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69,462 | c4ed3ee3bc30cd419ceb0c2d180dba3f3dbc106d | (CNN) -- Jason Segel's weight loss is no joke. The 33-year-old star of "How I Met Your Mother" has been working to slim down for an upcoming comedy called "Sex Tape," and recent photos show his efforts are paying off. Last week, Segel was photographed in Boston, where the movie has been filming, with a noticeably slimmer face and frame. In July, the actor told Us Weekly that he wanted to be in top shape for the R-rated feature, which also stars Cameron Diaz. "I've just been living healthy, exercising, eating right -- no more midnight pizzas," Segel told the magazine. "This time when I take my shirt off, I've made a promise to myself, it doesn't have to be funny." It seems the star previously "took heat" for his naked bod in the 2008 comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," but he said he understands that "different characters require different body types." His new comedy, about a married couple who make a sex tape only to wake up and find it missing, is going to be on the raunchy side -- "and I'm not in shape for no reason," he said. "Sex Tape" is scheduled to arrive in July. | Jason Segel has slimmed down for a new movie role .
The actor was noticeably thinner when photographed recently during filming .
He said in July that he wanted to get in shape for the part .
The movie, which also stars Cameron Diaz, is set for release next summer . |
185,566 | 7c5f8afd85dfaf783e934ac2fff4fd015a003703 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:07 EST, 28 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:58 EST, 28 September 2012 . It has been revealed that the man behind the anti-Islamic video that sparked violence in the Middle East legally changed his name because he felt his was too feminine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Dugdale said Friday that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula will be now known as Mark Basseley Youssef in court records. Court documents filed in Orange County Superior Court today show he was granted a name change petition in 2002 and legally changed his name to Youssef because 'Nakoula is a girl's name and it cause me troubles.' US Courthouse in Los Angeles, California where alleged anti-Islamic filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is appearing on probation violation charges today . Nakoula appeared in court yesterday after authorities said he violated his probation from a 2010 check fraud conviction. The full story about Nakoula and the video 'Innocence of Muslims' still isn't known more than two weeks after violence erupted in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world where at least 50 people have died in protests related to the film. Citing a lengthy pattern of deception and the potential to flee, U.S. Central District Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal ordered Nakoula to remain in prison without bond until another judge can hold a hearing to determine if he broke the terms of his probation. These courtroom sketch's show Nakoula Basseley Nakoula talking with his attorney Steven Seiden, (left), in court yesterday . Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is sketched talking with his attorney Steven Seiden, (left), as U.S. Central District Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal presides over the proceeding yesterday . 'The court has a lack of trust in this defendant at this time,' Segal said. Prosecutors noted Nakoula had eight probation violations, including lying to his probation officers and using aliases. He could face new charges that carry a maximum two-year prison term. After his 2010 conviction, Nakoula was sentenced to 21 months in prison and was barred from using computers or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer, though prosecutors said none of the violations involved the Internet. He also wasn't supposed to use any name other than his true legal name without the prior written approval of his probation officer. Three names, however, have been associated with Nakoula this month alone. 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 spoke to media outlets including The Associated Press, took credit for the film and said it was meant to portray the truth about Muhammad and Islam, which he called a cancer. U.S. Federal marshals drive away in a vehicle believed to be carrying Nakoula Basseley Nakoula after his arraignment in federal court in Los Angeles yesterday . U.S. Federal Marshals block the street as agents drive away in a vehicle believed to be carrying Nakoula Basseley Nakoula after his arraignment in federal court . The next day, the AP determined there was no Bacile and linked the identity to 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. Some of the false statements in Nakoula's alleged probation violations had to do with the film, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Dugdale said. Nakoula told probation officials his role was just writing the script, and denied going by the name Sam Bacile in connection with the film, Dugdale said. Before going into hiding, Nakoula acknowledged to the AP that he was involved with the film but said he only worked on logistics and management. Nakoula, a Christian originally from Egypt, then went into hiding after he was identified as the man behind the trailer, which depicts Muhammad as a womanizer, religious fraud and child molester. U.S. Federal marshals, (right), prepare to transport Nakoula Basseley Nakoula after his arraignment . He met with federal probation officials two weeks ago, led out of his home in suburban Cerritos in the middle of the night, flanked by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and cloaked in heavy clothing to protect his identity. Nakoula came out of hiding Thursday for his court appearance, although the news media were banned from the courtroom and reporters had to watch the proceedings on a TV in a nearby courthouse. No photos were allowed. Nakoula wore beige pants and a collared shirt when he was led into the courtroom handcuffed and shackled. He appeared relaxed, smiling at one point before the hearing and conferring with his attorney. Nakoula's attorney, Steven Seiden, sought to have the hearing closed and his client released on $10,000 bail. He argued Nakoula has checked in with his probation officer frequently and made no attempts to leave Southern California. Seiden was concerned that Nakoula would be in danger in federal prison because of Muslim inmates, but prosecutors said he likely would be placed in protective custody. An unoccupied Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department patrol car is parked across from the home, of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the man who made the film 'Innocence of Muslims' that has sparked violent protests . Lawrence Rosenthal, a constitutional and criminal law professor at Chapman University School of Law in Orange, said it was 'highly unusual' for a judge to order immediate detention on a probation violation for a nonviolent crime, but if there were questions about Nakoula's identity it was more likely. 'When the prosecution doesn't really know who they're dealing with, it's much easier to talk about flight,' Rosenthal said. 'I've prosecuted individuals who'd never given a real address. 'You don't know who you're dealing with, and you're just going to have very limited confidence about their ability to show up in court.' Enraged Muslims have demanded punishment for Nakoula, and a Pakistani cabinet minister has offered a $100,000 bounty to anyone who kills him. First Amendment advocates have defended Nakoula's right to make the film while condemning its content. And federal officials likely will face criticism from those who say Nakoula's free speech rights were trampled by his arrest on a probation violation. In arguing that Nakoula is a possible flight risk, Dugdale said Nakoula couldn't even reveal something as fundamental as his real name. 'He's a person who simply can't be trusted,' he said. | Mystery surrounding the man behind the .
crudely produced anti-Islamic video that sparked violence in the Middle .
East deepened when he appeared in court and identified himself by yet .
another name .
Arrested on Thursday in Los Angeles after .
authorities said he violated his probation from a 2010 check fraud .
conviction, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula told a judge his real name was Mark .
Basseley Youssef .
Yesterday U.S. Central District Chief Magistrate Judge .
Suzanne Segal ordered Youssef to remain in prison without bond . |
205,695 | 964aeed14a1b458f38c1c3b47227cd8ec007463a | (CNN) -- The celebratory champagne should be well-chilled by now. After years of manufacturing delays and cost overruns, the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes its North American debut Sunday morning, toting more than 200 eager United Airlines passengers from Houston to Chicago. It promises to be a morning full of festivities, starting with a ribbon-cutting before the plane departs Bush Intercontinental Airport at 7:20 a.m. The aircraft touches down two and a half hours later at O'Hare International Airport, greeted by a water cannon salute. United says the 787 -- the airline has ordered 50 -- will "revolutionize the flying experience for our customers and crew while delivering unprecedented operating efficiency, comfort and lower emissions." The Dreamliner saves airlines money on fuel because its body is made from lightweight composite materials. It features passenger comforts such as bigger windows, larger overhead bins and better ventilation. U.S. routes announced for 'sports car in the sky' Sunday's flight crew won't need to kick the nose gear tires, size 40x16.0 R16/26PR to be exact, before taking off. United received the Dreamliner flying Sunday on September 28. It was put through the paces in October before earning Federal Aviation Administration certification. "Everyone's very excited, even people who aren't in the industry," Phil Derner, founder of the aviation news site NYCAviation.com, told CNN in August. "There's a ton of new technology on the 787. It's efficient and performs well, and it's also a very good-looking aircraft. It's kind of like a sports car in the sky." In September 2011, Japan's All Nippon Airways became the first carrier to receive the plane, which was three years overdue at that time. Because of unexpected delivery delays, during November and December some domestic flights originally scheduled to use the 787 will operate with a different aircraft type, United said. United says its Dreamliners will include 36 first-class seats, 70 premium-economy seats and 113 economy seats. It recently received its second 787. CNN's Thom Patterson and Patrick Oppmann contributed to this report. | United will be the first airline to fly the 787 in the United States .
The advanced aircraft has weathered production delays .
It's made of lighter material and will reduce fuel costs .
Passengers will enjoy bigger windows and more bin space . |
6,562 | 12a1e827236b9fcd38c514a53ea604932ec17dde | The study found the more money a person has the happier they are . Whoever said money can't buy happiness was very wrong, new research has found. According to an economic study, the more money a person has, the happier they are. The latest study of 1,014 people contradicts previous research that said the correlation between money and happiness diminishes when the basic needs of a person are met. People were asked to rate their levels of happiness and their income was recorded. Economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin . Wolfers say in their paper the May 2013 American Economic Review, Papers . and Proceedings that there is no evidence of a 'satiation' point in the . link between money and happiness. They . wrote: 'While the idea that there is some critical level of income . beyond which income no longer impacts well-being is intuitively . appealing, it is at odds with the data.' Everyone with an income of £306,250 a year or more classed themselves as 'very happy'. The University of Michigan study found . that all those earning £61,250 a year or more also described themselves . as either very or fairly happy. However, . only 35 per cent of people taking home £6,125 - the equivalent of . $10,000 in the exchange rate used in the study - claimed they were . happy. A total of 21 per cent in that income bracket said they were 'not too happy'. The economists wrote: 'The . income-well-being link that one finds when examining only the poor, is . similar to that found when examining only the rich', according to AFP. They . added: 'We find no evidence of a significant break in either the . happiness-income relationship, nor in the life satisfaction-income . relationship, even at annual incomes up to half a million dollars.' People with the lowest incomes were more likely to describe themselves as 'not too happy' The latest study comes after a separate study found people who splash out on ‘experiences’ such as days out and concert tickets are happier than those who buy possessions. Psychologists asked 9,600 people about their shopping habits, as well as questions to ascertain personality traits, values and life satisfaction. 'Experiential shoppers', who bought treats such as concern tickets or weekends away, rather than clothes or gadgets, reported greater life satisfaction, according to the study led by San Francisco State University Assistant Professor of Psychology Ryan Howell. | University of Michigan study found the richer people are happier .
Lowest earners more likely to describe themselves as 'not too happy'
Found no 'satiation' point when link between happiness and income changes . |
111,623 | 1bf33db2c7df1ba8afbad75017102d03338855dd | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More than 100 retired U.S. military leaders -- including the former head of the Naval Academy -- have signed a statement calling for an end to the military's "don't ask-don't tell" policy, according to a California-based think tank that supports the movement. The "don't ask-don't tell" policy should go, says a statement signed by 104 retired U.S. military leaders. Retired Adm. Charles Larson, the former Naval Academy superintendent, tops the list of 104 retired general and admirals who want the government to repeal the policy, the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, announced Monday. "Don't ask-don't tell" was made law in 1993 after opposition ballooned to newly elected President Bill Clinton's plan to lift the military's complete ban on gay service members. The new policy stopped the practice of asking potential service members if they are gay but still required the dismissal of openly gay service members. The Palm Center, which circulated the statement calling for the repeal of the "don't ask-don't tell" policy, is looking to President-elect Barack Obama to address the controversial issue of gays in the military. The center points out that Larson, a four-star admiral who supported the measure in 1993, has changed his view on the policy. "There were a lot of witch hunts and a lot of people were turned out on that basis," he is quoted as saying in a Palm Center release. In July, a House panel weighed overturning the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy -- the first time Congress had considered the rule since it was implemented 15 years ago. During the hearing, two gay former service members -- former Navy Capt. Joan Dorrah and former Marine Sgt. Eric Alva -- testified against the current law, arguing that unit cohesion would not be hurt if homosexuals served openly. But Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness said allowing gays to serve openly in the military would be disruptive. "Such a policy would impose new, unneeded burdens of sexual tension on men and women serving in high pressure working conditions, far from home, that are unlike any occupation in the civilian world," Donnelly said. Brian Jones, a retired sergeant major in the Army, also argued that allowing gays to serve publicly could hurt recruiting. "Allowing homosexuality in the military would cause unnecessary sexual tension and disruptions to good order, morale, discipline and unit cohesion," Jones said. "This would erode the very qualities of military service that presently appeal to potential recruits." Obama has said that as president, he would seek to repeal "don't ask-don't tell," but not by signing an executive order, as President Harry Truman did when he abolished segregation the armed services in 1948. "I would not do it that way," he said in a September 16 interview with Philadelphia Gay News. "The reason is because I want to make sure that when we reverse 'don't ask-don't tell,' it's gone through a process and we've built a consensus or at least a clarity of ... what my expectations are, so that it works." "I believe that the way to do it is make sure that we are working through a process, getting the Joint Chiefs of Staff clear in terms of what our priorities are going to be. That's how we were able to integrate the armed services to get women more actively involved in the armed services. "At some point, you've got to make a decision that that's the right thing to do, but you always want to make sure that you are doing it in a way that maintains our core mission in our military." The Palm Center's release comes just four months after a study conducted by a group of senior retired military officers recommended ditching the military's "don't ask-don't tell" policy. The group reported they found no evidence that the primary rationale for imposing the policy -- that openly gay or lesbian service members pose "an unacceptable risk" to morale and unit cohesion -- remains valid. "While this may have been true in 1993, there are indications that this may no longer be the case," the report said. "In 1993, the finding of 'unacceptable risk' was based on the views of currently serving service members and military leaders, and on the experiences of foreign militaries." The report also noted the policy has forced out of the military some very talented personnel and put commanders in the position of breaking the law or damaging the unit's cohesion by forcing out "qualified, meritorious" service members. A recent Washington Post/ABC News poll found that 75 percent of respondents supported allowing gays to serve openly in the military, up from 62 percent in 2001 and 44 percent in 1993. To meet its goals of increasing numbers, the military has recruited thousands of convicted felons and illegal drug users under its "moral waivers" program, the report noted, while dismissing hundreds more for being gay. The statement signed by Larson and other top brass reads: . "We -- the undersigned -- respectfully call for the repeal of the 'don't ask-don't tell' policy. Those of us endorsing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish. Scholarly data shows there are approximately 1 million gay and lesbian veterans in the United States today as well as 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serving in our armed forces. They have served our nation honorably. We support the recent comments of former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. John Shalikashvili, who has concluded that repealing the 'don't ask-don't tell' policy would not harm and would indeed help our armed forces. As is the case with Great Britain, Israel and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion and sexuality. Such collaboration reflects the strength and the best traditions of our democracy." | 104 retired general and admirals want the government to repeal the policy .
"Don't ask-don't tell" made law in 1993 .
Policy is result of opposition to lifting complete ban on gay service members .
Palm Center at the University of California, announced statement Monday . |
131,249 | 35b7a7ab33e72f300d090c45801cbcb9ea1bed1d | (CNN) -- The "disgusting" blob in Fred DeNegri's Diet Pepsi can was probably a frog or toad, the Food and Drug Administration said. Amy DeNegri took pictures of the can in question right after her husband gagged on its contents. DeNegri was grilling in his backyard tiki bar in Ormond Beach, Florida, when he popped open a can of Diet Pepsi, took a big gulp and started gagging, his wife, Amy, said. He emptied out the can down a sink but something heavy remained inside. He shook the can until something resembling "pink linguini" slid out, followed by "dark stuff," Amy DeNegri said. But the heavy object inside the can never came out, she said. "It was disgusting," said Amy DeNegri, 54. "And now, what started out as a normal afternoon in our tiki bar has blown up into this crazy thing." The DeNegris took pictures before calling poison control and the FDA, which showed up the next day to examine the can in question and collect it for lab testing. The couple received a copy of the completed report last week from the Food and Drug Administration Office of Regulatory Affairs, which concluded the foreign matter appeared to be a frog or a toad. Watch CNN's Nicole Lapin discuss the results » . "The animal was lacking internal organs normally found in the abdominal and thoracic cavity," the report notes. A second, closed can from the same 36-pack of Diet Pepsi from Sam's Club, was also submitted for testing, according to Amy DeNegri. No abnormalities were detected, the report states. The FDA also conducted an investigation at the local Pepsi bottling plant in Orlando from August 4 to 11 and "did not find any adverse conditions or association to this problem," spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey said. "We have not determined when or how the contamination occurred," DeLancey said in an e-mail. Pepsi says the FDA results "affirmed" the company's confidence "in the quality of our products and the integrity of our manufacturing system," according to spokesman Jeff Dahncke. "The speed of our production lines and the rigor of our quality control systems make it virtually impossible for this type of thing to happen in a production environment. In fact, there never has been even a single instance when a claim of this nature has been traced back to a manufacturing issue," Dahncke said in an e-mail. "The FDA conducted a thorough inspection of our Orlando facility and found no cause for concern. In this case, the FDA simply was unable to determine when or how the specimen entered the package." When asked if Pepsi believed it was not responsible for the animal getting into the can, Dahncke said, "We have addressed the facts of the investigation and stated our position. It's not appropriate for us to comment beyond that." But the DeNegris say they're hopping mad over Pepsi's handling of the matter. Amy DeNegri said she hasn't heard from Pepsi since the day after the incident occurred, when she spoke with someone over the phone. At first, the woman was apologetic, but DeNegri says her attitude changed after she told her that the FDA was coming to take the can for testing. "She asked for my pictures, I sent them and never heard back," she said. The retired school staffer says she and her husband are seeking legal advice to examine their options. "I want to see Pepsi fess up to it and compensate my husband for the negative publicity they have caused," she said. "I'm easy, but they're the ones that are making it hard." CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report. | Fred DeNegri and wife found matter resembling "pink linguini" in Pepsi can in July .
FDA concludes blob is toad or frog "lacking internal organs," not sure how it got there .
FDA examined bottling plant in Orlando, did not find anything connected to incident .
Pepsi says FDA's finding affirms its confidence in integrity of manufacturing system . |
174,902 | 6e5f01032ec88b8c379816da0ec7ec518cab44a0 | (CNN) -- British media have leapt to the defense of beleaguered BP following attacks by the White House over its handling of the Gulf Coast disaster. President Barack Obama has taken a tough stance against the company and its response to the April 20 explosion, which killed 11 workers and has spilled millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf, threatening livelihoods and wildlife. But now UK opinion formers have weighed in, attacking Obama's approach, warning of the threat to pension funds and questioning relations with the United States. Barack Obama, David Cameron, to discuss BP . Cameron is told to "stand up for your country" by the Daily Mail, which backed the Conservative leader at last month's UK election. It points out while "British marines continue to die in Afghanistan -- fighting valiantly alongside their American colleagues," relations between the respective leaders means the phrase "special relationship" sounds increasingly hollow. In a leader column the newspaper says Obama's attacks are "rank hypocrisy," coming only weeks after the president advocated deepwater drilling. Elsewhere it highlights oil disasters off the UK coast involving U.S. companies, including the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion of 1988, in which 167 people died. The Lex column in The Financial Times says that the manner in which the crisis is "moving into the diplomatic sphere is surely a positive for BP -- providing a much needed counterweight to Mr Obama's swinging boot." Meanwhile Philip Stephens, also writing in the same paper under the headline "Some home truths for a president showing the strain", says that "Deepwater is only there because the U.S., with a twentieth of the world's population, consumes one-quarter of world oil." The leader opinion in The Daily Telegraph points out that BP is a multinational company, 40 percent of whose shareholders are American. "The long-term relationship between Britain and America should not be jeopardized by a presidential response that has been more petulant than statesmanlike," it continues. The Telegraph says it is disappointed that Obama, "a politician whose reputation was built on his powers of persuasion should be so quick to inflame a difficult situation for his own political ends. We had thought better of him." Obama is told to "stop ranting against BP" by the Daily Express, which leads with the headline: "Obama is killing all our pensions." Many British retirement funds, both public and private, invest in the oil company, which has seen billions wiped off its share price this week. "Nobody disputes that an environmental catastrophe has taken place," the Express says. "But BP is only one of three major companies involved. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that it is being persecuted because its first initial stands for 'British' and Britain should not put up with that." Malcolm Rifkind, foreign minister under the last Conservative government, asks in The Times whether "the great British love-in with Barack Obama may be coming to an end." "While there has been deep understanding of the environmental catastrophe that has struck the United States and of BP's responsibility, there is also growing concern that the President's angry rhetoric is going over the top and risks dividing the United States and the United Kingdom. "Mr Obama must understand," continues Rifkind, "that an American president does not just have a domestic audience. Whatever their political purpose for his own electorate, his words resonate throughout the world and, however unintended, can have serious and damaging consequences." In The London Evening Standard Chris Blackhurst wrote: "There are three words to be thrown back at President Obama: Bhopal and Agent Orange. In both instances, the U.S. inflicted huge suffering on others -- and did precious little to remove the toxic pollution it left behind." Nearly 4,000 died in the Indian city of Bhopal in 1984 following the escape of lethal methyl isocyanate at a plant owned by Union Carbide India Limited -- the now-defunct local subsidiary of the American chemical company. Agent Orange was used as a defoliant during the Vietnam War -- but its toxins have been linked to thousands of deaths and illnesses. "BP has not called itself British Petroleum for more than 10 years," adds Blackhurst. "It's not the only one to not use its full name. Barack Hussein Obama is another." | UK media and politicians have criticized attitude of U.S. politicians toward BP .
Several point out that U.S. companies have ppreviouslycaused environmental damage .
UK Prime Minister David Cameron urged to be more robust in defense of BP .
Analysts question the true value of the UK-U.S. "special relationship" |
39,731 | 7028d9a41d090a72b8079cf857fb950181293f8f | (CNN) -- He was born Roger Kynard Erickson in 1947 in Dallas, but his fans know him as Roky (pronounced Rocky). For a career that spans nearly half a century, Erickson has spent little time actually performing, but he still has a loyal following and is on tour again. Music, he says, has been a lifelong part of him. He learned to play piano as a child, taught himself acoustic guitar at 12 and then learned the electric guitar. "It was just something that I would also look forward to," he says. " If I could, I would get out of school, then I would go home and play the guitar." In an interview posted on YouTube, part of a documentary, Erickson says he listened to the radio a lot, which inspired him to be a rock 'n' roll star. He rose to the occasion as a teenager, when he dropped out of 11th grade and soon wrote his most famous composition "You're Gonna Miss Me," which he first recorded with a band called the Spades. Baseball champ and domestic abuse survivor . He says his influences include Little Richard, Bob Dylan, James Brown and the Beatles, but he is credited with influencing other groups as well, many of which describe him as a psychedelic rock icon. "In 1990, a tribute album had R.E.M, the Butthole Surfers and the Jesus and Mary Chain performing Erickson's songs," the Chicago Tribune wrote in 2006. "In the film (a documentary) ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons sounds like he's still in awe of Erickson and the Elevators, with whom he shared stages several times in the '60s," the article says, referring to Erickson's band, the 13th Floor Elevators. With the Elevators, Erickson recorded "You're Gonna Miss Me" again, which landed him on the pop charts in 1966. He went on to become an influential singer and songwriter during the psychedelic rock era of the 1960s. He also had an affinity for marijuana and LSD. In 1969, he was arrested for possession of a joint. He pleaded insanity, hoping that being in a mental institution would be better than going to prison, although it only cut his confinement from four years to three. While he was institutionalized, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and underwent various treatments including shock therapy. After his release, his career was never the same. What followed was many difficult years of battling mental illness, often untreated. The problems that kept Erickson from success in music also took a toll on his family life, leading to a separation from his wife and son. His life began to turn around when his brother took over guardianship for him in 2001. "From June 2001 until July 2002, Roky lived with his brother in Pittsburgh, where he finally began to receive the treatment and care he needs," according to his website. From cancer survivor to cancer doctor . In 2005, Erickson emerged at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and began performing again. In recent years, he has found his way back to touring with the help of his son, Jegar. Jegar Erickson says he may never know his dad as a father, "but if I have a chance to help a man get to a better place, I'm in." "I've been working with him for about five years now," Jegar Erickson said of his father last fall. "He's amazing. ... It doesn't even matter what kind of day he's had. I mean he could have had like everything go wrong and then he walks on that stage and it's like a switch. "It just turns on and it's magic and you feed off of it and anyone who gets a chance to be around him, it's truly incredible," the younger Erickson said. "There (are) no words to describe what it's like to have the chance to play on a stage with him or to understand what it's like to approach music the way that he approaches it." He says playing alongside his father "teaches me so much," and that no matter how bad things get for the elder Erickson, "he's still positive." At 65, Roky Erickson has simple advice: "Just to find the things that you love and are important and ... make sure you have them with you." KISS' Paul Stanley: I'm deaf in one ear . | Roky Erickson's career spans nearly half a century .
He has battled mental illness for years after being diagnosed with schizophrenia .
He currently is back on tour and plays alongside his son . |
49,309 | 8b3ed1c319f9b7831a076338894993b49e6e88ee | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 05:48 EST, 25 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:48 EST, 25 February 2014 . An eight-year-old girl has died in suburban Johannesburg after she was allegedly kicked and beaten by three male pupils at her school . Lebohang Makala returned home from school on Valentine’s Day, visibly in pain and with swollen legs. She told her mother that three boys at her school in Soweto had begun to hit her while she was playing with her friends. Tragedy: Lebohang Makala died on Friday, one week after she returned home from Batsogile Primary School in Soweto, Johannesburg (pictured) limping and in pain, saying three boys had started hitting her for no reason . Lebohang said that three boys at Batsogile Primary School had attacked her 'for no reason', while responsible teachers were absent. One boy had used his fists to punch her in the head, after which the trio threw her to the floor and kept hitting her while she laid helplessly on the ground, Lebohang’s mother Martha Makala told The Daily Sun. Ms Malaka took her daughter to a local hospital where she was examined and given pain medication. After several sleepless nights with Lebohang crying in pain, her mother took her back to the hospital the following Thursday. Last Friday, a week after the schoolyard attack, Lebohang died in hospital from excessive internal bleeding. Attacked: Lebohang, from Soweto (pictured), died in hospital from excessive internal bleeding, but not until the following Monday did the school report the incident to the education department . An investigation had now been launched by the local education department in Soweto after it emerged that the school failed to report the incident. ‘This matter only came to our attention yesterday,’ Gauteng education department spokesperson Phumla Sekhonyane told the South African Press Association today. ‘An independent investigation has been instituted to investigate the circumstances around this incident.’ ‘We immediately dispatched a team to the school, as well as a team to assist with counselling for the mother of the deceased and the school,’ she said. ‘We are looking into why this matter was not reported to the Gauteng department of education head office.’ Ms Sekhonyane said officials had met Lebohang’s parents on Monday but that any further details would be kept under wraps until the investigatyion is concluded, adding thatr the education department are ‘very concerned’. ‘An investigation was only opened yesterday by the parents. There was no case reported to the police before that and the school did not open a case,’ Police spokesman Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela said. ‘We just got [information] that the child was injured in school. The circumstances of what transpired will be looked into.’ | Lebohang Makala, eight, died one week after being beaten up at school .
The Soweto schoolgirl had been attacked by bullies 'for no reason'
After being admitted to hospital a second time, she died of internal bleeding .
School did not report incident until three days after her death . |
208,244 | 99995b13d4f7f9e48bbb336c7d31d338c77dfd2f | New Delhi (CNN) -- The tragic case of the 23-year old woman who was brutally attacked, raped and left for dead by six men in New Delhi on December 16 has highlighted the unacceptable reality millions of women in India are facing. Violence against women is endemic -- more than 220,000 cases of violent crimes against women were reported in 2011 according to official statistics from the Indian government, with the actual number likely to be much higher. If there has been a silver lining to this horrendous case, it has been the enormous outcry from Indian society. What started as student-led protests in New Delhi has grown to encompass Indians from all walks of life and from the whole political spectrum. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets with the clear message that something has to change, and that women should no longer have to live in fear. Read more: End culture of rape in 2013 . But amid the many reasonable and constructive calls on the authorities to address the situation, there is unfortunately a growing chorus of voices calling for the six alleged perpetrators to be executed, or even for mandatory death sentence in cases of sexual violence. Five of the six suspects were formally charged in New Delhi on Thursday, with the authorities investigating whether the sixth suspect is under 18 and a juvenile. The five are expected to be charged with several offences including murder, which is punishable by death under Indian law. Read more: New Delhi gang-rape suspects charged with murder, rape, kidnapping . The anger felt towards the suspects is completely understandable, as is the desire to impose stricter laws around sexual violence to ensure that what happened in Delhi in December never happens again. But imposing the death penalty would just perpetuate the cycle of violence. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, regardless of the circumstances or the nature of the crime. It is the ultimate cruel and inhuman punishment, and a violation of a fundamental human right -- the right to life. There is no evidence to suggest that the threat of execution works as a special deterrent. This is reflected in a clear global trend moving towards the abolition of the death penalty. Today, 140 countries in the world have abolished executions in law or practice. Read more: Opinion: India's rape problem needs a rewiring of society's attitude . Up until November 21, 2012, when the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 November Mumbai attacks, Ajmal Kasab was hanged, India had not carried out a single execution for almost eight years. Kasab's killing meant India took a significant step backwards and joined the minority of countries in the world that are still executing. With hundreds of prisoners still on death row in India, this is a key moment for the country and its use of the death penalty. The Indian authorities must not let the Kasab, execution and the outrage around the Delhi rape trigger a resumption of executions on a larger scale. What India needs now is not revenge, but to address the many underlying issues that are perpetuating endemic violence against women. The laws and the justice system must be reformed, and the definition of rape, which is currently far from adequate, should be amended. Read more: Misogyny in India: We are all guilty . The woefully low conviction rate for these crimes must also be addressed, which today only perpetuates a culture of impunity. Imposing the death penalty for sexual assault cases would likely only worsen this situation, as judges would hesitate to give such an extreme sentence, and the legal process would become even lengthier and more complicated. The Indian police force has to be better trained to deal with survivors of sexual violence, and there is a need to develop support systems for survivors. Many women are reluctant to report crimes, fearing humiliation and degrading treatment by the police, or the social stigma that comes from society at large. There are also still serious systematic failures in the Indian justice system that raise questions about its efficiency. To even begin to talk about a method of punishment until these issues have been addressed is to seriously jump the gun. This sentiment has been echoed by many, including U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay, who has called for legal reform while cautioning against the use of the death penalty. After a year in which both Afghanistan and Pakistan resumed executions after relatively long moratoriums, India now has an opportunity to show real leadership on a key human rights issue in the region. There is no question that the country's women deserve much better legal protection, but the death penalty is not the answer. Read more: New Delhi rape exposes the perils of being a woman in India . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ananth Guruswamy. | The New Delhi gang-rape and murder of a student on December 16 sparked outrage .
Many Indians are calling for harsher punishments or death penalty for convicted rapists .
Ananth Guruswamy says the death penalty is not the solution to the problem .
Guruswamy says that execution "would just perpetuate the cycle of violence" |
170,946 | 694148bc8619a3f162bdae12401942684e48ed4a | (CNN) -- Mudslides killed at least 13 people after Fernand slammed into the east of coast of Mexico, state media reported Monday. Fernand was a tropical storm when it made landfall late Sunday, bringing heavy rains. The storm quickly fizzled into a tropical depression and had dissipated by Monday afternoon, forecasters said. But even as it weakened, authorities in the state of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico said the storm brought heavy rains that caused deadly mudslide in several locations. All of the deaths were caused by mudslides that buried homes, Veracruz Gov. Javier Duarte said, according to Mexico's state-run Notimex news agency. Fernand formed over the western Bay of Campeche on Sunday. As of 4 p.m. ET, the storm's remnants were about 75 miles (125 km) west-southwest of Tuxpan, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (45 kilometers per hour), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. The storm was expected to dump between 4 and 8 inches of rain over the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, northern Puebla, southern Tamaulipas and eastern San Luis Potosi, with more than 15 inches of rain in some places. Forecasters warned that more life-threatening mudslides were possible. CNNMexico.com contributed to this report. | NEW: State media reports mudslides crash into homes in Mexico's Veracruz state .
NEW: At least 13 people are killed in several locations, authorities say .
NEW: Fernand has dissipated but could still bring heavy rains, forecasters say . |
147,255 | 4a664500d167a1d17a863fd50b058de6269d35be | Tokyo (CNN) -- The Japanese government is in the final stages of negotiations to bring a hotly disputed set of small islands in the East China Sea under public ownership, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Friday, stressing his country's claims of sovereignty. The islands are at the heart of a bitter diplomatic argument between Japan and China that has resulted in occasionally violent acts of public protest. The uninhabited islands, known in Japan as Senkaku and in China as Diaoyu, are privately owned by a Japanese family. A public initiative begun in April by the outspoken governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, to raise money to acquire the islands for the city authorities has set off a new cycle of tensions between Japan and China over which country has sovereignty over them. China talks tough in Japan island dispute . Reports in the Japanese news media this week suggested the Japanese authorities had agreed a 2.05-billion-yen ($26.1-million) deal to buy the islands from the private owners. In an interview with CNN on Friday, Noda declined to discuss the size of the sum likely to be paid for the islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan, because of the sensitivity of the matter. But he said the talks were in their "final stages," and he remained unequivocal about which country the islands belong to. "The Senkaku Islands are an inherent part of Japanese territory, historically as well as under international law, so there's no territorial claim issue between the two countries," he said. "Right now, it is the ownership issue -- whether the individual owns these islands, or the Tokyo metropolitan government or the state. And I think we have to clearly and solidly explain these stances to the Chinese side." His comments are unlikely to please Beijing, which issued the latest of its angry statements on the matter on Wednesday. "I want to emphasize again that any unilateral actions taken by the Japanese regarding the Diaoyu Islands are illegal and invalid," said Hong Lei, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman. "We are closely monitoring the developments and will take necessary measures to defend our territorial sovereignty," Hong said. Why Asia is arguing over its islands . Noda said Friday that the purpose of the government's planned acquisition "is to maintain those islands in a peaceful and stable manner." The Chinese Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond Friday to a request for comment on the matter. The islands, located between Taiwan and Okinawa, sit among popular fishing waters and are also believed to be rich in oil resources. Animosity between China and Japan over the islands runs deep. They have come to represent what many Chinese people see as unfinished business: redressing the impact of the Japanese occupation of large swathes of eastern China during the 1930s and 1940s. China says its claim extends back hundreds of years. Japan says they saw no trace of Chinese control of the islands in an 1885 survey, so formally recognized them as Japanese sovereign territory in 1895. Japan then sold the islands in 1932 to descendants of the original settlers. The Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945 only served to cloud the issue further. The islands were administered by the U.S. occupation force after the war. But in 1972, Washington returned them to Japan as part of its withdrawal from Okinawa. In the interview Friday, Noda also addressed recent difficulties Japan's relationship with another of its neighbors: South Korea. Tokyo dispatches team to survey islands at center of tensions . He insisted on Japanese sovereignty over a small group of islands in the Sea of Japan that South Korea calls Dokdo and that Japan claims as Takeshima. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited the islands last month, prompting Japan to recall its ambassador to Seoul and warn that it will take the issue to the International Court of Justice -- a proposal rejected by Seoul. Noda said he hoped Seoul "will deal with this issue based on the principles of law and justice, but if they will not jointly refer this matter to the ICJ, we will have to make preparations to do it unilaterally." Japan has long claimed the islets as its territory, but Seoul said all Korean territory was returned after the country won independence from colonial rule by Japan in 1945. Lee also said in remarks to teachers last month that Japanese Emperor Akihito should make a "sincere apology" for the suffering Korean people endured under Japanese colonial rule, suggesting it was necessary before the emperor could visit South Korea. "First of all, we never requested a visit by our emperor to South Korea," Noda said. He added that Tokyo was requesting "a withdrawal of that statement as well as an apology." He said he was "surprised" that the relationship with Lee had changed so dramatically in such a short space of time. "It is quite regrettable," he said, before adding that a healthy relationship between the two countries is important for peace and stability in the region, especially with regard to issues like North Korea. Territorial tensions rumble on as Clinton visits Beijing . CNN's Paula Hancocks reported from Tokyo, and Jethro Mullen from Hong Kong. CNN's Dayu Zhang and Shao Tian contributed reporting from Beijing. | NEW: Noda says recent tensions with South Korea are "regrettable"
China vowed this week to defend its "territorial integrity"
The islands are privately owned by a Japanese family .
The Japanese premier says the government is close to a deal to buy them . |
252,655 | d2faadff303cc620c4913fca254460ec6573cdda | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:59 EST, 31 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:38 EST, 31 May 2013 . Katie Couric revealed this week that she once went on first dates with . Full House star Bob Saget and Survivor host Jeff Probst - but neither . ever called her again. Now the guys have given their take on their experience with the TV journalist and talk show host, now 56. In an endearing email to Us Weekly, Probst revealed a mutual friend first tried to set them up in 2001, but 'the timing never worked out'. It wasn't meant to be: Katie Couric and Jeff Probst have both given their take on their first - and only - date . The 51-year-old continued: 'A few years later the same friend connected us again and this time the date was set. The next time I was in New York we would have dinner.' Not interested: She also went to dinner once with Bob Saget . 'What I remember most about the date is how nervous I was and how little I offered to the conversation,' Probst recalled. 'It was like I forgot how to go on a date. Like I was 14. We talked a bit about her kids and the challenges of being a parent to teenagers, and we talked a bit about our careers and lifestyles but we never got much beyond the surface." He insists he 'would have definitely asked for a second date' and added that 'it wasn't lack of interest' on his part. 'The only reason I didn't call back was the date was set up through her assistant and I never got her number. It felt weird to call her assistant for a second date,' he said. 'So it never had a chance to be a romance. Who knows what might have been? But it's a date I definitely remember! I mean, come on, it's Katie Couric!' Probst, who is currently shooting Survivor: Blood vs. Water, went on to marry to Lisa Ann Russell, 41, in 2011. Full House star Saget, 57, also chimed in on his first and only date with Couric. 'I did a benefit with Katie Couric in New York and I went to dinner with her,' he told Us Weekly on Thursday. 'She's a lovely person and we had a good time. I've seen her many times since.' He revealed that Couric 'gave me a hard time' about his lack of interest. Happy with her new guy: Katie took banker John Molner to a charity event hosted by Bette Midler in New York on Thursday . 'She told it on a talk show and I think she told it again,' Saget said. 'I think she's out of material.' Couric, who has two Caroline, 17, and . Ellie, 21, with her late husband Jay Monahan, is now in year-long . romance with NYC financier John Molner. She spoke about her one-time dates with the Hollywood stars in an interview with Howard Stern on his SiriusXM radio show on Wednesday. 'I can't say that I was devastated that neither called me back,' she said. 'I thought they were both nice . guys... I don't think there was real magic there with either [of them], . but I enjoyed spending time with them.' | Bob Saget also responds to talk show host's revelation the pair once had a romantic dinner . |
24,678 | 45f9c0e72597453c083730c4739b88202bc955f0 | Ours is a government of the people, by the people, for the people. It may be time to add turned over to the people, too -- if the volunteerism of a few kind people, companies and philanthropies is any indication. As conflict between Congress and the White House has wrought a partial government shutdown, several big-hearted individuals and organizations have stepped forward with time and cash to provide services that Uncle Sam now can't. Death benefits . It is called the ultimate sacrifice, but a soldier giving his or her life for the United States wasn't prompting the Pentagon to deliver benefits to surviving family members. So, stepping in is an organization that few Americans outside the military had heard of until now: the Fisher House Foundation. The charity operates 62 residences for injured service members and has served 180,000 military families since 1990. It is now guaranteeing surviving relatives "the full set of benefits they have been promised, including a $100,000 death gratuity payment," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. In the meantime, Congress is finalizing an agreement to resume paying survivor benefits, including the $100,000 payment. $5 gift cards . An East Coast grocery chain on Thursday began distributing $500,000 worth of $5 gift cards to food banks in three cities in North Carolina because the pantries expect long lines in the wake of a suspended federal program serving low-income pregnant women and new mothers with children under age 5. The suspended federal aid is part of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, called WIC. The food banks can give the $5 gift cards -- redeemable at Food Lion stores -- to any family in need, said company spokeswoman Christy Phillips-Brown. Food Lion has 1,100 stores in 10 Eastern states. "I'm heading right now to the Charlotte food banks," Phillips-Brown said on Thursday afternoon. The other cities to receive the gift cards will be Raleigh and Winston-Salem, she said. "This is important to us because we don't want families having to choose between paying rent or buying baby formula," she said. Impoverished preschoolers . It took a billionaire couple to keep Head Start classrooms open for 7,000 low-income children in six states. Laura and John Arnold are giving $10 million to ensure the early childhood education program remains open in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi. Head Start provides schooling to 1 million low-income U.S. children under age 5 in an effort to prepare them for kindergarten and subsequent grades. When Head Start programs close, parents often miss work or must find alternative care for their children. The nonprofit Head Start Association said it will repay the Arnolds if the government, after the shutdown, provides funding to keep programs operational for a year. Feeding the furloughed . A food bank is coming to the rescue of more than 2,200 workers at one of the shuttered U.S. parks -- the Grand Canyon National Park -- as well as 1,200 employees in the private hospitality sector who depend on an open park for business. Non-mandated federal employees don't have a paycheck. And workers in nearby hotels and restaurants are also hurt by the loss of tourism. So, the St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance in Phoenix has begun weekly distribution of emergency food boxes to workers strained by the Grand Canyon's shutdown. Beverly Damore, president and CEO of the alliance, recalled how one boy found a can of pork and beans in one box. He held it aloft "like a prize," she said in a videotaped statement. "He was holding it with joy on his face. He so clearly needed that food," Damore said. She has nevertheless been losing sleep because she didn't note the boy's name, or that of a couple who accepted food and promised to help the food bank when "times are better," she said. "I do not know how to make those folks in D.C. thousands of miles away stay sleepless with me because they also do not know these fine people," Damore said. Volunteer lawn mower . The Lincoln Memorial in Washington needed a landscaper, so Chris Cox of Charleston, South Carolina, brought a gas mower and trimmed the grass while holding his home state's flag. The other hand pushed the mower. The moment was captured on a CNN iReport video by passerby Darrel Stroman, who said: "I get caught at the light and see a man cutting the grass at the Lincoln Memorial. I didn't know what was stranger at the moment -- the fact that he was cutting the lawn or that he was holding the South Carolina state flag while cutting. "It was a very unusual moment," Stroman said. Police, however, halted the volunteer landscaper's activities. "He was asked to leave and he did," said Sgt. Paul Brooks, spokesman for the U.S. Park Police. Cox was grateful that police didn't ticket or arrest him. Said Cox: "'At the end of the day, the citizens are stewards of the memorials." | A man carrying the South Carolina flag mows the lawn at Lincoln Memorial .
