't have a news problem." We don't have a news problem, because there's enough news under the sun for newspapers and blogs to cover it all. Now, if there were only enough ad dollars. Copyright © 2010 Business Insider. | Newspapers still attract more ad dollars than the internet, but that should soon change .
Advertisers have fled newspapers for the greener, cheaper pastures of the internet .
On the web, an advertiser has a greater ability to target his or her ad spend .
Advertisers are buying ads on Google instead of traditional news organizations . |
271,939 | ec421028f9efede3fad2747a6fd36d829ebcd5fd | By . Tamara Abraham . PUBLISHED: . 14:26 EST, 8 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:44 EST, 9 September 2013 . Margherita Missoni has welcomed her first child - a baby boy named Otto Hermann Amos - in Sumirago, Italy. The fashion heiress, 30, and her racing driver husband Eugenio Amos, 28, announced the happy news via Twitter and Instagram. According to WWD, the newborn was ten days overdue, and Margherita had impatiently been charting her growing bump and preparations for Otto's arrival on her Instagram and Twitter feeds. New parents! Margherita Missoni and her husband Eugenio Amos welcomed their first child on Friday - a baby boy named Otto . The last update before the birth came on Thursday when she revealed that she had broken her wrist while out walking in the countryside, and would be induced. Posting a photo of herself with her husband, bandaged writs in shot, she wrote: '#KeepOnSmiling #BrokenWrist #WhenTheGameGetsToughJustLaugh @eugenioamos spend the last few hours as a twosome #waitingforotto shouldnt take much longer [sic]' Then yesterday, she posed a photo of a tiny blue knitted sweater bearing the name Otto by way of a birth announcement, accompanied by the words: 'Hello! Finally #ottohermann! [sic]' The name Otto, which is also the Italian . word for 'eight' pays tribute to Ottavio Missoni, Margherita's . grandfather who died earlier this year. Hermann is a family name on the . Amos side. Hospital selfie: The couple revealed that Margherita would be induced after breaking her wrist during a countryside walk via Instagram on Thursday . New arrival: Margherita announced Otto's birth with a photo of a tiny blue knitted sweater . The birth marks the arrival of the fourth generation of the Missoni fashion family. But while Margherita's Instagram feed paints a portrait of a joyful pregnancy, she admitted in an interview recently that she has been affected by recent strains on her family. Not only did they have to cope with Ottavio's passing, but they had to go through the . disappearance and subsequent death of Vittorio Missoni, Ms Missoni's uncle and marketing . director for the family brand. 'Of course, it was especially hard for me because I'm pregnant,' she told The Times in a profile published last month. Ready and waiting: Margherita posted intimate snaps of her baby's nursery while waiting for his arrival. Fashion consultant and stylist Coco Brandolini created these pillows for Otto . Chic dreams: Otto will sleep in a 1950s vintage crib with a Balinese batik bumper and an early 20th century polka-dot muslin canopy . In the details: Even the baby's bedlinen is beautifully-embroidered . 'I've . had a very intense pregnancy, with all the things that have happened, . but it wasn't my father; other family members have had a harder time.' She credits the Missoni family's strong bond for getting through the year. 'It has helped that there are so . many of us and we are so tight. It's easier than if I were having to . face it all on my own,' she said. It is the first time a member of the . family has spoken publicly about Vittorio since his plane, which went missing off the coast of Venezuela, was . discovered in June. Happily married: Margherita wed Eugenio Amos on June 23 last year in Varese on her family's property . He, his partner, Maurizia, two friends and two crew members . were en route to mainland Venezuela from the Los Roques archipelago when . their small aircraft went missing on January 4. Months of searches . began and the aircraft was eventually found in deep water off the coast . of the South American country on June 28. | The birth of Otto Hermann Amos marks the arrival of the fourth generation of the Missoni fashion family .
The word 'otto' means 'eight' in Italian . |
52,648 | 9541e31748e9caf9b86d57a827a250a6594b6416 | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 09:37 EST, 29 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:03 EST, 29 November 2013 . A young woman has been given the opportunity to meet the mother of the man who, through his death, saved her life. Lyndsey McLaughlin, 28, met Diana Rodriguez whose 18-year-old son’s lungs she was given during life-saving transplant surgery. Normally, organ donors legally have to remain anonymous but the two New York women were so keen to meet that they made it happen. Scroll down for video . Lindsey McLaughlin (right), 28, met Diana Rodriguez (left). Ms McLaughlin would not be alive today if Ms Rodriguez had not agreed to donate her son's lungs when he died in an accident at the age of 18 . Ms McLaughlin, who has cystic fibrosis, nearly died while waiting for a lung transplant, ABC News reports. She struggled for every breath and had been told she did not have long to live. At the time she told ABC News: ‘I'm 26 years old. I should be out every Friday and Saturday night. I should be at the bars having a couple of drinks, not worrying about how many medicines I'm going to have to take the next day.’ Lyndsey's mother, Donna McLaughlin, added: ‘I used to go to her apartment every day when she really got sick… and I would walk to work crying knowing that my daughter was dying before my eyes and there wasn't a thing I could do about it.’ After seven months on the New York organ donor list, Ms McLaughlin received a call to say a donor had been found. During lengthy and complicated surgery on April 3, 2011, at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Ms McLaughlin received Adrian Rodriguez’s lungs. Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. Ms McLaughlin has cystic fibrosis and was dying when she received Adrian's lungs. Adrian (pictured) was hit by a train when he slipped on the station platform on his way to school . The aspiring chef had been declared brain dead after being hit by a train when he slipped and fell on the station platform on his way to school. After the surgery, Ms McLaughlin says she was haunted by thoughts of the person who saved her life – at the time, all she knew was that he was an 18-year-old man from New York. As a result, she contacted the New York Organ Donor Network and was told her donor’s family was as keen to meet up as she was. The meeting gave Ms McLaughlin and her family the chance to thank Ms Rodriguez in person. The transplant surgery took place at New York Presbyterian Hospital (pictured) after Ms McLaughlin had been waiting for a donor for seven months . Donna McLaughlin explained that she cannot imagine how Ms Rodrigues felt the day her son died. She said she just hopes Ms Rodrigues knows how grateful they are that she decided to allow her son’s organs to be donated. Ms McLaughlin told ABC News: ‘It's crazy for me to think that she can literally put her hands here and she can feel it's him breathing. It's him breathing and I'm breathing with him.’ Ms McLaughlin added that she thinks about Adrian all of the time and that she is always thanking him. | Lyndsey McLaughlin met Diana Rodriguez whose son's lungs she received .
Ms McLaughlin has cystic fibrosis and wouldn't have lived without the op .
Adrian Rodriguez was just 18 when he slipped in front of a train and died . |
44,723 | 7e132e4efaa17f98c5dbd09c8af9a1518ef66ee3 | Workers inside the Houses of Parliament are being subjected to overflowing and blocked toilets, rodent infestations and leaking roofs according to a new documentary to be broadcast next month. The 160-year-old building requires an immediate refurbishment costing in excess of £1 billion before irreparable damage is done to the historic structure. A decision saving the structure will not be made until after the election so it does not become an issue at the forthcoming poll. The Houses of Parliament, pictured, require immediate work to prevent them suffering irreparable damage . A four-part documentary on BBC2 has been granted exclusive access behind the scenes of the Palace of Westminster. Michael Cockerell, who made the documentary, told the Radio Times: 'The place is nearly falling down. It is probably the biggest building project in Britain. We saw leaking roofs; we saw paintwork and plaster work crumbling. We saw buckets to catch the drips. Even the stonework on Elizabeth Tower [the home of Big Ben] is crumbling.' The building has also seen infestations of mice, rats, moths and even pigeons. Labour MP Valerie Vaz said that two members of her staff were forced to go home sick after a pipe burst in April 2013. The leaking sewerage built up near her office, making two of her staff ill. It is understood repairs took two weeks to complete despite the threat to health and safety. She told The Times: 'I had rung facilities and it had been dealt with immediately two members of my staff would not have been sick and there would not have been faeces all over the floor. I had to ring the serjeant at arms and he dealt with it, not facilities.' Flaking and rusting iron roofs have caused major problems with leaks and require replacing . Flaking and rusting iron roofs have caused major problems with leaks and require replacing, a major study into the state of Parliament found . Some roof supports have rusted so badly they have been at risk of collapse before replacing . The historic building on the banks of the River Thames is so dilapidated that major repairs are needed or irreversible damage may be done and ‘part of our nation’s most valued heritage will be lost forever’, a cross-party report has warned. Here is just some of the work that needs to be done to the Houses of Parliament to prevent a ‘looming crisis’: . ASBESTOS . The walls and floors are infested with the dangerous substance - putting all occupants of the Palace at risk. ELECTRICS . Much of the building needs re-wiring, and generators do not produce enough power . VENTILLATION . Many original shafts are filled with wires, and a major failure of the ventilation system is judged to be inevitable. HEATING . Many boilers date from the 1930s, pipes are clogged with limescale and are in danger of fracturing – causing dangerous steam leaks which could close the Commons chamber for months . FLOODING . Faulty guttering and broken pipes cause regular flooding, and the Big Ben belfry is particularly badly affected by water penetration. Walls are damp and stained. LEAKY ROOFS . A problem throughout the Palace, particularly as cast-iron roofs are coming to the end of their life. DANGEROUS CEILINGS . Several pieces of wood fall from the fourteenth-century roof of Westminster Hall every year, while in 1980 a heavy boss fell from the roof of the House of Lords chamber . DRAINAGE . Pipes and culverts seriously overloaded because they are now expected to deal with more waste than expected. FIRE SAFETY . Out of date alarms and automatic detection systems; little ‘compartmentation’ meaning fire can spread easily. LIFTS . Oldest lift dates from 1893, several contain obsolete components. Only nine compliant with building regulations. Officials admit that there has been ‘significant under-investment’ since the 1940s, when the Commons was bombed by the Nazis. For years contractors have adopted a 'make do and mend' approach to repairs, while the Commons and Lords have continued to meet. However, experts warn the building is deteriorating at a faster pace than repairs can be carried out during parliamentary holidays. Dr Richard Ware, programme director for the Restoration and Renewal Programme, said: ‘There is very little downtime and the problem is how on earth you undertake fundamental renovations on the scale required under those circumstances. ‘The more things become antiquated the chances of a bigger crisis grow. It’s already burned down once,’ he told Business Insider. Mel Barlex, parliamentary director of estates and technical director for the programme, added: ‘Within six months of my joining I had a member stuck in a lift as a vote was underway. 'The legislation was ultimately passed by seven votes. That brought home just how serious these issues are.’ Many of the 3,000 windows will not close, iron roofs have rusted and leak, toilets regularly flood and the building is riddled with asbestos, in roof spaces, light switches, toilet systems and as a sound suppressant. A Parliament spokesman said: ‘There has been significant under-investment in the fabric of the Palace since at least the 1940s, when parts of the Palace were renovated following bomb damage during the Second World War. Other parts of the Palace have not undergone appropriate renovation since it was built. ‘To date, all intrusive renovation work has been carried out around sittings of parliament. This approach has permitted only the minimum essential maintenance and piecemeal replacement of systems at highest risk of failure. ‘Currently, the rate and speed at which work can be carried out is slower than the rate at which the building is deteriorating so the backlog of essential repairs (and in turn the risk of system failure) is growing over time.’ Brick work is also crumbling, because the Anston limestone from Yorkshire is prone to erosion . Many parts of the Houses of Parliament have not been repaired since they were built, more than 160 years ago . Paintwork in the grand corridors inside the building is also peeling, and in many areas has been damaged by water . A report two years ago found the Victorian structure is so stuffed with asbestos and leaky roofs that it will require billions of pounds of renovation just to keep it standing. It warned that MPs and Lords will have to move out of the building within the next decade to enable a massive programme of works to electrics, heating, ventilation systems, drainage and stone work. They concluded that the World Heritage Site - which contains the Commons and Lords chambers as well as suites of committee rooms, offices and dining rooms - was so poorly-maintained that it is ‘remarkable that it continues to function’. And they warned that if nothing is done to make it safe, the Palace of Westminster could fall victim to a catastrophic fire the like of which famously destroyed its predecessor in 1834. | Labour MP Valerie Vaz sent two staff home due to leaking raw sewage .
The Houses of Parliament require an extensive £1-£3 billion renovation .
The historic buildings are at risk of suffering 'irreparable damage'
MPs and Lords may have to move out while work is completed . |
58,797 | a6c932d12c7b8192d04c740b6bc0f87e3e3a94e6 | Nigel Farage’s wife has got another job working for Ukip – after being banned from working for her husband. Party leader Mr Farage confessed earlier this year that he was paying his wife £27,000 a year from his parliamentary allowances, funded by the taxpayer, to work as his secretary – despite declaring in 2004 that ‘Ukip MEPs will not employ wives’ and ‘there will be no exceptions’. Now, after the EU introduced new rules banning the employment of family members, his wife Kirsten has been forced to look elsewhere for work – and has found it with another Ukip MEP. Scroll down for video . Employed: Nigel Farage and his wife - and former secretary Kirsten, who is newly employed by his close ally . German-born Kirsten – the second Mrs Farage – is now employed by MEP Ray Finch, a close friend and ally of the party leader, although he lives in Winchester, Hampshire, 80 miles from the Farage family home in Kent. The move is likely to attract gibes that Mr and Mrs Farage are still managing to ‘ride the Brussels gravy train’. Kirsten, a bond broker whom Mr Farage met during a trip to Frankfurt in 1996, has defended her role as his former taxpayer-funded secretary, saying she often worked late, and that Mr Farage was virtually computer illiterate. She said: ‘I sit at my computer in my nightie and am very dutiful. ‘He has a steam-powered telephone, he can send and receive texts and that’s it. 'If I sit him down, and there is something for him to read, he can scroll up and down, he has learned that, but that is pretty much it. Ally: Ray Finch, a close friend of the Ukip leader, has taken on Kirsten, keeping her 'on the Brussels gravy train' Further controversy: Bill Etheridge MEP told youth members to copy Adolf Hitler's 'magnetic' rhetoric . ‘He honestly doesn’t know how to [use a computer] and he has missed the boat, I don’t think he ever will now.’ When asked earlier this year what would happen when the ban on employing family members came in, she claimed: ‘We have not really had time to discuss it. I think the job carries on but I just won’t get paid for it.’ Mr Farage ran into more controversy earlier this year when a former Ukip MEP accused him of also putting his ‘mistress’ on his Brussels payroll. The Ukip leader vigorously denied any relationship with Annabelle Fuller, a party spin doctor, who also refuted the claims. | Kirsten Farage forced to look for work after EU banned family employees .
Came as Ukip leader revealed he paid her £27,000 a year to be his secretary .
Now German-born Kirsten employed by MEP Ray Finch, close ally of Farage .
Comes as MEP Bill Etheridge tells youth members to copy Hitler's speeches . |
16,166 | 2dccb709e2ae6804c0fd2c6e2a6a81820f719b2d | By . Inderdeep Bains . PUBLISHED: . 14:06 EST, 2 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:05 EST, 2 October 2012 . Hyde Park IRA bomb survivor Michael Pedersen killed himself and his two young children days after his wife asked for a divorce, it emerged yesterday. Friends of the couple said he had become a ‘bully’ and ‘wife abuser’ in the months leading up to the tragic events on Sunday. The bodies of Mr Pedersen and his seven-year-old Ben and Freya, six, were discovered on a bridle path in Hampshire. He had stabbed himself in the chest after using the knife on his children. 'Bully': Police say Pedersen fatally stabbed his children Ben, seven (pictured), and six-year-old Freya before taking his own life . It emerged yesterday that Erica, his wife of 10 years and mother of the two children, had recently asked the 51-year-old former soldier for a divorce. The father-of-four, who had stabbed himself repeatedly in the chest after using the same knife on his children, had been kicked out of the family’s £310,000 terraced home in Ashford just three weeks ago. Neighbours said the couple, who had celebrated their 10th anniversary in July, had had problems after Mrs Pedersen got drunk at a party and kissed another man in front of her husband. They claimed police had been called to the family home a number of times over arguments between the couple. Michael Pedersen's wife Erica had asked him for a divorce just days before he killed his children and took his own life, friends claim . A woman, who described herself as Erica’s best friend said that the 43-year-old driving instructor had already started divorce proceedings against Mr Pedersen who she claimed had been using the children against his wife. Speaking after visiting the devastated mother at her red-brick home yesterday with flowers, the 45-year-old friend said: ‘He was controlling, a bully and a wife abuser. ‘His final control over Erica was the children; it was his last throw of the dice. No one expected this - he was meant to have loved those kids.’ Another friend, who declined to be named, said: ‘He (Michael) has been made out to be a hero, but he was not. He was a bully and a coward. ‘Erica was a wonderful Mum and those kids were just gorgeous, nobody can believe that this has happened.’ In 1982, Pedersen was riding the famous cavalry horse Sefton to the Changing of the Guard ceremony in Hyde Park when an IRA nail bomb exploded killing four soldiers and seven horses from the Household Cavalry. Scene: A dog walker came across the bodies of Michael Pedersen, 51, his son Ben, and his daughter Freya, next to a car at Newton Stacey, near Andover . Sefton was severely injured and suffered 37 shrapnel wounds in the blast but the horse’s remarkable recovery led to him becoming a household name. An ex-military colleague of Mr Pedersen last night dismissed claims that the bombing still haunted the former soldier. He claimed that Mr Pedersen had instead enjoyed the 'notoriety' of having ridden the iconic horse during the bombing. The former Household Cavalryman, who . declined to be named, said: ‘When I saw him at functions he always . seemed just a perfectly normal happy guy. ‘We would laugh, have a lot to drink and reminisce about the old days. I don’t think he was affected at all by the bombings. ‘I actually think that he quite liked the notoriety and enjoyed the fame that it brought him.’ Sefton: Friends claim Pedersen enjoyed the 'notoriety' that came along with having ridden the famous cavalry horse to the Changing of the Guard ceremony that ended in carnage . In the weeks leading up to his death, Mr Pedersen spoke about his marriage breaking up on Facebook. On August 31 he said: ‘Worst day of my life. Sadly have split with Erica am absolutely distraught.’ Surrey Police confirmed that officers had had contact with the family prior to the tragedy. The case was referred to the IPCC. | Ex-soldier Michael Pedersen stabbed himself and his two children to death in Hampshire on Sunday .
His wife Erica had asked him for a divorce just days before, friends claim .