A food bank feeds hungry furloughed workers at Grand Canyon National Park .
An East Coast grocery chain distributes 100,000 gift cards worth $5 each .
It takes a billionaire couple to keep Head Start open for low-income toddlers in six states . |
187,957 | 7f64ee10c86ddaa37d06b4ff417cea5c379754ae | Pro-Russian separatists used tanks, artillery systems and rocket launchers in their fight to capture the airport in the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk yesterday. Defence officials said the rebels fired on the terminal, as well as shelling areas nearby, including housing blocks, where four people were killed on Monday. And that there has been no letup in efforts by pro-Russia separatist fighters to capture the airport, despite a cease-fire agreement being in place for over a month. A commander for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, takes position on the outskirts of Donetsk, where officials says pro-Russian separatist fighters have continued to fight to try and gain control of the airport . Pro-Russian rebels fire towards Ukrainian positions near the airport, from make-shift shelters inside houses . Officials said pro-Russian fighters have fired on the Donetsk airport terminal from tanks, artillery systems and multiple rocket launchers, as Armed Forces commandos have fought from trenches to repel them . Ukrainian servicemen ride on an armoured vehicle near Donetsk as they prepare to battle separatists . Smoke rises over the Svyato-Iversky Women's Monastery during artillery battles near the airport . Security spokesman Andriy Lysenko said fighting had been reported across the Donetsk region. More than 3,500 people have been killed in the fighting between government forces and the separatists in the industrial east, according to United Nations figures. A total of 64 Ukrainian armed service personnel have been killed since the ceasefire came into force on September 5, military prosecutor Anatoly Matios said. Altogether, 956 armed service personnel have been killed in the conflict. But the continuing conflict has all but fallen off the international radar, as the war to stop ISIS militants reign of terror takes centre stage. A woman walks past the remains of her destroyed home after shelling in Donetsk on Monday . Anatoly Kulakov holds his aching head as he recovers from injuries suffered during shelling attacks . Nikolay Vasilyevich, who was injured by shelling, rests in a hospital bed in Donetsk . A man bows his head in disbelief as he surveys the remains of his flattened house in Donetsk . Meanwhile, Ukraine's pro-Western government pressed ahead to secure new laws to tackle top-level government corruption yesterday. The government is hoping to ease public discontent before an election from which it wants backing for its plan to end a separatist rebellion. The proposed laws - presented by Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk ahead of an October 26 parliamentary election - will oblige high-level officials in government, the judiciary and law-enforcement to declare their own and their families' assets and financial transactions. Bribery has been widespread at virtually all levels of Ukrainian government and public life since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. International watchdogs say it got worse during the past four years under ousted President Viktor Yanukovich. Under the legislation, the declared income of civil servants will be measured against lifestyle and property holdings, and an independent agency will investigate discrepancies. A Ukrainian servicemen is caught in a quieter moment playing with a puppy and enjoying a rest near their base in the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol . Ukrainian soldiers are silhouetted in the evening light as they take part in a military exercise near Mariupol . A serviceman of the pro-Ukrainian St Maria battalion hangs laundry near Mariupol . Details about property holdings and shares held by top state officials must be declared on an electronic register for public access. And officials' bank accounts will be open to monitoring by a state committee for possible money-laundering. The proposed laws, which passed a first reading in parliament yesterday and will have a second and final reading next week, are part of a drive by the pro-Western leadership to raise Ukraine to European standards and distance itself from the culture of its former Soviet master, Russia. Kiev expects to boost its eligibility to join mainstream Europe despite the conflict in the east and opposition from Moscow, which it accuses of arming pro-Russian rebels that have declared independence. President Petro Poroshenko is hoping this month's election will produce a strong coalition to support his push for a peace plan dealing with the separatists while keeping Ukraine on a course of European integration. The anti-corruption push came as Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his 62nd birthday in the wilderness of Siberia and his supporters created tributes in his honour. Putin celebrated his birthday yesterday in the Siberian forest some 185-250miles from the nearest populated area, his press secretary said. | Pro-Russian separatists use tanks, artillery system and rocket launches .
In battle to claim Donetsk airport, a month after cease-fire agreement .
Residential areas are shelled, killing four, as houses are destroyed . |
103,480 | 1171d4079916c7a0957fb6db7bc49802af0b9862 | You might think that storms and rising sea levels are the greatest threat to the survival of coastal cities. But in many waterfront megacities the ground is now dropping up to 10 times faster than the sea level is rising, experts have warned. The sinking of cities such as Jakarta and New Orleans is largely caused by humans pumping for groundwater and action must be taken for the cities to survive. Sinking cities: Many coastal megacities such as Jakarta (pictured) and New Orleans are sinking up to 10 times faster than the sea level is rising, experts have warned. This is largely caused by humans pumping for groundwater and action or the cities will suffer regular and dramatic flooding . The ground of some coastal cities is going down up to 10 times faster than the sea level is rising and experts have blamed the extraction of groundwater. The practice saw Tokyo sink by two metres before it was stopped. Land subsidence caused by groundwater extraction is contributing to larger and longer floods. Experts are advising cities such as Jakarta and New Orleans to sop pumping for groundwater as a source of drinking water. In Venice, where pumping has stopped, the restoration of buildings which are made heavier is also contributing to subsidence. This also occurs naturally in coastal cities as the soil is weaker. Megacities on the coast have already sunk below sea level and more are set to follow suit, resulting in increased damage from flooding. Scientists at Deltares Research Institute in Utrecht studied subsidence in five coastal ‘megacities’: Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, New Orleans, Dhaka and Bangkok, which they said will sink significantly unless action is taken. They found that in north Jakarta, the city has sunk 4 metres in the last 35 years - a fall of 10 to 20cm per year. Tokyo sank by almost 7ft (2 metres) until the practice of extracting groundwater from beneath parts of the city was halted and Venice also experienced major subsidence in the last century for the same reason. Geologist Gilles Erken at the university, told BBC News: ‘Land subsidence and sea level rise are both happening, and they are both contributing to the same problem - larger and longer floods, and bigger inundation depth of floods. At risk: Experts have warned that subsidence is a greater risk than rising sea levels for megacities on the coast. The cities have already sunk below sea level and more are set to follow suit, by sinking between six and 100millimetres per year (pictured) ‘The most rigorous solution and the best one is to stop pumping groundwater for drinking water, but then of course you need a new source of drinking water for these cities. But Tokyo did that and subsidence more or less stopped, and in Venice, too, they have done that.’ The total damage due to subsidence worldwide is estimated at billions of dollars a year and is set to increase. However, the problem is largely underestimated by governments. Dr Erkens, who presented the study to the European Geosciences Union, explained that the consequences of floods increase due to subsidence, as areas remain deeper under water for longer. The risk to humans is elevated as well as the economic cost of cleaning up the mess. Movements in the ground also lead to expensive repairs for roads, railways, water pipes and buildings. He believes that the extraction of water to quench the thirst of rising populations in the vast cities is the primary cause of serious subsidence, while the five cities studied also naturally experience subsidence as they are built upon weaker soil. Venice under water: Tokyo sunk by two metres until the practice of extracting groundwater from beneath parts of the city was halted and Venice also experienced major subsidence in the last century for the same reason. The Italian city is experiencing less flooding (pictured) since stopping the extraction of ground water . The study shows that subsidence only occurs in the places where the groundwater is being extracted so the solution is to source clean water from elsewhere to stop structures sinking. ‘Government bodies and inhabitants are often not aware that subsidence is an urgent problem,’ the report says. While the natural reaction to flooding is often to build a barrier, if flooding is caused by subsidence, barriers will be of little help as the cause of the problem – the extraction of groundwater – has not been addressed, it says. The scientists recommend that subsidence should be included along with water safety in planning to keep coastal cities functioning in the long term. ‘In their future scenarios, many governments only target the consequences of sea level rises, but subsidence is an equally urgent issue. The sea is rising by 3 to 10mm a year; the ground may sink up to 100cm a year,’ they said. | Ground is dropping up to 10 times faster than the sea level is rising in coastal megacities, a new study says .
Scientists at Deltares Research Institute .
in Utrecht studied subsidence in five coastal cities, including Jakarta, New Orleans and Bangkok .
North Jakarta has sunk four metres in the last 35 years - a fall of 10 to 20cm per year and experts have called on governments to take action .
Land subsidence is contributing to .
larger, longer and deeper floods .
Total damage due to subsidence worldwide is estimated at billions of dollars a year and is set to increase . |
33,564 | 5f79f0d0bb0bed9b3bf2cefd96c9edfbcc8d23cd | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:06 EST, 16 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:50 EST, 16 July 2013 . Cleveland Indians fan Greg Van Niel may be his beloved team's newest recruit if his performance at Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals is anything to go by. The season-ticket holder caught four foul balls at Progressive Field, a once-in-several-lifetimes achievement. 'Three of them were catches and one was a ball I picked up off the ground,' Van Niel told the team after his spectacular sporting feat. Scroll down for video . Lucky streak: Greg Van Niel, pictured with his brother and nephews and three of his four foul balls . Van Niel wasn't sitting in his usual seat when he grabbed the four souvenirs during the Indians' 6-4 win. He said some catches took a little more skill than others. 'The third one I think was the hardest one — I think I ended up sprawled across a few rows, and I got some cheese on myself. But the other ones were just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.' Impressive feat: The season-ticket holder, circled, caught four foul balls at Progressive Field, a once-in-several-lifetimes achievement . Van Niel described the impressive grab, which was on a ball hit by Indians leadoff man Michael Bourn, as being highlight-reel worthy. 'Michael Bourn hit one that was off the facade, and that's where I was in the cheese fries,' he said. '(That) one was crazy acrobatics. I was strewn across three rows, and I needed some assistance getting back.' Luck or skill: Van Niel, circled, said some catches took a little more skill than others . What a haul: Van Niel, circled after his third score, said he had never caught a foul ball before his amazing one-day haul . The mega-fan posed for a picture for the Indians clutching three of the souvenirs in his right hand. He said he had never caught a foul ball before his amazing one-day haul. There were 15,431 other fans at the Indians' final game before the All-Star break, but it's safe to bet none had a day quite like Van Niel. | Greg Van Niel was the man of the match at Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field .
The season-ticket holder had never caught a foul ball before but wasn't sitting in his usual seat when he had his lucky streak . |
229,958 | b5c8518333f36c271c63157f8bfdad5f8f05fa45 | Sixty-per-cent of America's 21million university students will graduate with an average debt of $27,300 – but not those who choose to romance their way out of a financial burden. An increasing number of students are turning to rich benefactors, or sugar daddies, to fund their education – with the University of Texas topping the list of signups last year. Sugar daddy dating site Seekingarrangement.com reports that it had 425 new sign-ups from the University of Texas in 2014. An increasing number of students are turning to rich benefactors, or sugar daddies, to fund their education – and the University of Texas tops the list of fastest growing universities for this trend. Pictured is the Seekingarrangement.com website, which connects students with sugar daddies . Daddies the word: Last year 425 University of Texas (pictured) students signed up to Seekingarrangement.com . 1 University of Texas - 425 sign ups in 20142 Arizona State University 4033 New York University 3984 Kent State University 3875 Georgia State University 3766 University of Central 2907 Indiana University 2408 University of Alabama 2109 Temple University 20410 University of California 19911 Columbia University 18712 University of Michigan 18613 University of Florida 18114 University of Minnesota 17915 Boston University 17816 Tulane University 17217 Penn State University 16318 Virginia Commonwealth Uni 16019 Louisiana State University 15920 Florida State University 158 . Source: Seekingarrangement.com . The second and third fastest-growing 'sugar baby schools' are Arizona State University with 403 and New York University with 398. Tuition prices rose by 2.9 per cent - with the rise outstripping a 2.0 per cent increase for the Consumer Price Index. In total, 1.4million students turned to seekingarrangement.com in their search for benefactors to help fund their education, it said. This represents an increase of 42 per cent. The cost of education is such that even students from upper-middle class and high income families are turning to sugar daddies, with 35 per cent of those signing up to the site coming from those backgrounds. Some students have reported receiving $3,000 a month in allowances as a result of hitting it off with an older man. Brandon Wade, CEO and founder of Seekingarrangement.com, said that his site is tackling a problem the government ignores. He said: 'While other countries seek to create opportunity and provide a better start for students by abolishing tuition fees or lowering them to reasonable amounts, Congress continues to ignore the problem. The average debt is more than what most of these new graduates will make in a year.' Undergraduates and graduate students alike contributed to the increase in student sign-ups to the site. 'It's not only undergraduates, but those pursuing their masters are turning to the site,' said Wade. 'The average debt for graduate students has more than quadrupled since 1989, which is a problem since the fastest growing careers for the coming years require these degrees.' Brandon Wade, CEO and founder of Seekingarrangement.com, said that his site his tackling a problem the government ignores . Financial assistance is not the only allure, though. Many students turn to sugar daddies for job opportunities either directly or through networking. | 60% of US students will graduate with an average debt of $27,300 .
Students are increasingly turning to 'sugar daddies' to pay their fees .
University of Texas is fastest growing university for sugar daddy funds . |
176,214 | 70204df94e1837620d10699ff06c989d0294031b | A female teacher is facing aggravated sodomy and child molestation charges over the alleged indecent assault of a 15-year-old boy. Victoria Tatum, 24, was arrested at Newton County High School in Georgia on Thursday on felony charges and booked into jail without bond. Tatum, from Decatur, has been charged with two counts of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, and enticing a child. Victoria Tatum, 24, was arrested at Newton County High School in Georgia after allegedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old boy . A worried family member reported the relationship to police on Tuesday, according to the Rockdale Citizen. The math teacher, who is originally from Pennsylvania, was in her first year of teaching at the high school. It is not believed that any of the sexual molestation incidents took place on school grounds and have been going on for several weeks. It is believed that only one student was involved, police said on Thursday. Tatum was hired by Newton County Schools on July 28 this year. A criminal background check came back negative for charges at the time she was hired. The 24-year-old has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of both the Sheriff’s Office investigation as well as an internal investigation being conducted by the Newton County School System. In a statement to MailOnline today, Sherri Davis-Viniard, NCSS spokesperson, said: 'These are very serious charges. 'Newton County Schools is cooperating fully with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation. We encourage anyone with information to please contact the Sheriff’s Office at once.' The teacher was arrested at Newton County High School (pictured) on Thursday and has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation . | Victoria Tatum, 24, was arrested at Newton County High School in Georgia on Thursday on felony charges and booked into jail .
Tatum, from Decatur, has been charged with two counts of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, and enticing a child .
A worried relative contacted police on Tuesday .
It is believed that only one student was involved and that none of the incidents took place on school property . |
203,995 | 9416513409530ba1a29eb4d356fca305326f07a9 | (Southern Living) -- When I was 5, my parents went to a conference on Hilton Head Island and let me tag along, leaving my brothers landlocked in central Mississippi. Two memories stand out from my first encounter with the watery majesty of this Southern icon. Hilton Head Island's relaxed atmosphere is ideal for families. For starters, it's the first place I ever heard the term "market price." Daddy encouraged me to eat whatever I wanted at restaurants -- no kid's menu here -- so I tried my hand at swordfish. I figured anything so fresh they couldn't put a price on it until the day it was served had to be good. And for years, I ordered based on that idea. From the right side of the menu. If it was fresh (and expensive), it had to be the best. More boats than cars . Second, water was everywhere. I'd been to the beach before, but never an actual island. It seemed like Hilton Head had more boats than my hometown had cars. And even then, I understood that the marinas were the real lifeblood of the community. On my most recent visit to Hilton Head, my brothers and their wives joined me, while my parents stayed home with the gaggle of grandkids. The tables had turned. But I discovered a few constants remain: From fresh cobia (available only in May and June) to wild shrimp caught in local waters, ordering "market price" from the menu isn't a bad way to go. Water is everywhere. And each marina celebrates the spirit of the island with its own special style. Explore them, one by one. SouthernLiving.com: A coastal S.C. retreat . Harbour Town: The classic . Known for its candy-striped, red-and-white lighthouse, the Harbour Town marina is easily the most-touristed waterfront on Hilton Head. Large yachts moor behind the newly expanded seawall, shops stock the requisite "I heart Hilton Head" souvenirs, and water sport outfitters launch Jet Skis and hoist Para-Sails in Calibogue Sound. The waterside restaurants don't shine for their innovative cuisine, but they're worth a stop for the prime real estate -- westward-facing Harbour Town is one of the best spots on the island to catch the sunset. SouthernLiving.com: Top 10 budget getaways . While there: Hard-bottomed Zodiac boats crouch closer to the water than a traditional boat does. We booked a one-hour tour with H2O Sports (www.h2osportsonline.com or [843] 671-4386) and spent the afternoon watching dolphins play. Broad Creek Marina: The local . You don't get more homegrown than Broad Creek, a modest port just off the Cross Island Parkway, where area residents drydock their boats. At Up the Creek Pub, a rickety seafood shack with killer views of the water, we stopped in for a bite (food=fried) and lingered on the deck for (my brother, Jeremy, might argue in spite of) the nightly strum-fest. www.broadcreekmarinahh.com or (843) 681-3625 . While there: Join Capt. John Maires, a huge Buffett fan with a sly smile, a weathered face, and a twinkling laugh, for a sunset sail on his 45-foot sloop Cheers. www.cheerscharters.com or (843) 671-1800 . South Beach: The beach bum . I thought we were going to have to drag my always-up-for-a-good-time brother, Prentiss, away from South Beach. This laid-back harbor feels like a Northeastern-style fishing village, complete with blue clapboard buildings connected by a sprawling weathered deck. It's New England meets Caribbean cool, polished with Southern charm. The omnipresent music ranges from Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley by the DJ to jam-friendly local bands. Dancing is optional, but you won't want to be the only one left sitting. SouthernLiving.com: Great summer getaway . While there: Rain or shine, locals and tourists mingle in the late afternoon over heavy-handed cocktails; ice-cold brews; and steaming, hot-boiled shrimp at the open-air Salty Dog Café (www.saltydog.com or [843] 363-2198). Arrive early and snag a table; they tend to fill up quickly. Shelter Cove Harbour: The unassuming naturalist . The quiet Shelter Cove Harbour and neighboring Palmetto Dunes Resort (just across U.S. 278), with upscale boutiques, smartly casual restaurants, and untainted Lowcountry views, ooze understated elegance without an ounce of priss. Capt. Scott Henry's little Hurricane deckboat bobs among Goliath-sized mega-yachts but somehow doesn't seem out of place. Lowcountry Nature Tours specializes in personalized, eco-friendly trips of Broad Creek and Calibogue Sound. www.lowcountrynaturetours.com or (843) 683-0187 . While there: The 11-mile saltwater lagoon system in Palmetto Dunes Resort is a maze of water courses, full of redfish, trout, and black drum. We rented kayaks for an early morning paddle through the tree-canopied canals. Palmetto Dunes Outfitters can hook you up with everything you need, from kayaks to private fly-fishing charters with Capt. Trent Malphrus.www.palmettodunes.com or (843) 785-2449 . Palmetto Bay Marina: The everyman . With a working boatyard and a everyone-knows-your-name dockside bar (Captain Woody's), Palmetto Bay gives off a relaxed vibe that transcends labels such as "local" and "tourist." Our group settled onto the patio at Black Marlin Bayside Grill for brunch -- a perfect place to dawdle on a lazy morning ([843] 785-4950). My personal favorite: the shrimp hash -- a hearty combo of poached eggs, delicate shrimp and spicy sausage -- is like something you'd expect for breakfast on board a fishing boat. My brother bogarted the sushi nachos with seared tuna and avocado. And the sisters-in-law did serious damage to the dessert-like bananas Foster French toast. While there: Reserve a spot on the PAU HANA or FLYING CIRCUS catamarans for a bring-your-own-picnic twilight cruise through the sound -- a trip highlight. www.hiltonheadisland.com/sailing or (843) 686-2582 . Skull Creek Marina: The seafood connection . Local fish and shrimpboats unload their nets along the piers at Skull Creek, where a trio of restaurants, all with waterside dining, take advantage of the seasonal catch. Hudson's On The Docks (www.hudsonsonthedocks.com or [843] 681-2772) is a perennial crowd-pleaser with down-home seafood platters. Charley's Crab (http://www.muer.com/ or [843] 342-9066), a khakis-and-button-down kind of place, delivers she-crab soup and fried green tomatoes with a shrimp-and-crawfish salsa. The vibrant Boathouse II, with great food, an extensive wine list, and an anything-goes attitude, suited us best. If cobia is in season, a local catch with the density of swordfish and the flakiness of cod, this is the place to try it. www.boathouserestaurant.net or (843) 681-3663 . While there: The Benny Hudson Seafood market is the go-to for fresh oysters from the nearby May River and wild American shrimp just off the boat. If you're renting a house or condo, stock up to create your own locally inspired feast. (843) 682-3474 . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright 2009 Southern Living magazine. All rights reserved. | Harbour Town is one of the best spots on the island to catch the sunset .
Broad Creek Marina is where area residents drydock their boats .
The harbor at South Beach feels like a Northeastern-style fishing village . |
17,667 | 320db44f2e1e9f3c3ddfc968f5f5b505689d607a | By . Ian Parkes . Four people from Williams had to be treated for smoke inhalation on Friday after a fire broke out at one of the team hotels being used for this weekend's German Grand Prix. The fire, at the Hotel Mondial in Wiesloch situated eight miles from Hockenheim, started at 3am, resulting in an immediate evacuation of the building. Fortunately no one was hurt, with only a quartet of team members taken to a local hospital due to the effects of the smoke, but they were soon discharged. VIDEO Scroll down for German GP - Hardest breaking point . Lucky escape: Four Williams team members were treated for smoke inhalation after a hotel fire . Boy from Brazil: Williams No 1 driver Felipe Massa was not involved in the fire as he was staying elsewhere . Neither the drivers, Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, nor any of the team management were involved as they were staying at another hotel, similarly with the marketing department. It is the second fire Williams have been involved in in just over two years as the team garage went up in flames at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya following Pastor Maldonado's Spanish Grand Prix win in May 2012. Meanwhile, Williams driver Massa is fully aware he personally needs to improve,, although it is fair to say he has sustained his fair share of . bad luck. In . his maiden year with the Grove-based marque following his arrival from . Ferrari, Massa currently trails team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 43 points. Along . the way there have been numerous disappointments, including crashes not . of his own making in Canada and in Britain of late when high finishes . were on the cards given the current strength of his car. Setting the pace: Valtteri Bottas (C) and Williams team members walk around the track in Hockenheim . Speed demon: Williams driver Massa takes part in practice ahead of the German Grand Prix . Massa has . no doubts his form and fortune will turn around, adding: 'It was . obviously not a great race at Silverstone given the things that . happened. 'That . includes qualifying and the start when I had a problem with my clutch, . and then of course there was the accident with Kimi (Raikkonen). 'So many things happened which cost me a lot of points because the car was amazing, it was so competitive. 'I'm . still convinced and very motivated everything will become normal and . I'll have a good car that will score a lot of points and I can fight . with the big teams until the end of the championship. 'I really believe this is possible, and that's the way I'm working.' VIDEO German GP - Hardest breaking point . | Four Williams mechanics were treated for smoke inhalation after hotel fire .
Drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas were not involved in incident .
Williams F1 team are in Hockeheim preparing for the German Grand Prix .
Brazilian Massa accepts he needs to improve in his debut season .
It's second time that Williams has been involved in a fire after team garage went up in flames at the Spanish Grand Prix . |
278,142 | f4546ec66298ddddcb096d63da378a5ae4556db5 | By . Jill Reilly . Pope Francis is famous for his compassionate nature and is often pictured at his weekly audience in St Peter's Square kissing and hugging his followers. But today it was his turn to have attention showered on him as a disabled young man was photographed kissing the 77-year-old as well as stroking his cheek and rubbing his head. The tender moment was captured this morning as the pontiff made his way through the crowds. Scroll down for video . Pope Francis is famous for his compassionate nature and is often pictured at his weekly audience in St Peter's Square kissing and hugging his followers . But today it was his turn to have attention showered on him as a disabled young man was photographed kissing the 77-year-old as well as stroking his cheek and rubbing his head . The tender was captured this morning as the pontiff made his way through the crowds . Spotting the man, Pope Francis bent down and held his hands to bless him. The young man kissed the crucifix on a chain around his neck and drew the Pope closer. The man, whose identity is not known, was clearly encouraged by the Pope's gentle nature, and reached up to kiss him before gently stroking his cheek and rubbing his head. Every Wednesday, Pope Francis has made it a habit of touring for approximately 30 minutes among the thousands of pilgrims who come to attend the weekly audience and to see him in St Peter's Square, blessing and shaking hands with the most varied groups of people, and often receiving gifts. But this morning it looked as though he was struggling with the winds - his robes blew across his body and at one point at pink balloon floated across the crowd obscuring his face. Pope Francis blesses a baby as he arrives in St. Peter's Square for the weekly general audience . Every week St Peter's Square is full of faithful who crowd in to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis . A baby girl is lifted out of the crowd for Pope Francis to bless . Earlier this year, Francis tweeted to his 3.2million followers: 'The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable' Earlier this week Pope Francis said he would be willing to baptise Martians if they came to Earth and asked to become Catholics. During . his daily mass, the leader of the Roman Catholic church said that no . one should be denied entry into the church for any reason. He . joked that even if space aliens were 'green men, with a long nose and . big ears, like children draw', they deserved to be baptised if they . wanted. 'If . tomorrow, for example, an expedition of Martians arrives and some of . them come to us... and if one of them says, "Me, I want to be . baptised!", what would happen?', Francis said, according to AFP. He . added that the early church had an officer charged with welcoming . people in to the building, but 'it was never the ministry of the closed . door'. The . Pope's comments came as he discussed the passage of the Bible in which . St Peter is criticised for baptising non-Jews into the Christian church. A gust of wind blows on Pope Francis' cape as he arrives in Saint Peter's Square . The Pope smiles and waves as he slowly makes his way through the packed crowd . Pope Francis kisses a child this morning during his half hour tour of the crowd . However, . they are likely to be seen as a coded jab at Francis' conservative . critics who may have objected to his policy of openness towards poor and . marginalised groups. In January, the Pope courted controversy by baptising the child of an unmarried couple in the Sistine Chapel. Francis' joke about baptising aliens is not the first time that the Catholic . church has intervened in the debate over the possibility of . extraterrestrial life. In . 2010, Vatican scientist Guy Consolmagno said that although he did not . expect to find life on other planets, aliens would be welcome to join . the church. 'God is bigger than just humanity,' he said. 'God is also the god of angels. Earlier this week Pope Francis said he would be willing to baptise Martians if they came to Earth and asked to become Catholics . This morning it looked as though he was struggling with the winds as his robes blew across his body . A balloon flies past Pope Francis during his general audience in St Peter's square . Pope Francis holds his skull cap as the high winds threaten to blow it off his head . 'Any entity - no matter how many tentacles, it has has a soul.' And . in 2008, the official Vatican newspaper published an article by an . astronomer titled 'Aliens Are My Brother', in which an astronomer . insisted that it was not irreligious to search for extraterrestrial . life. The Vatican has its own observatory, with one telescope situated outside Rome and another in Arizona. The church's interest in astronomy began as a way of calculating the calendar and determining the date of Easter. Throughout . the 20th century, the Vatican became a pioneering force in astronomical . research, and photographs of never-before-seen astronomical phenomena . were first captured at the papal observatory. Pope Francis' cape flies up as he climbs the Popemobile at the end of his weekly Wednesday General Audience on Saint Peter's Square . Head of Vatican security Domenico Giani tries to catch Pope Francis mantle as it blows around in the wind . Pope Francis poses for a picture with nuns in St. Peter's Square at the end of the weekly general audience . Pope Francis blesses faithful as he arrives in St. Peter's Square for the weekly general audience . | The tender moment was captured this morning in St Peter's Square .
Man was pictured kissing the 77-year-old as well as stroking his cheek .
Pope meets the pilgrims for approximately 30 minutes every Wednesday . |
147,857 | 4b31c5a275954b9f44512d50dd945c9a5a9498e4 | By . Bianca London for MailOnline . Does Gok Wan ever sleep? The fashion designer and body image expert has managed to design yet another collection for TU at Sainsbury's and says it tells a tale of powerful femininity. In his latest range, Gok has taken his signature figure-enhancing styles and given them a dramatic masculine twist, which, he says, will see you through the last of the summer days and seamlessly into next season. Gok promises that his 34-piece collection includes a versatile mix of elegant eveningwear, beautiful basics and chic workwear. Power woman: Gok Wan has unveiled his latest collection for TU at Sainsbury's and says it is inspired by the contemporary working woman (jacket, £35, jean, £28) Inspired by the strength and independence of the contemporary working woman, the capsule collection is full of statement separates perfect for taking you from the office to the bar. Gok, who prides himself on knowing exactly how to flatter the female form, has included garments designed to celebrate and accentuate a woman's body at every given opportunity. A piece for every occasion: Gok promises that his 34-piece collection includes a versatile mix of elegant eveningwear, beautiful basics and chic workwear (top, £25, jean, £28) Flattering your figure: Gok has taken his signature figure-enhancing styles and given them a dramatic masculine twist, which, he says, will take wearers seamlessly into next season (tee, £20, skirt, £30) Sharp tailoring: Inspired by the strength and independence of the contemporary working woman, the collection aims to be perfect for work or a night out with the girls (top, £25, trouser, £30 . Details such as delicate fringing and flamenco inspired frills aim to reflect the Spanish culture that Gok was inspired by when designing his latest offering. The colour palette, he says, evokes the sense of whitewashed walls and the intense heat of the Mediterranean. Speaking about his thirteenth collection for the supermarket, Gok said: 'This collection is inspired by the strength and versatility of the contemporary woman, reflecting the many different roles that they fulfill in their everyday lives. 'Clean lines and structure, coupled with romantic baroque prints and soft, luxurious fabrics take this collection to a whole new level of sophistication.' Black and white: The colour palette is mainly monochrome aims to evoke the sense of whitewashed walls and the intense heat of the Mediterranean, the place that inspired his new range (tee, £20, skirt, £30) How did he find the time? Gok has designed 34 pieces for his new range, which is priced between £10-£40 (jersey, £18, skirt, £30) | Gok has designed 34 pieces for TU .
Was inspired by strong Spanish woman .
Says his designs show off female form at every occasion . |
194,435 | 87b195e35178e2ac90115ddb6b6deafd28eae2d6 | Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has reportedly argued with the Prime Minister after reading media reports that a male colleague would 'chaperone' her to the United Nations climate change conference next week. Ms Bishop supposedly confronted Tony Abbott this week after reading in the Sun-Herald that he had personally requested Trade Minister Andrew Robb to chaperone her to the international summit in Lima, Peru. 'Julie went bananas at the PM,' a source told the Australian Financial Review. Scroll down for video . Foreign Minister Julie Bishop reportedly confronted Tony Abbott this week after reading media reports that Trade Minister Andrew Robb would 'chaperone' her to a climate change summit in Peru . The Foreign Minister was not consulted about Mr Robb shadowing her and is said to have confronted him over the matter as well. It comes amid suggestions that Mr Robb, who is below Ms Bishop in the Cabinet ranks, was being sent to Peru to ensure Australia wasn't over-committing on its climate change policy promises. 'It's like they don't trust Julie,' a source told the newspaper. Mr Robb, who is currently in China, is being sent to the climate change summit over Environment Minister Greg Hunt. Ms Bishop supposedly confronted Tony Abbott this week after reading he personally requested the Trade Minister accompany her to Peru next week . The Foreign Minister was not consulted about Mr Robb shadowing her at the United Nations climate change conference and is said to have confronted him over the matter as well . The Sun-Herald reported on Sunday that Mr Robb would 'chaperone Ms Bishop so he can factor in the economic impacts of any new targets Australia considers'. Mr Robb was instrumental in triggering the end of Malcolm Turnbull's leadership when he turned against the former leader in 2009 and criticised carbon pricing. When contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, Ms Bishop's office would not be drawn on the exchange with Mr Abbott. But the Foreign Minister told reporters on Wednesday it was important for both Mr Robb and herself to attend. Ms Bishop, pictured here with fitness guru Michelle Bridges, reportedly went 'bananas at the PM' Ms Bishop stepped out at the Melbourne Cup races last month, fueling speculation that she was in a relationship with businessman David Panton . 'This has significant economic impacts, so both the trade minister and foreign minister will be there,' she said. 'We will most certainly be involved in the conversation about post-2020 targets, that’s what the Lima Conference is all about in the lead up to the Paris Conference next year. What I’ll be particularly interested in is hearing from the major emitters as to their targets and whether they’ll be binding targets. 'It’s all very well for Australia to be lectured by countries that won’t meet their Kyoto targets and refuse to be committed to binding targets, but we will most certainly be involved in the conversation as to what is do-able, economy-by-economy, country-by-country, that’s why both Andrew Robb and I will be there.' When contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, Ms Bishop's office would not be drawn on the exchange with Mr Abbott . Ms Bishop told reporters on Wednesday is was important for both Mr Robb and herself to attend to international climate change summit . | Julie Bishop reportedly confronted Tony Abbott following claims he requested the Trade Minister to 'chaperone' her next week .
Andrew Robb will shadow Ms Bishop in Peru for the United Nations climate change summit .
Foreign Minister was not consulted about it and went 'bananas at the PM'
It has been suggested Mr Robb was being sent to Peru to ensure Ms Bishop didn't over-commit Australia on its climate change policy . |
166,983 | 63ee8827208156f540b1fde4c8853706fee4e387 | A top official at the Department of Veterans Affairs has resigned amid the growing scandal about wait times and care at veterans' hospitals, the department's leader said Friday. News about the resignation of Dr. Robert Petzel, undersecretary for health in the Department of Veterans Affairs, came one day after he spoke at a Senate hearing about the issue alongside Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. In a short statement, Shinseki announced that he accepted Petzel's resignation. "As we know from the veteran community, most veterans are satisfied with the quality of their VA health care, but we must do more to improve timely access to that care," Shinseki said. "I am committed to strengthening veterans' trust and confidence in their VA healthcare system." Petzel was scheduled to retire sometime this year, the department said in 2013. The news of the resignation was met with derision by a leading veterans' rights group, which said Petzel's resignation does little to address the problem. "We don't need the VA to find a scapegoat; we need an actual plan to restore a culture of accountability throughout the VA," according to a statement released by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "To be clear, Dr. Petzel's resignation is not the step toward accountability that our members need to see from VA leaders. Anyone who has been following this situation knows that Dr. Petzel had already announced his retirement earlier this year." The chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Republican Jeff Miller of Florida, called the resignation as "the pinnacle of disingenuous doublespeak." But President Barack Obama supported Shinseki's decision to accept the resignation, according to a statement released by the White House. "As the President has said, America has a sacred trust with the men and women who have served our country in uniform and he is committed to doing all we can to ensure our veterans have access to timely, quality health care," the statement said. The White house reiterated the President's previous order that Shinseki conduct a review of the Veterans Health Administration's practices at its facilities. Petzel's resignation came a day after he testified before the Senate's Veterans Affairs' Committee looking into reported delays at numerous VA hospitals and a long list of serious problems and allegations of falsifying wait times, many of which were exposed and reported by CNN. For six months, CNN has been reporting on delays in medical appointments suffered by veterans across the country and veterans who died or were seriously injured while waiting for appointments and care. The VA requires its hospitals to provide care to patients in a timely manner, typically within 14 to 30 days. The most disturbing and striking problems emerged in Arizona last month as inside sources revealed to CNN details of a secret waiting list for veterans at the Phoenix VA. Charges were leveled that at least 40 American veterans died in Phoenix while waiting for care at the VA there, many of whom were placed on the secret list. But even as the Phoenix VA's problems have riveted the nation's attention, numerous whistle-blowers from other VA hospitals across the country have stepped forward. They described similar delays in care for veterans and also varying schemes by officials at those facilities to hide the delays -- in some cases even falsify records or efforts to "cook the books." The secret waiting list in Phoenix was part of an elaborate scheme designed by Veterans Affairs managers there who were trying to hide that 1,400 to 1,600 sick veterans were forced to wait months to see a doctor, according to a recently retired top VA doctor and several high-level sources who spoke exclusively to CNN. Phoenix VA officials denied any knowledge of a secret list, and said they never ordered any staff to hide waiting times. They acknowledged some veterans may have died waiting for care there, but they said they did not have knowledge about why those veterans may have died. The director of the Phoenix VA, Sharon Helman, was put on administrative leave by Shinseki two weeks ago, along with two of her top aides. But sources inside the VA in Phoenix tell CNN the wait times and problems are still ongoing there. As a direct result of the allegations at the Phoenix VA, investigators from the VA's inspector general's office have gone to Phoenix and have been conducting an investigation there for months. | The President supports Shinseki's decision to accept the resignation .
Veterans' rights group says the resignation is the VA's way to find a scapegoat .
Dr. Robert Petzel resigned a day after testifying before a Senate committee .
Petzel was scehduled to retire sometime this year . |
195,289 | 88ccaabc55c14289a1b86301b2ba0f98647c9e8a | Beauty addict Millie Mackintosh is famous for her flawless complexion. So when the 24-year-old Chelsea girl tied the knot with her beau Professor Green on Tuesday she needed her skin to look its best. Millie called in the help of skincare expert Elizabeth Caroline, who has been working her magic on the bride for several weeks in the run up to her big day using facial treatments and healing sessions to make sure the reality star was glowing from the inside out. Scroll down for video . Blushing bride: Millie Mackintosh's facialist has revealed that she was receiving unique facials in the run up to her wedding to give her that famous dewy glow . Elizabeth has revealed that she visited Millie on the night before her Somerset wedding and set up her room with candles, soothing music and a comfortable treatment couch. Millie’s treatments have comprised of deep cleansing and balancing facials, using a combination of Decleor and Elizabeth Caroline, London products, which were bespoke to Millie. The new bride also received regular Elemental Healing sessions using a combination of Reiki, Elementals healing, crystals and Tibetan healing tools just before bedtime on the eve of her wedding because she wanted to calm her nerves and help her sleep. She also experienced an A-Lift Elementals Facial with an antioxidant rich, 24kt Gold Mask to give her that famous dewy glow. Big night: Elizabeth set up Millie's room with candles, soothing music and a comfortable treatment couch the night before the wedding, which took place yesterday at Babington House, Somerset . 'This facial was chosen specifically to lift, firm, tone and illuminate Millie’s skin for her big day. 'She enjoyed a totally unique healing massage treatment, using a warm essential oil blend devised especially for Millie, to help combat any stress or last minute nerves and to ensure she has a good night’s sleep. 'Crystals are used during the massage to assist in balancing certain energy centres of the body, and to cleanse the aura,' Elizabeth Caroline told MailOnline. Wedding gift: Elizabeth designed these personalised facial products for Millie, who will be taking them on her honeymoon . Speaking ahead of the wedding, Elizabeth said: 'On the lead up to the wedding we have been concentrating on boosting her energy levels, and calming her nerves with healing, and with her skin we have been focussing on hydration, illumination and controlling any last minute break outs. She naturally has great skin and a good diet.' Writing on her Yahoo! Lifestyle blog, Millie said: On top of my skin care routine, I've been visiting facialist Elizabeth Caroline to get my skin looking the best it can for my big day. 'Elizabeth's facials are different to any other I've tried; it's a holistic healing approach using a combination of Reiki and Elizabeth's own elemental healing techniques, she studied for 13 years with a buddhist/shamanic healer. 'With Elizabeth she can "see" my own personal energy field or aura, which helps her adapt the treatment even more to my needs. 'The first time I had a treatment from Elizabeth it was the day before my first BAFTAs and I was very anxious...I left the spa a totally different person!' Elizabeth also designed a personalised set of treatments for Millie. 'I went for silver lids as she had told me she thought silver was very "wedding". She loved the Peace Serum and said she wanted to take them on her honeymoon,' Elizabeth added. | Millie married Professor Green at Babington House on Tuesday .
Millie, 24, had Elizabeth Caroline facial on eve of wedding .
Set up Millie's room with candles, soothing music and a comfortable couch .
Also used ancient healing techniques to calm her nerves . |
210,872 | 9d1f393ba39e1e93cbeffc2e54139b57450f92dd | Former President George W. Bush said Thursday that his brother Jeb, the former Florida Governor, 'wants to be president' – but he hasn't made up his mind yet about running in 2016. 'He and I did a conversation,' the folksy former president said during a Fox News Channel interview. 'I, of course, was pushing him to run for president. He, of course, was saying, "I haven't made up my mind".' 'And I truly don't think that he has,' Bush said. 'And plus I don't think he liked it that his older brother was pushing him.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Former President George W. Bush sat for a TV interview on the Fox News Channel, saying he's urging his brother Jeb to make a run for the White House in 2016 . The younger Bush, once Florida's governor, hasn't signaled yet whether he's open to campaigning for the top job in America's government . Jeb Bush is part of a crowded potential field for the Republicans in 2016; his absence from public events has resulted in middling poll numbers. The moderate base of the GOP is urging him to run as an alternative to seeking a third attempt for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. But the tea party wing of conservatives paints him as a 'RINO' – Republican In Name Only. 'I think he wants to be president,' George W. Bush said. 'I think he'd be a great president.' 'He understands what it’s like to be president ... He’s seen his dad, he’s seen his brother. And so, he’s a very thoughtful man and he’s weighing his options.' The former chief executive also said he won't play armchair general and criticize the decisions President Barack Obama has made about military activity in the Middle East. But he said he agreed with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey's recommendation at the time that the U.S. leave a 'residual force' behind in Iraq instead of withdrawing completely. 'I did, yeah. ... I agreed with General Dempsey's assessment.' Obama famously pulled all U.S. troops from Iraq after Bush had spent most of his presidency spending heavily to stabilize that country. The results of what military rank-and-file have taken to calling 'the Obama bug-out' included the rise of the ISIS terror army to fill the power vacuum left by retreating American forces. Bush said he thought the U.S. should have left a residual military force in Iraq to fend off chaos, but insisted he's not going to play armchair general in his post-presidential years . Jeb Bush, seen on Tuesday riding a leaf blower-powered hovercraft made by students for a science fair, is seen as a political moderate who won't win plaudits from the GOP's tea party wing . 'The president has to make the choices he thinks are important,' Bush said Thursday. 'I'm not going to second-guess our president. I understand how tough the job is.' 'And to have a former president bloviating and second-guessing, I don't think is good for the presidency or the country. He and his team will make the best-informed decisions they can make.' Bush said he had great confidence in Joe Clancy, the interim Secret Service director who has taken the agency's reins following the sudden resignation of former director Julia Pierson. Clancy 'is a good man,' he said. 'And I trust his judgment a lot. Joe will do a good job.' Bush has spent his post-presidency years staying largely away from TV cameras, working on his memoirs and learning to paint. He said he doesn't miss the White House pressure cooker. 'I'm asked all the time, do I miss Washington?' he noted. 'And the answer is no.' 'You know, I miss being pampered. Other than that I don't miss much.' But he seemed to take a jab at Obama for his recent 'latte salute,' in which the president half-heartedly saluted a pair of Marines with a coffee cup in his right hand. 'I do miss saluting men and women who have volunteered to serve our nation,' Bush said. | Former US president spoke on the Fox News Channel before the second day of a charity golf tournament benefiting veterans .
He said his brother, the former Florida governor, hasn't made a decision yet about 2016 .
In a veiled slap at Obama over the 'latte salute,' he aid he misses 'saluting men and women who have volunteered to serve our nation'
On Obama's Iraq campaign: 'To have a former president bloviating and second-guessing, I don't think is good for the presidency or the country' |
25,222 | 4775b2c00e29845d225ccdb046c20185c71ef977 | By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:57 EST, 7 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:28 EST, 7 November 2013 . Guilty: Karl Karlsen is shown pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for crushing his son under a truck in 2008 in a life insurance scheme that netted him $700,000 . A man has admitted killing his son in an insurance scam that gained him $700,000. Authorities say Karl Karlsen, from upstate New York, confessed to the crime. Seneca County District Attorney Barry Porsch said 53-year-old Karlsen's guilty plea to second-degree murder came as a surprise a day before his trial was set to open. Karlsen was charged with murder and insurance fraud after the death of his son Levi. Prosecutors say Karlsen killed the 23-year-old on November 20, 2008 by toppling a truck on him as he worked underneath at his father's home in Yale Farm Road. His death was initially ruled an . accident, but Karlsen collected a $700,000 life insurance payout after . the incident, raising suspicions. A family member tipped off the police about the large insurance policy and opened an investigation into his death last year . Karlsen was sole beneficiary of Levi's insurance policy. Investigators have also been reviewing the 1991 death of Karlsen's former wife, Christina Karlsen. She died in a Calaveras County, California, fire that also resulted in an insurance payout. Karlsen has denied causing her death. Karlsen has not been charged in relation to anything related to his wife's death. His daughter, Erin Deroche, spoke to ABC News last month saying she has no doubts that her father is guilty of killing her brother and their mother as well. It . wasn't until Deroche and her brother Levi were 11 or 12 when she said . they secretly discussed the possibility that their father wasn't being . truthful regarding their mother's death. Karlsen: Flanked by officials, Karlsen is pictured on ABCnews . Tragic loss: After ten hours interrogation by police, he finally admitted he had been there when the truck fell on his son Levi and had accidentally caused it to happen, before leaving him to die . ‘Between . the two of us...we knew, because he didn't try,’ Deroche said. ‘He . didn't make an effort to save her. He just stood there,’ she told ABC . News. However, when she . and Levi confronted their father, Deroche said, ‘his biggest concern was . that he wondered what the community would think of his own children . accusing him of murdering their mother.’ The Democrat and Chronicle says in media interviews Karlsen said his ex-wife's death, his son's death and a 2002 fire at his Seneca County farm that killed his Belgian draft horses, for which he collected $80,000 in insurance money, were all just coincidences. Karl Karlsen is due to be sentenced by Judge Dennis Bender on December 16. The sentence he is likely to face hasn't been released. Karlsen, from upstate New York, confessed to the crime (file picture) Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Karl Karlsen from upstate New York admitted the crime .
He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder .
Investigators also reviewing 1991 death of his ex-wife, Christina . |
184,404 | 7ad8635643b8de1ea469eb62a084e57453d47720 | Criticism: Lin Homer went from the Border Agency to a £180k HMRC role . The country’s top woman civil servant is clinging to her £180,000-a-year job after being accused by MPs of a 'catastrophic failure of leadership' on securing Britain's borders. Lin Homer's disastrous tenure in charge of the UK Border Agency lead to a huge backlog of hundreds of thousands of immigration cases. But astonishingly she emerged unscathed and was rewarded with promotion through the civil service and is now in charge of HM Revenue and Customs. The powerful home affairs committee today said they were ‘astounded’ she was considered suitable for the job of collecting the nation’s taxes. Chairman Keith Vaz hit out at 'incompetent' Mrs Homer receiving £20,000 in bonuses despite leaving the UKBA in a 'worst position' than when she started. There were also signs ministers were finally losing faith with the mandarin. A senior Whitehall source said: ‘There are increasing concerns from ministers as to why there are no penalties for poor performance in the civil service. Instead what we have is a “promotions-all-round” culture. ‘There needs to be penalties for the worst performers and better career paths for those who are doing well. If someone has a terrible track record of delivery, should they really be being promoted? ‘The civil service does not do talent management properly.’ The select committee accused Mrs Homer of repeatedly misleading MPs and called for Parliament to be given greater say over appointing of top civil servants. The MPs said: ‘It is shocking that after five years under Lin Homer’s leadership an organisation that was described at the beginning of the period as being not fit for purpose should have improved its performance so little. ‘Given this background, we are astounded Mrs Homer has been promoted to become chief executive and permanent secretary at Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.’ UK Border Agency has been heavily criticised after it emerged backlog would take 24 years to clear . Born in Norfolk, Ms Homer studied law at University College London, before working at Reading Council for two years then Hertfordshire Council, where over a period of 15 years, she rose to the position of Director of Corporate Services. This proved the springboard for her first major town hall job, in 1998, as chief executive of Suffolk Council. Just four years later, the married mother of three daughters was parachuted into the same post at Birmingham City Council, on a jaw-dropping £174,000-year. In 2005 she was accused of throwing ‘the rule book out of the window’ in a major postal votes scandal in Birmingham that ended up before the courts. Election judge Richard Mawrey said fraud in the city ‘would have disgraced a banana republic’. He described Mrs Homer’s decision to allow postal ballot papers to be transported to the count in shopping bags as ‘the direst folly’. But later that year she was chosen by the Home Office to run what was then called the Immigration and Nationality Directorate – this time on £200,000, plus bonuses. Already in chaos, it was on her watch in 2006 that we learned of the mistaken release of 1,000 foreign criminals. It later emerged some 450,000 asylum cases had not been dealt with but left in boxes at the Home Office. The new UKBA was meant to clear up the mess, and Mrs Homer became its first chief executive, on an astonishing £208,000 a year. But among a fresh run of scandals was the revelation that nearly 400 of the 1,000 foreign prisoners were told they could stay in Britain and dozens remained untraced. Promotion came again in 2011 when she was handed the the post of Permanent Secretary at the Transport Department where she stayed for barely a year before winning her biggest job to date – running HMRC. Since then she has been criticised for failing to tackle tax avoidance, admitting in November last year that over half of Britain’s biggest 770 firms funnel profits overseas. In a damning indictment of her abilities, the MPs say they can 'have little confidence in her ability to lead HMRC at what is a challenging time for that organisation'. It points out that the woman oversaw a huge backlog in immigration cases at UKBA has since admitted that her new department at HMRC left 1million letters unanswered throughout 2012. Today Mr Vaz insisted senior civil servants involved in the chaos should not be rewarded with new plum jobs. 'People . just can’t go on to be promoted to other jobs unless they answer for . what’s happened. She has apologised, but we felt that more should have . been done,' he told BBC Radio 4. Ministers were repeatedly not given . accurate data on immigration levels. 'Most of this happened under the . leadership of Lin Homer when she headed the UKBA for five years, despite . getting bonuses of £20,000,' Mr Vaz added. 'When she left the organisation, I’m . afraid, it was left it something of a worst position than she arrived. We now have a third of a million cases in backlog. We should actually . rename this agency: United Kingdom Backlog Agency because of the number . of things not dealt with.' He added that letters sent by Mrs . Homer to the committee were 'frankly incompetent' and he had to . 'introduce her to pie charts and graphs' to ensure the information was . accurate. Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘Taxpayers are sick to death of senior civil servants . presiding over failure only to move on without being held to account for . their past actions. ‘At worst Whitehall rewards the incompetent with payoffs or promotions, at best it just shuffles them sideways.’ But . Mrs Homer has written to MPs saying: ‘It is wholly inaccurate and . unfair to seek to ascribe responsibility to me for matters of concern . that occurred long after I left the agency.’ This is despite MPs today warning that border officials require 24 years to clear their backlog of 320,000 immigration cases. Incompetence and foot-dragging is blamed for the sheer number of claims – the equivalent of the population of Iceland. In . a blistering report, the Commons home affairs committee also said the . army of foreign criminals on the streets was growing, with the total now . almost 4,000. The audit into the work of the UK Border Agency, which was dubbed not fit for purpose six years ago, found 321,726 outstanding cases involving immigrants. These include 28,500 current asylum cases, 4,000 immigration cases and 181,541 people placed in a so-called Migration Refusal Pool. The pool comprises migrants who arrived legally but cannot now be found after their work or study visas expired. Officials say many of the migrants will have gone home – a view disputed by the MPs, who say the lack of proper border checks may mean ‘tens of thousands’ are still here. They are highly critical of the slow pace at which officials are clearing the backlog. Between July and September last year, it was reduced by only 3,430 – or 1 per cent. This is despite officials writing off 74,000 cases held in the separate ‘asylum controlled archive’ over that period. Keith Vaz, right, said hardly any progress is being made in clearing the backlog, while Immigration Minister Mark Harper, left, said the UK Border Agency is a 'troubled organisation' The controlled archive was created to . hold what remains of Labour’s asylum backlog. It was intended to hold . cases that had not been concluded, so they could be reopened if the . person was traced. UKBA officials had been tracking them down – but decided to abandon those they couldn’t find. Critics say it amounts to have an effective ‘amnesty’. Keith Vaz, the Labour MP who chairs the home affairs committee, said hardly any progress was being made in clearing the backlog. He holds former UKBA chief executive Lin Homer – Britain’s most senior female mandarin – responsible for much of the debacle. She is clinging to her job in charge of HM Revenue & Customs after MPs concluded she was guilty of a ‘catastrophic’ failure of leadership during her time at UKBA. Mr Vaz said: ‘No sooner is one backlog closed, than four more are discovered. ‘At this rate it will take 24 years to clear the backlog which still stands at the size of the population of Iceland.’ Also within the backlog are 3,980 foreign criminals who cannot be deported and have been released on bail by the courts. This has increased by 26 in only three . months, despite repeated government promises to kick the offenders out. Six years ago the asylum backlog scandal prompted then home secretary . John Reid to brand the immigration system ‘not fit for purpose’. The committee recommends senior UKBA staff are not paid bonuses until there is evidence the backlog is being ‘substantially’ reduced and new backlogs are not emerging. Yvette Cooper, Labour’s home affairs spokesman, said: ‘This highly critical report shows that practical failings in the immigration system are getting worse.’ Immigration minister Mark Harper said: ‘We have always been clear the UK Border Agency was a troubled organisation with a poor record of delivery. ‘Turning it around will take time but I am determined to provide the public with an immigration system they can have confidence in.’ The Border Agency has awarded a £30million contract to outsourcing firm Capita to help track illegals. It began work in October. | Damning report demands to know why Lin Homer went from overseeing immigration chaos to running the tax office .
A backlog of more than 320,000 immigration cases built up on her watch .
But she was promoted to £180,000 role running HMRC, where 1million letters went unanswered last year .
Home affairs committee says hardly any progress made to clear backlog .
Chairman Keith Vaz slams 'incompetent' Homer who got £20,000 in bonuses but left UKBA in worse state than when she started . |
264,725 | e2e1089cee9d2e8818676e0b7676380776ceac26 | Washington (CNN)Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the Republican campaign trail, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump are back. All it took to set Twitter abuzz at the first big GOP campaign bash at the weekend was for The Donald and the 2008 vice presidential nominee to clear their throats and muse, yet again, about presidential campaigns. But the idea that they're both seriously searching their souls and considering a run for the White House doesn't pass the smell test. Trump and Palin are now more at the reality show end of the political spectrum than serious contenders -- but they sure know how to get a headline. They snatched more than their fair share of attention at Congressman Steve King's cattle call in Iowa on Saturday -- even as an impressive line-up of bona fide potential candidates tried to road test early 2016 messaging. There are serious candidates out there who are almost certainly running for president -- including Chris Christie, Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina and Mike Huckabee, all of whom were at the Iowa event. And there are those who just want some people to believe they might, just, might, run. Given all the available evidence, Palin and Trump belong in the latter category. Both are past masters at self publicity and appeared to view the massive media spotlight of the first big campaign event in Iowa as a great opportunity at the start of another campaign cycle. Palin launched a bizarre, stream of consciousness rant against Hollywood the left, President Barack Obama and the strange social media palaver whipped up by pictures of her son Trig standing on his labrador. Her performance was all the more odd since she had deliberately raised expectations that she might be mulling a return to top-level politics ahead of the speech. She told ABC News that anyone like her with a "servant's heart" had no choice but to think about it. Then, after bumping into reporters at a Des Moines hotel, Palin said "who wouldn't be interested?", according to The Washington Post. So is Palin really considering a run for president? SEE ALSO: Jeb's invisible man strategy . Her largely inconsequential speech offered easy ammunition for her political enemies, making for an ineffective start. And there's no evidence that Palin is taking the serious moves needed of a candidate in an age when the price of entry for the presidential sweep stakes is millions of dollars. There's also no buzz that Palin has sounded out top party donors or wants to snap up big name consultants. Though some of her attack lines hit their mark with the audience of conservative activists, Palin was a pale imitation of the rock star who burst onto the scene in 2008 showing raw and rare political talent. And the notion of a Palin presidential campaign seems a lot more remote than when she teased a run, but ultimately decided against it, in the last presidential cycle. Her performance on Saturday dismayed key figures in conservative media, including some who thought she was unfairly put to the sword by the press in 2008. Conservative columnist Byron York wrote in his Washington Examiner column that the Republican Party has a Palin problem. "If there is indeed nothing behind her 'seriously interested' talk — and it appears there is not — should she be included in events leading up to the 2016 caucuses?" York wrote. Conservative blogger Erick Erickson meanwhile said Palin's speech was best "left uncommented on." Democrats are jubilant. Democratic National Committee communications director Mo Elleithee put out a simple statement reading "Thank you." The pro-Clinton super PAC Ready for Hillary fired out a fundraising email on the back of Palin's comments. SEE ALSO: Pro-Clinton group raises money off Palin speech . Trump meanwhile used the Freedom Summit to relaunch his own political sideshow, in mothballs since his 2012 presidential musings and his campaign to get Obama to publish his birth certificate. But he touched raw nerves in the GOP, launching a fierce attack on potential establishment frontrunners Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney who skipped the event. His broadsides seemed to fly in the face of efforts by party bosses to remove the circus atmosphere which marred the 2012 GOP presidential debates. 'Mitt had his chance," he said. "He should have won and he choked. You don't want to give a choker a second chance." "We've had enough of the Bushes," Trump blasted. There is a long tradition of long-shot candidates launching presidential runs without any expectation of victory. While many hope lightning will strike -- comparative unknowns like Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama built campaigns in Iowa that ended at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- most know it won't. But running for president in Iowa, even if you don't make it to the caucuses themselves can be a good career move. Former Gov. Tom Vilsack for instance parlayed a campaign that never got off the ground into a job as secretary of the Agriculture Department. Other candidates -- like Democratic gadfly Dennis Kucinich and libertarian Ron Paul -- have used presidential campaigns to build personal political brands. Joe Biden got less than 1% of the votes in the Iowa caucuses in 2008 -- but ended up as a two-term vice president. In each of those cases, the candidates offered more steak than sizzle; more policy than pizzazz. And then there are those like Trump, who thrives on attention, and Palin, who needs to maintain a brand on the fringes of conservative media, for whom the oxygen of publicity as a new campaign grinds into gear seems too enticing to ignore. | Sarah Palin and Donald Trump flirt with media with 2016 talk .
No sign of serious campaigns .
But candidates have an incentive to keep their names in the frame . |
188,784 | 80823478f33f63773477b1e2fea8a8ee43569f54 | Channel 4 are considering celebrity options to present their Grand National coverage in April following Clare Balding’s defection to host the Boat Race for the BBC on the same day. Possible names include Jeremy Kyle, host of a confrontational daytime chat show that focuses on relationship feuds, and football and Formula One presenter Jake Humphrey. Nick Luck, the regular racing anchor in Balding’s absence, has won many awards. But he is not considered a big enough name for the Aintree showcase because the National attracts a much wider once-a-year audience than the normal racing programming. VIDEO Scroll down to see Jeremy Kyle escape the wrath of an angry guest in his 'day job' Jeremy Kyle, at the 2013 Cheltenham Festival, is being considered by Channel 4 for April's Grand National . Clare Balding will present the Boat Race for the BBC on the same day as the Grand National . BT Sport football presenter Jake Humphrey (left) is also being considered to replace Balding . Kyle is a racing enthusiast who has horses in training with Nick Gifford. But to have such a newcomer presenting the race will not go down well with Turf diehards, especially on such a prestigious occasion. At least Humphrey has experience of live sports presenting, though not in racing, and working on the National requires extensive knowledge of the race. A C4 spokesman said that no decision had yet been made on the National presenter. | Channel 4 want a celebrity to host this year's Grand National in April .
Clare Balding will appear on the BBC to host the Boat Race on same day .
Football presenter Jake Humphrey also in contention to host coverage . |
261,160 | de3bdfc6abf3efee25a3282840b47bfa808ce628 | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 11:56 EST, 8 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:02 EST, 8 March 2013 . A man who was handed in to a police station by a man dressed as Batman has admitted trying to cash a stolen cheque he said he found in the street. Daniel Frayne appeared at Bradford Magistrates' Court today, nearly a fortnight after he was taken into Trafalgar House police station in the city by his friend, Stan Worby, who was dressed as the comic book hero. Pictures of 39-year-old Mr Worby in the caped crusader's costume went round the world before his identity was eventually revealed. Court appearance: Daniel Frayne (right) was delivered to a police station to answer his crimes by Stan Worby (left) who was dressed as Batman . The police station got a shock when Batman - also known as Stan Worby - arrived to hand in his friend almost a fortnight ago . When Mr Worby, who unmasked himself as . a Chinese takeaway delivery driver, handed over Frayne, he calmly told . the duty officer at the station: 'Here you are, it’s over to you now'. Today, he accompanied Frayne to court but there was no repeat of his costumed antics. He watched as Frayne, 27, admitted a charge of handling a stolen cheque and another of supplying a cheque with intent to commit fraud. Bradford's very own caped crusader Batman, Stan Worby, (right) took Frayne (left) into a police station . After he was handed over to the duty officer, Frayne appeared at court and admitted handling a stolen cheque . Magistrates heard that Frayne has 29 previous convictions relating to 49 different offences, . Frayne, of Aspen Court, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, left court making rude gestures at waiting photographers and swearing at reporters who asked him to comment. His case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports and he will be sentenced on April 8. The footage had earlier caused a frenzy on the internet as viewers speculated who the superhero might be. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Daniel Frayne was handed into police by friend who was dressed as Batman .
Admitted handling a stolen cheque at Bradford Magistrates' Court .
Admitted supplying a cheque with intent to commit fraud .
Friend Stan Worby unmasked himself as man behind the mask . |
102,322 | 0fdf4883e74e345ae55b938f131243fbf4bfe2b4 | By . J J Anisiobi . PUBLISHED: . 02:42 EST, 17 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:08 EST, 17 October 2012 . On Sunday night they caused havoc after they allegedly attacked staff and disturbed fellow guests at the Corinthia Hotel London. Now, Rylan Clark and Lucy Spraggan are paying the price for their shameful behaviour as they have been ejected from their luxury accommodation. The two X Factor contestants looked sheepish as they were escorted from their posh hotel on Tuesday night following their boozy and lewd antics. Scroll down to watch the drunken night out! The results: The X Factor hopefuls angered staff at the hotel after turning up drunk on Sunday night . Heave-ho: Lucy and Rylan were made to leave the hotel from the rear loading bay . Drama queen: Rylan was surrounded by fans as he left the hotel under the watchful eye of a X Factor PA . Lucy was keen to play down the . disciplinary action, which was taken by the hotel and not X Factor . producers, as she and Rylan were taken away with their luggage. The . 20-year-old female, who last night attended the Attitude magazine . awards, tweeted: 'Me and @RylanClark are partaking in a small vacation . from the hotel for a few days. Our most sincere apologies for our . #beerfear behaviour.' Double act: The pair let their hair down at the Attitude magazine awards as they left hand-in-hand . Sorry pair Rylan and Lucy arrive back at their new digs after attending the Attitude Awards . An X . Factor source told MailOnline: 'It was basically the final straw. They . have been kicked out because of their bad behaviour the other night. 'So they have been moved out of the Corinthia and will be staying at the Hilton hotel near where the show is filmed in Wembley.' Bad eggs: Rylan and Lucy had a lot of luggage to shift as they helped each other move out . Walking the line: Lucy and Rylan packed up all their belongings and headed to the Hilton Wembley . However, the Hilton London Wembley is . hardly a downgrade from the Corinthia, as the brand-new hotel, situated . directly opposite the stadium, included a rooftop bar and a roof . terrace with views over the arena. Lucy and Rylan's exit from the Corinthia was made even more embarrassing when they were told they could not use the main entrance. Instead they were ushered out of the loading bay area at the back of the hotel, where they had to wait for a cab to pick them up. Rylan and Lucy were seen walking past laundry and rubbish bins as they waited for their cab to get them. Managers at the Corinthia, where rooms cost up to £2,650 per night, were furious after Rylan and Lucy went on a boozy bender following Sunday night's result show. The trouble began after Rylan and Lucy spent the evening partying at G-A-Y nightclub with Tulisa's PA Gareth Varey until 4am. Lesson learned: Rylan looked downbeat as he got into a car on Tuesday evening . Too little too late: Rylan and Lucy have apologised to the hotel and made a statement on Twitter . The group had been drinking heavily and could barely stand up as they left. When they arrived back at the hotel Lucy had to carry Rylan up the stairs. Not finished with the night's antics he came back down and pulled his pants down in the street whilst making a lot of noise. Rylan then went into the hotel and the receptionists told him they wanted him out. Long way home: The pair have been punished after a drunken night on the town resulted in Rylan getting naked in the street . A night to remember: Rylan and Lucy were escorted by X Factor PA's to the Hilton London Wembley . Onlookers alleged he then picked up a wet floor sign and threw it at the reception staff before running back out of the hotel still clutching onto Lucy. The drama didn't stop there as the pair then ran up to Trafalgar Square and tried to get on a bus. The X Factor PA's were hauled out of bed by angry hotel staff who then pursued the pair around the West End. An onlooker said that Rylan and Lucy . were down an alleyway where they both urinated in public before the X . Factor staff finally caught up with them. They . were told that they were being evicted from the hotel. The staff . managed to talk them both into going back into the hotel to avoid any . more damage but Rylan didn't go easily and clashed with one of the women . who he shouted and swore at. Back to business: Rylan and Lucy enjoyed a low key night at the Attitude magazine awards on Tuesday . | Banished to the Hilton Hotel in Wembley near X Factor studio .
Show bosses called it 'the final straw'
Lucy apologised for 'beerfear behaviour' |
272,436 | ece004be1b6366bca7203069de2d1ed94bee6d47 | (CNN) -- Iran has threatened that it will retaliate against the Obama administration's proposed new economic sanctions on Iran's oil exports by blocking the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf. "If sanctions are adopted against Iranian oil," said Iran's Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, "not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz," the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, which one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes through daily. To drive the point home, Iran has started a 10-day naval exercise in the Persian Gulf to show off how it could use small speedboats and a barrage of missiles to combat America's naval armada. And the U.S. Navy has responded, in the words of a spokeswoman: "Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated." This is a significant escalation of tension between the United States and Iran, and the start of a more dangerous phase in the West's attempt to curtail Iran's nuclear program. The new sanctions are a response to last month's alarming report on Iran's nuclear intentions by the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Association. The Obama administration has ruled out military strikes to stop Iran's nuclear program in favor of tougher sanctions, which, once signed by the president, and if fully implemented, would sharply reduce Iran's oil revenue. The administration sees this added pressure on Iran's fragile economy as an effective alternative to military strikes. If Iran's reaction is any indication, the administration is correct in its estimation. Sanctioning Iran's oil industry will cripple Iran's economy, and that in turn will threaten the stability of the clerical regime. It is for this reason that Iran is treating the proposed new sanctions as an act of war, and is issuing threats of its own to dissuade the United States from going through with the new sanctions. The administration's strategy is based on the assumption that cutting Iran out of the oil market will not substantially impact world oil supply and prices. Saudi Arabia can step up production to cover the loss of Iran's export of 2 million barrels a day. But it is not clear whether Saudi Arabia actually would increase production to compensate for the loss of Iranian oil. Iran has clearly started a charm offensive with Riyadh to influence the Saudi decision. Iran's intelligence minister recently visited Riyadh to reduce tensions between the two countries in the wake of the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington, and the Iranian Navy has claimed that it rescued a Saudi ship from pirates. In facing off against the U.S. and its European allies, Iran thinks it holds economic cards of its own and is announcing loud and clear that if push comes to shove, it intends to use them. Iran notes that Western economies are under stress and predicts they could not afford higher oil prices. Even the threat of disruption in oil supply would send energy prices spiraling sky high, and that would plunge the already struggling economies of the United States and Europe into deeper recession. Iran is hoping to change the conversation in Western capitals from how tightly to squeeze Iran to what could be the cost of doing so. Nor would economic woes caused by conflict in the Persian Gulf remain limited to the West. Persian Gulf exports already account for 60% of Asia's energy consumption. Economies from India to China would be impacted by a Persian Gulf oil cutoff and higher energy prices. Iran is in effect threatening global economic crisis. Those advocating new sanctions on Iran's oil industry have said little about the potential cost to the global economy. The cutoff would also hurt Gulf Cooperation Council countries and could drag them into a conflict with Iran they have thus far avoided. Iran hopes its saber-rattling will persuade Asia's economic powerhouses and Persian Gulf emirates to pressure Washington to back away from the new sanctions. War between the U.S. and Iran may very well start, not if and when Washington decides to strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, but because sanctions designed as the alternative to military action end up hastening its advent. That might prove to be the least desired outcome, for no better reason than the possibility that the first casualty of another war in the Middle East might very well be economic recovery in U.S. and Europe. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Vali Nasr. | Iran has threatened to block flow of oil through Strait of Hormuz if U.S. sanctions its oil .
U.S. Navy has warned that disruption in traffic will not be tolerated .
Vali Nasr says the sanctions designed to prevent war could wind up causing it .
He says the first casualty in a battle could be the world economy . |
96,558 | 083d81c18b8ebdbd0ca2f0f52c3998f919312e7f | By . Thomas Durante and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 13:57 EST, 13 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:05 EST, 13 February 2013 . Guilty: Frederick Goings, pictured, has been convicted in the slaying . A jury has convicted a Chicago attorney of murdering former NBA center Eddy Curry's ex-girlfriend and infant daughter four years ago. Frederick Goings showed no reaction when the jury's guilty verdict was read out on Tuesday in the January 2009 shooting deaths of Nova Henry, 24, and her and Curry's 10-month-old daughter, Ava. Goings represented Henry in a child custody case against the former Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Miami Heat center, and was also romantically involved with her. Prosecutors say Henry tried to end her relationship with Goings and moved out with her and Curry's two children. They say Goings shot Henry in her home while she was holding her baby daughter. Her son, Noah, who was then three years old, witnessed the shocking slaying but wasn't harmed. Curry, who now plays in China, didn't testify in Goings ' trial. Henry's mother, Yolan Henry, expressed relief after the hearing, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. 'I'm feeling elated. I can breathe,' she said. 'I feel justice has been served.' Yolan Henry testified that she found little Noah sitting among the bodies of his sister and mother, and that he told her, 'Fredrick did it.' Attorneys for Goings maintained that he was innocent and said there was no physical evidence linking him to the killings. Sad: Prosecutors say Henry, pictured with Ava, tried to end her relationship with Goings and moved out with her and Curry's two children . Family ties: Both Ava and Noah are the children of former Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks star Eddy Curry . Henry and her baby . daughter Ava were found dead in her Chicago apartment on January 24, . 2009, having been shot multiple times. Noah was found hiding under a blanket on a couch in the living . room. Testifying in court last week, Noah . and Ava's grandmother, Yolan Henry, said that police had not yet . arrived at the home when she asked the boy who 'hurt' his mother. She said: 'He turned around and . looked at me and said, "Frederick." He repeated, "Frederick did it." Then he put his finger to his lips and said, "Shhh,"' according to the Chicago Tribune. Tragedy: Nova Henry and her 10-month-old daughter Ava were found shot to death on January 24, 2009 . Pain: Nova Henry's father Keith Henry holds a family photo of his daughter with daughter Ava and son Noah . Goings had represented Henry in a 2006 paternity case involving Curry, and the two had later begun dating but Henry tried to end their relationship before the murder. Yolan Henry made the horrific discovery hours after the shooting while visiting Henry's home with her boyfriend, Reginald Carter. Carter testified on February 5 that Noah was sound asleep, and both his hands and his feet were covered in dried blood. Goings was arrested at a Comfort Inn in Indiana shortly after the bodies were found. In his car, police found a bullet that matched the gun used to kill Nova Henry and and Ava Curry-Henry, the Tribune reported. Player: After unsuccessful stints with the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks, Curry turned to the Chinese Basketball Association, and currently plays with the Zheijiang Golden Bulls . Mourning: Family members bid an emotional farewell to Nova Henry and daughter Ava during service at the Calvary Baptist Church in 2009 . He was also spotted swimming in the . motel pool without a bathing suit on, and scrubbing at his fingernails, . which prosecutors said was an indication he was trying to wash away . evidence. But Goings' legal . team claimed there was no physical evidence that placed their client at . Henry's home at the time of the murder. Curry played a total of 11 NBA seasons with the Bulls, Knicks and Miami Heat. After unsuccessful stints with the . San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks, he turned to the Chinese . Basketball Association, and currently plays with the Zheijiang Golden . Bulls. The Tribune reported that Curry was on the witness list in the trial, but he didn't provide evidence. | Frederick Goings has been found guilty of murdering estranged girlfriend Nova Henry, 24, and her baby daughter Ava .
The mother and daughter were found shot to death in her Chicago apartment on January 24, 2009 .
Son Noah was in the home at the time of the murder, but was not injured .
He told his grandparents 'Frederick did it' when asked who 'hurt' his mom .
Both of the children were fathered by Curry, 30, a former NBA star who now plays in China . |
5,614 | 0ff7a0cfdd1dba5917509fd04adf39526ab7f90c | By . Chris Wheeler . Louis van Gaal will tell his players face-to-face if they have no future at Manchester United after the club’s US tour to give them time to negotiate a move away from Old Trafford. Anderson, Nani, Javier Hernandez, Shinji Kagawa and Marouane Fellaini are among the big names in danger of being jettisoned before the transfer deadline but, typically, Van Gaal will not shirk the responsibility of breaking the news. ‘I shall make judgements after this tour,’ he said. ‘I have let all the players play and I know now more than before the tour. VIDEO: Scroll down to watch Louis van Gaal supervising United training . Circuit training: Louis van Gaal sits and watches on as his Manchester United players are put through their paces in Miami ahead of Monday night's International Champions Cup final against Liverpool . Close watch: Van Gaal inspected every aspect of the training session in minute detail as United get in top shape for the coming season . Deep in thought: Ryan Giggs observes the squad as they trained at the Sun Life Stadium . Test of strength: Wayne Rooney lifts weights as part of the training circuit . Lift: Ashley Young, who has been impressive on United's American tour so far, takes his turn on the weight training . Not so little pea: Javier Hernandez takes part in the strength and conditioning exercises. He scored United's third goal against Real Madrid on Saturday . Barking the orders: Van Gaal watches as his assistant Albert Stuivenberg bellows out instructions to the players . Proving a point: Van Gaal criticised Luke Shaw's fitness levels earlier in the tour but the new signing is keen to impress . Tied up: United's goalkeepers Sam Johnstone (left), Anders Lindegaard (middle) and David de Gea take part in resistance training at the Sun Life Stadium in the Florida city . Best foot forward: Johnstone strides out while attached to an elastic band held by team-mate Shinji Kagawa . Obstacle course: Goalkeeper Ben Amos slaloms between a line of red cones as United warmed up for the clash with rivals Liverpool that will conclude their American tour . Slalom: Shinji Kagawa takes his turn on the cones as United continued their pre-season preparations with a round of circuit training . Hooked up: United fans in Miami were allowed access to the stadium to watch their heroes train . All smiles: Ashley Young joins team-mates Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck for Manchester United training . Plenty to ponder: Louis van Gaal will tell his unwanted players that they are free to find another club . VIDEO Van Gaal happy with squad . Taking a swing: Van Gaal practising his baseball (or golf) technique during the training session . Away it goes: Van Gaal's imaginary baseball swing goes for a home run . Exhausted: United's players looked a little bit worse for wear after the intense training session ended . Breather: United take a rest during the practice session as Van Gaal (left) watches on . Warm-up: Darren Fletcher, who has captained the side on two occasions during the tour, goes for a jog . Star men: Wayne Rooney (left) and Juan Mata (right) train in Miami ahead of the Liverpool clash . ‘Now also it is a little bit soon to judge but in football you have to judge. You have to give the player a chance to make a transfer when I see that his prospects to play are not so high. ‘You have to say it in advance because it’s too late after August 31. I will tell payers after the tour but to them not to you.’ Van Gaal was speaking at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami ahead of the International Champions Cup final against old rivals Liverpool on Monday. Hernandez scored in the win against Real Madrid on Saturday that sent United through but it does not seem to have made much of an impression on his manager. Having a good time: Two United fans cheer on their team during the Guinness International Champions Cup . United's hero: Ashley Young struck twice to help his side beat European champions Real Madrid . ‘I think the striker has the biggest chance to score so that it is not the reason why a player plays,’ Van Gaal added. ‘We are playing like team and the team scores. I don’t make individual evaluations because we are playing with a team not individual players.’ Responding to comments by Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers that he will find the competitive nature of the Premier League very different to working at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich where the league is dominated by one or two clubs, Van Gaal replied: ‘That’s why I’m here. 'OK, maybe he is right because I have to experience that but I was also in Spain and in my first year and I won three titles, in Germany I won two titles. If I win one here we will all be happy. Up in the air: Wilfried Zaha (left), Shinji Kagawa and Javier Hernandez all face uncertain futures at United . Not ready: Robin Van Perise (left) faces a race against time to be fit for the Premier League opener . The United boss will try to give many of his players 90 minutes against Liverpool as they step up their preparations. He has not ruled out the possibility of Robin van Persie featuring in the first game of the season at home to Swansea even though the striker has made a late return to training with other World Cup players Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj. ‘They have already trained,’ said Van Gaal. ‘I sent them to train with a special group. They could reach the first match, not against Valencia (in a friendly). That depends on the individual because each one is different. ‘You have seen on this tour for example that Ashley Young already played 90 minutes and Darren Fletcher two matches of 90 minutes but not others. There is a difference between players and I have to see if they can do it or not. ‘I have to look at Robin van Persie if he is coming back or it. But if you have three weeks holiday and only four days training before Valencia you are not fit enough. For the first game in the Premier League it’s possible but I don’t think so.’ VIDEO: Anders Lindegaard catches footballs in the bag after training . | Louis van Gaal will tell his unwanted players they can leave after the tour .