Former Household Cavalry soldier was a 'coward and a bully', one friend of Erica Pedersen said . |
112,232 | 1cc71e4716afa19e49e5375c6d07195e65248111 | Tony Hogue, sene here in an undated modeling photo, has come forward to tell the story of how he once banged down Bill Cosby's door after receiving a phone call from his friend who believed she was drugged and trapped inside the comedian's home in 1984 . A former male model has become the first man to come forward with a story that corroborates a Cosby accuser's claims about the actor's alleged abuse. Tony Hogue, now 58, worked as a model in a 1980s -- for the same agency that represented Cosby accuser Beth Ferrier -- and says he spent two drunken evenings at Cosby's Manhattan brownstone in 1984 along with Ferrier and another model friend. After he declined a third debaucherous dinner at Cosby's home and his fellow models attended without him, Hogue says he got an unsettling phone call from his unnamed friend from inside the house after she believes she was drugged by the comedian. That friend would go on to become a witness called Jane Doe 8 in Andrea Constand's 2005 sexual assault lawsuit against Cosby, which never went to trial. She, along with Hogue, separately recounted their stories from 1984 to the Daily Beast. 'She was crying. She was hysterical. She was whispering,' Hogue recalled to the Daily Beast. 'She said, "Tony, you've got to come get me."' Hogue told the site he had been working for the modeling agency JF Images, an agency with reported ties to Cosby, when he was flown to New York City for work. He said he and his fellow models were invited to dine with the actor at his Upper East Side brownstone on tony 61st street twice. 'Why would Bill Cosby care less about these young girls coming from these modeling agencies? That was how he was casting extras on his show? 'That right there seemed ridiculous. I’d been to LA, and no actors I knew were doing that kind of stuff,' Hogue remembers wondering. Scene: Hogue says his unnamed friend, who worked with him at JF Images--a modeling agency with purported ties to Cosby--called him in a daze from inside Cosby's Manhattan brownstone (pictured) in 1984 . Cosby was at the cusp of breaking out as America's most beloved TV dad in 1984 when Hogue says he and his model agency friends were invited to his New York City home several time. Hogue says the night his friends went without him is when things took a turn . After an uncomfortable experience in which he claims Cosby first tried setting him up with a married female pilot--and another when he says Cosby very pointedly made clear he was his home's Alpha Dog--Hogue chose to turn down a third invitation to dine with Cosby. While Hogue stayed in at the JF Images apartment some twenty blocks away, his friend and Beth Ferrier again went to Cosby's. The friend recalled her night at the brownstone to the Daily Beast. 'Perrier Jouet was served like water,' said the woman, who's now 53 and a successful business owner in Colorado. 'We were all young—in our twenties—and felt honored to be having dinner with Cosby,' she said, but then she said he tried to kiss her and things took a turn. 'I called Tony to come get me,' she said. 'This was after Cosby tried to kiss me. I was amazed, and quite disgusted (since he was close to my Dad’s age and smelled like a cigar). 'I do recall that I felt out of control.' Concerned both about how strung out his friend seemed on the phone and with what would become of him, a nobody, if he came barging into a superstar's home, Hogue told the Daily Beast he knew he had to help his friend. Another model: Former model Beth Ferrier (right and left) also worked for JF Images and years ago admitted she had an affair with Cosby after meeting him with Hogue and his friend after they were invited to Cosby's home for a night of dinner and boozing. She's also accused Cosby of drugging and assaulting her . Both Ferrier and Hogue's friend were named as Jane Doe witnesses in Andrea Constand's (pictured) case against Cosby, but never testified . 'I just started kicking [the door] and pounding it,' Hogue recalled. 'I made quite a racket. I wanted to get in.' When Cosby finally answered, Hogue said he seemed unfazed by his apparent intrusion and merely asked what the problem was. 'There’s a big problem here,' Hogue said. 'Those girls are going with me right now!' He claims went into the house and eventually found his friend clothed but disheveled and practically incoherent. 'After Tony collected me,' the friend told the Daily Beast, 'I was virtually incoherent. At the time, I was in a long-term relationship, but remember (with shame) that I called out for Tony after returning to the company apartment. To this day, I am still embarrassed by my behavior.' Hogue said he never saw Ferrier at the home and they left without her that night. Ferrier has since gone public about what she called her brief affair with Cosby when she was a model in 1984. She said that he once drugged her coffee during an encounter in Denver and that she woke up hours later in the backseat of her car with her clothes disheveled. Ferrier would also go on to become Jane Doe 5 in Andrea Constand's case. Cosby in recent weeks has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting more than a dozen women over many years. Cosby has strongly denied wrongdoing and has never been criminally charged. A suburban Philadelphia prosecutor declined to press charges in Constand's case. Cosby testified in Constand's case that he gave the National Enquirer an exclusive interview about the suit in exchange for the tabloid spiking a story about Beth Ferrier. Read Constand's case against Cosby--with references to her Jane Doe witnesses--here . Bill Cosby Civil Case Files by Deadspin . | Tony Hogue, now 58, says he received a disturbing call from a female friend from inside Bill Cosby's Manhattan apartment in 1984 .
Hogue and his friend were in New York working for a modeling agency with connections to Cosby .
Hogue recalls storming up to Cosby's Upper East Side brownstone where he found his friend disheveled and incoherent .
That unnamed friend would go on to become the witness called Jane Doe 8 in Andrea Constand's 2005 sexual assault lawsuit against Cosby . |
85,576 | f2b58d4130885fb93c43c9c67225bdcf2d4b4b90 | By . Corey Charlton for MailOnline . A mass occupation of Hong Kong's financial district will go ahead as protestors threaten 'wave after wave' of protests in response to Beijing's decision to block open elections. China's legislature today ruled out allowing open nominations in the inaugural election for Hong Kong's leader, saying they would create a 'chaotic society.' However, democracy activists in the Asian financial hub responded by saying that a long-threatened mass occupation of the heart of the city 'will definitely happen.' Scroll down for video . Pro-democracy activists rally outside the Central Government Offices in Hong Kong . The protestors have now said they plan 'wave after wave' of protests to cause havoc in the central city . Pictured from left are protest movement founders Chan Kin-man, Benny Tai and reverend Chu Yiu-ming . In setting tight limits on how far electoral reforms can go in Hong Kong, Beijing issued its firmest reminder yet that it's still in charge despite the substantial autonomy it promised the city after taking control from Britain in 1997. The decision by the legislature's powerful Standing Committee sharpens fears that China wants to screen candidates for loyalty to the central government and is reneging on its promise to let Hong Kong's leader be directly elected by voters, rather than the current committee of mostly pro-Beijing tycoons. Benny Tai, a leader of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace protest movement, said: 'At this very moment, the path of dialogue has been exhausted.' His protestors have vowed to rally at least 10,000 people to paralyze Hong Kong's financial district - known as Central - to press demands for genuine democracy. The group will launch 'wave after wave of protest action' in the coming weeks 'until we get to a point when we launch the all-out Occupy Central action,' Tai told reporters. Thousands of people gathered in a park across from Hong Kong government headquarters this evening to protest the widely expected announcement, chanting slogans and waving their cellphones. Police officers stand guard in the city's financial district after protestors threaten to occupy the area . The protestors are angry Beijing has blocked open nominations for Hong Kong's inaugural leader election . Earlier in the day, Li Fei, deputy secretary general of the National People's Congress' Standing Committee, told a news conference in Beijing that openly nominating candidates would create a 'chaotic society.' Under the Beijing-imposed guidelines, a maximum of three candidates, each approved by more than half of a 1,200-member nominating committee, will be put forth to Hong Kong's 5 million eligible voters in 2017. The public will have no say in choosing candidates, raising fears of what some have termed 'fake democracy.' 'These rights come from laws, they don't come from the sky,' Li said. 'Many Hong Kong people have wasted a lot of time discussing things that are not appropriate and aren't discussing things that are appropriate.' Making clear that Chinese leaders intend to tightly control politics in Hong Kong, Li emphasized that candidates for the city's chief executive should be loyal to China's ruling Communist Party. 'He has to be responsible to Hong Kong and to the central government,' Li said. 'If Hong Kong's chief executive doesn't love the country and love the party, then that can't work in one country.' Under the principle of 'one country, two systems,' Hong Kong is granted a high degree of control over its own affairs and civil liberties unseen on the mainland. The city has been taken over by protests and pro-Beijing counter protests in recent months . Occupy Central said the plan to block the Central financial district was 'the last resort, an action to be taken only if all chances of dialogue have been exhausted and there is no other choice.' It said that 'the occupation of Central will definitely happen,' without specifying a date. Pro-democracy rally member Christine Chu said: 'The decision on the nomination committee is very hypocritical. 'This is not true universal suffrage, so we cannot accept this result. We will do whatever we can to fight for what we want.' Beijing's announcement comes after a summer of protests and counter-protests that have gripped Hong Kong, including a rally two weeks ago by pro-Beijing activists to denounce Occupy Central as threatening the city's stability. Leaders of the movement, pictured addressing a crowd, have said up to 10,000 people will occupy the city centre . Political tensions spiked in June when Chinese officials released a policy 'white paper' declaring that Hong Kong's 'high degree of autonomy ... comes solely from the authorization by the central leadership.' Many read the policy paper as asserting Beijing's dominance of Hong Kong's affairs and hit the streets and the Internet in protest. Occupy Central drew Beijing's rebuke by organizing an online referendum to bolster support for full democracy that received nearly 800,000 votes. Also Sunday, the incumbent leader of the nearby Chinese-controlled casino capital of Macau, Fernando Chui, was elected to a second five-year term by a Beijing-friendly committee even though 95 percent of 8,688 votes cast in a similar referendum were in favor of universal suffrage in 2019. | Beijing declares only pre-approved candidates can run for leadership .
Hong Kong pro-democracy activists threaten 'wave after wave' of protests .
China makes decision despite the substantial autonomy promised in 1997 .
Activists preparing for 10,000-strong occupation of central financial district . |
127,422 | 30b242fb4869ffe4bd0498ba8683190b705f20de | Craig Bellamy has told Newcastle fans they will never be as big as Liverpool or Manchester United. The ex-Newcastle forward believes the expectations of supporters at St James' Park are too high, and that the North East club will 'always be on the outskirts' of the Barclays Premier League giants. Alan Pardew's men are in rejuvenated form, having beaten Liverpool 1-0 and Tottenham Hotspur 2-1, and Bellamy says results like that lead Newcastle fans to demand a win against West Brom. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Bellamy on what it takes to break into football . Craig Bellamy has told Newcastle fans they will 'always be on the outskirts' Liverpool and Manchester United . Former Wales international Bellamy celebrates during his time with Newcastle after scoring in 2004 . 'I remember finished fifth up there (in Newcastle) and that wasn't good enough,' Bellamy told Sky Sports before Newcastle took on West Brom on Sunday. 'It's a great place to be if you're winning but they (Newcastle supporters) always expect more. 'After beating Liverpool and after beating Spurs, fans will come here expecting to win. I have a lot of respect for Newcastle. 'It's a great club to play for but they have this idea that they should be bigger than Liverpool or just as big as Liverpool or Manchester United - they aren't. 'For they will always be on the outskirts of that.' Sammy Ameobi (left) of Newcastle evades Joleon Lescott of West Brom on Sunday at the Hawthorns . Newcastle manager Alan Pardew looks on during the Barclays Premier League match against West Brom . | Craig Bellamy believes Newcastle United supporters expect too much .
'It's a great club to play for but they have this idea that they should be bigger than Liverpool,' insists the retired former Newcastle forward .