Manchester United take on Liverpool in Miami on Monday .
Wilfried Zaha, Shinji Kagawa and Javier Hernandez could all leave club . |
93,990 | 04d82775c740014a12320ee88bea867d80b1b727 | By . Nick Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 23:21 EST, 21 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:28 EST, 22 January 2013 . Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has been forced to drop his campaign to encourage the nation to eat more mackerel - after it emerged that it is being over-fished. Mackerel has become a firm favourite after a string of endorsements from celebrity chefs, including ‘real food’ champion Fearnley-Whittingstall. They have stressed its relatively cheap price tag and high levels of omega 3 oils - known to improve brain function. But consumers are now being told it is no longer a sustainable choice of fish. Scroll down for video . Change of mind: TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has been forced to drop his campaign to get people to eat more mackerel after it emerged that it is being over-fished . Scientists warn that catches of mackerel should be slashed to almost half the levels of 2011. It has now been removed from the Marine Conservation Society’s ‘fish to eat’ list, and instead should only be consumed occasionally, joining the likes of monkfish and plaice. After campaigning for the wider use of mackerel as part of his Fish Fight series, celebrity chef Fearnley-Whittingstall says he will end his campaign to see the nation eating it regularly - including trying to convince fish and chip shops to sell mackerel in a bap or and will himself be using the fish more sparingly. Last year, sales of smoked mackerel leapt by 20 per cent compared to 2011 at middle-class favourite Waitrose. Conservationists now fear stocks may be at risk after Iceland and the Faroe Islands dramatically increased their quotas in recent years. In 2011, 930,000 tonnes of mackerel were fished from the north-east Atlantic, but scientists claim the maximum that should be caught is 542,000 tonnes. Over-fished: Mackerel has become a firm favourite after a string of endorsements from celebrity chefs, including 'real food' champion Fearnley-Whittingstall . Fishing grounds: Mackerel may seem plentiful in places, but it is fast disappearing from our shores . Reacting . to the announcement that mackerel is at risk, Fearnley-Whittingstall . said: ‘When we started the mac bap campaign two years ago, mackerel was . certified as sustainable and part of a well-managed fishery. ‘Unfortunately . things have changed, and politics and greed are getting in the way of . common sense. If the countries involved could agree sensible catch . limits this could still be a certified sustainable fishery. ‘We . hope that these so called mackerel wars can be laid to rest as soon as . possible, so we can all go back to eating mackerel again with a clear . conscience.’ In demand: In 2011, 930,000 tonnes of mackerel were fished from the north-east Atlantic, but scientists claim the maximum that should be caught is 542,000 tonnes . He promised to only use . handline-caught mackerel, which is considered the most sustainable, in . his River Cottage restaurants and cooking school. Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc . described the plight of mackerel as ‘horrible’ adding that its decline . is ‘clearly is an example of the failure of politics’. Bernadette . Clarke, fisheries officer at the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), . said good alternatives to mackerel - worth £205 million to the British . fishing industry in 2011 - are herring and sardine. ‘Iceland and the Faroe Islands have unilaterally decided to take a larger share than before. As a result, there is a real potential for overfishing,’ she said. Mackerel may well be a victim of its own success following campaigns to encourage people to switch to the fish. ‘People are more aware that eating fish can boost their health, and particularly oily types like mackerel,’ said Miss Clarke. ‘And Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the mackerel bap has certainly contributed to its popularity.’ A Defra spokesperson said: 'The continued sustainability of mackerel is vitally important and is increasingly threatened by the actions of the Faroe Islands and Iceland. 'We are extremely concerned that an agreement on fishing rights has not yet been reached. 'That is why the UK continues to seek a new agreement that is fair to all.' Other fish taken off the ‘fish to eat’ list is gurnard and pollock - a white fish once championed as a sustainable alternative to cod. Both species have increased in popularity, while there is a lack of data on population levels and concerns about how stocks are being managed. Saddened: Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc said the plight of mackerel is 'horrible' adding its decline is 'clearly is an example of the failure of politics' Gurnard, which has been historically . caught accidentally as ‘bycatch’, has become fashionable in restaurants . in recent years, with its sustainable virtues praised by celebrity . chefs. But with increased . consumption and up to 50 per cent of the catch discarded by fishermen, . scientists fear it could soon be at risk. To . add to the confusion, despite concerns over cod and haddock stocks, . they are on the ‘fish to eat’ list if they come from areas where numbers . are sustainable. ‘It is . difficult for the consumer because a lot of the supermarket labeling is . inadequate for them to make a properly informed choice. The advice is to . check where the fish comes from if possible,’ said the MSC. The latest version of the ‘fish to eat' list shows that herring stocks, coley and Dover sole from the English Channel are all good to eat with a clear conscience. Whiting from the Celtic Sea also appears on the list for the first time, while a number of other popular wild fish are given the green light to appear on the dinner plate, including lemon sole. And farmed species are on the list, including organic Arctic charr, sturgeon caviar from closed fish farming systems, mussels, tiger prawns, Atlantic halibut and salmon and rainbow trout. | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall will no longer champion the oily fish .
Mackerel is taken off the Marine Conservation Society's 'fish to eat' list . |
231,504 | b7be0108d83ae82fe4688e8e9623b316cd511c22 | Doctors are planning to separate five-month-old twin girls who were born joined at the chest. Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata weighed just 3 pounds, 7 ounces each when they were delivered by Cesarean section at Texas Children's Pavilion for Women at 31 weeks on April 11. The sisters have now grown to 11 pounds each and doctors are considering what's next for the girls, who share a liver, diaphragm, heart lining and intestines. Dr. Stephen Welty, chief of neonatology at Texas Children's Fetal Center, told the Houston Chronicle that the twins will likely be separated when they are eight months old. Loved: Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata were born in April and doctors hope they will undergo surgery in a couple of months. Their mother, Elysse Mata, is pictured kissing them in a Houston hospital . Growing: They weighed three pounds, seven ounces each when they were born but are now 11 pounds each . Overjoyed: Mrs Mata looks down at her baby girls, who she said are fast developing their own personalities . 'We can make no guarantees,' Welty said. 'We expect it to be technically hard, but that the outcome will be good.' Welty previously said the twins would need respiratory support but 'we don't expect them to have any serious setbacks'. Doctors said the goal for now is for the babies to continue to grow and gain weight. On the family's YouCaring page, they explained that doctors will use tissue expanders to stretch the girls' skin in preparation for the surgery. It will take up to two months for the skin to stretch enough to cover the area after they are separated. After the separation, the girls will undergo rehabilitation to learn how to balance, crawl and walk. Their parents, Elysse and John Mata from Lubbock, who have an older son, five-year-old Azariah, found out that they were having conjoined twins during an ultrasound in January. Healthy: Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata will be separated when they are about eight months old . Gorgeous: The girls were born at 31 weeks in April and are going from strength to strength, their family said . Proud: Their parents and big brother said the girls - who are joined at the chest, right, and share a liver, diaphragm, intestines and heart lining - are developing their own personalities . 'I was speechless, it was so unexpected,' Mrs Mata told ABC. On their YouCaring page, the family added: 'Their chances of survival were a mere 20 per cent which inspired their middle names, Faith and Hope.' The family moved from Lubbock to be closer to the hospital in Houston, with Mr Mata's job transferring him and helping set his family up with a home and other items. They say they have enjoyed watching their happy girls grow and develop distinct personalities - with Knatalye being far feistier, while her sister is more laid back. 'They love to hear people talk, and they love new people,' Mrs Mata said. Conjoined twins make up one in every 200,000 live births and approximately 40 to 60 per cent are stillborn, while around 35 per cent survive just one day. | Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata were born at 31 weeks on April 11 .
They share a liver, diaphragm, heart lining and intestines .
Doctors plan to separate the girls at around eight months and are preparing their skin with tissue expanders for the surgery . |
103,692 | 11c34ba88bd19abfe62149b5ea7421d9ba92457a | A mixture of beef and horse offcuts found in contaminated burgers sold in supermarkets could have been used for a year, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said today. The contaminated meat was in the form of blocks of frozen product from a Polish supplier which had been used for a year, FSA chief executive Catherine Brown told the Commons Environment Committee. Investigations are going on into how long contaminated meat might have been in use, Ms Brown told MPs. Scroll down for video . Burgers were pulled off the shelves at Tesco after the supermarket discovered that there were traces of horse meat in their products . Asked how UK consumers could know if horse meat had not been in burgers 'for months, if not years', Ms Brown replied: 'We haven't (in the past) identified horsemeat in burgers as a likely significant risk in this country, and therefore it is possible... and that's why I'm saying that it's very important now that we get to the bottom of the Polish connection and the Irish investigation because it is possible that these burgers have been on sale in this country. 'The probable limit of possibility... is a year because it's been a year that this supplier has been supplying. 'And therefore when the Polish get to the bottom of this we will hope to know whether it's likely that this has been going on for a year.' Meat in Tesco burgers which was found . to contain horse DNA did not come from a list of approved suppliers, the . supermarket also admitted today. The meat also came from outside the UK or Ireland, which was contrary to the supermarket's policy. The supermarket has now dropped its frozen burger supplier, Silvercrest, following what it termed a 'breach of trust'. It has vowed to introduce a DNA testing system on meat products to 'ensure the quality' of the food on its shelves in the wake of the scandal that has disgusted customers. It said: 'We now understand - with as much certainty as possible - what happened. 'The evidence tells us that our frozen burger supplier, Silvercrest, used meat in our products that did not come from the list of approved suppliers we gave them. 'Nor was the meat from the UK or Ireland, despite our instruction that only beef from the UK and Ireland should be used in our frozen beefburgers. 'Consequently we have decided not to take products from that supplier in future. We took that decision with regret but the breach of trust is simply too great.' Tesco was forced to issue a public apology earlier this month after tests in Ireland discovered traces of horse meat in three frozen beefburger lines. The findings sparked a national outcry and 10 million burgers were pulled from shelves as a result of the scandal. The supermarket launched an investigation into how the meat ended up in stores in the UK and Ireland on January 16. Dropped: Tesco says it has dropped supplier Silvercrest Foods after the 'breach of trust' Today it promised to set a 'new standard' with the introduction of a testing system designed to detect 'any deviation from our high standards'. It issued a statement saying: 'We made a commitment to customers to investigate thoroughly and share the findings with them. Since then, we have been working hard to understand what happened and how we can stop it ever happening again.' It added: 'Ultimately Tesco is responsible for the food we sell, so it is not enough just to stop using the supplier. 'We have a well-equipped, expert technical team and world-class checks in place but we will not take anything for granted after this incident. 'It has shown that, in spite of our stringent tests, checks and controls there remained a small possibility that something could go wrong and it did. We want to stop it ever happening again, so we are taking action to reduce that possibility still further. 'To underpin the strong measures already in place, we will now introduce a comprehensive system of DNA testing across our meat products. This will identify any deviation from our high standards. 'These checks will set a new standard. 'It will be a significant investment for Tesco, borne by Tesco. We want to leave customers in no doubt that we will do whatever it takes to ensure the quality of their food and that the food they buy is exactly what the label says it is.' Tesco Everyday Value beefburgers were removed after it was discovered they contained horse meat . The controversy surrounding Tesco extended to Dunnes Stores, Lidl, Aldi and Iceland after some of their products were also found to contain low levels of horse DNA. The furore deepened further last week when it emerged a potentially carcinogenic drug may have entered the food chain following the slaughter of horses in the UK. Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh told the Commons that some of these animals tested positive for the carcinogen phenylbutazone, commonly known as bute. She said: 'I am in receipt of evidence showing that several horses slaughtered in UK abattoirs last year tested positive for phenylbutazone, or bute, a drug which causes cancer in humans and is banned from the human food chain. 'It is possible that those animals entered the human food chain.' The Commons Environment Committee is due to take evidence on the contamination of beef products with horse meat later today. Food which tested positive was found to have been produced by Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods in Ireland and the UK plant, Dalepak Hambleton. A statement released earlier this week by ABP Food Group, which owns Silvercrest, issued an apology and said they had appointed a new management team at the supplier and they will also introduce new DNA tests. Paul Finnerty, Group Chief Executive, ABP Food Group said: 'This has been a very difficult experience for all involved and has led to a significant interruption in business for Silvercrest and its customers. We are relieved that the source of the problem has been identified.' 'While the company has never knowingly purchased or traded in equine product, I wish to take this opportunity to apologise for the impact this issue has caused.' 'As previously stated the company has never knowingly bought or processed horse meat and all of our purchases are from approved and licensed EU plants.' Tesco has won praise from the Government and MPs after announcing it would step up its food tracing procedures in the wake of the discovery of horse meat in beef burgers. Environment minister David Heath said he 'welcomed' the supermarket's announcement, which also won praise from shadow minister Huw Irranca-Davies. Mr Irranca-Davies also welcomed the move towards DNA testing, which Labour has called on the Government to instigate. He told MPs: 'It is a welcome innovation, it is what we should be seeing more of, it's what the NFU and others are calling for more of and it shows the extent to which we now need to be far more rigorous than we used to. 'It's not the same world it was 20 years ago.' Mr Irranca-Davies said increased globalisation in meat supply had reinforced the need for more stringent checks on meat products. And he pressed the minister to also update MPs on how horse meat was checked for medical contamination, after evidence emerged horse meat may have entered the food chain after testing positive for phenylbutazone, or bute. But Mr Heath said sampling and results for bute can take up to three weeks - meaning it's 'entirely possible' that in that time the meat could be taken abroad and consumed. He did say the Food Standards Agency are investigating the bute claims and will take action if necessary. | Contaminated meat was in blocks of frozen product from a Polish supplier, FSA said .
Tesco vows to introduce a DNA testing system on meat products to 'ensure the quality' of the food .
Supermarket drops frozen burger supplier following a 'breach of trust'
MPs welcome DNA testing and praised Tesco's 'innovation' |
239,951 | c2a2acc9fecb1e9b5e1b5791ad16fc25cc10857f | By . Deni Kirkova . PUBLISHED: . 12:14 EST, 20 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:33 EST, 22 July 2013 . One of the most acclaimed ballet dancers of our time has hinted that the classical art is in crisis. 'We need more girls... girls are non-existent,' said Carlos Acosta, 40, of the lack of top-level female ballet dancers, those of an equal stature to himself. The Royal Ballet school of London agrees with him, revealing that while over the last few years overwhelmingly more girls apply in younger years, by age 16 there are more boys than girls actually studying at the School. 'Our directors have found it more of a . challenge to find really talented girls in the past few years. The wave . of talented boys has continued as the myth that ballet is for girls is . even more widely dispelled,' said a spokesperson for the school. 'We need more girls... girls are non-existent,' said Carlos Acosta of female ballet dancers sticking with the art . As young girls dream to star in Swan Lake they find the reality is not so glamorous. Women in the profession are notoriously pushed to their limits as they are encouraged to keep their weight down yet perform extreme physical challenges. Acosta, speaking with the Independent, posed solutions to the problem of falling numbers. 'If you find talented young dancers, then give them a scholarship,' he says. 'Not just one or two people but all the talented dancers. That way we have more chance to deliver to the world the next Darcey Bussell or Tamara Rojo.' And if Britain can't deliver top-level professionals, he calls on us to look abroad. 'If you don’t have talent in your own backyard, you must go and find it. Whether it comes from Italy, Nigeria or South America it doesn’t matter. We should do more to look elsewhere and give people a chance to flourish.' Acosta danced his Romeo to Tamara Rojo's Juliet in the 2011 and 2013 production of the Shakespearean tragic love story. He has a daughter of his own, little Aila Acosta-Holland, with Charlotte Holland. Acosta calls for scholarships to be given out to all talented dancers, not just one or two, in the hope of finding the next Tamara Rojo (pictured at an event, left, and performing with Acosta, right) or Darcey Bussell . Acosta at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters exhibition with Charlotte Holland and little Aila Acosta-Holland . | Cuban Carlos Acosta, 40, says girls are 'non-existent' in top-level ballet .
Royal Ballet school are finding it a 'challenge' to find female talent .
Acosta says we need more scholarships to find the next Tamara Rojo . |
68,714 | c2dcbab5a071a8b00e44049b771a078446158eea | With its rolling hills and stone bridge over a picturesque stream it seems like the perfect reason for a day trip to the Welsh countryside. Only visitors taking up the trip to the Brecon Beacons, advertised by Britain's national tourism board, would be disappointed as the image used is actually of the Lake District - more than 200 miles away. The bungle was discovered on the Visit Britain website where a photograph of Skiddaw from Ashness Bridge in Keswick was used to advertise trips from Cardiff to the Brecon Beacons national park. Visit Britain, the national tourism board, has been using a picture of the Lake District - 250 miles away - to promote tours to the Brecon Beacons on a website advert aimed at day trips for American visitors . It has led to criticism of the large tourism board, responsible for promoting British trips worldwide, for a poor knowledge of geography. Anyone taking up the $79 day trip would have found themselves at least a five hour drive away from the actual scene. The photograph was used to promote the day trip for visitors from America. The description read: 'Tour stops include: Brecon Beacons National Park - see the stunning lakes, waterfalls and peaks of this world-famous site.' The National Trust describes Ashness Bridge as 'the most photographed packhorse bridge in the Lake District'. Greg Stephenson, Cumbria Tourism's PR Manager, said: 'It's flattering that VisitBritain have used Surprise View, Ashness Bridge, to portray the Welsh countryside, after all the Lake District's offering is the best in the world. The image of Ashness Bridge in Keswick is an iconic and popular image used of the Lake District park . The actual Brecon Beacons park differs widely from the image used in the Visit Britain ad of Keswick . 'I know historically the two areas were closely tied. Perhaps we should reunite and create a greater Cumbria to assist our friends in London, especially as they don't seem to know their geography.' Hotelier Jonathan Denby, president of the Lakes Hospitality Association, added: 'This is what happens when you have a Welshman in charge of Cumbria Tourism - congratulations to Ian for getting into the psyche of Welsh tourism.' A spokesman for VisitBritain described it as a 'glitch' with how photographs had been tagged, which meant it had appeared as a Brecon Beacons image. It has now been replaced, he said. | Visit Britain is the national tourism board promoting trips to UK worldwide .
It promoted a trip to the Brecon Beacons from Cardiff for American tourists .
But bosses used images of the Lake District rather than Wales in the ad .
Photograph of Ashness Bridge in Keswick was taken 250 miles away .
Visit Britain has been criticised for a poor knowledge of British geography . |
67,464 | bf6d434cde7910087654c5aa4a9fbfc8cd4dcb2d | (CNN) -- Andy Weir had given up on writing as a career at the age of 26 after agents spurned his novel about a jewel heist involving aliens "on the Planet Sephalon." After burning through severance checks from his layoff by AOL, he went back to work as a programmer in Silicon Valley. Ten years later, in 2009, Weir decided to try writing again, but just as a hobby. Keeping his day job at a mobile phone software company, he started posting a new book on a personal website, chapter by chapter as he wrote it. This time, there were no aliens and no imaginary planet. Instead he crafted a story, set a few decades in the future, about an astronaut who mistakenly gets left for dead on Mars when the other members of his crew are forced to make a quick escape from the effects of a devastating sandstorm. This book found an audience. People starting following the story and it attracted scientists, including some who e-mailed Weir and offered suggestions to make the book's excursions into physics, chemistry and biology true to science. Today Weir's "The Martian" is on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list and has been optioned by 20th Century Fox for a potential movie, raising the question: How does a space nerd with no track record as a writer craft a compelling work of science fiction? The book's hero, a cheeky astronaut named Mark Watney, possesses a self-reliance that enables him to jerry-rig NASA equipment in a suspenseful battle to eke out enough air, food and water to survive alone on Mars. In an interview with CNN, Weir said that his lead character is "smarter and braver than I am. The core personality that most people noticed -- that he's a massive smart ass -- that's basically my personality." Watney finds ways to heal the injury that led his fellow astronauts to abandon him, thinking he was dead; to grow food in the "hab" module that is his home on Mars, to turn hydrogen and oxygen into water, to restore communication with NASA, and to drive his rover on the inhospitable Martian landscape far further than it was designed to go. And yet critical life-support components keep failing, mishaps keep setting him back, and he keeps concluding that he's certainly about to die. There's more than enough science and technology for the technically literate, and although he's never worked at NASA, Weir has gotten compliments for the accuracy of his portrait of an enormous bureaucracy's infighting as it struggles to save a man tens of millions of miles away. In the story, Watney's lonely struggle captures the attention of billions on Earth, even spawning a daily half-hour cable news program: "CNN's Mark Watney Report." The book builds up the kind of narrative tension captured in the Oscar best-picture contender "Gravity," which Weir liked, even though it may have stretched the science. ("It doesn't have to be perfectly physically accurate to be entertaining. Nobody calls out the physics problems in 'Star Wars.'") Yet accuracy is one of the things that gets cited in praise for Weir's book. Astronaut Chris Hadfield, former commander of the International Space Station, has said the book "has the very rare combination of a good, original story, interestingly real characters, and fascinating technical accuracy," according to Crown, the book's publisher. Now 41, Weir is the son of a particle physicist -- his father double-checked much of the science in "The Martian" -- and an engineer. He got hooked on Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein and other classic science fiction writers by plucking their paperbacks from his father's shelf. Predictably, Weir is fascinated by manned spaceflight and intrigued by the idea of a manned mission to Mars. But he's no fan of Mars One, the nonprofit that has gotten 200,000 people to express interest in being selected for a one-way trip to Mars, to take place in 2025. Weir thinks the budget envisioned for the project is far too small and, "it would be basically a death sentence for the people who are going." He thinks a government-funded mission to Mars is far more likely but not for a long time. The after-effects suffered by astronauts on the International Space Station show the dangers of long-term space flight, he says. "There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle that we need to invent" to make for safe travel to Mars. Near term, he looks forward to a Chinese manned mission to the moon. As for NASA, Weir says he's "disappointed by the state of our manned spaceflight program," especially the lack of a vehicle to replace the space shuttle. Would Weir want to fly on a space mission? "I am not a brave man ...I do not have the right stuff. Astronauts are really a cut above." As a computer programmer, the closest Weir got to fame was as a member of the team that worked on the hit game "WarCraft2." At his current job in Mountain View, California, Weir's bosses know the score, he says. "I'm working on a pitch for my next novel right now, and if I get an advance, I'm going to quit and be a full time writer, which is the culmination of my dream coming true. I think I have to go sit in a coffee shop when I do that. And wear a neckerchief." | Andy Weir finds it hard to break into science fiction, and works as a programmer instead .
He posted his book a chapter at a time; it finds audience, including scientists .
"The Martian," now a bestseller and optioned for a film, tells of an astronaut stranded on Mars .
Weir's book has gotten praise for technical accuracy and portrait of NASA bureaucracy . |
110,055 | 19e2a8ad1ccfb544377cd5d727a405d467325bf9 | By . Joshua Gardner . A Connecticut woman who didn’t know she was pregnant gave birth to a baby boy weighing over nine pounds in her home’s driveway on Saturday. Jennifer Scollin of Seymour says she was feeling fine up until a few days before the birth, but even then she believed it was just stress at work or a bad stomach bug. She soon discovered the truth when her water broke and the baby came so fast that paramedics at the scene didn’t even have time to leave their parking place. 'I didn't know I was pregnant': Jennifer Scollin (center) gave birth to a bouncing 9-pound baby boy Saturday...but she thought he was a stomach bug . 'Two pushes and he was out': Cole Michael Thomas Dillman weighed 9-pounds, 3-ounces and was born in his family's Connecticut driveway . 'I didn’t know I was pregnant,' she told CT Post. 'I had been feeling fine until the past few days and I had been getting my "womanly thing" every month until last month.' Scollin has a 4-year-old daughter named Kelsey with boyfriend Matt Dillman. When she woke up Saturday in serious pain, she called Dillman and he rushed over from his nearby job. 'He was going to drive me to the hospital, but we had no chance to do that,' Scollin said. 'We didn't know at first it was a baby coming, but once we did, it happened fast.' They called 911 when they realized what was happening. Once the paramedics arrived, her labor was almost over. According to the CT Post, Scollin could barely walk out to their ambulance. The baby would arrive before it could even pull away. 'Two pushes and he was out,' she said. Cole Michael Thomas Dillman was born a healthy 9lbs, 3oz. The couple went to an area hospital, where Scollin remained for observation. Dillman called Scollin's parents Tom and Joanne as he returned home. 'We arrived minutes after the birth,' Tom Scollin told CT Post. 'I was alarmed, shocked to be told by my granddaughter that her mom had a baby boy.' The shock subsided with time and a little explanation from the equally surprised mom. 'My daughter said, "Dad, I didn't know,"' he said. As many proud parents do, Dillman and Scollin proudly posted pictures of their new arrival on social media, where reactions weren't your 'congratulations.' 'I'll tell you all about it on Monday,' Dillman told a barrage of some 30 shocked but happy Facebook friends. 'I need to tell work.' 'I had been feeling fine until the past few days': Scollin and her partner Matt Dillman have a 4-year-old daughter Kelsey (right), so she knew what it felt like to be pregnant . Surprise! The family's new addition came as a pleasant surprise, both to them and to their friends and family who awoke Saturday to Facebook photos of Cole . | Jennifer Scollin of Seymour, Connecticut says she felt fine up until a few days before the baby arrived .
Before she could get a doctor's appointment, Scollin went into labor and gave birth in an ambulance outside her home .
Cole Michael Thomas Dillman was born a healthy 9lbs, 6oz on Saturday . |
103,208 | 11124ebd8e7bb2edd08a1906b0d0e065d22f8e2a | (CNN) -- The unexpected resignation of David Petraeus as head of the CIA must have come as a shock to many Americans, especially given his impeccable record as a distinguished military commander. But like the greatest heroes from Shakespeare, it would appear that he was not exempt from the time-honored temptations of human folly and self-destruction. And now the plot is thickening, as details emerge that Gen. John Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, is involved somehow in the scandal. As Americans are coming to terms with the revelation of Petraeus' adultery, on the other side of the Atlantic, the feeling among the French can be summed up by a blasé shrug. Every time a steamy sexual intrigue is laid bare near the corridors of Washington power, the French don't see what all the fuss is about. It's only sex, after all. It's impossible to imagine a French political leader resigning because of an extramarital indiscretion. If this rule were observed, the French parliament would be nearly vacant. The Petraeus affair: A lot more than sex . The past five French presidents are known to have had at least one -- and in some cases, many more -- mistresses throughout their political career. The current resident of the Elysée Palace, Francois Hollande, has been caught in the middle of an embarrassing dispute between his previous and current female companions. The French, long used to regarding their leaders with cynical detachment, have been following this tormented domestic feud with interest and maybe some contempt. The details of Petraeus' sexual dalliance with his own biographer, Paula Broadwell, are unquestionably fascinating. Still, the French like to consider themselves blithely indifferent to bedroom antics, even when those involved are married to other people. Opinion: How Petraeus courted the press . Le Monde, the intellectually self-important leftist newspaper, noted that the Petraeus affair quickly jumped from the pages of the respectable New York Times to those of the gossipy tabloid New York Post. In other words, while the Petraeus scandal may indeed be a legitimate affair of state because of the sensitivity of his position at the summit of the CIA, what really interests Americans are the juicy details of the four-star Army general's sexual conquest. French bafflement at American prurience has a history -- from Bill Clinton's anteroom encounters with White House intern Monica Lewinsky to the more recent misadventures of Eliot Spitzer and Anthony Weiner. All have ended with abject confessions. The French usually attribute this American ritual of guilt and contrition to "puritanism." This is meant as a put-down and a mark of French cultural superiority. The French, by contrast, are mature and sophisticated, never shocked and titillated by the rich complexity of life's temptations. France is a Catholic society devoid of the puritanical guilt that is deeply embedded in the Anglo-American psyche. The French draw a line between private and public vice, whereas in America and Britain, the distinction is blurred if not merged entirely. In France, a politician can betray his wife without being suspected of screwing voters. Moreover, French journalists are not driven by the same "fourth estate" ethos that animates American media culture. French society in general has an ambiguous relationship with the truth, and French journalists are frequently indifferent to the exposure of hard facts. When the subject is the sexual indiscretion of politicians in high office, media indifference can be counted on because press and political circles in Paris are often intimated linked -- professionally, socially and sexually. Hence the famous media "omerta" about the private lives of French politicians. This convenient arrangement reached a high point of hypocritical disregard for the truth during the presidency of Francois Mitterrand, when the French media kept the secret of his double life -- including an illegitimate daughter living in an official residence at taxpayers' expense -- for nearly two decades. Everyone knew about it, nobody wrote about it. Opinion: How Petraeus changed the U.S. military . The shocking conduct of Dominique Strauss-Kahn shattered this longstanding media omerta. But French journalists are still reluctant to probe too aggressively into the private lives of politicians. They have good reason. In France, there are strict laws that make privacy invasion illegal and punishable. Only last month, Strauss-Kahn, though disgraced and banished from French politics, sued a magazine for publishing a photo of him and his new girlfriend. And he won damages in court. As the eye-popping details of Petraeus' complex personal life emerge in the American media, don't expect the French to respond with disbelief. They will claim they don't really want to know. No wonder. When it happens in France, they are often never told. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Matthew Fraser. | Matthew Fraser: The French don't see what's all the fuss is in the Petraeus scandal .
Fraser: It's impossible to imagine a French leader resigning because of adultery .
He says the French are baffled at American prurience and "puritanism"
Fraser: In France, politicians can betray spouse without being suspected of screwing voters . |
121,731 | 2958f1e39e0daf3ad4edcc852ab390810c227db5 | By . Ashley Collman . PUBLISHED: . 14:18 EST, 30 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:16 EST, 31 December 2013 . Sacking means something quite different for NFL coaches on the first day following the end of the regular season. Five coaches have already been fired in a tradition known as Black Monday, as teams not progressing to the playoffs try to get a head start on next year. The head coaches of the the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, and Cleveland Browns have all been let go withing hours of the regular-season ending. First to go: The Cleveland Browns got a head start on Black Monday by announcing the firing of head coach Rob Chudzinski late last night . Now unemployed: Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier (left) and Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan (right) were the first to be fired this morning as the NFL's struggling teams clear out . The dismissals started early this year, with the news that the Cleveland Browns would not be keeping coach Rob Chudzinski being released late last night. As Monday morning dawned, two other coaches expected to be fired joined Chudzinksi on the unemployment line. The Minnesota Vikings fired head coach Leslie Frazier and the Washington Redskins sacked head coach and Executive Vice President Mike Shanahan. Shanahan was among those expected to be out of the job for the way he dealt with quarterback Robert Griffin III's ACL injury last season. Bad move: Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan was expected to lose his job for the way he dealt with quarterback Robert Griffin III's leg injury. Above, Griffin aggravated his injury in a game against the Seattle Seahawks last year . Instead of letting Griffin recover from the injury, Shanahan put him back on the field after missing just one game. On January 6, the Redskins went up against the Seattle Seahawks in an NFL Wild Card game and Griffin aggravated the injury, having to undergo surgery three days later. Griffin was back playing this season but the leg injury seems to have slowed him down noticeably. By lunchtime in America, two other coaches had been fired: Greg Schiano of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jim Schwartz of the Detroit Lions. Surprising: Greg Schiano of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (left) and Jim Schwartz of the Detroit Lions (right) were also let go. Schiano's dismissal was unexpected since an NFL insider previously tweeted that his job was safe . Schiano's firing was unexpected as NFL insider Jay Glazer tweeted yesterday that the Tampa Bay coach was safe. Tampa Bay General Manager Mark Dominik was also let go. While five firings may seem relatively tame, the dismissals have impacts far beyond one man since it means their assistant coaches are also out of the job. But most won't be unemployed for long as they'll get snapped up by one of the other now head coach-less teams. This quick turnover process helps the struggling teams get a fresh start on next year before the combine and draft. 'Everyone’s in such a competitive environment, there’s a race to get things done because there is the same group of candidates out there,' former Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum told the New York Times. 'It’s to clear the decks and move on.' While it's not certain when Black Monday officially became apart of the NFL culture, the Times reports that it originated about 10 to 15 years ago around the time when sports channels switched to become 24 hour news sources. | Rob Chudzinski sacked by Cleveland Browns on Sunday night .
Minnesota Vikings fire Leslie Frazier after finishing bottom of NFC North .
Jim Schwartz sent packing by Detroit Lions after failing to reach play-offs .
Tampa Bay Buccaneers send Greg Schiano packing .
Mike Shanahan fired by Washington Redskins after 3-13 season . |
63,667 | b4c6d9c7ddac69507d54f4800042f8d6c2d954f1 | Novak Djokovic's chances of winning a fifth Australian Open title have been boosted by a kind draw in the opening week of the year's first grand slam. World No 1 Djokovic faces a qualifier first up and will avoid the top 10 seeds until at least the quarter-finals, where he could meet No 8 seed Milos Raonic . Reigning champion Stan Wawrinka, seeded fourth, faces a tougher route if he is to defend his crown. Novak Djokovic plays a forehand as the world No 1 practises on Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne . Stan Wawrinka (right) poses alongside Li Na with the Australian Open trophies on Friday . Rafael Nadal hits a volley as the world No 3 trains on the courts of Melbourne Park on Thursday . The Swiss takes on world No 99 Marsel Ilhan of Turkey before a possible tricky fourth round matchup with 16th seeded Italian Fabio Fognini and a likely quarter-final against US Open finalist Kei Nishikori. Third seed Rafael Nadal has also been given few favours, with a dangerous opening round encounter with wily Russian Mikhail Youzhny, a former top-10 player, and a possible third round against Czech bogeyman Lukas Rosol, who shocked him in the second round of Wimbledon in 2012. Second seed Roger Federer starts his Australian Open against Taiwan's Yen-Hsun Lu, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, and could face 15th seed Tommy Robredo in the fourth round. Roger Federer reaches to his left to play a backhand during a practice session ahead of the tournament . Andy Murray at work on the practice court as the British No 1 prepares for the first Grand Slam of the year . Sixth seed Andy Murray may feel the most aggrieved of the top contenders in the men's draw. Although playing a qualifier first up, the Scot could meet rising talent Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round with Federer to come in the quarters. Novak Djokovic (Ser) (1) v QUALIFIER . Andrey Kuznetsov (Rus) v Albert Ramos-Vinolas (Spa) Go Soeda (Jpn) v QUALIFIER . James Ward (Gbr) v Fernando Verdasco (Spa) (31) John Isner (USA) (19) v QUALIFIER . QUALIFIER v Andreas Haider-Maurer (Aut) Pablo Carreno-Busta (Spa) v Gilles Muller (Lux) Dominic Thiem (Aut) v Roberto Bautista-Agut (Spa) (13) Feliciano Lopez (Spa) (12) v Denis Kudla (USA) Blaz Rola (Slo) v Adrian Mannarino (Fra) Juan Martin Del Potro (Arg) v Jerzy Janowicz (Pol) Lucas Pouille (Fra) v Gael Monfils (Fra) (17) Julien Benneteau (Fra) (25) v Benjamin Becker (Ger) Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) v Ze Zhang (Chn) Donald Young (USA) v QUALIFIER . QUALIFIER v Milos Raonic (Can) (8) Stanislas Wawrinka (Swi) (4) v Marsel Ilhan (Tur) QUALIFIER v Pablo Andujar (Spa) Jarkko Nieminen (Fin) v Andrey Golubev (Kaz) QUALIFIER v Pablo Cuevas (Uru) (27) Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukr) (21) v Paolo Lorenzi (Ita) Sam Querrey (USA) v Vasek Pospisil (Can) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spa) v Peter Gojowczyk (Ger) Alejandro Gonzalez (Col) v Fabio Fognini (Ita) (16) David Ferrer (Spa) (9) v Thomaz Bellucci (Bra) Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukr) v Dusan Lajovic (Ser) Marcel Granollers (Spa) v Stephane Robert (Fra) Robin Haase (Ned) v Gilles Simon (Fra) (18) Santiago Giraldo (Col) (30) v QUALIFIER . QUALIFIER v Steve Johnson (USA) Ivan Dodig (Cro) v Joao Souza (Bra) Nicolas Almagro (Spa) v Kei Nishikori (Jpn) (5) Tomas Berdych (Cze) (7) v Alejandro Falla (Col) QUALIFIER v Victor Estrella Burgos (Dom) Jiri Vesely (Cze) v Viktor Troicki (Ser) John Millman (Aus) v Leonardo Mayer (Arg) (26) Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) (22) v Paul-Henri Mathieu (Fra) Tobias Kamke (Ger) v Bernard Tomic (Aus) Samuel Groth (Aus) v Filip Krajinovic (Ser) Thanasi Kokkinakis (Aus) v Ernests Gulbis (Lat) (11) Kevin Anderson (Rsa) (14) v Diego Sebastian Schwartzman (Arg) Ricardas Berankis (Lit) v Igor Sijsling (Ned) Blaz Kavcic (Slo) v James Duckworth (Aus) Carlos Berlocq (Arg) v Richard Gasquet (Fra) (24) Lukas Rosol (Cze) (28) v Kenny De Schepper (Fra) Jan-Lennard Struff (Ger) v Dudi Sela (Isr) Luke Saville (Aus) v QUALIFIER . Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) v Rafael Nadal (Spa) (3) Andy Murray (Gbr) (6) v QUALIFIER . QUALIFIER v Marinko Matosevic (Aus) Jordan Thompson (Aus) v Joao Sousa (Por) Tatsuma Ito (Jpn) v Martin Klizan (Svk) (32) David Goffin (Bel) (20) v QUALIFIER . Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) v Teymuraz Gabashvili (Rus) Maximo Gonzalez (Arg) v Lukas Lacko (Svk) Dustin Brown (Ger) v Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) (10) Tommy Robredo (Spa) (15) v Edouard Roger-Vasselin (Fra) Malek Jaziri (Tun) v Mikhail Kukushkin (Kaz) Federico Del Bonis (Arg) v Nick Kyrgios (Aus) QUALIFIER v Ivo Karlovic (Cro) (23) Jeremy Chardy (Fra) (29) v Borna Coric (Cro) Andreas Seppi (Ita) v Denis Istomin (Uzb) Juan Monaco (Arg) v Simone Bolelli (Ita) Yen-Hsun Lu (Tpe) v Roger Federer (Swi) (2) | Novak Djokovic will take on a qualifier in the first round in Melbourne .
Defending champion Stan Wawrinka opens against Marsel Ilhan .
Spaniard Rafael Nadal takes on wily Russian Mikhail Youzhny .
Roger Federer starts his campaign against Yen-Hsun Lu .
Andy Murray has been drawn against a qualifier . |
155,699 | 554250c9899cb6a12e41a79a8f7e96b7262e599f | By . Jessica Jerreat . Missing: Police are still looking for Amy Arrington, who is accused of faking her own drowning . A North Carolina woman believed to have drowned in the ocean on Saturday has been accused of faking her own death to avoid a court appearance. Emergency services had been searching off North Myrtle Beach for Amy Arrington since the weekend after her husband, Paul, reported her missing. But on Wednesday police said they believed Arrington had faked her death to avoid a Monday court hearing on charges of identity theft and fraud. Arrington, 42, has still not been found, but police on Wednesday said they do not believe she drowned. Her husband is now facing charges of filing a false police report. According . to a police report seen by CBS46, Paul Arrington made a missing person . report at a lifeguard station on the beach at about 5pm. He claimed . that his wife had told him she was going to the water, and that he . watched her walk in waist deep, the report states. About 20 minutes later, the husband claimed, he realized he could no longer see his wife and reported her missing. A land and sea search was launched for his wife, but it was called off late on Tuesday. City . spokesman Pat Dowling told The State police believe the couple . conspired to fake Arrington's disappearance so she could avoid her court . hearing. Search: Lifeguards at Myrtle Beach patrol the coastline in the search for Arrington, who was reported missing . Rescue effort: Police and lifeguards, above, took part in the search, which was called off late Tuesday . 'It has been determined that she and her . husband, Paul David Arrington, conspired for her to disappear to avoid . having to show up in court in North Carolina to answer to charges filed . against her in that state,' police said. Authorities have not said where they believe Arrington may be, but an arrest warrant has been issued for her. | Paul Arrington told lifeguards he last saw his wife walking into ocean .
Amy Arrington was due to face charges of identity theft and fraud .
Arrest warrant issued for 42-year-old, who has not yet been found . |
33,191 | 5e595b15b356cdcee42a79c8f5a09b19b7ea6401 | Sampdoria are hoping to complete the signing of Everton forward Samuel Eto'o on Tuesday. The Genoa outfit has been in talks with Everton and Eto'o's representatives in recent weeks with a view to completing the move for the 33-year-old. 'Eto'o should be here in Genoa on Tuesday,' Samp sporting director Carlo Osti told Italian TV station Telenord. Everton striker Samuel Eto'o is on the verge of signing for Serie A side Sampdoria . Eto'o rises highest to score the opening goal in Everton's game against Burnley in October . Eto'o, who joined Everton only five months ago from Chelsea, is set to sign an 18-month contract with the Genoa outfit. The 33-year-old has reportedly reduced his wages by 40 per cent in order to return to Serie A. The former Cameroon striker spent two seasons at Inter Milan and was a member of the Nerazurri's 2010 treble-winning side that won the Serie A title, Coppa Italia and Champions League under then head coach Jose Mourinho. Osti, whose side sold top scorer Manolo Gabbiadini to Napoli earlier this month, also confirmed that Colombia striker Luis Muriel and Italian defender Andrea Coda will be joining Samp later this week from Udinese. Eto'o shakes hands with Everton manager Roberto Martinez after signing from Chelsea . Eto'o is fouled by Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure . Both players had agreed terms with Samp last week but the deal fell through after Udinese pulled the plug following a difference of opinion on Muriel's injury. 'The signings of Muriel and Coda will become official shortly,' Osti said. Sampdoria, who are coached by Sinisa Mihajlovic, are flying high in Serie A this season and are currently fourth in the standings, level on 33 points with third-placed Napoli. Eto'o nets a second goal against Burnley in October . | Sampdoria are close to competing a move for Samuel Eto'o .
The 33-year-old will leave Everton after just five months .
Eto'o previously played for Chelsea and Inter Milan .
He will have to take a wage-cut to return to Serie A .
Click here for Everton transfer news . |
27,160 | 4cfe89560170b26d763764a0b2e6f1ff70d7f00d | (CNN) -- A former U.S. soldier could face the death penalty after being convicted of raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and killing her and her family. Former U.S. soldier Steven Green has been convicted of raping and killing a 14-year-old Iraqi girl. Steven Green of Midland, Texas, was found guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Paducah, Kentucky, said court spokeswoman Vanessa Armstrong. She said the penalty phase of the trial begins Monday. Jurors deliberated for more than 10 hours before finding Green guilty of murder, rape, conspiracy and obstruction of justice, according to the court's Web site. Green, 23, was accused of leading a group of soldiers that committed the crimes in 2006 in the Mahmoudiya area, south of Baghdad. They killed the girl's father, mother and younger sister before raping and killing her and burning her body. Last year, then-Pfc. Jesse Spielman received a 110-year sentence in the case for felony murder, conspiracy to commit rape, rape and housebreaking with the intent to commit rape. Three other soldiers charged in the case received sentences ranging from 27 months to 100 years. The slayings became public in 2006, angering the Iraqi public and prompting demands from some Iraqi officials that American soldiers accused of crimes against civilians face prosecution in Iraqi courts. U.S. military and civilian officials condemned the attack and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. All the defendants were with the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Spc. James Barker, one of the soldiers involved, told investigators that the soldiers were drinking whiskey, playing cards and hitting golf balls when Green brought up the idea of going to the house near the checkpoint where they were stationed to rape the girl. Barker described Green as persistent. The soldiers then allegedly changed into dark clothing and covered their faces before going to the house, investigators said. | Civilian court convicts former GI of murdering Iraqi family, raping girl .
Steven Green led 2006 attack in Mahmoudiya, Iraq, witness testifies .
Four soldiers charged in case already jailed over crimes .
Defendants from 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division . |
265,139 | e363d550821dbe128926c339ea82e978d2490fdc | ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Like many young men, Josh Nahum loved a thrill. That's why he took up skydiving. But on Labor Day weekend in 2006, he had an accident while skydiving in Colorado, fracturing his femur and skull. Josh Nahum, right, died at 27 from a bacterial infection he got while being treated for skydiving injuries. Josh spent six weeks in the intensive care unit. Slowly, his condition improved, and his doctors predicted that with rehabilitation, he could fully recover in a year or two. But instead of recovering, Josh developed a bacterial infection. He died two weeks later at the age of 27. "One nurse, who was trying to be comforting, said, 'These things happen,' " says Victoria Nahum, Josh's stepmother. "That's true, but they happen way more often than they need to happen." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Josh is one of 99,000 people who die each year because of infections acquired in the hospital. As Betsy McCaughey, the former lieutenant governor of New York, put it, "You don't often come across such a big problem that you can prevent." After being contacted by families like the Nahums, McCaughey started the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. After Josh died, the Nahums started the Safe Care Campaign. These groups, and others, have advice about what you can do to keep yourself safe in the doctor's office and hospital, from the waiting room to the operating room. 1. Bring your own toys . At the pediatrician's office, don't let your child play with the toys or books in the waiting room. "They're covered with bacteria," McCaughey says. Also, don't let your child crawl on the floor; bacteria there could get into cuts on their knees or hands. "This is one place you ought to keep your child sitting still or on your lap," she says. 2. Heat up your car . Yes, we know that sounds strange. But studies show staying warm before and during surgery can help you fight infection. So the Institute for Healthcare Improvement suggests that in cold weather, you heat up the car, wear warm clothes on the way to the hospital, ask the hospital staff to give you plenty of blankets while you wait for surgery, and ask how they plan to keep you warm during surgery. 3. Want to touch me? Wash your hands first. Many people feel uncomfortable asking this. Nahum suggests putting it like this: "I didn't see you wash your hands. Do you mind doing it in front of me?" Dr. Vicki Rackner, a patient advocate, also has a few ideas for lightening things up. "In the hospital, you can have the grandkids make a sign that says, 'Please wash your hands and keep Grandma healthy.' " Watch more on preventing hospital infections » . Another suggestion: Put a dish of wrapped candy near the sink and say 'Could you please wash your hands, and oh, please take some candy with you when we're done.' " If the doctor or nurse has gloves on, are you safe? "Don't be falsely assured by gloves," McCaughey says. "If they put on gloves without washing their hands first, those gloves are immediately contaminated." 4. Ask where that syringe has been . Doctors offices sometimes reuse syringes -- it's unusual, but it happens. In fact, there have been 14 documented outbreaks of hepatitis since 1999 because of reused syringes. The recent outbreak in Nevada, where 50,000 people will be notified that they might have been infected at a colonoscopy clinic, is one example. It's not an easy question to ask, but when someone's heading at you with a syringe, ask if this is the first time it's been used. Dr. Thomas Frieden, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health, suggests phrasing it like this: "I read in the paper that some doctors are reusing syringes. I can't imagine anyone would do that. Do you?" 5. Having surgery? Speak up! A week or so before surgery, ask your doctor whether you should wash your skin daily with a disinfectant such as chlorhexidine to prepare. Also, ask whether you should have a nasal or skin swab for MRSA, the superbug that causes many hospital infections. If you've got it, you can be treated with antibiotics. The day of surgery, if the surgical site needs to be shaved, ask to be clippered, not shaved with a razor, which can create nicks where bacteria thrive. Also on the day of surgery, if your doctor has ordered IV antibiotics just before surgery, make sure you get them, as they're sometimes forgotten. One last note: If you or a loved one has a urinary catheter in the hospital, be extra vigilant -- they can become breeding grounds for bacteria. First, ask if one is truly necessary. "If the patient is awake and oriented and alert and can use a bedpan, it may not be needed," says Dr. John Jernigan, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC. If you get one, make sure it comes out ASAP, since the longer it's in, the riskier it becomes. Ask the same questions about central venous catheters, (also called central lines), another potential host for bacteria. "My brother was in the hospital and needed a central venous catheter for his procedure," Jernigan says. "The day after surgery, I asked the nurse, 'Are you all still using this? Do you still need it?' And she checked and came back and said, 'We don't need it anymore, we'll take it out.' " Nahum says it all boils down to this: Passivity kills. "People need to start participating instead of just being spectators when it comes to their medical care," she says. "You need to do your due diligence." CNN Medical News associate producer Jennifer Pifer and associate archive coordinator Sarah Edwards contributed to this report. | CDC: 99,000 people die annually from hospital-acquired infections .
Don't forget the basics: Make people wash their hands before touching you .
Staying warm before, during surgery can help fight infection; ask for extra blankets .
Before surgery, if shaving is required, request clippers, not a razor, which can nick . |
57,542 | a31aaded9f274a5587e6b8e38ab140a33620dee0 | Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is fighting to improve the club's style of play, according to his compatriot Ronald de Boer. United have come in for criticism for employing what some perceive as long-ball tactics despite spending £150million on new players last summer. Ajax academy chief De Boer believes United have not yet come to terms with Van Gaal's preferred possession-based style, despite sitting fourth in the Premier League table. Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal wanders across the Liberty Stadium pitch after losing to Swansea . United fell to a 2-1 defeat at Swansea when Jonjo Shelvey's strike deflected off Bafetimbi Gomis to make it 2-1 . Robin van Persie (left) and Wayne Rooney look dejected during their loss in south Wales on Saturday . Speaking on talkSPORT's Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show, De Boer said: 'Van Gaal is struggling a little bit at Manchester United. Not with the amount of points he's got, but with his style.' 'It's not the way he wants to play. He's fighting to get there. At the moment it's not the football that we are used to with Louis.' United suffered their first defeat in five games on Saturday, going down 2-1 at Swansea after taking the lead through Ander Herrera. The Red Devils host struggling Sunderland this weekend before a midweek trip to Newcastle. Ronald de Boer, pictured at a charity game at Ibrox, says United are not playing with Van Gaal's style . Van Gaal has been criticised for employing a long-ball style with the help of Marouane Fellaini (left) | Manchester United fell to a 2-1 defeat at Swansea on Saturday .
Louis van Gaal's side have been criticised for their style this season .
Ronald de Boer believes Van Gaal is trying hard to implement his ideas .
United host struggling Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday . |
107,334 | 1670e4750d485e5815392a163077515c1682788e | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Ed Miliband was ridiculed today for spending his teens campaigning for Britain to leave Europe. The Labour leader delivered leaflets in the 1983 general election campaign, in which left-wing leader Michael Foot vowed to withdraw the UK from the European Community. David Cameron joked about it being ‘his idea of fun’ as a Tory MP claimed it was ‘strange’ that Mr Miliband now opposes holding an in-out referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU. Labour leader Ed Miliband was mocked in the Commons for delivering leaflets in the 1983 election campaign as a teenager which called for Britain to leave the European Community. Pressure has mounted on Mr Miliband, with the Unite union warning denying people a chance to vote on Britain's membership of the EU would be an ‘electoral millstone’. Mr Cameron has promised to claw powers back from Brussels before staging an in-out referendum before the end of 2017. But Labour has refused to match the pledge, with senior figures privately admitting that being pro-Europe is one of the party’s few policies which business likes. Mr Miliband has said he would only allow a referendum if more powers are transferred from Westminster to Brussels during the next Parliament – something which even Labour figures admit is highly unlikely. In the Commons today, Tory MP Tony Baldry recalled how as a 13-year-old boy Mr Miliband had campaigned for Mr Foot in the 1983 general election. According to a biography by Mehdi Hasan and James Macintyre, Mr Miliband joined the Labour party as a teenager and accompanied his father Ralph in campaigning for Mr Foot ahead of the 1983 general election. At Prime Minister's Questions today, Mr Baldry said: ‘In the ‘83 general election, a 13-year-old boy delivered leaflets around my constituency pledging that Michael Foot would take Labour out of the European Union. Ed Balls and Ed Miliband in the Commons today . Having to listen to Ed Balls every day would be a 'miserable existence', David Cameron claimed today. In an extraordinary attack on the shadow chancellor, Mr Cameron said spending time with Mr Balls was not his idea of fun. The remarks came as Mr Cameron teased Ed Miliband for spending his teens delivering leaflets for the Labour party. Asked by Mr Balls what the Prime Minister's idea of fun was, Mr Cameron replied: 'It is not hanging out with the shadow chancellor. That is not my idea of fun. 'So I feel sorry for the leader of the Opposition because he has to hang out with him all of the time. 'What a miserable existence it must be to have sitting next to you the person who wrecks the British economy and have to listen to them day after day, day after day, as they say to the British people "We are the people who crashed the car, give us the keys back".' ‘Do you find it strange that that same boy - now leader of the Labour Party - isn't willing either to support the re-negotiation of Britain's terms of membership of the EU or to pledge to support to trust the people of Britain in a referendum on our membership of Europe?’ To raucous laughter, Mr Cameron appeared to come to the defence of the young Miliband. ‘I’ve always thought it is terribly unfair to hold against people things they might have done in their youth,’ the Prime Minister said. ‘Really… if, as a 14-year-old that was his idea of fun then obviously, you know, we have to make room for everybody.' He insisted that it is 'in the interests of the British people' to have a renegotiation before a referendum. Tory MP Bob Neill is to try to force an in-out referendum into law using a backbench bill. Conservative ministers will be forced to support the law, but Labour has refused to support it. But the Unite union, which has given Labour £12million since Mr Miliband became leader, warned the party risks being ‘boxed in’ without addressing the European issue. Unite general secretary Len McCluskey told the union's national conference in Liverpool that staying silent on the EU left the field open for Ukip and others to 'exploit' people's concerns to win votes. He said Unite believed that the advantages of EU membership outweighed the disadvantages, especially in terms of social protections and supporting manufacturing investment. Mr McCluskey said: 'This issue has bedevilled British politics for decades. For much of that time it has been the Tories who have had to deal with divisions in their ranks over Europe. 'But the next general election will be different. Both Ukip and the Tories will be offering a referendum on the issue of Britain's membership. As things stand, Labour won't, because ducking this question is seen as part of Labour's commitment to business. 'That is a vast hostage to fortune. I would not like to be Ed Miliband explaining why he is not joining other parties in offering the British people a vote on something that is clearly a growing source of public concern. 'It is time that Labour's leadership took a new look at the referendum question. We do not seek a referendum to take Britain out of the EU, we seek a referendum rethink in order to help Labour into power. 'Without such a pledge, our party will stand exposed, Ukip will be strengthened in some key constituencies and the Tories will hypocritically charge Labour with being anti-democratic. In a tight election, this can make the difference.' Prime Minister David Cameron it is 'in the interests of the British people' to have a renegotiation before a referendum . Mr McCluskey said denying a referendum would suggest that Labour was part of a 'political elite' that did not trust the electorate. Delegates at the conference approved a statement from Unite's executive urging Labour to 'urgently reconsider' its approach to a referendum, and making it clear that the union would argue for a vote for Britain to stay in the EU. In the 1983 Labour manifesto – dubbed the longest suicide note in history – Mr Foot pledged: ‘British withdrawal from the Community is the right policy for Britain - to be completed well within the lifetime of the parliament. That is our commitment. ‘But we are also committed to bring about withdrawal in an amicable and orderly way, so that we do not prejudice employment or the prospect of increased political and economic co-operation with the whole of Europe.’ | Miliband delivered leaflets for Michael Foot in 1983, the Commons is told .
Labour's manifesto said Britain should withdraw from European Community .
David Cameron says people should not be judged by their teenage choices .
But PM insists the British people should have a say on leaving the EU .
Unite union warns Labour risks being 'boxed in' by Tories and UKIP .
Cameron says life listening to Ed Balls must be a 'miserable existence' |
237,661 | bf988c7fa2d0c079185bd192abb14baf5c57e1af | (Tribune Media Services) -- Mary Blilie had been at Big Sky Resort in Montana for just one day but had already snapped more photos of her kids than she had in a long time. Three minutes is considered a long lift line, Big Sky and Moonlight Basin fans say. That's because when Blilie, now a Minneapolis engineer, was a kid her family skied here every winter, and after a 17-year hiatus, she was determined to create some of those same happy memories for her own two children, as well as her nieces and nephews who, along with their parents, had come along for the trip down memory lane. The resort might boast new lifts and base village buildings this season, but Blilie says that low-key vibe remains. "No one gets too bothered about anything," she explains. And the skiing couldn't be better -- some 400 inches of snow a year. Big Sky (www.bigskyresort.com) and neighboring Moonlight Basin (www.moonlightbasin.com), in fact, boast the "biggest skiing in America" -- 5,512 acres with the Big Sky Resort-Moonlight Basin Interconnect that joins the two adjacent ski areas with terrain that's guaranteed to satisfy every skier and snowboarder in your family, whether they want the steeps and deeps (like my kids); long, pristine groomers where, even on busy days, you might not see another soul (my pick); or wide, gentle runs ideal for beginners. "My son doesn't want to leave," said Sandy Itkoff, of Los Angeles, who was a guest at Moonlight Basin. Whatever your age, you can't help but be impressed by the sheer beauty of the place -- the huge rugged mountains, the snow covered trees, the vistas that seem to go on forever. If not for all the fresh powder, Moonlight ski instructor Jim Ackerman tells me we'd see all kinds of animal tracks leading into the woods. Three minutes is considered a long lift line, Big Sky and Moonlight Basin fans say, and the kids' ski schools guarantee small classes. The new Dakota lift expected to open this month at Big Sky will provide easy access to even more terrain. Another plus: Parents not only don't worry about aggressive skiers and boarders running into little ones on crowded slopes, but marvel at how friendly everyone is. Grandmother Ellen Lord noted that when all of the family's luggage got lost, Big Sky employees scrambled to find them all some clothes. The free apres-ski kids club at Big Sky gets thumbs up from parents too, enabling them to get a guilt-free break. Skiing here can be a good deal too, parents say, with kids 10 and under skiing free and adult lifts at Moonlight Basin ($51 a day) and Big Sky ($75) less than at many other major resorts. (Consider that a daily ticket at Aspen this season is $87) Junior tickets for tweens and teens are less as well. And there's no pressure to dress to the nines on the slopes or off, adds Cecile George, winding up a ski week with her husband and kids. "I've been wearing the same pair of jeans all week and no one cares!" says the Memphis mom. "We're never going back to Vail." Consider that Big Sky and Moonlight Basin -- about an hour's drive from Bozeman (and an hour's drive from Yellowstone National Park) -- have more terrain than Vail but less than half the skiers. Locals joke that they've got nearly twice as many acres than skiers because Montanans like their elbow room. That's why on one of the busiest weeks of the year, I was able to ski down runs so empty I felt I was in the back country, especially with all of the fresh powder. (There are opportunities to try back-country skiing or ice climbing as well here with Montana Alpine Guides (www.montanaalpineguides.com). "It takes an extra flight to get here, but it's so worth it," says Jim Caccavo, a Californian from San Diego whose wife and kids like Moonlight Basin so much they bought a second home here. "This place is like a secret club," jokes Jeremy Collis, the New Zealander who is the director of Moonlight Basin's small (just 47 instructors) ski school. And that's double the size it was last year. Still, that enables Collis to keep his classes to five kids (or fewer) for grade-schoolers and three or fewer for preschoolers. Anyone who has ever checked a child in at a major ski resort over a holiday week knows how rare that is. Next door, Christine Baker, who oversees Big Sky's children's program, also promises small classes and something even more important to parents. "A family feeling. She grew up skiing at Big Sky -- as did a half-dozen of her instructors. "It's nice to have that connection," she says. "It's pretty special." It's also pretty quiet. There are only a few restaurants in the Big Sky base area and just one at Moonlight Basin: Others require a 15-minute drive or longer. For the most part, this is the kind of place where you want to ski hard, cozy up in front of a fire with your honey and your kids, eat spaghetti, watch the movies you never had time to see at home or play Scrabble. That's what we did -- first at our ski-in/ski out log cabin in Big Sky (having our own hot tub was the best part) and then at a ski house at Moonlight Basin. "This takes the experience back to an old-fashioned ski vacation when you made your own fun," observes Collis, himself the father of two young children. My daughters and I managed to rouse ourselves one afternoon after skiing at Moonlight Basin to go to the spa and one night to take a Sno-Cat ride two miles into the back country in the dark for an excellent dinner (tenderloin and mashed potatoes followed by chocolate fondue) in a big, heated yurt, courtesy of Moonlight Dinners. The kids sledded outside between courses (www.skimba.com). One afternoon, we left the kids to test their mettle on the resort's most challenging terrain and we leisurely skied back to our cabin door. By the time we got there, the kids were back and had a fire blazing in the fireplace. The hot tub on our back deck beckoned. We soaked, surrounded by snow and evergreens. There wasn't a person in sight. We had no place to rush off to -- no homework, no work, no friends waiting, limited Internet access, no phone calls. There's a lot to be said for old-fashioned ski vacations. (For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.) COPYRIGHT 2007 EILEEN OGINTZ, DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC. E-mail to a friend . | Big Sky Resort in Montana gets some 400 inches of snow a year .
Kids 10 and under ski for free; ski school classes are small .
There are only a few restaurants in the area, so cozy up in your cabin . |
46,626 | 8360942884a59ead84112acc9cadb32d08951eed | By . Associated Press . An Ohio man who says he is the keeper of the seal of St. Peter and immune from U.S. law has been ordered held without bond on charges that he issued hundreds of fraudulent diplomatic credentials to people who paid to be part of his movement. Sixty-year-old James T. McBride was denied bond Wednesday at a hearing in federal court in Alexandria. Prosecutors say McBride represents himself as the leader of 'Divine Province' and promises people they can avoid taxes and debts if they pay to enroll in his society. James T. McBride, who says he immune from U.S. law, has been ordered held without bond on charges that he issued hundreds of fraudulent diplomatic credentials to people who paid to be part of his movement . Prosecutors say he issued 900 fraudulent diplomatic credentials he sold to people at hotel seminars and through his website. At Wednesday's hearing, McBride said his authority derives from divine law and that he is not a U.S. citizen. McBride is among a growing group of people calling themselves sovereign citizens, U.S. residents who declare . themselves above state and federal laws. Many don't register children's . births, carry driver's licenses or recognize the court system. At Wednesday's hearing, McBride said his authority derives from divine law and that he is not a U.S. citizen. Some peddle schemes that use fictional legal loopholes to eliminate debt and avoid foreclosures. As many as 300,000 people identify as sovereign citizens, the Southern Poverty Law Center found in a study that was obtained by the Associated Press. . Hate . group monitors say their numbers have increased thanks to the . recession, the foreclosure crisis, the growth of the Internet and the . election of Barack Obama in 2008. | James T. McBride says he is not a U.S. citizen and that his authority comes from 'Divine Law'
Part of a growing movement of 'sovereign citizens' rejecting formal U.S. citizenship .
Authorities claim he's issued hundreds of fraudulent diplomatic credentials to people who paid to be in his movement . |
187,202 | 7e71b71f7b5cc152aeaff14bf9cc9dc1b9a2c993 | By . Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 21:43 EST, 5 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:11 EST, 6 October 2013 . A Minnesota man who heroically stopped to help the victim of a car accident two years ago has finally returned to work after a long road of rehabilitation following the loss of his leg. Keith Barnes, 39, has had sporadic contact with Alicia Kaufenberg, a 23-year-old college student who also lost her leg after Barnes and another man, Marcus Andary, attempted to carry her to safety and were struck by a drunk driver. Both Barnes and Kaufenberg suffered serious injuries and required leg amputations; Andary, 21, died as a result of his injuries. Return to form: Keith Barnes talks to fellow barber Johnathan McCastle (right) on a slow day at Grooming House Barber Shop in St. Paul after returning to work after almost two years of rehab . Barnes says that if he had the opportunity to do it again, he would never have gone to Kaufenberg's aid. He spoke to Pioneer Press from the barber shop where he finally returned to work three months ago after almost two years of rehabilitation. 'I'm no hero,' said Barnes, who is a father of six from St Louis Park. 'My decision, it wasn't the best one. Next time, I'll call the police and stay put until the police come.' Barnes' selfless action in going to the aid of someone in need had unforeseen consequences for everyone involved, not least Barnes himself. Brave: Barnes lost his left leg when hit by a car while pulling a woman to safety from a rollover accident in December 2011 . A truly tragic chain of events was set in motion the night of December 18, 2011 as Barnes was driving onto Interstate 94 by Lexingon Parkway. Suddenly the car in front of him, driven by Kaufenberg, swerved to avoid a pick-up truck, driven by Andary. Huge price: Barnes said he's not used to his prosthetic leg yet: 'I walk slowly because I haven't gained confidence,' he said . According to the Star Tribune, Andary had been attempting to change lanes when another car blocked him, so he veered back into Kaufenberg's lane. The two cars struck and Kaufenberg lost control of her vehicle, which rolled over and landed on its roof. 'I know you see it in movies, but to actually see a full-sized car flipping in front of you, I was just shocked,' Barnes told Pioneer Press. 'It was terrible.' Barnes, acting on instinct, parked his car and ran across the freeway to help Kaufenberg. Her car had come to rest in the highway's west-bound fast-lane and she was struggling to crawl from the wreck. Andary also ran to the aid of Kaufenberg and together he and Barnes pulled her from the car and began carrying her to safety when further disaster struck. Eugene Michael Farrell, 63, was driving after drinking in a bar and had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.09, just above the state's legal limit of 0.08. His Chevrolet Venture minivan traveling at 63mph hit Barnes, Kaufenberg and Andary, killing Andary instantly and claiming the left legs of both Barnes and Kaufenberg. According to the Pioneer Press, Barnes sustained head trauma, internal injuries and fractures to his legs, wrist, shoulder and pelvis. Back to work: Keith Barnes (right) trims the beard of his old friend Antonio Hrabowski at Grooming House Barber Shop . He was placed in an induced coma and his leg was amputated below the knee. Barnes said doctors told his family that he may never smile again. 'The doctor kind of hurt my feelings,' said Barnes. 'The doctor said I was never going to be able to cut hair again. Because of my arm. I really do believe the more I use it, it'll go back to normal. It's already starting to.' Kaufenberg has not spoken publicly about the accident but she and Barnes were both disappointed to learn that Farrell, who has a previous careless driving conviction, was sentenced to just one year in prison. Recognition: Barnes denies being a hero, but many disagree, including the Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners who honored him for his bravery and selflessness . All in all, it's a harsh outcome for two men who were acting on their instinct to help. Barnes denies being a hero, but many friends and supporters disagree - including U.S. senator Al Franken, who stopped by the barbershop to thank him for his courage and sacrifice. Barnes says he knows Kaufenberg may have some unresolved issues towards him about the results of his intervention. According to Minnesota state law, a . person is generally protected from legal consequences for stepping in to . help the victim of a crime and accident and making the situation . unintentionally worse. The Good Samaritan law varies . from jurisdiction to jurisdiction as to who is protected from liability and in . what circumstances. Barnes told Pioneer Press that Kaufenberg visited him at the Courage Rehabilitation Center but that the two haven't spoken in-depth about what happened. 'I've been wanting to,' he said. 'Just so we can sit and have a conversation, just so we can talk about it.' | Keith Barnes stopped to help Alicia Kaufenberg whose car flipped on a highway .
Barnes and another man, Marcus Andary, were helping her to safety when they were struck by a drunk driver .
Andary died instantly, and Barnes and Kaufenberg both sustained serious injuries and had their left legs amputated .
Barnes has just returned to work after almost two years of rehabilitation . |
3,952 | 0b6899d58e1d595644c7b2a1caf7acc46df5b23c | Buying the wrong bombs, mislaying anti-aircraft missile systems and gifting Germany a property portfolio have led the Ministry of Defence to rack up losses of £1.58 billion in the past two years, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Previously unseen accounts for 2012-13 show that the MoD has written off huge sums of taxpayers’ money after an array of stores losses, accounting errors and what are categorised in the department’s figures as ‘fruitless payments’. The wastage came at a time when the Government was insisting that it needed to sack thousands of Service personnel to balance the books. Figures obtained by this newspaper reveal that in the last financial year the MoD’s bookkeepers were apparently incapable of accounting for £33.6 million in funds allocated for military purposes. A note in the accounts describes a lack of information over the whereabouts of the money – leading to the ‘write-off of unsupported balances’. Documents also show that while the MoD was axeing historic regiments and withdrawing iconic ships and aircraft from service, it was simultaneously giving to Uzbekistan a fleet of 50 Leyland DAF four-ton trucks worth £450,000, and counter-terrorism training equipment to Pakistan worth £294,000. According to the accounts, the biggest giveaway of all in 2012-13 was handing back the barracks and buildings in Germany which had been in British possession. The documents state that this cost the MoD £1.5 billion in impairment charges. The figures also reveal that hundreds of troops benefited from a clerical error in the wages department. They were overpaid about £640,000 and there are no plans to recover the excess payments. Similarly the MoD has written off £527,000 for missing anti-aircraft missile parts, £743,000 after the disappearance of lightweight field generators, £390,000 for lost kit in Canada and £277,000 for purchasing bombs which no longer suited their training requirements. Among the so-called ‘fruitless payments’ is £1.6 million for towing HMS Astute after the submarine ran aground off the Isle of Skye, and £393,000 paid to landowners and catering contractors following the late cancellation of military exercises. 'Fruitless payment': The Royal Navy submarine HMS Astute... before it ran aground off the Isle of Skye, racking up costs of £1.6million . Defence sources stressed last night that such payments were inevitable given the requirement to change planning schedules due to unforeseen circumstances. The MoD accounts also include a list of payments categorised as ‘claims waived or abandoned’. Among these is a £413,000 bill for security at a G8 summit, the £1.5 million overpayment of tax by the department to HM Revenue & Customs and £417,000 to settle a dispute over computer services at the Defence Academy in Swindon. Waste: Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy condemned the MoD's 'multi-million pound mistakes' Last night, Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy said: ‘This incompetent waste will come as a shock to a country angry at defence cuts. ‘Multi-million pound mistakes come at a time of mass sackings of service personnel and defence equipment being scrapped. ‘People will wonder how the Government can lose expensive items of equipment. Ministers should minimise waste and prioritise protection for those who serve and their families.’ The MoD has also incurred several constructive losses over the last two financial years, though defence sources insist that these payments, such as the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 intelligence gathering aircraft at £3.7 billion, the early withdrawal of the Harrier aircraft at £1.2 billion and the retirement of five Royal Navy vessels at £513,000, will save money in the longer term. The MoD said: ‘The figure of £1.5 billion in the accounts reflects the reduction in the value of the German estate as a result of the decision to withdraw UK forces from Germany earlier than planned. This is not the cost of returning personnel and their families by 2019, which will actually save the taxpayer £240 million per year. ‘The vast majority of write-offs are not items lost or wasted but occasions where we have sold off or scrapped redundant military equipment or gifted equipment to another country. ‘Gifting to countries often prevents the UK military having to get directly involved and thus saves the British taxpayer. ‘For the first time, the MoD has a balanced budget and the Armed Forces have a fully funded ten-year Equipment Plan of some £160 billion.’ | Ministry of Defence could not account for £33.6million allocated for military purposes .
MAIL ON SUNDAY reveals vast sums written off as 'unsupported balances'
Wastage at time when defence services axed to 'save money'
Costs include hand-back of German barracks at £1.5billion and recovery of one submarine that ran aground at £1.6million . |
244,438 | c858f7e196b24b26644515754149de33f7ad7da8 | (CNN) -- Daniel Tosh, host of the Comedy Central show "Tosh.O," recently came under attack on the Internet. People on the Internet with way too much time on their hands love attacking someone all at once. The attack on Tosh came after an account of one of his stand-up shows at an L.A. club was posted to a website. According to the account, relayed by a female audience member to the person who kept the website, Tosh started making some rape jokes during his show. The woman was shocked that the shocking Daniel Tosh would say such shocking things. She called out from the audience in the middle of his set, "Actually, rape jokes are never funny." To which Tosh allegedly replied, "Wouldn't it be funny if that girl got raped by like five guys right now. Like right now? What if a bunch of guys just raped her?" I'm not going to talk here about the joke. I'm not here to give an opinion about whether what he said was funny or not funny; that's strictly a matter of taste, as is any joke. My subject here is whether it's OK for him to say it. Opinion: Nothing funny about rape jokes . If you have never in your life seen a comedian perform, here are the instructions: . If a comedian tells a joke that you find funny, you laugh. If he tells a joke you do not find funny, don't laugh. Or you could possibly go as far as groaning or rolling your eyes. Then you wait for his next joke; if that's funny, then you laugh. If it's not, you don't laugh -- or at very worst, you can leave quietly. This is the way going to see a comedian has worked for centuries. Some comedians tell nice jokes that you can tell to your kids. Some use bad words -- they work "blue." If you don't want to hear a joke that's blue, you shouldn't go to a comedy club where a comedian who makes blue jokes is performing. Back to Tosh: There was talk that he might lose his TV show. I, for one, say this will not happen. Big corporations that hire you decide what will shock and offend them. Their hearts and brains are located in their piggy banks. If they already wanted Daniel Tosh to be gone, they could use this as an excuse. I know of what I speak. Let's jump back a few years, shall we? A few days after September 11, 2001, I was doing a Friars' Roast of Hugh Hefner in New York City. Outside, smoke was still in the air. People seemed very reserved and were not totally laughing at any of the comics that night. I wanted to be the first one to slap them out of it. I said, "I have to leave early tonight. I'm flying to L.A. I couldn't get a direct flight. We have to make a stop at the Empire State Building." No one in the history of comedy ever lost an audience more completely. You could hear chairs move back and murmuring throughout the crowd. Gasping, groaning. One guy yelled, "too soon," which I thought meant I didn't take a long enough pause between the set-up and punch line. I figured there was no lower I could go, so I went into doing The Aristocrats jokes. These are very blue. The crowd soon exploded with laughs and cheers. So: Terrorism is shocking and in bad taste, but a joke about incest and bestiality is totally fine. Jump ahead a few years. Over that period in between, I've done several very poor-taste jokes. Then the tsunami in Japan happened, and it's all over the news, with newscasters pretending it hits them personally. Newscasters really should get acting awards. Anyway, I figured I'd treat a natural disaster the same way I treated terrorism ... with comedy. So, I proceeded to tweet jokes about the tsunami. Most of them were actually quite silly. If there were anything to be outraged about, it would have been about how dumb the jokes actually were. I have always felt comedy and tragedy are roommates. If you look up comedy and tragedy, you will find a very old picture of two masks. One mask is tragedy. It looks like it's crying. The other mask is comedy. It looks like it's laughing. Nowadays, we would say, "How tasteless and insensitive. A comedy mask is laughing at a tragedy mask." I'm returning from a job out of town. My agent says, "You're not going to print anymore tsunami jokes, are you?" I look on the Internet and on every news site, it says, "Aflac fires Gilbert Gottfried." Of course, as is procedure, when you make a joke nowadays, you must immediately make a public apology. So, much as Tosh did with his rape jokes, I did with my tsunami jokes. People on the Internet were screaming for my death. The news media jumped in, but of course their job is to make a mouse fart sound like it's a nuclear explosion. They reported on it and repeated my jokes, which seems odd: If what I said is so shocking and inexcusable, why are they repeating it? Well, it's to get asses in the seats. They referred to my jokes as "comments" and "remarks," not "jokes" because if they did, any rational person would have said, "So, a comic made jokes. What's the story here?" I've been telling jokes like this for a very long time, so the reaction surprised me. It's like eating Corn Flakes every day for years, and then one day you eat Corn Flakes and all hell breaks loose. Aflac thought I was such an evil person and what I did so heinous that there was only one way to deal with this: Hire a new guy to imitate Gilbert Gottfried, pay him less, save a trainload of cash on commercials, thus bringing closure to this horrible tragedy. My favorite tweet that a fan sent me was, "Aflac fires Gilbert Gottfried after discovering he's a comedian." I got this tweet after the nut jobs on the Internet were through and common sense prevailed. I had an overwhelming response from people saying the same thing, "**** 'em if they can't take a joke." George Carlin once said, "It's the duty of a comedian to find out where the line is drawn and then step over it." I don't want to compare myself to George Carlin because when I first heard his quote, I laughed and said, "He said dooty." I guess he was more intellectual than me. In conclusion, I wish to inform every comedian, the new motto is: "Guns don't kill people. Jokes kill people." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gilbert Gottfried. | Gilbert Gottfried: During a stand-up comedy show, Daniel Tosh made jokes about rape .
Gottfried: A woman objected. Comics make jokes; people can decide to laugh, not laugh, leave .
He says people criticized his jokes after 9-11; Aflac fired him for making Japan tsunami jokes .
Gottfried: Media, Internet like to blow things up; comedians' job to find line, step over . |
93,996 | 04d90f2866b9f75021601e484c7e5d825cdfa837 | Arsenal's interest in Mario Balotelli looks to have been dealt a killer blow, after AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani claimed the controversial striker would be staying with the Italian club. The former Manchester City centre forward has been consistently linked with a move to Arsene Wenger's side, and Milan president Silvio Berlusconi was even quoted earlier this summer as saying: 'I was selling Balotelli to an English team for several millions.' However, Galliani now appears to have shot down any chance of a move to England with the 23-year-old part of the club's plans for the new season. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Mario Balotelli reading 'I am Zlatan' while doing the ironing . Happy in red and black: Mario Balotelli looks as if he won't be moving from AC Milan this summer . Winner: Balotelli celebrates scoring against England for Italy during the World Cup group stages . 'Balotelli has never asked to be sold,' Galliani said. 'There’s a 99.9% chance of him staying, but you never know what will happen.' However, not all is lost for the Gunners: Milan's CEO has already made similar comments in May about Brazilian midfielder Kaka, saying: 'It’s certain we’ll keep him. I am 99.9% he’ll stay with us.' Kaka subsequently moved to Orlando City, via a loan move to Sao Paulo. But with Wenger now being quoted as saying he is happy with his options up front it appears a move for Balotelli is off for this summer at least. Him again: Former Man City star Balotelli (left) has been linked with a move to Arsenal . | Former Manchester City striker has been constantly linked with Gunners .
Milan admitted striker was close to moving to an English club this summer .
But now Galliani claims he will remain in Milan with the Rossoneri .
But he used the '99.9 per cent' figure when claiming Kaka would stay .