Newcastle face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday in the Premier League . |
208,538 | 9a02bbdd943315f6277089ad3728993fa93b51a2 | Heavyweight champion looked on as punches were thrown . Feminist group staged nude protest at the opening of Ukrainian Parliament . Allegations of corruption in country where opposition leader is jailed . MPs brawled ahead of vote to endorse new Prime Minister . Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko was about the only one not swinging punches as fists flew in the Ukraine parliament for a second day running. MPs wrestled with each other following controversial elections in October and the brawl erupted as a vote on the ruling Party of Regions' nomination for . speaker was about to be announced. Opposition and pro-presidential lawmakers grappled with each other . in a mass of bodies around the main rostrum in parliament but Klitschko, leader of the UDAR, was not involved. Scroll down for video . Standing back: Heavyweight boxer and leader of the UDAR Vitali Klitschko looked on as the brawl erupted . Chaotic scenes: Fists flew in the Ukraine parliament for a second day running, as MPs wrestled with each other following controversial elections in October . Violent scenes: The brawl erupted as a vote on the ruling Party of Regions' nomination for speaker was about to be announced . Scramble: Despite some deputies being knocked over in the melee, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich's ruling party still managed to install one of its parliamentary deputies as speaker . Aggressive: Opposition and pro-presidential lawmakers grappled with each other in a mass of bodies around the main rostrum in parliament . Despite some deputies being knocked over in the melee, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich's ruling party still managed to install one of its parliamentary deputies as speaker. The . violent scenes were similar to yesterday when the new session of the . Ukrainian parliament got off to a dramatic start with MPs brawling on the floor of the chamber while a topless protest against corruption was staged outside. Teamwork: Ukraine's parliament has seen several physical confrontations in recent years amid bitter confrontation between opposition and pro-government camps . Squaring up: The tension of the situation was visible on some lawmaker's faces . Tension: The men pulled each other's clothing as the violent drama broke out . Members of feminist group Femen, . whose motto is 'We came, we undressed, we conquered', stripped naked down to just black pants and knee-high black socks in temperatures of minus 3C. Their stunt was an attempt to draw . attention to the plight of opposition leader and ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko who was jailed for . crimes not recognised in the West as punishable by prison. Before being hauled away by police, the Femen protesters claimed parliament, which yesterday met for the first time since the 'flawed' October elections in the country, was a 'stable' for the 'horses of oligarchs'. Inside . parliament, the opposition nationalist Svoboda group chased and . manhandled two MPs, a father and son, in a bid to prevent them taking . the oath. Making a stand: Police officers detain a Femen activist protesting in front of the Ukrainian Parliament . Blockade: Members of opposition parties block the door to Parliament during a day of violence and tension . Getting physical: The three main opposition parties have ruled out any coalition with the ruling Party of the Regions . Protest: The women were demonstrating over alleged corruption in the country, referring to Parliament as a 'stable' for the 'horses of oligarchs' Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is the leader of the main opposition party, All-Ukrainian Union, also known as 'Fatherland'. She lost the Ukrainian presidential election to Viktor Yanukovych in 2010 and has since faced a number of criminal charges. Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 after being found guilty of abuse of office when brokering a gas deal with Russia in 2009. The European Union and other international organisations have ruled the conviction as 'justice being applied selectively under political motivation'. Tymoshenko is currently being held in . Kharkiv, where she is receiving treatment at a hospital . after being diagnosed with a spinal disc herniation. She is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights against her conviction. The Ukraine government commissioned a team of U.S. lawyers to compile a dossier on the case to use in its defence at the appeal. But the Daily Telegraph reports the dossier states the trial was 'flawed' and would not have met the requirements of a Western court. Gregory Craig, former White House counsel for President Barack Obama and the dossier lead author, said: 'We concluded that there were ways in which Tymoshenko was not given a fair trial.' A legal expert told the newspaper the procedural violations would have led 'to a cancellations of the verdict' in the West. They were physically ejected from the chamber by opposition . deputies who accused them of defecting to the ruling coalition. The procedural wrangling at the opening of the . new parliament threatened to push back a key vote on whether Mykola Azarov will be endorsed for a new term as prime minister. The vote will be the . first test of the support for President Viktor Yanukovich, who . re-nominated Azarov. But when the speaker formally announced that . Azarov and his government were present, the chamber echoed to opposition . cries of 'Hanba! Hanba!' (Shame!) MPs . from Tymoshenko's party wore black jerseys with her portrait on the . front and the phrase 'Freedom to Political Prisoners' on the back. Tymoshenko remains in prison after being sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for alleged abuse of office over a gas deal with Russia. Yanukovich's pro-business Party of the . Regions and their allies enjoyed a strong majority in the last . parliament, which allowed them to push through changes to the electoral . law and a law on use of the Russian language that sparked street . protests. Despite losing seats in the October elections, the results were seen as a consolidation of President Yanukovych's power as his party still remained the biggest in parliament. Most analysts said they believed horse-trading would ensure enough support from independents and others to secure the required 226 or more seats. But the new opposition line-up, whose leaders have ruled out any coalition with the Regions, quickly showed their teeth. Deputies from the three main opposition parties surrounded the speaker's rostrum, effectively blocking activation of the electronic system which would allow deputies to vote on Azarov's nomination and the appointment of parliamentary officials. After a prolonged stand-off, both sides went home agreeing to resume business on Thursday, according to the Regions Party. Separately, the government put off a meeting scheduled for Thursday morning. Imprisonment: Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite, left, holds the hand of jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko during her visit to a hospital in Kharkiv . Injuries: Opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko showing bruising on her forearm in the Kachanivska penitentiary colony for women in Kharkiv earlier this year . Demonstration: Supporters of jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko protest against her conviction near the High Court of Appeals, in Kiev, Ukraine . | Heavyweight champion looked on as punches were thrown .
Feminist group staged nude protest at the opening of Ukrainian Parliament .
Allegations of corruption in country where opposition leader is jailed .
MPs brawled ahead of vote to endorse new Prime Minister . |
142,147 | 43cfce587efe536ad0136abec7d9ec7a9a1057d1 | The SAT college exam will undergo sweeping changes on what's tested, how it's scored and how students can prepare, College Board President and CEO David Coleman said Wednesday. Standardized tests have become "far too disconnected from the work of our high schools," Coleman said at an event in Austin, Texas. They're too stressful for students, too filled with mystery and "tricks" to raise scores and aren't necessarily creating more college-ready students, he said. The SAT to be released in spring 2016 is designed to change that, he said. The test will include three sections -- evidence-based reading and writing, math and an optional essay -- each retooled to stop students from simply filling a bubble on the test sheet. "No longer will it be good enough to focus on tricks and trying to eliminate answer choices," Coleman said. "We are not interested in students just picking an answer, but justifying their answers." The test will shift from its current score scale of 2400 back to 1600, with a separate score for the essay. No longer will test takers be penalized for choosing incorrect answers. To prepare students for the test, the College Board will partner for the first time with Khan Academy to provide free test preparation materials, starting in spring 2015. Afterward, income-eligible students will receive fee waivers to apply to four colleges for free. Why the test is changing . The last major changes to the SAT came in 2005, when it altered some question formats, added a written essay and changed its score scale from 1600 to 2400. For this change, Coleman cited the need to create more opportunities for students, rather than obstructing them with test questions that felt detached from their educations and the preparation colleges needed. Coleman, who joined the College Board in 2012, has spoken critically of his organization's test and discussed how it could be improved. "Admissions officers and counselors have said they find the data from admissions exams useful, but are concerned that these exams have become disconnected from the work of high school classrooms and surrounded by costly test preparation," Coleman said. In recent years, another exam, the ACT, has gained popularity as several states adopted it as part of their standardized testing programs. And while the majority of four-year colleges require an exam score for admission, hundreds of schools have shifted to test-optional policies that allow students to decide what to submit -- or whether to share a test score at all. Indeed, students' grades and the academic rigor of their courses weighs more heavily in college admissions decision than standardized test scores, class rank or professed interest in a particular school, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling's 2013 "State of College Admission" report released in January. The report was based on surveys sent to public and private high schools, postsecondary institutions and data from the College Board, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau. "I'd like to be optimistic and believe some of this is going to be good," said Steve Syverson, a member of the NACAC board and dean of admissions emeritus for Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin -- a test-optional school. "I just don't know how it will work out." Syverson was part of NACAC's Commission on Standardized Testing that in 2008 urged standardized test makers to adhere more closely to school curricula, colleges to consider more about applicants than seductively simple test scores and society to stop rating schools based on standardized test scores. Syverson was intrigued by the Khan Academy partnership, he said, and pleased with the direction Coleman seemed to be taking the test. He wonders whether fee waivers and others changes are meant to draw back students and schools that have turned away from the SAT or testing in general. Until he sees the passages students will be reading, the questions they're answering and the way colleges react, he has to remain skeptical. "Some of this is just words. They had a lot of great language around the last change," in 2005, Syverson said. "The angst about the exams has just continued to grow." How the test will change . Sections of the redesigned SAT might sound similar to the current test, but the changes are significant, Coleman said. The reading and writing sections will include questions that require students to cite evidence for their answer choices, and will include reading passages from a broader range of disciplines, including science, history, social studies and literature. Test takers will no longer be asked to complete sentences with obscure words they might have memorized from flash cards. Instead, students will have to consider the context of how words like "synthesis" and "empirical" are used. They're not "SAT words" as they've come to be known, Coleman said, but words students are likely to encounter again. "We must do all we can to foster this daily work that prepares students," Coleman said. The math section will no longer allow calculators to be used on every portion. It will focus on data analysis and real world problem-solving, algebra and some more advanced math concepts -- areas that most prepare students for college and career, Coleman said. "It is not that helpful to tell students, 'To get ready, they should study all of math,'" Coleman said. The essay, which the SAT added in 2005, will now be optional. SAT essays have faced criticism over the years from educators who said they focused too much on what test takers wrote, not whether their statements were true, or their arguments reasonable. Coleman said the College Board would now take responsibility for "unintended consequences" of how the essay test was designed. Essays will be scored separately from the rest of the test, and the prompt will remain basically the same in every test: It will ask students to consider a passage and write an essay that analyzes how the author made an argument, used evidence and styled ideas. The redesigned test will take about three hours, with an additional 50 minutes for the essay, and will be administered by print and computer; the current test is available on paper only. How students can prepare . Last year, when Coleman announced plans to redesign the SAT, he said it would launch in 2015. Toward the end of 2013, he delayed the launch to 2016 in order to allow partners more time to prepare. That means more time for students, educators and guidance and admissions counselors to understand the changes -- and more time for the College Board's Khan Academy test prep program to gear up. Partnering with the free, online resource is intended to make the SAT more transparent, and cut back on perceptions of inequality around expensive test preparation services, Coleman explained Wednesday. "If there are no more secrets," Coleman said, "it's very hard to pay for them." Students' classrooms are meant to be the best preparation for the redesigned SAT. The College Board's Khan Academy tools will supplement that learning. "It's going to meet students where they are," said Salman Khan, the Khan Academy creator. "We'll take you as far back as you need to go or as far forward as you need to go." Khan emphasized that he is planning to challenge the existing test prep industry by offering high quality, easily accessible tools. "This isn't just a 'Hey, since it's free, it's better than nothing," he said. "Our intention in this partnership is this will be the best thing out there, and it happens to be free." On April 16, the College Board will release more detailed specifications about the test and sample test questions. Some Khan Academy tools will be available to help students taking the SAT before the redesigned exam launches, Coleman said. For students, Coleman said, "we hope you breathe a sigh of relief that this exam will be focused, useful, open, clear, and aligned with the work you will do throughout high school." What do you think of changes to the SAT? Share in the comments, on Twitter @CNNschools or on CNN Living's Facebook page. | College Board's SAT test will undergo its first major changes since 2005 .