Brazilian playmaker ended up swapping Italy for Orlando via Sao Paulo . |
205,644 | 96383a3c13efb62e7781baf5a9ed80d139ddde81 | Cambridge University staff have been accused of severely mistreating sheep used in its laboratories after undercover video footage emerged from the facility. The university is now investigating the claims that the sheep, which are used for medical research, experienced distressing levels of mistreatment and suffering. Several incidents have allegedly been caught on camera, including footage which show staff losing patience with an animal during a weigh in, and the sheep suffering a broken leg. Scroll down for video . Hidden cameras: Sheep used in medical studies by Cambridge University had electrodes implanted into their brains and were left disorientated, struggling to walk and losing their sight . Animals are used to study neurological disorders, despite animal welfare groups claiming that the experiments are 'pointless' due to the difference between the brains of humans and sheep. The sheep kept at Cambridge University's facilities are imported from New Zealand and are given brain implants before they undergo behavioural tests and are monitored as their condition deteriorate, the report says. The sheep were left disorientated, struggling to walk and losing their sight before they died or were put to sleep, according to the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), which conducted the undercover investigation. Their footage also expose a number of incidents that were said to have increased the misery still further, including one animal suffering a broken leg after an impatient staff member tried to force her into a cage for weighing. The sheep had to be put down after the incident. Undercover: The sheep's situation was filmed by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, and the university is now investigating the animal welfare organisation's claims . 'Mistreated': Some of the sheep are given brain implants before they undergo behavioural tests and are monitored as their condition deteriorate . Another sheep named Jane had to be killed because she had a faulty implant, while a third animal, Janet, suffered severe weight loss and became virtually blind. She was allegedly left in this state for several days, lying in her own faeces, before being euthanized. The purpose of the experiments was to investigate the early stages of Batten’s Disease and Huntington’s Disease, two serious neurological conditions for which there is no cure. Animal research is regulated by the Home Office, which applies rules intended to ensure that it is only carried out when necessary and suffering is kept to a minimum. Dr Katy Taylor, the BUAV’s head of science, said: ‘It is clear from our investigation that these poor animals suffered a great deal and, we believe, unnecessarily. 'This shows why undercover investigations are essential to reveal the extent of cruelty and suffering animals endure in UK research laboratories, often for trivial purposes or highly speculative science.' Accusations: Several incidents allegedly saw maltreatment of the animals, including sheep suffering broken legs, or other injuries as a result of the implants and having to be put down . Dr Taylor added: ‘There are serious questions about whether the research has any realistic prospect of advancing the search for cures for these diseases and about the way in which the Home Office has applied the harm/benefit test required under UK legislation before allowing such research to go ahead.’ A statement from Cambridge University said sheep were used in the studies because they had ‘complex brains’ similar in size to a large monkey’s, and no alternative existed. The statement added: ‘The researchers have been testing a sheep model of Huntington’s Disease developed by collaborators in New Zealand and Australia and studying a line of sheep that carries a natural mutation for Batten’s Disease. ‘Whilst every attempt is made to keep distress to a minimum, the very nature of these diseases means that the animals will show symptoms related to damage of the nervous system similar to those seen in humans. ‘We take the allegations of mistreatment of animals very seriously and will take all appropriate actions necessary to investigate this matter in accordance with the university’s responsibilities under our Home Office licence and our own Animal Welfare Ethical Review Committee.’ | Sheep were used to study neurological disorders at Cambridge .
Undercover footage show sheep at the lab 'in distress and suffering'
Experiments left the animals struggling to walk and losing their sight .
One alleged incident saw an animal break a leg due to impatient staff . |
261,112 | de2a508412d32ac83a57928d12f9acdfdc71db56 | Washington (CNN) -- The future of the DREAM Act has become something of a nightmare for Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill. Congressional leaders and the Obama administration are fighting it out, and each is making the case for why the legislation should be passed or rejected during the lame-duck session of Congress. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act would grant eligibility for citizenship for thousands of young illegal immigrants if they go to college or serve in the military. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday, "I urge the Congress to pass the DREAM Act and set aside old labels." Speaking to reporters via a White House conference call, Napolitano said, "There are compelling reasons to support it. ... It will strengthen the military and strengthen the economy." Napolitano urged Congress to act "and come together on a bipartisan basis and in the grand tradition of this country." She said the DREAM Act would help people who were "brought here by others ... not of their own volition ... but were brought here by parents or smuggled into the country by human traffickers." The ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said there have been no hearings on the bill and lawmakers have not seen the text of the legislation. Even so, he said, House Democrats are considering bringing up the act on Friday. In a written statement, Smith said the bill could grant amnesty to more than 2 million illegal immigrants. "Mass amnesty is not the only problem with the DREAM Act," he said. "The bill allows illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition at public universities, placing them ahead of U.S. citizens. The bill also is a magnet for fraud." Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, contended that "while the bill continues to be disguised as an educational initiative, it is simply another measure that offers a path to citizenship for illegals in this country." In a letter to the Congressional Budget Office, Vitter said, "It is imperative that members of Congress and the American people know the estimated cost of the DREAM Act before a single vote is cast on this legislation." Napolitano told reporters an earlier version of the bill scored by the CBO estimated the cost as "basically neutral. The cost argument doesn't hold water." | The act would make immigrants eligible for citizenship if they go to college or join the military .
Texas Republican says the bill could grant amnesty to 2 million .
"The bill is also a magnet for fraud," he says . |
277,403 | f366376c4bad9ba0afbafaf63c8e42fce20c9adf | (CNN) -- An Arkansas man suspected in a shooting that killed one soldier and wounded another at a Little Rock military recruiting center was angry over the treatment of Muslims, authorities said Tuesday. Pvt. William Long, 23, of Conway, Arkansas, was killed in Monday's attack. Abdulhakim Bledsoe, 23, of Little Rock, also told police he recently watched a video "pertaining to subversive activities which spurred him to commit this act," according to court documents. Bledsoe pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday and was ordered held without bail. He faces one count of capital murder and 16 counts of engaging in a terrorist act, said Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas. The terrorist counts stem from the shots fired at an occupied building. Watch scenes from Tuesday in court » . Before the not guilty plea, authorities said Bledsoe waived his Miranda rights after the shooting Monday and gave a video statement indicating that "political and religious" motives were involved. He "stated that he was a practicing Muslim ... that he was mad at the U.S. military because of what they had done to Muslims in the past," homicide detective Tommy Hudson said in a police report. Bledsoe told police "he fired several rounds at the soldiers with the intent of killing them," according to Hudson's report. The suspect is a Muslim convert who has also gone by the names Carlos Bledsoe and Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad. He changed his name from the latter April 23, citing religious reasons, court records show. A leader of the Muslim community in Little Rock said he did not know Bledsoe. The suspect had been under investigation after visiting Yemen, a federal law enforcement official said. The official declined to provide further information. Police believe the shooter acted alone "with the specific purpose of targeting military personnel," Thomas said. Kent Krause, Bledsoe's public defender, said a formal hearing would be held for his client, but no date has been set. Residents left flowers and miniature American flags outside the recruiting center after the shooting. A lone candle burned on the sidewalk next to bouquets of white and red roses. A note that said "Thank you for your service" was attached to the flowers. The shooting Monday killed Pvt. William Long, 23, of Conway, Arkansas, and wounded Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, who were outside the military recruiting center. Bledsoe told police he was driving around and saw Long and Ezeagwula smoking outside the building, according to Hudson's report. He said he pulled into the parking lot and shot the two soldiers and added that "he would have killed more soldiers if they had been on the parking lot," according to the report. Ezeagwula was in stable condition Tuesday, the police chief said. The soldiers were part of a recruiting program called "hometown recruiting assistance," said Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis, commander of the Oklahoma recruiting battalion that oversees the Little Rock Army-Navy recruiting center. Under the program, soldiers tell their stories to potential recruits. It's a volunteer position taken while soldiers are visiting or based back in their home region, Artis said. "I'm relieved there's a suspect in custody," said Capt. Matthew Feehan, commander of the recruiting center. He said several people were in the building at the time of the shooting, but nobody else was injured. Bledsoe was arrested after officers on Interstate 630 pulled over his car, which matched witnesses' description of a black Ford sport utility vehicle seen leaving the scene of the shooting. Police recovered three guns from the suspect's vehicle -- an SKS semi-automatic rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a .380-caliber automatic pistol, Thomas said. The victims were shot with an SKS rifle, according to the police report. Police also seized from Bledsoe's vehicle and apartment several rounds of ammunition, two homemade silencers, handwritten notes in Arabic, CDs with handwritten Arabic labels, a computer and cell phones, according to court documents. Melvin Bledsoe of Memphis, Tennessee, was listed on the police report as Bledsoe's father. He declined to comment, referring questions to Little Rock police. | Police say "political and religious motives" were indicated .
Convert said he was angry over military's treatment of Muslims, police say .
One soldier killed, one wounded in Monday's shootings . |
191,939 | 84888a5f8000ed572172b0b5c138aa4b38234afd | Kirk Cameron is on a mission to make sure no one loses their joy this holiday season. The sometime actor and full-time evangelical Christian recently posted a video on his Facebook page for all the ladies out there, and he knows just what they need to make this Christmas truly special - cooking, cleaning, singing and decorating. He also wants them to know that they are 'irreplaceable.' Scroll down for videos . Hey Ladies: Kirk Cameron (above) has declared cooking, cleaning, decorating and singing the keys to a joyful Christmas for every woman in the world . Christ almighty: The actor is also suggesting everyone check out his new film Kirk Cameron's Surviving Christmas, which is in theaters now . 'Calling all moms, wives and keepers of your home - I made this video for you, to remind you of how irreplaceable you are to your family this Christmas,' says Cameron to his 2 million followers. 'If you are a mom, if you are a wife, if you're the keeper of your home, I want you to know that your joy is so important this Christmas.' Joy is what Christmas is all about according to Cameron, and stolen joy can sap a person's strength he explains, before declaring the best way for a woman to experience joy during this very special time of the year. 'Let your children, your family, see your joy in the way that you decorate your home this Christmas, in the food that you cook, the songs you sing, the stories you tell, and the traditions that you keep,' says Cameron. 'Invite your whole neighborhood into your Christmas, and invite the world into our story of our king and his kingdom.' He then plugs his new movie, which is in theaters today, Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas. The Los Angeles Times is calling the film an 'unholy mess,' while the Chicago Sun-Times declares it 'one of the least artful holiday films ever made.' Devoted husband: Cameron has been married to wife Chelsea Noble (above) for 23 years . Cameron also took some time to talk to all of his male followers, and again promote his film, in a second video on his Facebook page this week. This time around it was less about joy, and more about what the manly thing to do is this holiday season. 'Men. Fathers. Husbands. Sons. Our example in our family's life is so important at Christmastime. So be all in this year. Don't be a Bah Humbug. Support the women in your life,' says the former Growing Pains star. 'Put up the lights, prepare the house, and realize how blessed you are. Remember, Jesus came to serve. And so should you and I.' Cameron also has ideas for other things men can do this Christmas. 'You know what the really manly thing to do this Christmas is? How about the dishes?! Or give your wife a good foot massage. That would be awesome! Because I'm thinking, she deserves it,' says Cameron. 'And you know what another amazing thing you could do is? Take your whole family and see Saving Christmas.' Former glory: Cameron shot to fame playing Mike Seaver on the popular show Growing Pains (above with Leonardo DiCaprio) And for those who don't manage to catch Saving Christmas in theaters, but are hoping to see Cameron back in the spotlight, he will likely be making a television cameo on the popular reality series 19 Kids and Counting in the very near future as he attended the wedding of Jessa Duggar earlier this month. Cameron declared Duggar's decision to not even kiss her future husband before their wedding day admirable, and took his two teenage daughters with him so they could see what he deemed a very special moment. Kissing has long been incredibly sacred to Cameron, with the actor refusing to even kiss other women while filming, and demanding his wife Chelsea Noble serve as a stand-in for all scenes that require any tonsil hockey. | Kirk Cameron recorded a message explaining how women could have the most possible joy this holiday season .
Cameron recommends they cook for the family, decorate the house and sing, among other things .
He also recorded a video for men, saying they should go 'all in' over the holidays, while also doing the dishes and giving foot rubs .
He also urged both men and women to see his new film, Kirk Cameron's Surviving Christmas, which is in theaters now .
Reviews of the film call it an 'unholy mess' and 'one of the least artful holiday films ever made' |
81,659 | e768b6fe5c7c1e5b5e92fc8804de1d4a7cc21271 | Sick craze: Ben (not pictured) admits to taunting relatives and friends of a girl who had committed suicide by posting vile messages on her Facebook memorial page . What started as a simple wind-up on a discussion forum has evolved into something altogether more distressing for the unsuspecting victims he targets. Ben, an unemployed 19-year-old, is what some are now calling an 'RIP troller' - a web user who gets their kicks from taunting grieving relatives online. He admits to once posting the message 'How's it hanging, guys?' on the Facebook memorial page of a young girl who had taken her own life. But he doesn't care. 'I've pretty much lost all hope for humanity anyway,' he said. 'I don't believe that anything can save people.' Ben, who has asked to use a pseudonym, first embarked on the craze in 2008 when he took to the online forum 4Chan to provoke people discussing religion by claiming to have disproved all that they had argued. 'It just makes me happy when I can make someone angry,' he told news.com.au. 'It sounds weird, but I kind of feed off their anger. The angrier I can get them, the better I feel.' He is certainly not alone as there's thought to be a whole community of like-minded people out there. Distressing: The rise of trolling has led to calls for tougher sentences for harassment or stalking online to act as a deterrent (posed by model) They don't always target the pain of loss, however. Another troller who's come forward is Sarah, a 23-year-old mother from South Australia, who confessed to setting up a Facebook page aimed at taunting another mum who had posted near-naked pictures of herself on a breastfeeding forum. 'She started getting negative replies and deleted the pictures, but I saved the pictures and uploaded them to a Facebook group where she was humiliated,' Sarah said. Sarah later deleted the photos after being threatened with expulsion from the site. 'I randomly targeted a lady for no reason, humiliated her for no reason - just to be a b****,' she said. 'Looking back now it was petty. I'm one of those remorseful trolls, I suppose.' In one of the sickest cases of RIP trolling, 25-year-old unemployed loner Sean Duffy was jailed for 18 weeks after targeting the Facebook tribute page of a dead teenage girl. Lauren Drew, 14, had been found by her mother dead in her bed after suffering a suspected fit during the night. But if her mother, Carole, thought her pain could not get any more profound, she was cruelly mistaken. Feeding on grief: The Facebook memorial page of Lauren Drew (left), who died in her bed, was vandalised by sick troller Sean Duffy (right) At first, she derived some comfort from the thousands of people who posted their condolences on RIP pages set up in memory of Lauren on Facebook. Then a few weeks later, she saw a posting that was to mark the beginning of a new nightmare. It was an image of a horse and cart pulling her daughter’s coffin, with the words ‘Happy Mother’s Day’. Day after day, for nearly a month, the awful messages kept on coming. Each one was more carefully crafted than the last, twisting the knife deeper into Carole’s heart. One picture of Lauren carried the plea: ‘Help me, Mummy. It’s hot in hell.’ Duffy was eventually tracked down by police and prosecuted. Cyber-researcher Karyn Krawford told news.com.au that the sick craze may be a sign of mental illness. 'This lack of empathy caused people to become emotionally immune and desensitised to images they're not seeing in real life,' she said. And psychologist James Heathers, of the University of Sydney, believes it is also down to the feeling of being anonymous, known as 'deindividuation' 'Social distance can cause a 55-year-old climate change sceptic with a job and a mortgage to behave like a spastic donkey with strange malicious behaviour,' he said. Earlier this month, a major study by the National Centre for Cyberstalking Research at the University of Bedfordshire concluded that police needed more powers to investigate internet harassment as more abusers move online to target their victims. Current legislation means the longest sentence a perpetrator of harassment or stalking online can face is just six months, which researchers say is not enough of a deterrent. | Once wrote 'how's it hanging?' on Facebook page of girl who had committed suicide .
'I'd feel responsible, but wouldn't care. I've lost all hope for humanity anyway' |
245,587 | c9df0c6456d882bb87d5e095b1ea7e812ea3b401 | Among the millions of war heroes who will be commemorated in America on Tuesday November 11 is one of the greatest boxers who ever lived. Joseph Louis Barrow – as he was born in Lafayette, Alabama 100 years and six months ago – was not killed in action. Indeed, he did not see combat during World War II despite being a private in the army. Joe Louis at Camp Upton in 1942 just after enlisting in the US Army (left) and in London in 1944 . Born: May 13, 1914. Died: April 12, 1981 . Weight: Heavyweight . Record . Fights: 70 . Wins: 66. Wins by KO: 52 . Losses: 3 No contest: 1 . He was world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949 . They do things a little differently over there. This is not Remembrance Day in the US. Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, is when they pay specific tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. November 11 is Veterans’ Day, when they honour all past members of the military. And Joe Louis did his bit for country even though he never fired a bullet in anger. Not that the Brown Bomber, as he was also known, was unwilling to go to the front. Exactly one month after America declared war on Japan, following the attack on Pearl Harbour, the heavyweight champion of the world walked into an army camp near New York to voluntarily enlist as a private. When told by the clerk to state his occupation, Louis responded: ‘Fighting… them Japs.’ A trickier question came from fellow African-Americans who asked why he was joining the then-racially segregated US army. Again he had the answer: ‘Lots of things wrong with America - but Hitler ain‘t gonna fix ‘em.’ Louis shakes the hand of a taxi driver during his trip to London in 1944 . Shrewdly, the authorities perceived that for all his physical courage his greater value would be recruiting more black soldiers, who made an important contribution and suffered numerous casualties. Among those who followed him into uniform was Jackie Robinson, the young baseball slugger whose subsequent signing by the Brooklyn Dodgers broke that sport’s six-decade colour barrier. The impact of Louis on race relations in the US was even more profound. The US Army recruitment poster in World War II . The remark about Hitler made him a driving force for anti-Nazi sentiment across all sections of society there and strengthened support for the decision to enter the war. Then a widely distributed recruitment poster (right) helped him become America’s first non-white national hero. It showed ‘Pvt. Joe Louis’ saying: ‘We’re going to do our part... and we’ll win because we’re on God’s side.’ In company with another ring legend, Sugar Ray Robinson, Louis travelled to Europe and the Far East, raising troop morale in the course of 96 exhibition fights watched by a combined two million soldiers. American’s latent resentment of a black man holding the supreme world title - and not only that being acclaimed as the greatest heavyweight champion of his and all previous eras – evaporated. He became a sought-after celebrity. The tax-man was not so forgiving. Louis received not one dime of the 90,000 dollars he generated for the war effort with a series of fund-raising bouts. Nevertheless the Inland Revenue Service added that amount to his income……and to the $500,000 tax assessment already demanded despite his handlers milking all but an estimated $800,000 from his purses totalling more than $6 million. Such can be the spoils of war. Louis returned to the prize-ring in 1946, having to fight for the money as well as the glory, and was fiscally obliged to make a come-back after one retirement. The end came with an eighth round KO by Rocky Marciano – only his third loss in 70 fights – at the conclusion of a severe beating in Madison Square Garden. He was to admit that the financial stress drove him to drugs and his last years were difficult. But America did not forget. Certainly not one American president. Louis (left) hands out a severe beating to a bloodied Arturo Godoy at Yankee Stadium in New York in 1940 . When Louis died in 1981, aged just 66, Ronald Reagan decreed he should be buried at the Arlington National Cemetery, with full military honours. On November 11 in Great Britain and the Commonwealth, we bow our heads in respect for the fallen. We know, also, that service takes many forms. Joseph Louis Barrow did his part. At a time when it became fashionable to say that the Brown Bomber was a credit to his race, renowned New York Post sports reporter Jimmy Cannon wrote thus: ‘Yes, Joe Louis is a credit to his race… the human race.’ Had he been born this side of the Atlantic, he would have worn his poppy with pride. There could be life in 'Alien' Hopkins yet despite his Krushing . There is a clamour for Bernard Hopkins to retire following Saturday night’s loss of his world light-heavyweight title to Sergey Kovalev, just two months short of his 50th birthday. After all, he was knocked down in the first and lost the ensuing 11 rounds as well to end up on the wrong end of a whitewash decision in Atlantic City. Yet there may be life in the old pug yet. Bernard Hopkins (left) gets hit by Sergey Kovalev of Russia during the third round of The Alien's defeat . The Alien – as he calls himself in reference to his phenomenal athletic condition for a human of his age – went the distance with the Russian who knocks out almost everyone he fights and is therefore dubbed ‘Krusher.’ Nathan Cleverly - the decades younger Welshman who is among those who have been ‘Krushed’ - returns to the ring to face British rival Tony Bellew in Liverpool on Saturday week. Hopkins gave a more distinguished account of himself and could call it quits with great distinction, as the oldest world champion ever. So it his decision, alone, if he chooses make further history as a title challenger at 50. Cleverly v Bellew will be live on Sky Sports. Can The Alien can achieve another first? That of fighting on extra-terrestrial television. | Joe Louis never saw conflict but was an American Army hero .
He was instrumental in the recruitment of black soldiers .
His image and words adorned a recruitment poster during the War .
Louis was a driving force for anti-Nazi sentiment across America .
Bernard Hopkins might not call it quits despite defeat by Sergey Kovalev . |
12,552 | 2396f74b318fafd435b7e88b0619a56f0cc9e3de | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 08:20 EST, 11 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:21 EST, 11 January 2013 . Scam: James Cleary stole nearly £32,000 from the cancer research centre where he worked . A cancer research boss at a leading university has been jailed for embezzling nearly £32,000 and spending it on drugs and alcohol. James Cleary posed as a woman to submit fraudulent invoices for services, and used part of the proceeds to buy BlackBerry phones and laptops for himself. He was jailed for nearly two years for the scam, which diverted funds away from the search for a cure for Britain's biggest killer disease. The 40-year-old was research business manager at the University of Manchester's School of Cancer and Enabling Science, which has been named the top cancer research centre in the country. The department, which works with scientists across the globe doing research into various cancers, was left struggling to pay some bills after Cleary's fraud came to light. An investigation revealed that 25 forged claims for repayment had been authorised by the manager over a period of three and a half years. The forms were completed under the name 'Michelle Roberts', but the bank account and sort code numbers on them matched those known to belong to Cleary. The Salford resident pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to fraudulently obtaining £31,984 and was jailed for 20 months. Cleary worked at the University of Manchester in various positions from May 1996 to August 2010. When he took up the job at the cancer institute he became authorised to sign payment claims, leading him to spend university money on his own drug habit. Victim: The prestigious University of Manchester was defrauded of thousands of pounds by Cleary . 'Cleary was employed in a position of trust by the university, and was given a lot of responsibility to process claims for reasonably large amounts of money,' a police spokesman said today. 'Sadly, he completely abused the trust the university placed in him and defrauded them to the tune of £31,984. 'He admitted during interview he had a drug and alcohol addiction that he needed to fund, and freely volunteered he spent some of the embezzled cash on BlackBerry mobile phones and computers. 'However, he did express remorse and I am sure now that he has been jailed he is even more sorry for his actions.' The university declined to comment. On its website, it boasts that 'the government-led Research Assessment Exercise 2008 has officially ranked cancer research in Manchester as the best in the UK.' | James Cleary spent thousands feeding drug and alcohol addiction .
Jailed for 20 months after pleading guilty to massive fraud . |
118,765 | 255bce474f03e312c424db6c95b6e1a17e5689c3 | By . Belinda Robinson . A teenage hoaxer told police a bomb was set to explode at a packed shopping centre - so his fed-up brother could finish his shift at Burger King early. Luke Brown, 18, called 999 and claimed there was a device in the Castle Mall food court in Norwich city centre which was due to go off in six hours time. But the crazy stunt went wrong immediately as cops swooped on the phone box where he was on Long John Hill and arrested him, a court heard on Friday. Bomb threat: Luke Brown, 18, called 999 and claimed there was a bomb set to explode - to get his brother out of work at Burger King in Norwich . Furious police last night blasted Brown's incredible 'stupidity' after he was locked up for six months. He was also rapped as being childish and immature by his own solicitor. After the bomb threat was made, the shopping complex was quickly searched and cleared by police but no-one was evacuated. Brown, of Norwich, admitted making the bomb hoax on March 6. He told police his brother was working in Burger King and 'wanted to go home early' so he'd asked if he could ring police and 'make something up'. Brown asked to enter the witness box at Norwich Crown Court yesterday to tell Judge Stephen Holt he was 'very sorry'. Sentencing the teenager to six months in a young offenders' institution, Judge Holt said it was an 'unsophisticated prank' and branded Brown a 'foolish young man'. But he said he would be 'failing in his public duty' if he did not pass an immediate custodial sentence. Bomb: The teenager told police a device was in the Castle Mall food court, pictured, in Norwich city centre and was due to go off in six hours time . Judge Holt told Brown: 'People must learn that you cannot send out bomb hoaxes because if you do you will end up in prison.' Richard Kelly, prosecuting, said police carried out a 'discreet search' of the busy shopping centre but quickly established it was a hoax. Mr Kelly said nine police officers, two police community support officers, a dog unit and a crime scene investigator all rushed to the scene. Michael Clare, defending, said Brown, who suffers from learning difficulties and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, pleaded guilty and had been a 'stupid boy'. Mr Clare said it was 'far removed from the sort of thing' that was 'politically motivated' or something that was 'criminally sophisticated'. He said: 'It's a childish immature prank by someone who is seriously academically challenged.' Speaking after the case, Superintendent Neil Baily, of Norfolk Police, said: 'It's astonishing to think of the stupidity of someone who would call to make a bomb hoax just to get his brother off work early. 'In any case our priority is the safety of the public and we have to treat these incidents seriously from the outset. Hoax calls are not victimless crimes. 'They create fear and disruption to the community and also require a significant amount of resource from emergency services.' He stressed: 'The sentence underlines the seriousness of deliberately wasting police time and taking resources away from legitimate demands. 'We will always seek to prosecute where appropriate and I hope this case acts as a warning to others.' | Luke Brown, 18, called 999 and claimed a bomb was set to go off at a shopping centre in Norwich .
Police went to the phone box where the call was made and arrested him .
Norwich Crown Court heard the lad admit to making the bomb threat .
He was sentenced to six months for the 'stupid stunt' but is 'very sorry' |
14,662 | 299539ab2359cb5b62715ac313ff2b1f00debd2c | By . Phil Medlicott, Press Association Sport . Nicky Butt expects Manchester United to be challenging for the Barclays Premier League title this season. The sense of optimism around United is growing as the 2014/15 top-flight campaign draws ever nearer, with new manager Louis van Gaal having come in and so far seen his team emerge victorious from all five of their pre-season friendlies. The Red Devils are looking to bounce back after the debacle of 2013/14, when they struggled under David Moyes and finished seventh in the table - a year on from being crowned champions in Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season in charge. VIDEO Scroll down for Nicky Butt: We have to use our brains more than our bodies . Excited for the new season: Nicky Butt is a huge fan of the club and expects them to be challenging . And Butt, the former United midfielder who was part of the coaching staff last term and is again this season, is in optimistic mood ahead of the club’s Premier League opener against Swansea at Old Trafford a week on Saturday. The 39-year-old said: 'The new manager is in charge now, we are on an unbeaten run and now we are looking to make a good start to the season with the first five games we have got (Swansea, Sunderland, Burnley, QPR and Leicester). 'Everyone expects Manchester United to contend for the title. 'We finished as low as we have done last season, but when the season starts again, everyone will expect. I am a fan, and I will expect us to be challenging again.' Butt, a United player from 1992 to 2004, knows the strong desire within the club to respond after disappointing periods and has no doubt there will be that kind of feeling in the dressing room at the moment. Great presence: Nicky Butt says Louis van Gaal has an aura about him . Huge desire and success: Nicky Butt says there are similarities between Sir Alex Ferguson and Louis van Gaal . 'It (that desire) is immense,' Butt said. 'In days gone by it has sometimes been when Man United are at their strongest - when they have had setbacks. 'We were always told in no uncertain terms that you had to step up to the plate, otherwise you were not going to be at the club for very much longer. 'I’m sure the new man in charge will say the same thing to the players. Hopefully the players will react, and I’m sure they will.' Butt worked with United’s youth set-up last term and asked about his current role under Van Gaal he said: 'It is a bit of a wider remit now - I’m looking over all age groups. But that needs to be finalised in the next few weeks.' Back in action: Nicky Butt played for a Class of '92 and Friends team against Salford City . The famous class of '92 team: Nicky Butt stands alongside Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary and Phil Neville and Paul Scholes . Then asked for his impressions so far of the Dutchman, Butt said: 'Positive. He is obviously a very in-control man. 'He has an aura about him - when he walks in the building, you know who the boss is, and I think that is very important. 'We had that with Sir Alex for all those years and I think we have that now with Van Gaal. He walks into the building and he commands your respect. 'All the players look up to him as the leader and that is how it should be. From afar, when I’ve looked at him it looks like he takes no messing about and if anyone doesn’t toe the line, I’m sure they will be out of the team.' Butt was speaking at the AJ Bell Stadium, where he, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Gary and Phil Neville rolled back the years as they lined up together in a ‘Class of 92 and friends’ XI for a friendly against Salford City, the non-league outfit they bought between them this year. Confident: Wayne Rooney enjoyed a brilliant pre-season in the US and is excited for the new campaign . The quintet went on to enjoy trophy-laden careers with United after all graduating from the club’s academy in the early 1990s - something Butt thinks is unlikely to be replicated. 'It is possible - there are a lot of great young players out there,' the ex-England international said. 'But we just need to give them a chance. We had a manager in charge and a club that believed in that, but it is harder now with the immediacy of it all. Everyone wants things instantly. 'Owners that come in don’t necessarily know a lot about football - they just know a lot about business, unfortunately. But that’s the way football is. People don’t have the foresight to wait and see. 'To be fair, managers come in now and why should they go four or five nights a week looking at academies when nine times out of 10 they are not going to be there to see the rewards? 'I think good lads, top players, will still come through. But whether you will get five or six through together is something I doubt. 'We played together since we were 12, 13. To prepare lads to come through takes a lot of patience and a good owner to say to a manager ‘we are going to give you time and stand by you’. 'Unfortunately, for whatever reason, it doesn’t happen now.' | Man Utd coach says there is an air of optimism around Old Trafford .
He says Louis van Gaal has an aura about him like Sir Alex Ferguson did .
Man Utd have won all five of their pre-season friendlies . |
80,156 | e32d758325278efad0a9a87448bafaf8971e3e85 | A central California man has been arrested for possession of child pornography, thanks to a tip from burglars who robbed the man's property, authorities said. Last month, a juvenile and a 19-year-old illegally accessed the property of Kraig Stockard, 54, of Delhi, California, according to a statement from Deputy Tom MacKenzie of the Merced County Sheriff's Department. They broke into Stockard's barn and stole about 50 CDs they believed were blank. Stockard filed a police report on the incident on September 12, according to MacKenzie. But the young people who stole the CDs were in for a surprise. When they began putting the discs into their computer, they discovered that some of them contained pornographic images of children, the statement said. Despite having obtained the CDs under decidedly shady circumstances, the pair decided to report Stockard to the police. A search warrant was served and three more computers and three laptops were taken from Stockard's home, along with several external hard drives. Police said there were thousands of pictures and movies on the CDs -- more than 30 of the 50 discs had child pornography on them. Investigators said Stockard has been downloading indecent images of children since 2004. He has admitted possessing the pornography on the CDs but has refused to say whether there is pornography on the computers, they said. Stockard was booked for possession of child pornography and posted $25,000 bail. The two burglar suspects who reported Stockard have not been arrested. Their case has been sent to the Merced County District Attorney's Office for review. When reached for comment, a press officer told CNN the office could not comment on the case because one of the informants in question is a juvenile. | Police arrest a man on child pornography charges after a tip from two burglary suspects .
The burglars found child pornography on CDs .
Kraig Stockard has posted $25,000 bail .
The burglary suspects have not been charged with a crime . |
284,255 | fc46da431a2c1c48d84175953fefbd4addfb6e98 | By . Ian Drury . PUBLISHED: . 19:00 EST, 3 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:04 EST, 4 February 2013 . Suspected of sickening crimes including murder, kidnapping and rape, these are the faces of the most wanted foreign criminals in the UK. The 16 fugitives have fled their own countries in a desperate bid to escape the law - and are now lying low in Britain. But Scotland Yard is determined to catch the high-risk offenders and has taken the unusual step of releasing their pictures in an attempt to bring them to justice. DRITAN REXHEPI, 32 (aka GRAMOS REXHAPAJ)CRIME: Murder and aggravated burglaryWANTED: Albania and BelgiumSuspected of shooting dead two men in 1999 and burglary in 2005. Links to London, Bedfordshire and Northants . EDVINAS JUDINSKAS, 19CRIME: MurderWANTED: LithuaniaIn gang suspected of beating man to death in 2008. Links to Woolwish, South London, Reading, Bury and Bolton . ION DRAGOMIR, 31CRIME: GBHWANTED: RomaniaAccused after fight in 2009. Links to Hackney and Edgware, both London . SERHAT ASLAN, 26CRIME: Robbery and kidnap. WANTED: TurkeyHunted of fatal stabbing of youth in 2004. Lived in Chingford Essex . Three of the on-the-run suspects are wanted for murder. The public are being urged not to approach the suspects who are considered dangerous. It is the third time the Metropolitan Police has run Operation Sunfire. The . aim is to trace and arrest the suspected criminals, haul them before . the courts and seek their extradition so they can face justice abroad. Publishing the fugitives’ photographs will increase the chance of them being spotted and caught. CONSTANTIN NICIU, 34 (aka CLAUDIN FAGAS)CRIME: Robbery and kidnapWANTED: RomaniaAccused of abducting two men. Links to Havering, East London . KRZYSZTOF PEDZIK, 25CRIME: RobberyWANTED: PolandFled sentence for robbery in 2006. Also wanted for burglaries in London. Links to North London . PAWEL JAKUB CHMIELORZ, 27CRIME: GBHWANTED: PolandFled jail term for six attacks 2006-9. Frequents Edmonton, London . HYSNI SOKOLAJ, 40CRIME: TraffickingWANTED: AlbaniaAccused of forcing woman into prostitution and smuggling her into UK. Links with London, Leicester . Extensive police inquiries have not yet found them. Detective Sergeant Peter Rance, . leading the operation for the Met Extradition Unit, said: ‘Do you . recognise these faces? Maybe you know where these people live, work or . socialise? ‘They are wanted . to face justice for a multitude of crimes in other countries and it is . in the UK’s interests to help find them.’ Police . believe it is as likely that the fugitives will be recognised from a . social networking site or chatroom, such as Facebook or Twitter, as . spotted walking down the street. LUKASZ WYRZYIEWICZ, 30CRIME: GBH, affrayWANTED: PolandSuspected of stabbing two brothers in 2009. Links to north and west London, and Glasgow . LASZLO NEMES, 52CRIME: GBH, affrayWANTED: HungaryAlleged to be involved in smuggling people across Serbian-Hungarian border. Known in east London . ROBERT GRYGORUK, 36CRIME: Gun possession, assault, supplying drugs, controlling prostitution and fraudWANTED: PolandAccused of 24 offences. Links to London . DARIUSZ FARFUS, 24CRIME: GBHWANTED: PolandFled sentence for brawl in 2007. Could be living in North London . Lord Ashcroft, the Tory peer who launched the Crimestoppers hotline, said: ‘People should have the right to live without the fear of crime and we are encouraging the public to call us completely anonymously if they recognise any of these individuals or have any information as to their whereabouts. ‘By working together and speaking up, we can all take steps towards making the UK safer.’ if you have any information, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The photographs are also at www.crimestoppers-uk.org . VASILE VLADU, 30 (aka MARIUS CIONCA or GITMAN)CRIME: Attempted murder, trafficking and theftWANTED: Romania. Suspected of baseball bat attack in 2004. Wanted for trafficking women in 2004-5. Known in east London, Essex and Hertfordshire . KAROL KOCZMARA, 24 (aka MICHAL URA)CRIME: Kidnap, gun robberyWANTED: PolandAccused of offences in 2005-6. Links to north London . EVALDAS RABIKAUSKAS, 29CRIME: Kidnap, gun robberyWANTED: LithuaniaAccused of raping teenager in 2007. Links to London . KRZYSZTOF ZAKRZEWSKI, 38CRIME: RobberyWANTED: PolandAccused 1992. Links to east London . | Scotland Yard has released pictures in attempt to bring them to justice .
Publishing photos will increase chance of them being spotted and caught . |
276,743 | f286feebd700b45983621fdfa82e9d2d2de7eb24 | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 10:15 EST, 17 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:30 EST, 18 September 2013 . Victim: Amina Bibi was found by her 11-year-old son having suffered multiple stab wounds at her home in Forest Gate, east London on Friday . A schoolboy pleaded with a neighbour to 'help my mum, help my mum' after he returned home from school to collect his homework and found his mother had been murdered. The 11-year-old boy desperately banged on his neighbour's door on Friday morning looking for help after he found Amina Bibi, 43, in a pool of blood at her flat in Forest Gate, east London. The boy, who was being walked to school by his father, had returned home to pick up his homework and it is thought that he may have disturbed Mrs Bibi's killer by ringing the doorbell. She had suffered multiple stab wounds. Detectives have today said that Mrs Bibi's murder may have a 'domestic element' to it. They have so far arrested two men in connection with the killing. They are being questioned at an east London police station this afternoon. Neighbour Jamal Omar, 41, said the boy came knocking on his door, screaming for help, moments after he let him into the block of flat via the intercom system. The father-of-two said: 'He came banging on my door, shouting for help. When I opened the door he said "help my mum. I don’t know what’s wrong with her". 'I went next door with him and saw Amina lying face down on the floor, covered in blood. 'I rang 999 and they told me to revive her but it was too late for me to do anything. 'She was a lovely woman. The family have lived here at long as we have, we’ve known each other for 10 years. 'It’s such a terrible thing. They are a good family, nobody deserves this. 'I haven’t seen her husband or children since it happened.' Detective Chief Inspector David Whellams, who is leading the investigation into Mrs Bibi's death, added: 'As the son entered the flat he found the body of his mother. Crime scene: Mrs Bibi was found dead at her home in Forest Gate, east London, on Friday morning . 'The son contacted the dad who returned and by the time he got back the ambulance crew had arrived. 'The family at the moment are bearing-up as well as they can after this tragedy. The children are very upset and are being looked after by relatives.' Police believe that Mrs Bibi's killer would have been covered in blood when he fled her east London flat. Detective Chief Inspector Whellams said: 'From intelligence we believe he has run to the back of the block of flats and away, as a blood trail in the flat suggests they left by the back of the property. 'We have a CCTV image that looks like he was carrying some sort of garment or cloth, like a jacket, towel or other clothing. 'We believe he would have been very noticeable and appeal for anyone who saw him to get in touch. At that time of day there were kids being dropped off at the school and there were people on their way to work as he ran down the road. 'People also need to look out for any discarded garments or items that may be covered in blood.' Confirming that a 64-year-old man and a man in his forties had been arrested and are being questioned by police, a Scotland Yard spokesman said this afternoon: 'This is a complex and fast moving investigation and one current line of inquiry is that the murder may have a domestic element.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Amina Bibi suffered multiple stab wounds at her home in Forest Gate, east London .
Police believe her son may have disturbed her killer when he returned to collect homework .
Detectives confirmed today that they believe the murder may have a 'domestic element' to it .