Test will align with high school curricula and return to a 1600 scoring scale .
Free test preparation will be offered through the College Board and Khan Academy .
The new test will be available to students in spring 2016 . |
254,929 | d5f68af0b6b0db40e9117411bef0e6e33c55d169 | One of the only Thomson's gazelles in the UK has been hand-reared by zoo keepers after it was rejected by its mother. Lazarus - also known as Larry - was born at Bedfordshire’s Whipsnade Zoo and workers were forced to take him home with them for round-the-clock care. The Thomson's gazelle was born as part of an exciting breeding programme run by the Zoological Society of London, but was rejected by his mother not long after the birth. Despite initially looking as if she was properly caring for her firstborn fawn, it was soon clear that the newborn gazelle's mother was unable to produce any milk for her young. Zookeepers were forced to step in and provide around the clock feeding for the fawn. ‘Initially, he needed quite a lot of attention and feeding around the clock, so it was more practical just to take him home for the first few days,’ senior keeper Mark Holden said. Once he was feeding and taking his milk well, the decision was made to return young Larry to the zoo. Still a baby! Larry the Thomson gazelle at one-week old, where zookeepers were feeding him around the clock . Doing much better: Senior keeper Mark Holden is pictured here feeding the young gazelle . Zookeepers were quick to re-integrate him with his fellow Thomson's gazelles - especially considering he is only one of four Thomson's gazelles currently in the United Kingdom. ‘He’s a bit more of a handful now, which is good - because that’s what we want to see. It’s a good indication that he’s feeding well and obviously he’s becoming stronger,’ Mr Holden said. Despite being touch-and-go for a while, Larry pulled through and is now doing well. | ZSL acquired breeding group of Thomson's gazelles earlier this year .
Lazarus, shortened to Larry, the first born of the acquired breeding group .
Unable to produce milk, Larry's mother abandoned him .
Larry now doing well and re-integrated with the zoos other gazelles . |
141,362 | 42cac3ef23fc85bd13e9536a2209008e92211d90 | Suicide bombers have freed hundreds of terrorists during a full-frontal assault on Iraq's top-security Abu Ghraib prison. Gunmen attacked guards with mortar fire as well as rocket propelled grenades while terrorists drove cars packed with explosives at the fortified gates during an attack which left ten policemen dead. Some of al Qaeda's most senior members were among the 500 inmates thought to have escaped before authorities regained control of the infamous prison on the outskirts of Baghdad in the early hours of Monday morning. Maximum security: Abu Ghraib prison, pictured in 2009 following a renovation, was home to some of the world's most dangerous terrorists. (File photo) The deadly raid on the high-security jail happened as Sunni Muslim militants are re-gaining momentum in their insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government that came to power after the U.S. invasion to oust Saddam Hussein. The raid began on Sunday night when suicide bombers attacked the gates with trucks loads with bombs and blasted their way into the compound. Other militants took up positions near the main road, fighting off security reinforcements sent from Baghdad as several militants wearing suicide vests entered the prison on foot to help free the inmates. Attacked: As many as 500 inmates - including senior al Qaeda members - are thought to have escaped after terrorists launched a military assault on Abu Ghraib prison. (File photo) Ten policemen and four militants were killed in the ensuing clashes, which continued until Monday morning, when military helicopters arrived and brought the assault to an end. By that time, hundreds of inmates had succeeded in fleeing Abu Ghraib, the prison made notorious a decade ago by photographs showing abuse of prisoners by U.S. soldiers. 'The number of escaped inmates has reached 500, most of them were convicted senior members of al Qaeda and had received death sentences,' Hakim Al-Zamili, a senior member of the security and defence committee in parliament, told Reuters. Caged: Iraqi detainees wait to be released at Abu Ghraib prison, west of Baghdad in Iraq - which was the scene of a mass jailbreak by al Qaeda terrorists this morning. (File photo) 'The security forces arrested some of them, but the rest are still free.' One security official told Reuters on condition of anonymity: 'It's obviously a terrorist attack carried out by al Qaeda to free convicted terrorists with al Qaeda.' A simultaneous attack on another prison, in Taji, around 20 km (12 miles) north of Baghdad, followed a similar pattern, but guards managed to prevent any inmates escaping. Sixteen soldiers and six militants were killed. Sunni insurgents, including the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, have been regaining strength in recent months and striking on an almost daily basis against Shi'ite Muslims and security forces amongst other targets. Infamous: An Iraqi prisoner reads the Quran before his release at Abu Ghraib prison, west of Baghdad, Iraq, which has become infamous after details of the torture of detainees at the hands of U.S. guards emerged. (File photo) Torture: Abu Ghraib was made notorious a decade ago by photographs showing abuse of prisoners by U.S. soldiers . The violence has raised fears of a return to full-blown conflict in a country where Kurds, Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims have yet to find a stable way of sharing power. In the northern city of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives behind a military convoy in the eastern Kokchali district, killing at least 22 soldiers and three passers-by, police said. Suicide bombings are the hallmark of al Qaeda, which has been regrouping in Mosul, Iraq's third-largest city and capital of the Sunni-dominated Nineveh province. A separate attack in western Mosul killed four policemen, police said. Relations between Islam's two main denominations have been put under further strain from the civil war in Syria, which has drawn in Shi'ite and Sunni fighters from Iraq and beyond to fight against each other. Recent attacks have targeted mosques, amateur football matches, shopping areas and cafes where people gather to socialise after breaking their daily fast for the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. Nearly 600 people have been killed in militant attacks across Iraq so far this month, according to violence monitoring group Iraq Body Count. That is still well below the height of bloodletting in 2006-07, when the monthly death toll sometimes exceeded 3,000. | Suicide bombers blast through high-security gates .
Gunmen attack guards with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades .
Ten policemen and four terrorists killed in ensuing battle on outskirts of Baghdad .
500 inmates though to have escaped before authorities regained control .
Guards manage to repel simultaneous attack on nearby prison . |
36,705 | 67ffcf8ed8c388a9dbac8c882b1cf8bed9accd7e | (CNN) -- Got a smartphone? Never lose your hotel key, or even have to stop at the registration desk, again. That's the vision of a hotel chain that plans to send digital keys to guests' phones via an app instead of making them check in and get the traditional (and famously lose-able) plastic swipe cards. Arriving guests could bypass the front desk and go straight to their rooms. Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which owns more than 1,150 hotels in nearly 100 countries, plans to debut the system in the next three months at two of its Aloft hotels -- in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City and Cupertino, California. Cupertino is likely no accident -- being, of course, the home of Apple's headquarters. If all goes well, the company says it could have the feature in all of its hotels by next year. A spokeswoman said the app will initially be compatible with recent iPhone models (4S and newer) and newer Android phones. The app will use Bluetooth technology to unlock the room with a tap. "We believe this will become the new standard for how people will want to enter a hotel," Frits van Paasschen, Starwood's CEO, told The Wall Street Journal. "It may be a novelty at first, but we think it will become table stakes for managing a hotel." Starwood, a chain that's heavy on boutique hotels, has a history of tech innovation and employs its own digital team. Just last year, the company launched a plan to develop solar power at its hotels, offered discounts during a "Cyber Monday" sale and premiered an iPad-specific mobile app. Starwood also announced Instagram integration on its websites, which lets visitors see images that guests have posted. | A hotel chain is testing an app that sends virtual room keys to your phone .
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has more than 1,150 hotels .
Two hotels will get the technology in the next three months .
System would allow guests to bypass front desk and go straight to their rooms . |
66,928 | bdd97d21628896002b21743b0699eb1aa43bb8f1 | By . David Kent . Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure is in a race against time to be fit for their World Cup opener against Japan on Sunday, coach Sabri Lamouchi has said. Toure has not been able to complete a full training session with his team-mates since undergoing surgery last month. Lamouchi said Ivory Coast's medical team had been working hard on trying to get the African Footballer of the Year fit for when the Ivorians open their Group C campaign against Japan in Recife. Injured: Yaya Toure, in training on Monday, is facing a race to be fit for Ivory Coast's World Cup opener . On the ball: Toure injured his thigh in April and is yet to complete a full training session for Ivory Coast . 'We will try and do everything to ensure he can play him,' the coach told reporters on Tuesday. Toure suffered a thigh injury in mid-April but returned to help Manchester City secure the Premier League title for the second time in three years. He then went to Qatar for treatment and joined up late with the Ivorian squad in their training camp in America. Toure did not play in either of their two warm-up international against Bosnia and El Salvador. | The Manchester City midfielder hasn't completed a full session since joining up with the Ivory Coast .
He suffered a thigh injury in April, but returned to help City win the league .
Ivory Coast are doing 'everything' to ensure he is fit for Group C opener . |
97,234 | 091fddfa46b474c427e20d8261ba6c2860bbb0e4 | Gus Poyet says he is not responsible for the strength of his squad at Sunderland as the fallout from their 8-0 humiliation at Southampton continues. Captain John O’Shea has confirmed that the players will refund supporters the cost of their match tickets - an estimated £60,000 – or make a donation to charity. The defender said: ‘We win and lose as a team, players, staff and fans. However, we wanted to acknowledge and thank the supporters who travelled such a long way to give us their backing and despite everything, stayed with us until the final whistle.’ Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet has distanced himself from criticism over the Black Cats' squad . Santiago Vergini picks the ball out of the net after Southampton's eighth goal on Saturday afternoon . Sunderland fans had a staggering 653.4 mile round trip to watch their team lose 8-0 to Southampton . Poyet, meanwhile, has indicated that he has been left short this season despite nine new faces arriving at the Stadium of Light. But the Uruguayan wanted more having seen several senior players leave on free transfers - including Jack Colback, Phil Bardsley, Craig Gardner, Carlos Cuellar and David Vaughan - and Fabio Borini return to Liverpool following a successful loan stay. Sporting director Lee Congerton is the man responsible for overseeing recruitment – answering to owner Ellis Short - and he stated during the close-season that ‘quality’ and not ‘quantity’ was the club’s summer strategy. The Black Cats subsequently spent £14million – headlined by £10m Jack Rodwell from Manchester City – but Poyet repeatedly warned that a difficult season would lie in store unless key areas were strengthened. And the former Chelsea and Spurs midfielder now appears to have distanced himself from the club’s transfer business. ‘I’m a head coach,’ he said. ‘I don’t make the squad, that’s not my job. ‘I’ve got four defenders, I play what I’ve got. ‘I’ll take responsibility at a set-piece – it was me, I pick the team and put it on the pitch. ‘The rest, I’m sorry, I’m not going to take.’ Saturday’s scoreline equalled Sunderland’s worst defeat in their history and they now take on Arsenal at home on Saturday where Poyet is set to make changes to the starting XI. The home fans revel in the delight of their team's destruction of a hapless Sunderland side . The electronic scoreboard at St Mary's displays the full extent of the defeat for the travelling supporters . Graziano Pelle (second left) celebrates after scoring Southampton's fifth goal on Saturday . Goalkeeper Vito Mannone faces the axe with deputy Costel Pantilimon – a free-transfer signing from Manchester City – poised to come in having made his first start for the Under-21s during Monday’s 1-0 win over Leicester City, a match watched by Poyet. The head coach, however, remains short of options with defenders Billy Jones and Sebastian Coates and attacking midfielders Ricky Alvarez and Emmanuele Giaccherini currently sidelined because of injury. Will Buckley was brought in by Poyet for £2.5m from his former club Brighton and the winger says the team has to make amends for their ‘Sunday League’ display at St Mary’s. ‘We need to pick ourselves up and make sure our performance is 100 times better than it was at Southampton,’ he said. ‘I’ve never experienced anything like that professionally. It’s a horrible feeling, especially for how many fans we brought down. ‘It’s gutting for us and we let ourselves down. We need to make it right on Saturday. ‘Those are the kind of results you see in Sunday League, so we have to make sure that doesn’t happen again. ‘We let the manager down and all the staff who have shown good faith in us. We need to make sure we put that right.’ | Southampton thrashed Sunderland 8-0 at St Mary's on Saturday afternoon .
Sunderland players have offered to refund the £24 match ticket of the 2,500 Black Cats fans who travelled to the south coast .
Head coach Gus Poyet has claimed that he is not responsible for the strength of the Sunderland squad .
Sunderland midfielder Will Buckley described Saturday's performance as 'Sunday League', and stated they must be '100 times better' this week . |
59,827 | a9f15c297646af7e94d7e347f0190ff5c93049e7 | George Best is still the bravest player I've seen... he changed football . Duncan Edwards was my idol in the fifties... I was devastated after the Munich air disaster . Duncan Edwards joins Billy Wright and Danny Blanchflower in my team of the fifties . For 50 years, Harry Redknapp has been one of football’s most colourful and outspoken characters. Now he’s written a book every fan will want to read. In Redknapp’s new book 'A Man Walks On To a Pitch' - serialised exclusively by Sportsmail this week - the QPR manager picks his all-time team of the sixties. ............................................................................ GEORGE BEST . The best footballer the British Isles has ever produced, the ultimate street player. A genius. George could add 10,000 to a gate the way that Tom Finney or Stanley Matthews had previously. George Best in action for Manchester United against Chelsea in 1971 . Manchester United legend Best enjoys the attention on a beach in Majorca in 1968 . BOBBY MOORE . He’s not given the credit for the way he changed the position of centre half in this country. Is he quick? No. Can he head it? No, he’s not very strong in the air. I sometimes wonder whether Bobby would have come through the ranks now. Bobby Moore kisses the World Cup at Wembley in 1966 after leading England to glory . SIR BOBBY CHARLTON . A player who can hit the target from 30 yards out — that cuts straight to the heart of the game. We were raving about Gareth Bale in his last season in England, but Bobby Charlton was doing that 40 years ago: the same driving runs, the same spectacular finishes. Sir Bobby Charlton completes his hat-trick for England in a friendly against Mexico . Charlton on the golf course at St Andrews at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship . BILLY BREMNER . It was not unusual for him to sleep for 13 hours after a match because his effort had been so great. The film The Damned United made him look like a little fat sod with a pot belly. If that was the player that was chasing midfielders all around the pitch for almost 800 games, I don’t think Don Revie’s Leeds would be regarded as one of the greatest teams of all time. Billy Bremner (left) with team mate Jack Charlton in Turin in 1971 as Leeds prepare to face Juventus . PAUL REANEY . He would be the least favourite opponent of 99 per cent of wingers. Reaney found a way of stopping George Best that eluded other players. His physical approach was important — but his timing and positioning were faultless, too. Defender Paul Reaney in action for Leeds United in 1968. Reaney also played for Bradford later in his career . Jimmy Greaves, Ray Wilson and Jack Charlton all make it into Harry Redknapp's team of the sixties . George Best is still the bravest player I've seen... he changed football . Duncan Edwards was my idol in the fifties... I was devastated after Munich air disaster . Duncan Edwards joins Billy Wright and Danny Blanchflower in my team of the fifties . Where are poor Paul Gascoigne's friends now he needs their help? Dalglish had West Ham stars standing and applauding at 15... then he signed for Celtic! Alan Hansen reminded me of Bobby Moore, that's why he's in my team of the Eighties . John Robertson, Kevin Keegan and Phil Neal make my team of the Seventies . Giggs would have solved England's problems... he was born to play left wing . Wenger heralded a change... he introduced Prozone and scouting reports to England . Ravel Morrison has the class of Bale but his attitude is holding back his talent . Vieira and Keane are warriors... they were even prepared to do battle while on TV! Why Redknapp fears that the English manager is in danger of becoming extinct . Vieira nearly crossed North London to join Spurs... and Suarez was close to signing too . Pies in the canteen and throwing teacups at players... the Premier League killed all that! Sportsmail's Head of Sport Lee Clayton interviews Redknapp about his new book . The front cover of Redknapp's new book, A Man Walks On To a Pitch, which is released on Thursday . 'A Man Walks On To A Pitch' by Harry Redknapp is published by Ebury Press, priced £20. Offer price £16 until October 21. Order at mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0808-272-0808 — p&p is free for a limited time only. | Harry Redknapp's latest book, A Man Walks On To a Pitch, is being serialised by Sportsmail this week .
Redknapp picks his all-time team from the sixties .
QPR boss chooses George Best, Bobby Moore and Sir Bobby Charlton . |
38,489 | 6cd57332cabff74148bd08b2a45beefc760e68ee | (CNN) -- Close your eyes for a moment and imagine your life five years from now. What sort of scenarios pop into your mind? How do you see yourself standing professionally? What is the quality of your personal life and relationships? Though each of us may define "happiness" in different ways, it remains the case that we are inclined to see ourselves motoring happily toward professional success, fulfilling relationships, financial security and stable health. Unemployment, debt, Alzheimer's, any number of other regrettably common misfortunes are rarely factored into our projections. Watch Tali Sharot's TED Talk . According to most estimates, 80% of the population hold unrealistic, optimistic beliefs about their own future. However, ask people whether the economy is going in the right direction or how they feel about the future of their country, and you will hear: "absolutely not" and "going down the drain." TED.com: Dan Gilbert on our mistaken expectations . Collectively we are quite pessimistic about the direction of our nation or the ability of our leaders to improve education and reduce crime. But private optimism, about our personal future, remains incredibly resilient. Surveys show that most people overestimate their prospects for personal achievement, expect their children to be extraordinarily gifted and hugely underestimate their likelihood of divorce and cancer. What always puzzled me was how we manage to maintain optimism in the face of reality. We experience failure and heartache, we read the newspaper -- we know the economy is unstable, but still we remain optimistic about our own odds. As a neuroscientist I found this especially surprising, because according to all classic theories of learning when expectations are not met, we alter them. This should eventually lead to realism, not optimism. By scanning the brains of people while they learned from positive and negative information about the future we uncovered a possible answer to this puzzle. Surprisingly, when people learn of what the future may hold, their brains faithfully encode desirable information that can enhance optimism, but fail at incorporating unexpectedly bad information. (My fellow scientists and I were able to alter this tendency using transcranial magnetic stimulation -- watch the TED talk to see how.) When we learn of Oprah Winfrey's success story, our brain takes note and concludes that maybe, we too may become immensely rich one day. But when told the odds of divorce are almost 1 in 2 we take no notice. This means that warning signs such as those on cigarette packets may only have limited impact. "Yes, smoking kills -- but mostly it kills the other guy." But at the same when we hear the housing market is going up we think -- "ohhhh the value of my house is going to double." TED.com: Helen Fisher studies the brain in love . In fact, economists have suggested that optimism was a root cause of the financial downfall of 2008. The optimism bias was not only blurring the vision of the private sector, but also of government officials, rating agencies and financial analysts who constantly expected the market to go up and up. The belief that we are relatively immune to future harms can also put us at physical risk. Take for example an e-mail I received from a California firefighter who read my book about the optimism bias. He says fatality investigations involving firefighters often include statements to the effect of "We didn't think the fire was going to do that" even when all of the available information about risks was there to enable safe decisions. The British government for one has decided to try to address these problems. As a first step, it has acknowledged that the optimism bias causes individuals to underestimate the cost and duration of projects. Specific guidelines of how to correct for the optimism bias in appraisals were published in the British government's Green Book, which provides an overall methodology for economic assessment. Adjustments for the optimism bias have since been factored into the budget of many UK government projects, including most recently the 2012 London Olympics. Despite all these potential pitfalls, the science of optimism clearly indicates that, on balance, viewing the world through rose-tinted glasses is a good thing. We now know that underestimating the pain and difficulties the future undoubtedly holds lowers stress and anxiety, consequently enhancing physical and mental health. TED.com: Four lessons from robots about being human . Believing that a goal is within reach motivates us to act in a way that will help us attain it. This may, for instance, explain why optimists work longer hours and tend to earn more. Yes, the 2012 London Olympics budget had to be adjusted to account for over-optimistic prediction, but if the human spirit were not optimistic, would there be anyone around to participate in the actual Games? My guess is that the number of athletes who expect to win a medal at the Olympics significantly outnumbers the number of contestants who will mount the podium to be garlanded in due course. Most athletes subject themselves to years of intensive training because they can clearly envisage the end goal. At the end of the day, to make any kind of real progress we need to be able to imagine alternative realities -- better ones, and believe them to be possible. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tali Sharot. | People tend not to anticipate the future perils that face them, Tali Sharot says .
People are pessimistic about the world but are optimistic about their lives, she says .
Sharot: Seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses is good for people's mental state .