Officers have arrested a 64-year-old man and a man in his forties in connection with the death . |
168,486 | 65e98d0a23d90a93276bf8cb720b59ea68cab334 | CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, Friday called questions early in the campaign about whether her biracial husband was "black enough" to appeal to African-American voters "silly." Michelle Obama says she is not hurt by those who question whether her husband is "black enough." "It's silliness and it's about part of the silliness of our culture," she said. A Harvard-educated attorney and vice president at the University of Chicago, Michelle Obama, 44, said the question -- raised most famously in a New York Times article -- wasn't hurtful to her. "That has nothing to do with me or Barack -- that has to do with the challenges we are facing in this country and we shouldn't be surprised by them because we still haven't worked through this stuff," she said. "I don't think there is a person of color in this country that doesn't struggle with what it means to be a part of your race versus what the majority thinks is right." The question about Obama, who was born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and a mother from Kansas, was raised early in the presidential race, when rival Sen. Hillary Clinton was polling well among black voters and landing endorsements from high-profile black political leaders. Watch Michelle Obama talk about her reluctance to see her husband run » . Since then, Obama's support has vastly increased with black voters. He took 78 percent of the black vote in a South Carolina primary he won handily and 73 percent of the African-American vote in Florida, although delegates from that contest, which Clinton won, won't count because of a scheduling squabble between state and national Democratic officials. Obama, a senator from Illinois, and Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, are the two remaining challengers for the Democratic nomination and remain locked in a tight race. Obama won the season-opening Iowa caucuses and the South Carolina primary, while Clinton won New Hampshire, Nevada and no-delegate contests in Florida and Michigan, which also got in trouble for pushing ahead in the primary schedule. While she said she initially tried to talk her husband out of running for president, Michelle Obama said she doesn't share the concerns voiced by Alma Powell, wife of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is black, that her husband's safety might be threatened over a quest for the White House. Powell had been mentioned as a possible candidate, but did not run. "There are inherent risks for all people, but particularly for people of color, so, you know, I can't live my life worrying about what might go wrong," she said. "What we are going through, Barack and our family, is nothing compared to our leaders who pushed through on the civil rights movement. "When I think of Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King and true fears that they had and true sacrifices that they made, I think I don't have any right to hesitate for doing something that I think is important out of fear." E-mail to a friend . | Barack Obama is biracial; father from Kenya, mother from Kansas .
Michelle Obama says questions have "nothing to do with me or Barack"
Obama says she is not fearful for her husband's safety while campaigning . |
86,932 | f6b435e1975c99ebaa04d9f8ddc6d43bbb94f9e8 | Never tell a sex joke to a Yorkshireman, and don't even dare use toilet humour in Scotland. They're two crucial rules any stand-up must follow - if they believe a new study on the ever-elusive British sense of humour. The report interviewed more than 2,000 comedy fans across Britain and claimed Londoners and the Welsh were the only people who liked toilet humour overall, while those in the South West were the biggest fans of sex jokes. Scroll down for video . Rules of the game: A new survey claims there are big differences in sense of humour from region to region - while TV personalities like Geordie stand-up Sarah Millican (pictured) have boosted sales for female acts . Favourites: Lee Evans (left) was put at number one while Miranda Hart (right) was the only woman in the top ten . The most prudish, it seemed, were those from Yorkshire - as the region emerged as the only one which reacted more negatively than positively to jokes about bedroom antics. It scored minus 5 on a scale from 100 to minus 100, while the South West registered a score of 33. Some topics, including disability, race and death, were off-limits for almost everyone. Others were fair game, including family, politics, the economy, education, gender and health. Shappi Khorsandi said: 'It's great to see the surge in female comedians, stamping out the prejudice' Most comedy fans enjoyed a gentle ribbing about where they live but those in the South West and North West were particular fans, with those in the East Midlands less impressed. Toilet humour was deemed unacceptable everywhere except London and Wales - and Scotland thought scatological jokes were particularly unfunny. Despite the regional differences the State of Play: Comedy report, commissioned by the gig sales website Ticketmaster, found there was no clear north-south divide to what Britons enjoy in comedy. The wide-ranging survey also found big-name female comics such as Sarah Millican and Miranda Hart are putting women on the map - and into the box office. Shows by female comedians now account for 14 per cent of all comedy tickets sold. Despite comprising less than a seventh of all sales, the figure is a big improvement on 2009 when women were producing just 2 per cent of the industry's takings. Comedian Shappi Khorsandi said: 'It's great to see the surge in female comedians, stamping out the prejudice. 'We have still further to go though, I'd like to see more female comics enjoying the dominance that men do on the bigger stages. 'Perhaps we are not capturing the public's imagination in the same way, but it is all changing for the better and we are well on the way to enjoying equal success with our comedy brothers.' The nation's favourite comedians were still dominated by men including Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Peter Kay, John Bishop and Jimmy Carr. Miranda Hart was the only woman to make the top ten, squeezing into tenth place, but she came fifth in a list of comedians most likely to 'unite families' on the sofa. The poll of more than 2,000 people revealed the extent to which TV can make or break a comedian's career, as 51 per cent of the respondents - who watched live shows regularly - said they would only pay to see someone who had already appeared on-screen. Top pick: Michael McIntyre regularly crops up in the nation's list of favourite comics, and this was no exception . Britain's regions may have differences in what people find funny but comedians are drawn from every corner of the country. Pictured: Lancashire-born Peter Kay (left) and Liverpool's John Bishop (right) made the top five . And it claimed the art of heckling is disappearing, with only one in five thinking it was acceptable and just 3 per cent admitted to doing it regularly. But as any comedy-lover worth their salt will insist, few gig-goers are perfect. Even though more than four-fifths of people said whispering during a set was unacceptable, almost the same number admitted to doing it themselves. | Survey for gig sales outlet Ticketmaster examined 'unacceptable' jokes .
Topics like disability, race and death off-limits but others up for debate .
None of the regions liked toilet humour except Londoners and the Welsh .
South West of England enjoyed jokes about sex and regional comedy .
Study also finds comics like Sarah Millican have boosted sales for women . |
187,580 | 7eec03ecd2a0c52052a06ddd620bbe668d06b9f4 | (CNN) -- One person died and six were injured when a cargo train derailed, causing an explosion and massive fire in Illinois, a fire chief said Saturday. A train carrying chemicals derailed and burned for hours, forcing the evacuation of about 600 homes . Crews were still fighting the blaze at midday, but expected to have it fully contained in the afternoon, said Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten. "It's under control and we're taking every precaution not to harm firefighters or residents," Bergsten said, adding that federal and state environmental officials were on scene monitoring air and soil samples. The fatality was a woman, said Winnebago County Coroner Sue Fiduccia. The cause of death had not been determined because Fiduccia was unable to get close enough to examine the body. Bergsten said six people were injured, and all train workers were accounted for. The train was carrying chemicals that burned for hours, forcing the evacuation of about 600 homes in the town about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Chicago, authorities said. Officers were called to the scene near Rockford about 8:30 p.m. Friday, a city police spokeswoman said. The derailment involved automobiles, but it was unclear whether they were on the tracks, she said. Three motorists who were stopped at a train crossing were burned, one severely, Bergsten said. One of the victims, who tried to run from the blaze, suffered second-degree burns on his hand while trying to shield his neck from flames, according to Bergsten. At least 14 cars of the 114-car train caught fire after the derailment, officials said. The rest of the Canadian National Railway train -- including 70 cars carrying ethanol, a colorless, highly flammable liquid -- was disconnected and moved away from the blaze, Bergsten said. CNN's Greg Morrison and Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report. | NEW: Woman dead after train derails, erupts into flames in Rockford, Illinois .
Several cars of the train were carrying ethanol, authorities say .
Explosion forced evacuation of nearly 600 homes . |
173,471 | 6c7eab8c1478c43a05b7a4da23f430cd9415b501 | Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- A shell landed near a school as children began their school year in the war-weary eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Wednesday morning, killing at least three adults and shattering what would have been a step toward normalcy for dozens of students. Shells also hit a public transit bus in the city about the same time, killing six people in or near the vehicle, city officials said. The shelling in Donetsk, held for months by pro-Russian rebels, came despite a ceasefire that Ukraine's government reached with separatist leaders last month. A shell landed 5 meters from Donetsk's School 57 about 10 a.m., shattering windows and doors on the first and second floors, local officials said. It was the first day of the school year in rebel-controlled areas of the Donetsk region, a debut that was delayed by a month because of shelling and clashes between separatists and the Ukrainian military. Conflicting reports emerged over how many people were killed at the school. Officials at the rebel-held city office said a biology teacher and two parents died, and five other people were injured. | Shells hit a school and a public transit bus in rebel-held Donetsk, Ukraine, officials say .
Wednesday was first day of school year in Donetsk, rebels say .
Regional authority blames rebels, who blame Ukrainian military . |
3,975 | 0b75681a4ba09185986222bc10c66d2122839ec7 | (CNN) -- As the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the potential increase of dengue fever and other climate-sensitive illnesses, Japan saw an almost-seven decade streak of being dengue fever-free end. In the past week, at least 55 people have become ill with dengue fever, confirming fears that the fever, last seen in 1945, is back. The cases have one thing in common -- those affected all appear to have visited Yoyogi Park, one of Tokyo's largest outdoor spaces, and all have complained of mosquito bites. Following fumigation last week, the health ministry and Tokyo metropolitan government trapped and analyzed about 100 mosquitoes from the park and, found strains of the virus, prompting authorities to close large parts of the park as of Thursday afternoon. This week, two models, Saaya, 20, and Eri Aoki, 25, who were filming for "King's Brunch," a variety show, in the park, were struck down with the virus, the Nikkan Sports newspaper reported. The dengue outbreak in Japan has seen victims from the age of 10 to those in their 70's. While most people recover within a week, the disease can create discomfort and and can, in rare cases, cause death. The disease, which is mainly transmitted by a type of mosquito (Aedes aegypti), is found in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide. Symptoms include fever, severe headache, rashes and pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain. Harrowing experience . By all accounts, contracting dengue fever is a harrowing experience. Chris Dwyer, formerly of CNN and now a Hong Kong-based communications consultant, contracted dengue while on vacation in Malaysia in July. Back in Hong Kong after a few days, Dwyer found himself unusually lethargic in the afternoon. The following day he had a fever and a temperature, which got progressively worse. "By the onset of that evening I had appalling pain in my joints, really achy, weak limbs and just a sense that I wasn't well at all," he said. "This was unlike anything else, it was so debilitating." Eventually, he was admitted into hospital and eventually recovered. where he was put on a drip while doctors monitored his liver and white blood cell count. "As far as I understand it I was lucky... there are other symptoms that I've heard are pretty gruesome," he said. Worldwide problem . While dengue fever is not transmitted human to human, the Japanese health ministry said that domestic mosquitoes could have picked it up from people infected abroad. Almost half the world's population lives in high-risk countries, the WHO says. Last year, Singapore suffered a sweeping epidemic, which saw four die of the disease and over 12,000 become infected. Takeshi Kurosu, an assistant professor at Osaka University's Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, said that the Tokyo outbreak was most likely imported into the country by an infected individual, who then transmitted it to domestic mosquitoes. "Probably one person who was infected outside Japan went to (Yoyogi) park," he said. "It's possible that there was an infected mosquito (transported to Japan) in a bag, but the patient numbers indicate that it was likely an infected person." He says that it is likely that there have been previous, small and undiagnosed outbreaks in Japan before, but this one was flagged by a doctor who had experience spotting the symptoms of the virus. To date there have been no fatalities in the Japanese outbreak, and Kurosu is confident that the virus can be contained. "It will (most likely) be controlled. It will be autumn soon and this type of mosquito can't survive the cold weather." Climate-linked spread . The disease is on the rise, and over half of the world's population live in dengue endemic areas. The Japanese outbreak comes as a WHO conference examining the links between health and climate change warned of the risks of infectious diseases like malaria and dengue which are strongly influenced by climate. Higher humidity and temperatures mean mosquitoes can survive longer, increasing the likelihood for transmitting diseases and being able to travel to a wider geographic range. "Vulnerable populations, the poor, the disadvantaged and children are among those suffering the greatest burden of climate-related impacts and consequent diseases, such as malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition, which already kill millions every year," said Dr. Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director-General, Family, Women's and Children's Health in a press release. "Without effective action to mitigate and adapt to the adverse effects of climate change on health, society will face one of its most serious health challenges." Kurosu agrees that climate change is a factor, giving rise to longer periods that infected mosquitoes can survive. Adverse conditions, such as drought, however, can also impede the spread of the disease. Drought in parts of India this summer has denied the mosquitoes the water that their larvae need to develop, leading to "extremely low" numbers of dengue cases this year, the Times of India reported. Urban centers affected worst . Kurosu says, the primary cause of the spread of dengue fever is linked to population movement and the rapid urbanization of developing countries, the majority of which are in the tropical zone most often affected by dengue fever . There is no cure for, and no vaccination against, dengue fever, The disease can develop into a "potentially lethal complication" called severe dengue, also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever. The WHO estimates that there are over 50-100 million cases of dengue worldwide each year, although a new study says the true number may be four times as high as that appraisal. Study suggests new approach to dengue fever . 5 myths about mosquito bites . | Japan facing first outbreak of dengue fever in almost 70 years .
WHO says climate change could lead to an increase in the prevalence of the disease .
Carried by mosquitoes, dengue is a debilitating illness and can be fatal . |
248,356 | cd56b3060901879e7bbc8c2e5a285c5ac16df8f4 | A very dedicated mother granted her daughter's wish for a 'birthday cake big enough to ride' by spending a week making her a life-size My Little Pony birthday cake - standing 4ft 3in tall. Maria Young, 29, constructed the mammoth pink pony from 26kg of icing, 86 eggs and 32 boxes of Rice Krispies. It was presented at daughter Emily's eighth birthday party - and ended up feeding 900 people after she took the leftovers to school. My BIG pony! Emily 8, Logan 9 and Brooke 3, were treated to a life-size pony cake by mother Maria Young . Maria spent £160 on ingredients and the colossal cake contained 16 roasting tins of sponge and 250,000 calories. The mother-of-three has only been baking for a year after her son Logan, nine, demanded a dinosaur cake for his birthday. She said: 'I'm not a baker, I'm just a mad mother. Last year my son asked me to make a standing-up dinosaur cake and it ended up at 2ft 3in. 'I told Emily she could have one this year and she asked for a My Little Pony one and she said she wanted it as tall as her. It actually ended up taller.' The cake is constructed around a wooden frame which was then packed with sticky Rice Krispies moulded to form the legs, neck and head. Standing tall: Maria spent a week making her daughter the perfect My Little Pony birthday cake standing at 4ft 3in tall . Master chef: The huge cake, containing well in excess of a quarter of a million calories, was crafted from 26kg of icing, 86 eggs and 32 boxes of Rice Krispies, lovingly layered over a wooden sub-structure . Work in progress: The pony's body was created with several layers of sponge cake with blueberry flavoured cream filling . Little and large: Maria's finished masterpiece based on My Little Pony (pictured bottom) weighed 50kg, measured 13 hands high and 4ft 7ins from edible nose to tail . The body was then built up with several layers of sponge cake with blueberry flavoured cream filling and the whole model was then smothered in pink icing. Maria's finished masterpiece weighed 50kg, measured 13 hands high and 4ft 7in from edible nose to tail. Delighted Emily nicknamed the cake 'Pinkie Pie' but the handful of friends at her birthday part barely made a dent in the sweet treat. Work of art: Maria has no formal baking or sculpture training and instead uses techniques she's seen on television to craft her mammoth cakes . First creation: The mother-of-three has only been baking for a year after her son Logan, nine, demanded a dinosaur cake for his birthday . So she shared it with her neighbours and took the leftovers to school - and in total 900 people enjoyed a slice. Delighted Emily, of Dorking, Surrey, said: 'I love it. It's even bigger than I imagined it would be.' Maria lives with husband Wayne and their three children, Emily, Logan and three-year-old Brooke. She has no formal baking or sculpture training and instead uses techniques she's seen on television to craft her mammoth cakes. A piece of cake! Maria made so much cake that she shared in with her neighbours and took the leftovers to school - and in total 900 people enjoyed a slice . However, she has no plans to take on such a huge project again. She said: 'I told her she could have whatever cake she wanted. Serves me right I suppose. She asked for a 'pony cake big enough for me to ride'. 'I saw all these American TV shows where people bake massive cakes and I just thought "it can't be that hard". 'I just make it up as I go along. But I'm pleased it's all over. Now I can get to sleep before midnight.' Taking a break: After creating the pony and dinosaur cake (pictured), Maria has no plans to take on such a mammoth project again . Making it up: Maria says her designs, like the dinosaur cake during its construction, are made up as she goes along . | Maria Young, 29, constructed 4ft 3in My Little Pony cake for daughter .
Spent £160 on ingredients and it contained 250,000 calories .
Weighed 50kg, measured 13 hands high and 4ft 7in from edible nose to tail .
Maria learned all her baking skills from TV shows . |
202,284 | 91e4712023adea647c416f55db89e7dd05fb1fbd | By . Mail Online Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:02 EST, 7 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:37 EST, 7 March 2014 . Muslim students from the disputed Indian territory of Kashmir, who were suspended from their university after cheering for the Pakistani cricket match, have been charged with disturbing communal harmony, police in the state of Uttar Pradesh said. At least 66 students were kicked out of Meerut Swami Vivekanand Subharti University (SVSU) in Srinagar, Kashmir after cheering for the team during a televised Asia Cup match against India on Sunday. Protests later broke out against the suspensions which led to the arrest of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader, Yasin Malik, as well as half a dozen of his supporters. Scroll down for video . Protest: Hundreds took part in protest marches after Muslim students . were suspended from an Indian university for cheering on Pakistan during a . rival cricket match. At least 66 students were suspended and threatened with a sedition charge by the UP . government . Before the protests, authorities tried to . track down the students for questioning over the alleged incident. It was believed they would be charged with sedition - which carries a life sentence. But the charges were dropped after sharp criticism from political circles and the Pakistani government. Akhilesh Yadav, chief minister of . northern Uttar Pradesh state, said he told state officials that sedition . should be not be used because the students probably did not understand 'the seriousness of their actions'. Arrests: Indian policemen detained several supporters of . pro-independence group Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) during a . protest march against the suspension of the Kashmiri students from . India's Meerut Swami Vivekanand Subharti University (SVSU) The students had been living in the . dorms at the university about 560 miles from . their homes in India-controlled Kashmir while studying at the university. After the incident, many of the students went back home to Srinagar, the main city in the state. Several claimed they had been discriminated against. Muteebul Majid, a business administration student in his 20s, said: ‘We didn't do anything illegal. Are they slapping these charges against us for being Kashmiris or for cheering for the Pakistani team?’ Gulzar Ahmed, also a business administration student, said he and his friends were never given a chance to explain themselves. He said: ‘They (local students) attacked us with stones and abuse after the match. Instead of taking action against their hooliganism, police bused us to the railway station and directed us to go home.' Chanting: Supporters of the JKLF shout . pro-freedom slogans during the protest in Srinagar, India on Friday. The day before, the students have been threatened with being charged with sedition which carries a life sentence . Cricket is one of the few things which unites Pakistan and India, but Sunday's incident shows how easily things can turn sour. Minutes after Pakistan won the close match, hundreds of Kashmiris lit firecrackers and chanted 'Long live Pakistan' and 'We want freedom'. Omar Abdullah, the top elected official in the Indian portion of Kashmir, said the students had been 'misguided' but that sedition charges would ruin their future. Detained: Indian policemen detain JKLF . chairman Yasin Malik, centre in red jacket, during the march . Scuffle: Muhammad Yasin Malik grapples with Indian policemen as they try to detain him . He said: ‘I don't condone what they did, what they did was obviously wrong and misguided. ‘That having been said, they are young and sedition charges will further push them to the fringes.' The banned Kashmir University Students Union said in a statement the reaction was ‘testimony to the fact that we have been in a perpetual state of war with India since the past 67 years’. Pakistan's government also showed support for the students. Pakistani Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said: ‘If these Kashmiri students want to come and pursue their studies in Pakistan, our hearts and academic institutions are open to them.' Out: Three of the students suspended by their university after cheering for Pakistan during the cricket match . Suspended: One of the students talks to the media about the situation at a protest against the university's move . | At least 66 students suspended for supporting Pakistan during cricket match .
Muslim men were from Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan border state in India .
Sedition charges which carries a life sentence dropped by state police .
Now students charged with disturbing communal harmony .
Protests broke out over the university's decision and led to several arrests . |
112,127 | 1ca1f8074a9ad62af60e7e6c48e661e5015a33ee | A teenager on trial for murder told a court he believed he was defeating an army of goblins with a sword and a brick while he beat his five-year-old foster brother and drowned him. Cody Metzker-Madsen bludgeoned Dominic Elkins to death in the garden of their foster home in Logan, Iowa, last year while the pair were playing. The 18-year-old then drowned him in a pool of water at the bottom of a ravine and dumped the body. The pair had only been in the house for a couple of weeks, both being removed from their biological parents, before the attack took place. During harrowing testimony on the first day of his murder trial, he told the judge that he was playing a game based on Roman mythology with the youngster and was transported to 'his own world' before he is suspected of killing him. Harrowing: Cody Metzker-Madsen, 18, bludgeoned his five-year-old foster brother Dominic Elkins to death in the garden of their foster home in Logan, Iowa, last year while the pair were playing . Fantasy: Testifying in court, Metzker Madsen said he was in his 'own world' during the attack and thought Dominic (pictured) was a goblin attacking him . Metzker Madsen then claims he saw 'green, ugly little creatures' that were fighting people he knew. The scene was similar to something from Skylanders, a video game the teen played, he said. During the harrowing account Metzer Madsen said he 'fought the goblin's commander' and pushed him into ravine. 'I remember attacking him with it and smashing it into his face,' Metzker-Madsen said. 'At that very moment did you realize it was Dominic?' the teen's attorney Michael Williams asked. 'No, I did not,' the teen responded. 'I started pushing his head into the water as I was hitting him with a brick.' The teen said he wanted to keep the goblin to make sure it wouldn't come back to life and fight him. Goblins are 'kind of tricky little creatures,' he said. However, talking about Dominic, he said: 'I loved the little guy, I would never hurt him. Not even a hair on his fricken' little head.' Fantasy: Metzker Madsen (mugshot taken last year) claims he saw 'green, ugly little creatures' that were fighting people he knew and remembers smashing the brick into Dominic's face - but didn't realize it was him . Devastated: Barbara Kunch, Dominic's biological mother, left the courtroom as Metzker-Madsen described the attack on her son . After killing the goblin commander, Metzker-Madsen said he was called out of the ravine by a screaming ally who needed his help. His 'vision' ended after he helped the other person. He then went to tell his teenage foster sister that he couldn't find Dominic. The biological mothers of Metzker-Madsen and Dominic sat in the courtroom and cried as the teen testified. The boys were both in the care of Julie and Don Coolman at the time who were also raising their own children. They haven't spoken publicly about the death. Barbara Kunch, Dominic's mother, left the courtroom as Metzker-Madsen described the attack on her son. She put her son into foster care because he had behavioral problems and did not know how to handle him. The five-year-old would throw uncontrollable tantrums and physically abuse others. That aggressive behavior had apparently come under control in recent days after he received months of therapy at a local treatment center before he was put into the Coolman's care. Metzker-Madsen said that he only realized he was involved in Dominic's death when he was in a car a short time later. He also got frustrated during cross-examination by assistant attorney general Denise Timmins. Witnesses to tragedy: Don Coolman pictured with his twin 12-year-old daughters, who discovered their foster brother dead in a ravine . Prosecutors noted that Metzker-Madsen provided more than one story for why Dominic died and was able to lead his foster family to his body. On cross-examination, Metzker-Madsen said he told different people varying versions of the stories depending on a symbol that only he could see on top of people's heads. 'You don't really believe me, do you?' the teen asked Timmins at one point. Metzker-Madsen's biological mother, Peggy Madsen, also took to the stand. She told the court how she would use $20 of crystal meth a day for three months while she was pregnant with him. She had custody of him until he was seven and claimed that he grew up having imaginary friends and likened himself to a Power Ranger. The teenager has been kept isolated in prison since last year and his attorney is using an insanity defense. | Cody Metzker-Madsen, 18, bludgeoned Dominic Elkins to death last year .
Pair were playing in the garden of their foster home in Logan, Iowa .
Metzker-Madsen claimed he then had a 'vision' of a goblin attack .
Testified that he remembers smashing the brick into the boy's face .
However, during the rampage he said he didn't know it was Dominic .
The teen's attorney Michael Williams is using an insanity defense . |
42,218 | 77290298fdaea753f1db41ab15c614ad68d5e99a | This is the dramatic moment a herd of elephants rush to the rescue of a baby elephant trapped in a mud pool. The youngster had become stuck in the tranquil watering hole along with a nyala antelope in Tembe Elephant Park, Southern Mozambique. But the quiet atmosphere was shattered when the herd realises the baby elephant is stuck. With a trumpeting of their trunks, the herd of elephants rush to rescue the trapped calf . The young elephants had earlier been playing around in the mud with their parents . Frantically trumpeting at full blast the herd en-masse dashes to help, desperately bundling the baby up and out of the mud pit. The chaotic scenes were captured by Chris Vaughan-Jones, 21, during a leisurely 4x4 drive with two American tourists. He said: 'We were at a quiet little water hole and there was absolute silence other than birds and grass hoppers There probably wasn't another human for 50km. But as the seniors got out of the mud bath, the calves found the route out somewhat difficult . After a cry for help, ten elephants rush to rescue the calf, sadly trampling to death a nyala who was also there . Then the elephants all started trumpeting at full blast, which was a shock to suddenly have this tranquil water hole turned into a chaotic scene with 10 trumpeting elephants. 'I saw this situation panning out and knew something was going to happen, as the elephants hadn't become aware of the nyala until one of the babies actually flops its trunk onto it. 'We all felt very lucky to have seen this but at the same time scared. 'Seeing that we were about to go down and free the nyala just before the elephants arrived, we knew that could have been us being trampled to death.' The elephants were forced to share their mud bath with a nyala, who wasn't fazed at first . But as the adult elephants rushed in to save their young, the nyala escape route was sadly blocked . Tragically the nyala was fatally trampled by the elephant herd as they tried to rescue their young. Chris added: 'After a minute of awed silence that followed the chaos, while we watched the elephants, we all knew we had just seen something that not may people have ever seen. 'We knew the whole event only took one to two minutes and if we had either driven passed the water hole or had arrived a few minutes later we would have been non the wiser that anything had ever happened. 'We waited around for 15 minutes watching the elephants and in the hope the nyala would get up, but after a while we knew it was dead.' | Elephants were pictured enjoying a mud bath in Southern Mozambique .
But the serene relaxing was ruined when a calf got trapped in the mud .
Herd of adults rush to youngster's aid, trampling an antelope to death . |
2,891 | 0874eb9fd2839b9a6a417d6b79b958829cea587c | (CNN Student News) -- November 6, 2009 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Fort Hood, Texas • Kabul, Afghanistan • University of Central Florida . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: We're wrapping up the first week of November, and we're glad to have you along for the ride. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz. First Up: Fort Hood Shootings . AZUZ: "A horrific outburst of violence." That is how President Obama described yesterday's deadly shooting at a military post in Texas. A gunman opened fire on a soldier processing center at Ft. Hood, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens of others. According to military officials, the alleged gunman is in custody. Authorities said there was no immediate information about a motive behind the attack, but the Army has asked the FBI to help look into the suspect's background. You can get the latest details on this developing story at CNN.com. Health Care Debate . AZUZ: Back in the nation's capital, the debate over health care reform is ratcheting up. The House of Representatives might vote on its health care bill this weekend. And yesterday, that bill, which has been backed primarily by House Democrats, picked up the support of two big groups: AARP and the AMA. AARP is the country's largest organization of older Americans. The group's head says the house bill meets AARP's goals when it comes to health care reform. The AMA, or American Medical Association, is one of the nation's most influential medical groups. It said the bill doesn't represent its views perfectly, but it's close enough to earn the AMA's support. Many people, including most House Republicans, are opposed to the $1.1 trillion bill. Yesterday, they held a rally at the U.S. Capitol to speak out against it. One of their main criticisms is that the public option that's included in the bill is basically a government takeover of the country's health care system. Republicans have offered their own proposals, but they've been rejected by Democrats, who are in the majority in the House. Yesterday, leaders from both parties spoke out against each other's plans. REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: This weekend, the House of Representatives is likely to vote on Pelosi-care. This bill is the greatest threat to freedom that I have seen in the 19 years I have been here in Washington. Taking away your freedom to choose your doctor. REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D) HOUSE SPEAKER: Anything you need to know about the difference between the Democratic bill and the Republican bill is that the Republicans do not end health insurance companies' discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Let that stand. That's scandalous, the fact that it exists. I don't understand why we have not heard the American people who have said that pre-existing conditions should not be a source of discrimination. Benefits Extended . AZUZ: The House has passed a couple of economic measures that could help out two groups of people: the unemployed and first-time home buyers. The first part of this legislation extends the amount of time that people can collect unemployment benefits, something that millions of Americans are depending on right now. In all states, people who are out of a job could continue getting unemployment for an additional 14 weeks. But in states with an unemployment rate higher than 8.5 percent, the benefits would be extended for 20 weeks. The second measure is also an extension. This one is for an $8,000 tax credit that's available to people buying a home for the first time. The Senate passed this legislation on Wednesday, and President Obama is expected to sign it into law today. Tribal Leaders Summit . AZUZ: Yesterday, he took part in a White House conference with Native American leaders. During his speech, the president said that the U.S. government was guilty of mistreating Native Americans in the past, but he wants to build a new relationship between tribal leaders and the government. In order to do that, he's ordered federal agencies to offer ideas on how Native American tribes can take part in government decisions. There are 564 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. About two-thirds of them were represented at yesterday's conference. Shoutout . TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Who is the current secretary-general of the United Nations? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Kofi Annan, B) Kurt Waldheim, C) Ban Ki-moon or D) Boutros Boutros-Ghali? You've got three seconds -- GO! Ban Ki-moon became the 8th U.N. secretary-general on January 1, 2007. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Safety Assessment . AZUZ: Last week, Ban Ki-moon said that the U.N. is determined to carry out its mission of helping the people of Afghanistan build a better future. The statement came after an attack in the Asian country which claimed the lives of five U.N. workers. The United Nations is making some changes to its security measures in Afghanistan. Sara Sidner explains how. (BEGIN VIDEO) SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After the targeted attack on U.N. staff members here in a guarded guest house in Kabul that left five U.N. members dead, the United Nations has decided to make some changes. They are, for right now, sending out about 600 foreign workers here, and they're going to assess right now the security situation for their staff. They're sending those workers out for about three weeks, and then intend to bring some of them back. But first, they want to figure out how to beef up security here. Now, we understand though that the U.N. is very, very adamant that they are not pulling out of Afghanistan. They are simply looking at the security situation, obviously, after that traumatic time where five of their colleagues died. We should also mention that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is asking for about $85 million to beef up security here. Sara Sidner, CNN, Kabul. (END VIDEO) Military Vaccines . AZUZ: Some U.S. forces serving in Afghanistan and Iraq may be getting their H1N1 flu shots soon. Just like with civilians, the military has a priority list that says who should get the vaccine first. But as Barbara Starr explains, there are some hang-ups in getting the doses out, even to the people at the top of that list. (BEGIN VIDEO) BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: As Americans wait in lines across the country to get the H1N1 vaccine, the Pentagon this week finally began shipping limited vaccine supplies to troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Under Pentagon guidelines, tens of thousands of troops on the front line and those headed to war are the top military priority to receive the vaccine. Even so, supplies are severely limited. Only half of what is needed is now on the way. GEOFF MORRELL, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: Right now, we don't have enough to even take care of all of them. STARR: The Pentagon is defending plans to offer the vaccine to detainees at Guantanamo Bay, as well as those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prisoners are considered to be high risk, but a lower military priority than troops, health care workers and civilian personnel. STARR (Question): I haven't heard an assurance that detainees will get it after civilians in this country. MORRELL: Barbara, Barbara, Barbara, Barbara, you are presuming that I have the knowledge or the wherewithal to tell you the protocols that are being used for the general population. All I can do is speak to what the priorities are in this department. STARR: Troops at home also a priority because they will be called upon to help in towns across the country if the crisis grows. The military's top homeland defense commander has teams that could move into action. GEN. GENE RENUART, COMMANDER, U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND: It would be to provide things like potentially logistics, movement of supplies, maybe additional health care providers that could assist in immunization. STARR: The Pentagon stopped counting the number of troops that have come down with H1N1 back in July, when world health authorities declared a global pandemic. But privately military officials say the number of cases continues to grow, and recently, Defense Secretary Robert Gates received his vaccine. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon. (END VIDEO) Promo . AZUZ: Word to the wise: "favoriter." When your favorite gets more favorite! The grammar isn't great, but your favorite web site is: CNNStudentNews.com is renewed, revamped and relaunched, so rediscover it! Just type in CNN.com and click on the U.S. page; you'll see us down on the right. Or, type CNNStudentNews.com into your browser. The site's cleaner, easier to navigate, easier to access all of our free educational materials. Guaranteed to become favoriter! Jordan Shoes . AZUZ: It's gotta be the shoes. Marcus Jordan, son of basketball legend Michael Jordan, wanted to be like Mike. He wore Nike "Air Jordan" shoes during an exhibition game Wednesday night. Not surprising, but Marcus plays for the University of Central Florida, and that school had a deal with Adidas, getting free uniforms, equipment and shoes, but only if Central Florida players wore the Adidas brand. When Marcus wore his dad's Nikes, Adidas reportedly backed out of the contract, possibly costing central Florida as much as $3 million. A university official says they're still trying to work this out. Before We Go . AZUZ: You know we're talking about this on our blog, we'd like you to head to our redesigned home page and share your thoughts. Finally today... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On your mark, get set, go! AZUZ: Okay, a race isn't that interesting. But what these guys are racing is: hospital gurneys. It's part of homecoming week at an Alabama university. And apparently, it's one of the school's oldest traditions. We can only imagine the conversation when all this was first started. It's like one guy said to the other, you wanna race hospital beds? Goodbye . AZUZ: Yeah, that would be sick! Aw yeah. Well, that raps us up for the week. We hope you have a great weekend and return with us next weekend. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz. | Consider the rising debate in Washington over health care reform proposals .
Find out why the U.N. is re-evaluating its security measures in Afghanistan .
Hear how the U.S. military plans to distribute doses of the H1N1 vaccine .
Use the weekly Newsquiz to test your knowledge of stories you saw on CNN Student News . |
193,274 | 8639a90835935e4baef9ad25597f9f4bc82b8ffa | The Transportation Security Administration said Friday it has started the process of firing 25 of its agents and suspending 19 others for not following screening procedures. The 44 employees all worked in a checked-baggage screening room in Terminal B of Newark's Liberty International Airport, TSA spokesman David Castelveter told CNN in a written statement. In November and December of 2011, they were caught on surveillance cameras not following proper screening protocols, an agency internal investigation revealed. After passengers check their bags, TSA screeners are supposed to search the luggage with electronic scanners and open some bags by hand. In this case, the employees allegedly didn't follow procedures on about 250 bags during the two months, the agency said. All bags did receive some screening, however. The punishment marks the largest removal and suspension of TSA officers in the agency's history, and part of a larger internal crackdown on improper behavior by TSA agents. "Accountability is an important aspect of our work and we take appropriate action with any employee who does not follow our procedures or engages in misconduct," Castelveter said. In June, the same investigation prompted the agency to fire eight checked-baggage screeners at Newark for violating TSA procedures, including some of them for sleeping on the job. That same month, 43 TSA workers in Fort Myers, Florida, were disciplined for not performing additional screening on random passengers and carry-on bags. At Boston's Logan Airport, 20 checked-baggage screeners were punished in August for reading newspapers or talking on the phone when they were supposed to be screening bags, or for not reporting the misconduct, a spokesperson told CNN at the time. And last year, 36 checked-bag screeners in Hawaii were fired after they were caught on a security camera in 2010 ignoring procedures, including putting bag inspection notices in bags without actually inspecting them, an inspector general's report said. TSA screeners put inspection notices in bags they didn't inspect . TSA reprimands bag screeners over job performance at Boston airport . Speedier trip through airport security could come within a decade . TSA behavior detection officers will be retrained after profiling complaints . | The TSA says 44 employees at Newark's airport did not follow screening procedures .
It plans to fire 25 of them and suspend the other 19 .
Procedures were not followed on about 250 bags over two months, the TSA says . |
52,674 | 95584cc6af033babda5cef157b0751ce4d789442 | Police are hunting four masked men who burst into a man's house in the middle of the night and ripped off his penis. Fei Lin, 41, was asleep in bed at his home in Niqiao village near Wenling city in east China's Zhejiang province when the attackers struck at 4am. The men put a bag over his head, Mr Lin told police. Agony: Fei Lin, 41, tries to block out the pain after four masked men ripped off his penis in the middle of the night . He said: 'They put something over my head and pulled down my trousers and then they ran off. 'I was so shocked I didn't feel a thing - then I saw I was bleeding and my penis was gone.' It is thought Mr Lin was targeted because he had been having a number of affairs with local married women. Patient: Mr Lin isn't afforded much privacy in hospital . Home: Migrant worker Mr Lin was sleeping in this hut when the attack took place . Emergency workers and police who . searched for the severed organ failed to locate it, and believe it was . taken away by the attackers. The injured man is a rural migrant worker in the village. He had been accused of affairs with local women and although he denied it police believe that the attack was a revenge assault. | Fei Lin, 41, was asleep in bed at home when the attackers struck at 4am .
It is believed the migrant had been having affairs with local married women . |
138,224 | 3ec003419f5defff4a22531c263f10b9cd47b0d3 | KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Pilot error caused the crash of a U.N. helicopter in March which killed 10 people, a Nepalese investigating official said Wednesday. A U.N. worker at the site of the March helicopter crash that killed 10 people in Nepal. The helicopter was traveling from a camp for former Maoist rebels in eastern Nepal to the capital, Kathmandu, when it crashed on March 3. The crew did not consult the weather forecast, nor did it plan a route before taking off, said Nagendra Prasad Ghimire, the joint secretary of the civil aviation ministry and part of the investigation commission. Once the helicopter encountered bad weather, the pilot's unfamiliarity of local terrain compounded the problem, Ghimire said, summarizing the commission's findings. "He thought that, 'If I climb into the clouds, I will be safe above the terrain and continue to Kathmandu,'" he said. Instead, the crew found itself unable to control the aircraft. But the pilot kept the helicopter on auto-pilot mode. "The pilot should have manually handled the aircraft to rotate safely to the ground," Ghimire said. "Unfortunately, he didn't." The chopper crashed in a mountainous region near Bhawasa, about 145 km (90 miles) east of Kathmandu. The U.N. mission said three victims were Nepalese citizens. The others included four international arms monitors from Gambia, Indonesia, South Korea and Sweden. The air crew, from a Russian company, comprised of two Russians and one Belarussian, the U.N. mission said. The helicopter was returning from inspecting a camp for former Maoist rebels who fought a 10-year civil war to end Nepal's monarchy. More than 13,0000 people died in the fighting. The rebels signed a peace deal with the government in 2006, joined mainstream politics and won the most seats in April's election for the Constituent Assembly. The victory transformed Nepal from a monarchy to a republic after 239 years of autocratic rule. | Pilot error caused U.N. helicopter crash killing 10 people, probe finds .
Crew did not consult weather forecast nor plan a route before taking off .