Believing that a goal is within reach motivates us to act to attain it, Sharot says . |
282,637 | fa14aeff407055cab546029eb04756dfe3155a0e | Standing in Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya – the large square which spreads out at the heart of Sofia – I am momentarily unsure what year it is. Behind me, the Holy Sunday Church is a swarthy slice of the 19th century – an Orthodox temple competing for souls with the 16th century Banya Bashi Mosque, which sits a few doors down. In front, the broad facade of the TZUM department store is an austere reminder of the grim communist Fifties – even as it towers over the archaeological remains of the Roman settlement of Serdica, which are framed beyond glass at my feet. Only when the adjacent metro station bursts into life, disgorging a crowd of commuters, does the 21st century seem to feel present and correct. A church to haunt a million postcards: The magnificent Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral is Sofia's landmark . Bulgaria's capital is rarely anybody's first suggestion for a mini-break. But, easily reached via a three-hour (direct) flight from London, it is deserving of closer attention – not least because few cities wear their past quite as openly as this fascinating little corner of eastern Europe. Just about every dominant power that ever thrived on our home continent – ancient Greeks, road-building Romans, Ottoman Turks, the heavy hand of the Soviet Union – has had its say here at some point. The result is an intriguing cocktail of architectural styles and overlapping eras that is certain to delight more intrepid travellers. Exploring the centre, I soon encounter the Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral. Indeed, it is hard to miss Sofia’s keynote building. It is the sort of dreaming wonder of a church that, were it located in Paris, Rome or Barcelona, would gaze out from a million postcards. In truth, it looks like it has escaped from Moscow – an epic, domed creation that was built between 1878 and 1912, at a time when Bulgaria was in thrall to Tsarist Russia. Its flanks are adorned with mosaics – while its interior, where the aroma of incense hangs thick in the air, is a feast of space. It has a neighbour too, the smaller St Sophia – a humble red-brick pile that, remarkably, has occupied its site since the sixth century. Inside, medieval frescoes supply colour and beauty, saints peering piously at the observer. Unknown quantity: Sofia is one of Europe's most historic cities, but is rarely on the tourist map . Sofia loves its churches – but it also revels in culture. The Sofia City Art Gallery, with its 3500-strong cluster of contemporary works, is a treasure trove. Yet the motherlode is the National Art Gallery. Pitched inside a former royal palace, this is a pleasing place to spend an afternoon, its many paintings hung in high-ceilinged chambers where the affairs of court once played out. The names of the painters whose pieces decorate the walls will not, perhaps, be familiar – but the striking landscapes and rural scenes crafted by Bulgarian luminaries like Anton Mitov and Vera Nedkova are eye-catching nonetheless. Somewhat bizarrely, the National Museum of History is hidden four miles south-west of the centre, in the suburb of Boyana. You need to take a taxi to reach it – but the inconvenience is offset by the collection that awaits. Bulgaria’s full tale is revealed here. The priceless Panagyurishte Treasure – a clutch of gold goblets from the fourth century BC – recalls the days when the area was part of the ancient Greek region of Thrace. Crusader swords and World War weaponry tell military stories of different vintages. And the building regales you with the most dramatic yarn of all. This sturdy block of concrete, with its sweeping staircases and enormous rooms, was used for state events in the Iron Curtain epoch. There is still a distinct whiff of Bond villain’s lair to its angular bulkiness. However, it would be wholly incorrect to say that Sofia exists in some sepia yesteryear. And you do not have to look too closely to see a vibrant, modern city of quiet confidence. Trundling along: A tram rolls past the Tsentralni Halite market hall - where you can find quality wines . There are flashes of the now in the broad Tsentralni Halite. Sofia's main market hall may be a happy relic, dating to 1911, but the picture inside is decidedly up to date – a host of stalls selling organic olive oils and fruity bottles of Bulgaria's increasingly quaffable wines; a small bar where locals discuss the issues of the day over discreet glasses of beer. This image blossoms on Vitosha Bulevard. Sofia's key drag is largely pedestrianised, and when I amble along it in late afternoon, a merry crowd is in evidence – families milling around the shops, worker bees heading for the hive of bars and cafes. It is not quite the Champs Elysées, but it hints at something that Paris cannot match. At the south end, the mountain which gives the avenue its name can be glimpsed between the townhouses – Vitosha, wearing a cap of snow. The ski season at its two resorts – Konjarnika-Vetrovala and Aleko, both roughly half an hour away – usually runs between December and March. Wandering further, I find myself in the leafy lanes to the rear of the National Art Gallery – where the ghosts of the communist decades are firmly exorcised by two splendid options for a night out. With a menu heavy on cocktails and high-end bottles of whisky, Dada Cultural Bar is the sort of trendy watering hole that could comfortably exist in any great global metropolis, a wave of elegant conversation washing over the clientele within. Another piece of the past and present: Sofia's Banya Bashi Mosque is a doughty remnant of Ottoman times . Moskovska 15, meanwhile, is one of the city's undoubted culinary kingpins – a softly lit restaurant of crisp linen, gourmet flair and wine-list expertise. The menu entices with its talk of beef with herb-and-potato purée, and meatballs with pancetta. I choose the former, pairing it with a half-bottle of Bulgarian merlot that is warm and rich – and wonder again why more people do not flit east to sample what is one of Europe's intriguing last secrets. For all the grand visibility of its past, Sofia is a place that is increasingly facing forwards. British Airways (0844 493 0787; www.ba.com) flies to Sofia daily from London Heathrow. Return fares from £136. A three-night break at the five-star Grand Hotel Sofia costs from £495 per person (based on two people sharing), including flights from Heathrow, private transfers and breakfast – through Cox & Kings (020 7873 5000; www.coxandkings.co.uk). | Bulgaria's intriguing capital is one of Europe's less known major cities .
It has historic buildings from the Ottoman, Communist and Roman eras .
The colossal Alexsandar Nevski Cathedral is its most significant landmark . |
93,814 | 04a0c403d83c509ce1b6586525a8d918ac090a6b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:49 EST, 15 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:06 EST, 15 May 2012 . Pilot Jon Orders says he swallowed the video memory card in a panic . A hang-gliding instructor has apologised to the family of a young woman who fell to her death in an accident in Canada admitting he 'failed in a major way.' William 'Jon' Orders said he was sorry for swallowing a memory card that contained footage of the young woman's last moments. He has appeared in a Vancouver court charged with obstructing the course of justice after he admitted swallowing the memory card of 27-year-old Lenami Godinez-Avila plummeting to her death. Orders, 50, has vowed to give up hang gliding after saying he was 'sincerely and deeply sorry' for the death of Avila. Orders was filming the Canadian woman from a camera attached to his helmet as she slipped from the harness on the tandem hang-glider he was piloting. She tried to hold on to Orders' legs but fell 300m when his shoe came off. He said his impulsive behaviour was due to 'overwhelming stress' that included his awaiting 12-year-old daughter on the field where the tandem flight was supposed to land. 'I would like to apologise to Lenami's family, to the police and the public for my panicked action of swallowing the memory card as I did,' said Orders. 'My 12-year-old daughter was present that day and made the situation even more stressful at the time.' Memorial: A group of hang gliders gathered at the place where Lenami Godinez-Avila died to plant a cherry blossom tree and erect a cross a week after her death . Hang glider pilot Jon Orders has apologised for swallowing a memory card that contained footage of a young woman falling to her death in an accident in Canada admitting he 'failed in a major way' Scene: Hang gliders and emergency workers rush to where Lenami Godinez-Avila's body was found after she plummeted 1,000 feet to her death last Saturday . Orders was arrested two days after . the April 28 accident and held in custody for a week while lawyers and . police waited for him to pass the memory card. Nicole . McLearn who was there the day Lenami died said she and her boyfriend were 'joyous' as they watched the other hang gliders take to the air, growing excited . about their turn. She told the Post Media News that as soon as she and Orders became airbound, it was clear something was wrong. She said: 'I could see her starting to slip down his body ... past the waist, down . the legs. Finally she got to the feet and tried to hang on and . obviously couldn't hang on for that much longer and let go, tearing off . the tandem pilot's shoes in the process.' Usually an instructor and the student . should be side by side, but Lenami was below him and it became obvious . she was not hooked in. She was only in the air about 30 seconds before she died. At the launch site, her boyfriend watched what was happening and screamed as she fell: 'No! Lenami! Hang on! I love you!' Police investigating the death of Lenami Godinez-Avila, left, have seized a video card which they say had been swallowed by hang-glider pilot Jon Orders, right . Witness: Nicole McLearn said it became obvious as soon as they took off that something was not right as the instructor was horizontal and Lenami was hanging vertical . Earlier this week, Royal Canadian Mounted Police told a court that X-rays showed the card was inside Orders' body. But officers have confirmed that they now have the card. 'We . have processes in place in order to try and extract what's been on the . card that will not be further discussed at the moment,' Police Constable . Tracy Wolbeck said. Ms Wolbeck said police were focusing on answering questions from Miss Godinez-Avila's family, from Mexico. 'They've come to Canada in search of answers,' the police officer added. Police have not provided any further details about when the card was consumed or how they learned about it. They have also said they have seized video taken by the boyfriend on the ground. Orders is a fully certified hang-gliding pilot and instructor with 16 years' experience. Search for clues: Police examined the hang-glider after the body of Miss Godinez-Avila was found . Crash site: Police believe information stored on a video card could help explain why the incident happened . His business website, Vancouver Hang Gliding, states that photos and video are available when people purchase a tandem hang-gliding trip. When police announced the charge, they said Orders was accused of withholding key evidence. The young woman's body was found in a forest clear cut below Mount Woodside, a popular spot for hang gliders to launch from above British Columbia's Fraser Valley. Jason Warner, safety officer for the Hang Gliders and Paragliders Association of Canada, said that he spoke to Orders minutes after Godinez-Avila fell from the glider. Mr Warner said Orders told him he knew something was wrong almost immediately and tried desperately to hang on to the woman, who clung to his body and then slipped down his legs, taking one of Orders' shoes with her. Miss Godinez-Avila, who was an . administrator at the provincial Ministry of Environment, went hang . gliding after her boyfriend bought her lessons for their anniversary. He was video-recording the flight, but had stopped taping before she fell. | William 'Jon' Orders charged with obstructing the course of justice .
Blames 'overwhelming stress' for failure of judgement . |
238,275 | c06bdf6e0d14be15703c94eced7124c3d9f56bf7 | Hillary Clinton has earned $12 million since departing the State Department last year, according to an analysis of her finances released today. Bloomberg estimates that Clinton has made $6 million from speaking fees and received at least a $6 million advance for her book Hard Choices, putting the former Secretary of State in the top one-hundredth of the 1 percent of earners in America. Clinton's advance is not public and her spokesman did not respond to the news agency's response for a comment, but Bloomberg believes her advance to be close to that amount based on 'industry standards and public records.' Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the Starkey Hearing Foundation's 'So the World May Hear' Awards Gala on Sunday, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Clinton gave this speech on behalf of the Clinton Global Initiative, of which Starkey is a member . Clinton welcomes Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was honored at the gala. Clinton is back in the media today after an analysis of her fiances found that the former Obama administration official made $12 million since leaving the State Department last year . News outlets have previously placed the advance for Clinton's memoir as high as $15 million - the amount her husband Bill was paid for his 2004 autobiography My Life - and not lower than the $8 million she received for her 2003 memoir, Living History. Bloomberg's review of the presumed presidential candidate's known speaking gigs and usual fee led the organization to determine that Clinton has received approximately $6 million for 27 appearances. That amount includes money Clinton has been paid by eight universities but now claims went to the Clinton Foundation. 'All of the fees have been donated to the Clinton Foundation for it . to continue its life-changing and life-saving work,' Clinton told ABC News after coming under scrutiny last month by students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for charging the school $225,000 to have her speak. 'So it goes from a . foundation at a university to another foundation,' she claimed. Clinton has not offered evidence to support her claims but a copy of her $275,000 contract with the University of Buffalo for an October 23, 2013, speech that was obtained by the Washington Post last week specifically called for the 'net honorarium' to be directed to the Clinton Foundation. Bill Clinton's has received approximately $106 million to give remarks in his post-presidency. Together, the power couple has earned more than $160 million in the decade after Bill's second presidential term came to an end. Hillary and Bill's finances have been the subject of speculation since Hillary claimed in June that the two were 'dead broke' when they left the White House because of legal fees, mortgages and their daughter Chelsea's schooling. The Clintons have spent the summer trying to explain the comment away but have had little success. | Clinton reportedly earned $6 million in the last year off of speakings gigs .
She earned at least a $6 million advance for her book Hard Choices .
Together she and Bill have earned more than $160 in the decade after departing the White House . |
231,812 | b822e080f11ecbb10ebe15b9eeeb00b2a4005e4c | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:42 EST, 14 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 23:42 EST, 14 October 2013 . The army is soon to announce its new $4 billion camouflage pattern and standard uniform to be worn by its soldiers as it comes under criticism for ‘wasting’ $5 billion on its last uniform which lasted less than a decade. The billion-dollar experiment to create a universal pattern, known as the Universal Camouflage Pattern, or UCP, is being phased out as the army gets ready to reveal the new uniform. The army decided to scrap the two traditional camouflage uniforms that had long been used by the military - one meant for woodland environments, another for the desert – in favour of the UCP, which they said could be worn anywhere and blend in with any environment. Out with the old: The army's UCP grey uniform is being scrapped after less than 10 years . 'Blends into a parking lot': Critics say the pattern of the UCP does not work in combat areas . However, after less than 10 years in use, soldiers and critics say the UCP was a waste of money. In 2009, Congress responded to soldiers’ concerns about the current combat uniform which they indicated provides ineffective camouflage given the environment in Afghanistan. The result was the MultiCam uniform, which is currently being worn by US troops in Afghanistan. But the uniform was only meant to be an interim substitution for the UCP, which is still the army’s official uniform and the one worn by all soldiers who are not overseas. Temporary solution: The MultiCam uniform was introduced in 2009 after soldiers complained their UCP uniform did not blend into the Afghani environment . Put to good use: The MultiCam is the uniform currently being used by troops in Afghanistan because it blends into the environment better than the UCP . The UCP provided 'ineffective camouflage given the environment in Afghanistan', which is why the army now wears the substitute uniform, shown here . Former Army Officer Matt Gallagher said during his 15-month deployment to Iraq from 2007-2009, he became well acquainted with the shortfalls of the universal camouflage pattern, according to The Daily Beast. In an attempt to blend in with all kinds of environments, the pattern instead wound up sticking out everywhere, its grey, gravel design that only a help to soldiers hoping to blend in with a parking lot. Army Sergeant Matt Pelak laughs at the mention of the universal camouflage pattern. ‘It is one of the things that drives me craziest about the army I have to admit,’ he told The Daily Beast. We started rolling it out in 2005 and everyone was baffled by it.’ While Pelak admits there were some upsides to the design, such as easy-to-access pockets, his complaints outweighed the positives. ‘Even currently, in my unit, we wear the normal uniform, the UCP when we’re back on base, but when we go in the field we wear MultiCam,’ he said. ‘We have to carry two uniforms around, one that functions properly and one that’s merely administrative.’ Former Army Officer Matt Gallagher said during his 15-month deployment to Iraq from 2007-2009, he became well acquainted with the shortfalls of the universal camouflage pattern . Soldiers day they have to carry two different uniforms at the moment - one that functions properly and one that¿s merely administrative . For the new, as-yet-unreleased uniform, the army solicited designs from companies for patterns with three variations, one for the desert, another for woodlands and jungles and a third, traditional semi-wooded pattern similar to the one currently used by soldiers in Afghanistan. After several rounds of testing, four patterns with three variations for each, from companies in New York, Virginia and Alaska were submitted to the army to choose a winner. The winner has yet to be announced. Last year, the Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog agency, issued a report about the army spending $5 billion on the UCP uniforms and field equipment, only to spend an estimated $4 billion on the new design. The Natick Army Soldier Systems Center conducted two studies on the UCP - once in 2006 and again in 2009 - both times finding that the UCP¿s performance came up short . The Natick Army Soldier Systems Center, which does research and development on things like food, clothing, shelter for the military, conducted two studies on the UCP - once in 2006 and again in 2009 - both times finding that the UCP’s performance came up short when compared to other, more popular camouflages, like the Marine Corps desert pattern or the MultiCam. Whether the current quest for the consummate camouflage will prove time and money well spent or yet another waste remains to be seen. According to Pelak, the soliders are still ‘stuck with a uniform we can’t wear in the field’. | Army to announce its new $4 billion camouflage pattern and standard uniform to be worn by its soldiers .
The current uniform, called the Universal Camouflage Pattern, or UCP, is being phased out .
The UPC is criticised for not blending well enough into the environment in Afghanistan .
Troops are currently using the MultiCam uniform in Afghanistan as an temporary solution .
The new uniform will come in three patterns - for desert, woodlands/jungle and one for semi-wooded areas, similar to the MultiCam . |
81,336 | e66d80e977af4c361dc6a545dc3800afddf8cfd5 | By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 11:58 EST, 22 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:32 EST, 23 October 2013 . A 52-year-old man has been arrested after a commuter was filmed racially abusing a woman on the London Underground. The video, which has been posted on YouTube, shows the drunk man launching a foul-mouthed tirade of abuse at the innocent woman. Commuters were left horrified as the man, from Watford, Hertfordshire, reeled off a series of insults about the Japanese - labelling them 'nasty people', 'bad men' and a 'vicious bunch'. Scroll down for video . Shocking: The 52-year-old man launches a foul-mouthed tirade of abuse at the innocent Japanese passenger . Abuse: He reels off insults about the Japanese - labelling them 'nasty people', 'bad men' and a 'vicious bunch' He has been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence, police have confirmed. In an expletive-littered rant, lasting almost six minutes, the man claims his uncle died in the River Kwai during the Second World War. He then aggressively points his finger at the young woman and accuses her of torturing his relative. 'You tortured him. Get yourself off the train, get yourself off the train,' he can be heard telling the passenger, who is sat on the other side of the tube on the Bakerloo line. 'You're nasty people. I mean this s***. You're nasty people. 'F*** off, get out of my country.' Illogical: He aggressively points his finger at the female passenger and accuses her of torturing his uncle . The unidentified man, who appears to be under the influence of alcohol, then repeatedly shouts 'Sayonara' - the Japanese translation of 'goodbye' - adding: 'Don't you torture my relatives'. He ignores the shocked woman's cries of 'I'm not nasty. You're nasty', before turning his attention to the English man filming the footage and asking where he comes from. The passenger replies: 'Does it matter, really? Are you going to start sorting everyone on the train, man, one by one? Why are you blasting at her? What have you got against the Japanese?' Leaning forward, the man shouts: 'They killed my f****** two f****** cousins in the Second World War.' 'But she didn't kill your cousins, did she?' asks the passenger. 'Why is she going to apologise? What has she done to you?' The . man, pointing his finger at the Japanese woman, replies 'She doesn't . even f****** realise that she's a bad man. The Japanese are bad - same . as the Germans.' Menacing: The unidentified man then repetedly shouts 'Sayonara' - the Japanese translation of 'goodbye' Despite the cameraman's best efforts to calm him down, the man then becomes increasingly violent - threatening to knock him out in 'one punch'. 'I’m ex-Parachute Regiment! What do you know? You're a f****** boy man. Shut the f*** up,' he says. 'I’ve done two tours in Northern Ireland and the Falklands. Don’t even f****** look at me.' He then produces a bottle of wine and takes a swig, before dangling the bottle menacingly in the passenger's face. 'Do you want some of that?' he asks threateningly. 'No, because you don't drink.' A British Transport Police spokesman . said: 'A 52-year-old man from Watford was arrested on Saturday, October . 19, on suspicion of a racially-aggravated public order offence. 'An . investigation was launched after we were made aware of a YouTube clip . of a man using racist language on board a Bakerloo line train.' Intoxicated: He produces a bottle of wine and takes a swig, before dangling it in the cameraman's face . She added that the man has been bailed, pending enquiries. He is expected to be brought before magistrates on October 30. The abuse is not the first of its kind to be filmed on the Underground. Last year, a woman was jailed for 21 weeks for hurling racist abuse at fellow passengers while drunk. Jacqueline Woodhouse, then 42, snarled at stunned commuters seated beside her: 'I used to live in England and now I live in the United Nations.' Her champagne-fuelled rant was recorded by a passenger, who posted the . seven-minute clip on YouTube where it caused a sensation. Speaking at Westminster Magistrates' Court at the time, District Judge Michael Snow said: 'Anyone viewing that would feel a deep sense of shame that our fellow citizens could be subject to such behaviour.' | The 52-year-old man launches foul-mouthed tirade at the Japanese woman .
He claims the Japanese are 'nasty people', 'bad men' and a 'vicious bunch'
Has been arrested on suspicion of racially-aggravated public order offence . |
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