Air crew comprised of two Russians and one Belarussian . |
259,267 | dba026332191db3865f94f2b1901d5a0c9343a49 | By . James Nye . New ESPN pundit Landon Donovan has wasted no time tearing into Jurgen Klinsmann, the coach who controversially dropped him last month. Appearing on the sports network on Wednesday for their World Cup Preview, former star Donovan lambasted defeatist coach Klinsmann for repeating for the second time in as many weeks that the USA has no chance at all of winning the trophy. 'This will come as a surprise to nobody, but I don't agree with Jurgen,' said Donovan who will work for ESPN for the duration of the 32-nation tournament which kicks-off on Thursday in Brazil. Scroll Down for Video . Straight talking: Landon Donovan has said that Jurgen Klinsmann is talking nonsense and the United States has every chance of winning the World Cup in Brazil . 'And as someone who has been in that locker room and has sat next to the players, we agree with the supporter group American Outlaws: We believe that we will win. 'I think that’s the way Americans think and I think that’s the sentiment.' Klinsmann was blasted by American soccer fans when he claimed in a New York Times article that his team were simply turning up at the World Cup hoping for the best. 'We cannot win the World Cup because we are not at that level yet,' Klinsmann said. 'For us, we have to play the game of our lives seven times to win the tournament.' Indeed, for effect, Klinsmann repeated this claim on Wednesday at his first news conference after arriving in Brazil. 'If it’s now American or not American, I don’t know. You can correct me however you want,' the U.S. coach . Pundit: Landon Donovan pulled no punches in his first appearance on ESPN as a soccer pundit for the World Cup . Klinsmann won the 1990 World Cup as a player for West Germany and coached Germany to the 2006 semifinals. However, Donovan was not just being a blind patriot in his attack on Klinsmann. He made a compelling case for the questionable psychology behind Klinsmann's supposed realism. 'If we're really expecting to go out and beat Ghana, beat Portugal and beat Germany -- in my opinion Germany is one of the best teams in the world. If you can beat Germany, why can't you beat anybody else? 'It doesn't mean it's going to happen, but I believe the US can win the World Cup and I think all of America believes it. We can do it.' ESPN are no doubt excited by the prospect of more potential headline making contradictions from Donovan, the all-time leading scorer for the United States with 57 goals and 156 caps. 'Adding Landon to our ESPN roster just before the World Cup is a coup because he knows the United States team better than anyone having played such a huge role in its success, especially at this event,' said Jed Drake, ESPN's executive producer for World Cup coverage. 'Landon is also one of this country's biggest sports stars, and we believe that he will help attract even more fans to our monthlong coverage.' Difference of opinion: Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann of the United States walks the pitch during the US Men's National Team training session at Sao Paulo FC on June 11, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil . Donovan won’t be traveling to Brazil, instead broadcasting from ESPN’s studios in Los Angeles. Last month, Donovan thought he had earned a prominent role on the U.S. World Cup team right up until the moment he was cut from the roster by coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Donovan was still stunned and confused by Klinsmann’s decision when he went back to work with the LA Galaxy on Saturday. 'I’m disappointed. I’m sad,' Donovan said after being left out. 'I’m human, and I wanted to go. I really wanted to go. I’m at peace with it. I respect the decision. I just feel in my heart that I deserve to be there, and that’s the pill that’s hardest to swallow.' The 32-year-old attacker was denied the chance to play in his fourth World Cup after Klinsmann chose US team newcomer Aron Johannsson and 31-year-old Chris Wondolowski over the most accomplished international player in American history. The decision surprised Donovan, who believed a strong performance in training camp had secured his spot on the 23-man roster. Legend: Landon Donovan of Los Angeles Galaxy reacts to his supporters after a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Union at StubHub Center on May 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California . But Donovan declined to speculate on additional possible factors in the decision: his recent soccer sabbatical, the coach’s decision to evaluate a versatile player solely as a forward, or the impact of the Americans’ difficult group draw on their long-term planning. 'I think if I’m being judged solely on what happens in camp, then I absolutely deserved to be going to Brazil,' Donovan said. 'I firmly believe that not only should I be going, but I feel like I really deserved it, and not from anything that I did in the past, but from what I’ve done in the last week and a half.' Donovan gave little insight into whatever reasons Klinsmann shared with him at the Bay Area training camp. Klinsmann provided only murky details about his decision Friday, saying other players were 'a little step ahead of Landon in certain areas.' 'I don’t agree with that assessment,' Donovan said. 'I think I was at least as good as everybody else in camp. ... I think I was one of the better players, so that’s why it stings a little. If I had gone in and didn’t feel like I deserved it, I could live with that. But that’s not the case here.' Donovan had nothing to say about any underlying implications of the mocking tweet by Jonathan Klinsmann, the coach’s teenage son, moments after the announcement. 'I don’t really know his son well, so I’m not really sure where that came from,' Donovan said. Landon Donovan is the leading scorer for the US Men's National Team with 57 goals and is seen here representing LA Galaxy . Donovan also doesn’t think his four-month sabbatical from soccer in 2013 after the Galaxy’s second straight MLS Cup title should have worked against him. 'I actually think I’ve been a much better player since I came back,' he said. Donovan is the career U.S. leader with 57 international goals, and is second with 156 appearances. He has scored five World Cup goals, including a stoppage-time goal against Algeria to send the Americans to the second round four years ago. Instead of jetting off to Brazil, the five-time MLS Cup champion will resume his pursuit of the top U.S. league’s career goal-scoring record in Sunday’s home game against Philadelphia. Donovan tied Jeff Cunningham’s mark with his 134th goal late last season, but hasn’t scored in seven matches with the Galaxy this year. 'I’m excited to be back here,' Donovan said. 'I certainly didn’t want to be back here under these circumstances or this soon, but I love these guys. These are my teammates, and this is my home. I will not let this affect me going forward.' Donovan said he would gladly return to the U.S. team from the standby list if an injury created a spot on the roster, and he wouldn’t rule out playing for the U.S. team in the future. He urged fans to support Klinsmann’s current squad because “I don’t want there to be a negative tint to any of this.” 'I’ve always loved representing this country, so I can’t imagine that if I’m given another opportunity that I would say no,' Donovan added. 'But at this point, I’m just trying to deal with the disappointment.' 72168 . 92091 . 238237 . | Landon Donovan used his first appearance as a pundit on ESPN to criticize US Soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann .
Soccer legend Donovan, 32, is confident his ex-teammates will succeed .
Klinsmann has played down the chances of the United States over the past week .
Repeated his claim that his squad has no chance of winning as he touched down in Brazil on Wednesday .
Klinsmann controversially dropped Donovan from his squad last month . |
78,290 | ddf5ab3e361a5e393e1f104847d5a89f6ce45093 | Prescriptions for ‘chemical cosh’ drugs to treat hyperactivity have risen almost nine-fold, with claims that children as young as three are taking them. The number of drugs prescriptions to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has leapt from 92,100 in 1997 to 786,400 last year, say NHS figures. It is feared that youngsters are being given them instead of more expensive counselling and other treatments. Some parents are also believed to be pressurising GPs for drugs to help boost performance at school. Epidemic: Ritalin is now being prescribed to young children as parents worry about their behaviour in school . Psychologists yesterday demanded tougher regulations and a significant reduction in the prescription of psychotropic drugs, including Ritalin. Health guidelines say they should not be given to children under six. Symptoms of ADHD include an inability to concentrate and restless or impulsive behaviour. Experts claim that cuts in funding for recommended treatment, including counselling, are leading to increased prescriptions. The British Psychological Society’s division of educational and child psychology yesterday held a one-day summit in Manchester to discuss rising concerns about the ‘medicalisation of childhood’. Ritalin – or methylphenidate hydrochloride – is among a number of so-called ‘chemical coshes’ used to treat ADHD. It can cause nausea, fatigue and mood swings and has been linked to suicides. Medication: There are fears that doctors are prescribing drugs because they are easier than other treatments . National guidelines in England and Wales say children with ADHD should receive ‘comprehensive’ treatment, including psychological, behavioural and educational help. But Vivian Hill, chairman of the BPS’s medicalisation of childhood working group, said that this did not always happen. ‘Budgets have been cut and psychiatrists feel they can’t follow the official guidelines, which recommend therapy before drugs. ‘Often, the first response now is to issue drugs, not offer therapeutic help.’ Sbe estimates ‘hundreds’ of children under six, some as young as three, are being given drugs, which might have little impact without other therapy. A study last year by the Association of Educational Psychologists found more than 100 children under six on Ritalin in the West Midlands – a trend ‘reaffirmed’ nationwide. A spokesman for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which advises the NHS on treatment, said drugs have a role to play, but psychotherapy is central to managing ADHD. He added: ‘These drugs are not recommended as first-line treatments for young people with mild or moderate ADHD. They are recommended as first-line therapy for school-age children and young people with severe ADHD.’ Barbara Sahakian, a professor of clinical neuropsychology at Cambridge University, said last night: ‘I have had psychiatrists tell me that sometimes they don’t feel that the child is sufficiently severe [enough] for requiring a drug treatment and they think psychological treatment might be sufficient. ‘But the parents are quite keen they should have a drug. Parents know these drugs are cognitive enhancing, so I guess they’re trying to get an advantage for the child.’ | Nearly 800,000 children were given ADHD medication last year, says the NHS .
Doctors are prescribing drugs instead of more expensive treatments . |
203,977 | 9410355fc13084f5634262b078407304d6375c7c | (CNN) -- German World Cup star Sami Khedira joined up with his new Real Madrid teammates on Sunday after completing his move from Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart. The 23-year-old passed a medical on Saturday, and has now traveled to California for the Spanish giants' pre-season tour of the United States, the Real website reported. He and Sergio Canales, another of new coach Jose Mourinho's four acquisitions since he arrived from European champions Inter Milan, have swelled the Madrid touring squad to 25 after departing with Alvaro Arbeloa, Raul Albiol and Rafael van der Vaart. Real will play Club America in San Francisco on Wednesday, then take on Los Angeles Galaxy in the Rose Bowl on Sunday before heading to Germany for a clash with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on August 13. Real go to Belgium for a match against Standard Liege on August 17, then return to Spain to face Hercules in Alicante before hosting the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy match against Uruguay champions Penarol. Khedira became hot property after his superb performances in South Africa, where seized his chance after Germany captain Michael Ballack was ruled out of the World Cup through injury, as he formed a superb partnership in central midfield with Bastian Schweinsteiger. Khedira, who had been linked with a move to English Premier League champions Chelsea, has won 12 caps for Germany after making his debut less than a year ago. He scored his first goal for his country in the third-place playoff win over Uruguay. Stuttgart said details of the transfer fee remained secret, but reports have suggested he will move for around $18 million. | Germany midfielder Sami Khedira heads to U.S. after sealing Real Madrid transfer .
Former Stuttgart player joins pre-season tour, having passed his medical on Saturday .
Spanish giants will play two pre-season matches in California before returning to Europe . |
216,411 | a429da039bd579ba31470d70baa0ac16340e4e36 | By . Louise Eccles . PUBLISHED: . 19:16 EST, 27 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:03 EST, 28 June 2012 . Embarrassing: When Hugh Robertson, pictured, tried to get into London 2012's new media centre without the necessary pass, he fell at the first hurdle . He might be the minister for the Olympics, but he’s hardly a household name. So when Hugh Robertson tried to get into London 2012’s new media centre without the necessary pass, he fell at the first hurdle. Failing to recognise the former Army major, the security men on duty correctly refused to let him into the multi-million pound venue. But their professionalism did not go down well with the Tory MP. ‘I’m the Olympics minister. You should damn well know who I am,’ he snorted. Faced with blank looks from the guards, the usually mild-mannered Tory MP is then alleged to have become ‘very angry’ – a claim flatly denied by Mr Robertson’s spokesman. A ten minute stand-off followed before someone inside the building vouched for the minister and he was finally allowed in. Afterwards a security officer recalled how the MP had snapped at him: ‘He said, “I’m the Olympics minister. You should damn well know who I am”. ‘I didn’t have a clue who he was and we have to check everyone’s identification whoever they are. ‘He should know that better than anyone else.’ A second guard added: ‘He said “I’m on the television all the time”, but I had never seen him before. I think it was out of order.’ The guards complained to supervisors, but were told by press officers to let the former soldier inside so that he could address waiting journalists. A source at the London Organising Committee of the Olympics and Paralympics said Mr Robertson was ‘not happy’ when he was finally allowed into the building. Blocked: Failing to recognise the former Army major, the security men on duty at the new media centre correctly refused to let him into the multi-million pound venue. The Olympic Stadium is pictured . Last night, a spokesman for the . Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said: ‘The minister had a . cordial conversation with one of the security team to get a pass for a . media briefing that was beginning shortly. ‘It is day one of the main Press centre being opened and we are encouraged that thorough security checks are being carried out.’ Mr Robertson, MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, was at the opening of the media centre on the same day that giant Olympic rings were unveiled on Tower Bridge to mark one month until the start of the Games. Spectacular: Tower Bridge is lit up on the day the giant Olympic rings are unveiled . Decorative: Mr Robertson was at the opening of the media centre on the same day that giant Olympic rings were unveiled on Tower Bridge, pictured, to mark one month until the start of the Games . But critics questioned the £1million price tag that came with the installation. The rings cost £500,000 to design, . construct and maintain, but will be replaced in seven weeks to make way . for the Paralympic logo, which will also cost £500,000. Under International Olympic Committee . guidelines, the five rings will be replaced by the ‘three agitos’ symbol . shortly after the Olympics closing ceremony. Yesterday, London mayor Boris Johnson said: ‘Glorious Tower Bridge is recognised the world over and, adorned with the famous Olympic rings, it is the perfect choice to showcase what London has to offer this summer.’ But The Taxpayers’ Alliance said it was yet another expense, on top of the £9.3billion investment from the public purse. Campaign manager Robert Oxley said: ‘Tower Bridge might provide a pretty photo-piece but taxpayers will rightly ask at what point organisers are going to stop spending their money and show even an ounce of restraint.’ Last night, a light show at Tower Bridge showed off the Yorkshire-made 13-ton rings to their full effect. | Hugh Robertson did not have the necessary pass to get into the new facility .
The security men on duty correctly refused to let him into the .
multi-million pound venue because they did not recognise the former Army major .
‘I’m the Olympics minister. You should damn .
well know who I am,’ the Tory MP snorted . |
79,271 | e0b4c251db40481c1f8f51445ff26bab4c542e8c | By . Lucy Waterlow . PUBLISHED: . 06:51 EST, 8 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:47 EST, 8 February 2013 . It's a trend that's already been popular in the U.S. after Mariah Carey painted her baby bump - now the craze is taking off in the UK as expectant mothers seek to celebrate their pregnancies in artistic fashion. Leila Searle, 27, a face painter from Upton in Poole, Dorset, has expanded her face painting business to include body art on baby bumps after she received requests from mothers-to-be. She found the service was popular at baby showers - another tradition from the U.S. that is becoming more common in Britain. Love bump: Leila Searle paints a heart design on mother-to-be Sofia Vieira at her home in Poole . Design for life: Sofia's completed artwork, left, and another of example of Leila's work created using theatrical make-up and glitter . Leila explained: 'I opened my beauty business a few years ago and then took a face painting course. Last August I had a phone call from a customer asking me if I would paint their baby bump. 'I love face painting and was up for . it, and so I went along to her baby shower and began decorating her bump . and it kicked off from there. Unlike children, adults sit still while I'm painting, and I can be more creative which is great.' Blossoming: Lisa paints intricate designs such as butterflies and flowers using non-toxic paint . Artistic way to announce the news: Mothers who know the sex or have chosen the name of their baby can have this included in the style . The beauty therapists uses theatrical . make-up, glitter, and diamantes to create the images on blossoming stomachs that wouldn't seem out of place on a canvas - but won't be to everyone's taste. Her designs have included intricate flowers, pretty butterflies, a realistic-looking globe, and potential baby names. Leila creates each image by building up layers of individual colour and waiting for them to dry before adding extra details and blending the shades. Your whole world now: This mother's bump is an impressive design of Earth . Marking the occasion: Leila's services are in demand at baby showers . Temporary creation: The pictures last for about a day and can be washed off with soapy water or baby wipes . Each picture is created with non-toxic paint that is completely safe for pregnant women to use and lasts all day before it can be removed with baby wipes or soapy water. Leila said: 'Once it's dry it shouldn't smudge, but the idea is to take photos to have as keepsakes and memories that will last.' The art sessions £35 pounds for an hour, £20 pounds per additional hour or £65 pounds including a photoshoot. www.butterflydreamsbeauty.co.uk . | Face painter Lisa Searle extended her business after craze from U.S. took off in Britain along with baby showers .
She creates intricate designs using non-toxic paint that last about a day . |
172,548 | 6b4da31734c8e59d3b9a8f3a302f4bef931a4478 | Washington (CNN) -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has been fined $70 for allegedly rear-ending an automobile in a minor four-car collision, a United States Park Police spokesman confirmed Wednesday. Scalia was not injured in the accident, which occurred Tuesday when the 75-year-old high court justice's car rear-ended another vehicle on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in suburban Virginia, according to Sgt. David Schlosser of the Park Police. The narrow and winding four-lane divided parkway travels along the Potomac River past the nation's capital, and is popular among both commuters and tourists. Scalia was driving himself to work when the accident occurred. He was charged with being at fault for the fender-bender by the investigating officer, Schlosser said. It was not known whether Scalia will pay or contest the fine. The accident didn't prevent Scalia from arriving at court on time Tuesday. Scalia was on hand when oral arguments began at 10 a.m. Tuesday in one of the biggest cases of the term, a discrimination claim by female workers against Wal-Mart Stores. The case has the potential of becoming the largest class-action lawsuit in U.S. history. No public mention was made of the accident, and Scalia, as usual, was an active questioner from the bench. CNN's Bill Mears contributed to this report . | Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is fined $70 after a traffic accident .
Scalia found at fault in four-car collision .
No one was injured . |
50,757 | 8f9d5fa52cb16719ebab1b11291e2f9a9d68233e | Madonna has apologized for calling her son, Rocco Ritchie, the N-word in an Instagram picture following a public outcry. The outspoken entertainer . landed in hot water on Friday after using the bizarre hastag '#disn****' in a caption accompanying a photo of her 13-year-old son boxing. While she's not known for bowing down to criticism, the Material Girl deleted the image within minutes of posting it and last night issued a heartfelt apology. Regretful: Madonna last night apologized on her Facebook and Twitter feeds for using the N-word on Instagram . Fighting words: Madonna landed in hot water Friday evening after using the N-word in a caption that accompanied a photo of her son, 13-year-old Rocco Ritchie . Unapologetic: The offensive comment was taken down minutes later and replaced with a profane message urging Madonna's critics to get off her 'd*** haters' 'I am sorry if I offended anyone with my use of the N-word on Instagram,' she said in a public statement posted on her Instagram and Facebook feeds. 'It was not meant as a racial slur. I am not a racist. There's no way to defend the use of the word. It was all about intention. 'It was used as a term of endearment toward my son who is white. I appreciate that it's a provocative word and I apologize if it gave people the wrong impression. Forgive me.' On Friday night, the 55-year-old singer posted a picture of Rocco boxing with the comment: 'No one messes with Dirty Soap! Mama said knock you out! #disn****' The offensive hashtag sparked outrage among some of her fans, prompting the mother-of-four to take down the caption just minutes later. Initially, the pop star was unapologetic about using the racial slur. She replaced her previous comment with a foul-mouthed message addressed to her critics: 'Ok let me start this again. # get off my d*** haters!' Some of her one million followers ripped into the superstar for her use of the offensive term. Proud parent: The 55-year-old mother of four appears to be very close with her 13-year-old son Rocco, whose father is director Guy Ritchie . Queen Madge: Many of her loyal fans came to Madonna's defense, slamming her critics for misinterpreting her words . One commenter wrote: 'MADONNA U NEED TO TAKE UR arthritis medicine instead of trying to be hip on the internet.’ 'Spreading ignorance is awful!' another user noted. But thousands of Madge's loyal fans quickly came to her defense. One supporter of the singer and filmmaker even went so far as to say that she deserves a pass for using the N-word because she 'has basically adopted half of Africa,' Vibe.com reported. Madonna has two adopted children from Malawi, David Banda and Mercy James, both eight-years-old. She had her son Rocco with her former husband, director Guy Ritchie, in 2000. She also has a 17-year-old daughter, Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, from a previous relationship with Cuban-born personal trainer Carlos Leon. Madonna's brood: Some of her supporters even suggested she should get a pass because she has adopted two children from Malawi - Mercy and . David . 'Bring . it! 2014!' Madonna shared an Instagram snap Saturday of her 13-year-old . son Rocco Ritchie clutching a bottle of 94-proof Bombay Sapphire gin . The kerfuffle over the N-word hashtag comes less than two weeks after Madonna posted another photo featuring her 13-year-old son brandishing a bottle of 94-proof Bombay Sapphire gin. 'The party has just begun! Bring it! 2014,' the pop diva gushed on her Instagram account. The image of the minor clutching a bottle of hard liquor along with a couple of friends displaying Belvedere vodka was taken in Switzerland, where the legal drinking age is 16. | Madonna said she used the N-word as a 'term of endearment' for her 13-year-old son Rocco Ritchie .
She apologized last night for the offensive Instagram caption in a public statement .
The Material Girl had initially defied her critics . |
274,396 | ef662ef614d549ace819e4ff7547a739db8621dc | A pensioner drove for half a mile with a motorist clinging to his car bonnet before stopping the car, getting out and punching him in the face, a court heard. Anthony Lee, 74, was caught on CCTV driving off with Paul Malin, 26, hanging from his windscreen wipers after the two men had a disagreement about a minor collision. Footage played to the court showed Lee reversing into Mr Malin's parked purple Vauxhall Corsa as he tried to parallel park his green Subaru outside the Grove Tavern in Bournemouth. Scroll down for video . This CCTV still is said to show Paul Malin, 26, on the bonnet of a car driven by defendant Anthony Lee, 74 . How it began: CCTV from the pub shows Lee, seen (left) outside court, trying to reverse park, right . Getting closer: This still shows Lee's car braking as it edges closer to the parked Vauxhall Corsa . This image shows Mr Lee and pub regular Matt Fitzroy-Titley walking out to confront the elderly motorist . It sparked a row that ended with Lee driving off with Mr Malin on his bonnet and ended when he stopped the car half a mile away and punched Mr Malin in the face, Bournemouth Crown Court heard. Mr Malin told jurors he was working in the pub's cellar when a regular, Matt Fitzroy-Titley, told him someone had just reversed into his car, and they went outside to see what had happened. Barman Mr Malin came out of the pub and approached the driver only to be flung on the bonnet. Lee came to a halt half a mile away and then got out and twice punched Mr Malin in the face, jurors were told. The barman said: 'Matt approached the man and said to him "You've just reversed into my mate's car". The man was very dismissing. 'Matt said: "If you don't get out of your car, I'm going to call the police". 'The man became quite agitated. The next thing I knew I was on the bonnet of the car. 'It happened so fast I didn't have a chance to react. It was a case of on the car or under the car. I held on for dear life. The man then drove off down the high street with me on the bonnet. A row between the men ensued - this CCTV still is thought to show Mr Malin standing in front of Lee's car . Mr Malin said: 'It happened so fast I didn't have a chance to react. It was a case of on the car or under the car' Lee, of Bournemouth, told police he had felt threatened by the pair and thought the best thing to do was drive off . 'I was screaming all sorts of profanities at him, but he wasn't looking at me. 'The car paused briefly at traffic lights. That moment felt like a lifetime. I was not sure whether to stay on the car or try to get off. Before I could make a decision I was off down the high street again.' Mr Malin, who said he had suffered from back pain since the incident, said when the car finally stopped, the elderly motorist got out and hit him in the face. He added: 'The man jumped out and shouted at me. I was still in shock. He grabbed my shirt and pulled me towards him. 'The next thing I knew I had a right hook to the face.' Scene of the incident: Mr Malin was working at the Grove Tavern in the Southbourne area of Bournemouth . Mr Malin, a photographer and graphic designer, said he grabbed the keys to Lee's car through an open window then ran off down the street to get help. A concerned passerby took Mr Malin to her home then dialled 999. The court heard that in a police interview Lee said that he had felt threatened by the pair and thought the best thing to do was drive off. Lee, from Bournemouth, denies one count of dangerous driving and one of assault by beating. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Anthony Lee and Paul Malin had a row over a parking incident outside pub .
Barman Mr Malin believed Lee, of Bournemouth, had reversed into his car .
Lee then drove off with Mr Malin on bonnet, clinging to windscreen wipers .
Mr Malin said: 'Was a case of on the car or under it - I held on for dear life'
Half a mile down the road Lee stopped and punched him in face, court hears .
Lee denies one count of dangerous driving and one of assault by beating . |
201,045 | 904970fb8c152031b574a7225512fc16db66794f | A Utah couple and their three children who were discovered dead in their home last month were likely poisoned, it has emerged. The bodies of Benjamin Strack, 37, his wife Kristi, 36, and their children Benson, 14, Zion, 11, and 12-year-old Emery, were found in the locked master bedroom of their Springville home by their older son in September - and much mystery has since surrounded the cause of their deaths. Police are still not revealing exactly what they believed happened on September 27 - or who could be responsible for the deaths - but it has emerged that cups were found next to each of the bodies, while empty bottles of methadone and nighttime cold medicine were found dumped in a trash can. Kristi Strack was also found with an unidentified red liquid coming out of her mouth. 'It is probable that these deaths were not accidental or natural in any way,' Detective Jeff Ellsworth wrote in the search warrant affidavit, which was obtained on Wednesday. Scroll down for video . Perished: Benjamin Strack, 37, his wife Kristi, 36, and their children Benson, 14, Zion, 11, and 12-year-old Emery were found dead inside their Utah home last month. Their oldest son was not harmed . Unidentified people gather as Bob McGee, right, spokesperson for the relatives of five Utah family members found dead in their home in September, speaks with reporters during a news conference shortly afterwards . Poison: This photo shows the home where five Utah family members were found dead in Springville, Utah. The bodies were found in September about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City . Toxicology results have not determined an exact cause of death, but search warrants obtained Wednesday showed that it was likely that the family had been poisoned. Kristi Strack's mother, Valerie Sudweeks, said she couldn't believe her daughter would do this to the kids but wouldn't elaborate, police wrote. Police aren't saying who killed the family or whether one of the parents might have been involved. According to the search warrants, Benjamin and Kristi Strack were in bed, with children ages 11 through 14 lying around them, tucked in bedding up to their necks. 'Furthermore, with the placement of the bodies, it would appear somebody had to position the bodies after they were deceased,' detective Jeffery Ellsworth wrote. Investigators found several empty methadone bottles, 10 empty boxes of nighttime cold medicine and two boxes of allergy medicine in their garbage, along with a red liquid substance in Pepsi cups. They also found a pitcher of red juice, a purple bucket with yellow liquid, a bag of marijuana and other medications, including sleeping pills, inside the home. One pair of slippers with a spot of blood and a towel with a red substance on it were also removed. A community mourns: Unidentified people gather during a news conference in suburban Utah . Springville police Lieutenant Dave Caron said he couldn't comment on the search warrant or speculate about the cause of death until results of a toxicology test come back in November. 'Until I get those, I really don't have anything,' he said. 'I could come up with all sorts of theories, but it's not helpful.' The search warrant says it wasn't normal for the children to be in their parents' room because they had their own rooms. Kristi Strack was last seen alive at 6am by the older son's girlfriend, who also lives in the home. The girlfriend went back to sleep after talking with Kristi Strack, and the house was quiet when the older son, 18-year-old Janson, and his girlfriend left the house that afternoon. However, when they returned at 7pm and saw the house was still quiet even though all the cars were in the driveway, they knocked on the master bedroom door. When no one answered, the couple called Kristi Strack's mother and her friend, who helped them to force it open. Police had previously said that they showed no signs of dying violently and it had been suggested that maybe they died by carbon monoxide poisoning, although no trace of the gas was found. Idyllic childhood: Photos posted to a GoFundMe page showed three fun, happy children. Emery (left), the page said, loved animals. The youngest, Zion (right), was 'brought everyone he came across happiness and joy' Active kids: Benson, who was 14 when he died, loved to draw dragons and practice karate . 'Valerie [Kristi Strack's mother]... said she couldn't believe "she" would do this to the kids,' one of the affidavits states. 'Officers tried to clarify Valerie's statement, but she only assured them it wasn't a carbon monoxide leak.' Little is known about the family. Benjamin Strack's former boss said he worked off-and-on for six to seven years at AK Masonry, a bricklaying company, and had borrowed money in the past. Court records show Benjamin and Kristi Strack pleaded guilty to misdemeanor forgery charges in 2008 and disorderly conduct the following year. Bob McGee, uncle to the Strack children including the surviving son Janson, 18, said: 'We are shocked and heartbroken by the sudden loss of so many members of our family,'Deseret reported. 'Events like this are difficult to understand, and even harder to come to terms with. And no words can adequately describe our feelings of grief and sorrow.' The Strack's community started a GoFundMe page to help surviving family with 'overwhelming' funeral costs. The page devotes a few lines in remembrance of each family member, like father Benjamin. 'His heart was too big for this world and the love everyone felt when near him will not be forgotten,' it reads. Not so long ago: Investigators have yet to lay down publicly a definite timeline of the family's deaths. Photos from their past show a family that appeared to be nothing but happy to have each other . Loss: The first first photos emerged of Benjamin and Kristi Strack, 37 and 36, (both pictured) who were found dead at their home in Springville, Utah with their sons Benson, 14, (top right) and Zion, 11, (left) and 12-year-old daughter Emery (bottom right) Benjamin Strack and his young family in a photo in 2010. Preliminary autopsy results have ruled out any sort of violent assault or foul play . The mom Kristi, the writer says, was 'charismatic, kind and loyal.' Her only daughter, Emery, loved animals. Fourteen-year-old Benson loved to draw dragons and practice karate. His younger brother Zion, the youngest, 'brought everyone he came across happiness and joy.' Heart-wrenching photos emerged of the handsome family, and the Stracks are exactly how surviving family members remember them--always smiling. Preliminary autopsy results ruled out any sort of violent assault or foul play. 'The Medical Examiner has indicated that the next step is to continue the investigation through analysis of blood samples to determine what may have caused the deaths,' the Springville DPS said in a statement. 'Preliminary autopsy results for the family of five who were found dead in their home have ruled out any sort of violent assault,' Springville police said in a statement. Photos of Benson, 14, and Zion, 11, taken when they were younger. While a test of air in the house by firefighters did not find any carbon monoxide, investigators have not ruled that out as the cause of death . Only girl: Emery, 12, was found alongside her brothers and parents when the bodies were found in September . Previously, a test of air in the house by firefighters did not find any carbon monoxide, but investigators have not ruled that out as the cause of death. The front door of the house was open and the back door was cracked open before firefighters arrived, Caron said, and the gas could have ventilated before the test. The family's pets were all fine. Asked whether foul play has been ruled out, Caron said, 'I don't rule out anything ... We haven't ruled out anything except there was no violent trauma. We're going to look at everything. 'I do know when I was in there (the house) I didn't see anything that would suggest a struggle ... I saw nothing like that,' he added. A Facebook tribute page has also been set up to remember the family. One user wrote: 'I feel a part of me has been lost. My brother Ben was my best friend. A police vehicle sits outside the house this week. The duplex where the family lived is located on a road leading to a high school in the city of 30,000 located just south of Provo . 'We did everything together. He always made me happy when he was around. Emery, Benson and Zion it seems like yesterday I was helping them with home work and taking them camping. I remember Benson caught his first fish with us on the trip.' Another user wrote: ' Ben is one of my best friends. He was always like a brother to me as we grew up. I will miss him so much. His kids had the biggest smiles every time I seen them.' On the tribute page another user wrote: 'I sat in a couple parent teacher conferences with both Ben and Kristi. They were always so thrilled to talk with me about Zion, they were truly proud parents. 'I had the privilege to have their sweet, smiling, energetic, big brown eyed Zion in my second grade classroom. The happiness and energy he brought to school with him every day was infectious.' The duplex where the family lived is located on a road leading to a high school in the city of 30,000 located just south of Provo. The scene outside the Springville, Utah home where the family of five were found dead last month . The front door of the house was open and the back door was cracked open before firefighters arrived, Caron said, and any gas could have ventilated before the test . | Police report showed that the family appeared to have been poisoned but authorities would not reveal who killed the family or if it was the parents .
Benjamin and Kristi Strack, 37 and 36, were found dead in Springville home along with sons Benson, 14, and Zion, 11, and daughter Emery, 12 .
They were found under the covers in bed in the parents' locked bedroom and each had a cup beside them .
Empty bottles of methadone and nighttime cold medicine were found in a trash can and the mother had red liquid coming out of her mouth .
The couple's oldest son, 18, and his girlfriend found their bodies .
Toxicology results have not determined an exact cause of death . |
147,768 | 4b1358a3da9904307795ad482bde28c8a447dd9d | Tuscaloosa, Alabama (CNN) -- Along with the city's power and phone service, the hospital's pager network went down when the tornado hit. But like nearly every doctor in Tuscaloosa, orthopedic surgeon Brian Claytor didn't need his beeper to tell him to head to the trauma center. Claytor said he didn't know what to expect when he arrived at DCH Regional Medical Center on Wednesday. "The emergency room was just overflowing," said Claytor, 38. "I was just in shock when I walked in to see the sheer volume of injured people and the severity of the injuries." Patients filled the hallway and every available room. Injuries ranged from minor cuts, lacerations and broken ankles to severe trauma from debris that sliced patients' heads, chests and abdomens. The wounded screamed for help. Others scrambled through the chaotic scene, searching for loved ones. Pickups screeched into the emergency room driveway with injured loved ones helpless and bleeding in the truck beds. Early on, the hospital relied on backup generator power. The fierce tornado clipped the back of the hospital. Water and air conditioning were lost through most of the night. The trauma center turned into a triage unit, much like a war zone hospital. With systems down, doctors, nurses, X-ray technicians and other staff members went into overdrive. "In the midst of that, we're trying to identify the worst of those injuries and try to get them dealt with as best we could," Claytor said. "It's just impossible to adequately prepare yourself for that situation. But fortunately, after that initial shock wore off, people got down to work." Over the next six hours, more than 650 patients were treated at the facility. "That's a staggering number," he said. Another 150 patients were treated at a sister hospital across town. At DCH, about eight orthopedic surgeons, another 50 to 75 doctors and surgeons, and dozens more staffers descended on the hospital. Many came to work on that devastatingly historic night despite losing their own homes and cars, or even hearing that cousins and other relatives were missing, he said. "Everybody showed up and got to work. It was amazing to see. "Unfortunately, a number of the patients who did get here weren't able to be saved, and that's tough to deal with," Claytor said. "One of the hardest things to deal with was seeing some of the parents carrying in children, babies, infants who had terrible injuries -- some of them clearly unlikely to survive. "Just watching that unfold in front of you is something no one wants to see." He said he's amazed by the dedication of staff, not only here but from doctors across the region who offered their services. Claytor, still dressed in scrubs Saturday and having worked nearly every hour since the storm, held back tears. "It's just an amazing, emotional roller coaster for these people," he said. "Once we were able to take a break from it and think about it, it was heartbreaking." | Over six hours, more than 650 people treated at Tuscaloosa trauma center .
Orthopedic surgeon Brian Claytor among dozens of doctors treating the wounded .
"After (the) initial shock wore off, people got down to work," Claytor said .
Many staffers worked despite losing homes or hearing that loved ones were missing . |
110,548 | 1a810191e8c71ebe77f2c638a24c25481e367e77 | By . Kim Carillo . From the dress to the flowers to the cake, it’s the second-most important event of a woman’s life. You’ve had your Big Day, now it’s your daughter’s time to shine. But being the mother-of-the-bride is fraught with danger. While you want to look your best, you don’t want to overshadow your darling girl. I may be 54, but I take care of my appearance and I feel — and look — better than I did in my 20s. But my daughter Catherine, 26, is getting married soon, to her lovely fiance Kristopher, 27, in a historic church in Kent, and I certainly don’t want to steal the spotlight. So how to choose the perfect outfit? I asked bridal experts to compile five of the best mother-of-the-bride outfits the High Street has to offer. Did I find ‘The One’? Read on to find out . . . Pink lace dress, £295, and shoes, £160, lkbennett.com Hat, £30, coast.com . THE EXPERT VIEW . ‘The length of hem can make or break your outfit,’ says wedding wear designer Catharina Eden. ‘Too long and it looks dowdy; too short and it looks as if you think you’re 21. ‘The mother-of-the-bride needs to be able to bend down to smooth your daughter’s train, reach up to fix her veil, and sit down and stand up in church without your hem rising. Go for one inch above the knee if you have great legs; one inch below if you don’t.’ KIM'S VERDICT . I love the way this look is modest, but not mumsy. The pretty lace overlay means I can show a little bit of decolletage without having any cleavage on display. The nude colour is slimming, and it fits well, skimming over my hips. I’m not so keen on the hat, which looks like a piece of fishing kit. I thought black was out of the question for weddings, but used sparingly in details such as the lace, shoes and hat, it sharpens up the outfit. SCORE: 4/5 . Floral dress, £129, jigsaw-online.com, . Pink jacket, £129, jacques-vert.co.uk, . Pink hat, from £220, fenwick.co.uk . Shoes, £170, lkbennett.com . THE EXPERT VIEW . ‘Every . mother-of-the-bride wants to cover her arms,’ says Catharina. ‘You don’t . need to have full sleeves — you can go for a lace overlay or wear a . cropped jacket or bolero you can take off later for dancing.’ KIM'S VERDICT . This . outfit ticks all the boxes for me. Flowery dresses can look chintzy, but . this watercolour floral print is on trend and you could pick out any . shade, from pink or purple to teal or blue, for your jacket and hat. It’s fitted but not restrictive, a great length and the neckline doesn’t . show too much cleavage. The bracelet sleeves are comfortable. I’m a big . fan of this hat — it’s like a fascinator, making a statement without . swamping your head. SCORE: 5/5 . Goat dress, £450, fenwick.co.uk . Hat, £280, ginafoster.co.uk . Shoes, £39.99, zara.com . Clutch, £165 russellandbromley.com . THE EXPERT VIEW . ‘A plain outfit can be worn with an . elaborate hat, while an embellished dress works with simple headwear,’ says milliner Sara Gadd. ‘Full hats and larger headpieces are . popular this season, but choose a style that won’t cast a shadow over . your face in photographs.’ KIM'S VERDICT . THIS saucer-shaped creation is a . showstopper but it isn’t too big and it’s incredibly light, so there’s . no danger of ‘hat hair’. The pastel crepe dress won’t crease when you . sit down and the darts are slimming. SCORE: 5/5 . Hobbs dress, £149, johnlewis.com . MaxMara coat, £439, and Whiteley hat, £99, Fenwick fenwick.co.uk . Shoes, £88, boden.co.uk . THE EXPERT VIEW . ‘The bride’s mother chooses the colour . of her outfit first, getting her cue from her daughter,’ says Catharina. ‘The mother of the groom should then go for a complementary hue from a . different colour group. So, if the bride’s mother chooses lilac, the . groom’s mother should go for metallics. As to how pale you can go, if . your daughter’s happy for you to wear cream, try it with gold, which . reflects light on to the face.’ KIM'S VERDICT . Truly lovely. The long jacket will look . smart, but I can take it off for dancing. It’s a flattering length, and . not too restrictive, while the metallic spots give it the wow factor. I . love the gold shoes, which take the outfit up a notch. The hat is light . and unobtrusive, and the weave matches that of the dress and . coat. SCORE: 4/5 . Blue coat, £99, marksandspencer.com . Hat, £35, coast.com . Trousers, £95, reiss.com . Clutch, £25, dorothyperkins.com . Shoes, £185, lucychoi.com . THE EXPERT VIEW . ‘If you’re not comfortable showing your . legs, trousers can be very chic — just be careful not to look . underdressed,’ says Catharina. ‘A super-smart coat can be the answer, . made from silk with a little natural shimmer, or a detailed design. If . you’re pear-shaped, it’ll draw the eyes to tour top half and skim over . your hips.’ KIM'S VERDICT . I would never have considered trousers . as I’d have assumed they’d be too casual. But while these are fairly . simple, the coat transforms them into something special, and I . particularly like the combination of white with eau de nil. The hat is . by top milliner William Chambers, so you get designer style at a High . Street price. SCORE: 3/5 . | Being the mother-of-the-bride is fraught with danger .
Kim wants to look good at her daughter's wedding, but not steal the spotlight .
She asked bridal experts to compile outfits from the High Street .
Now she offers her verdicts as to which of these choices is "the One" |
7,866 | 164429b29027af03210d64ac150a5757b0b8602e | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 05:50 EST, 1 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:16 EST, 1 April 2013 . The controversial NHS 111 hotline service will go live in only one area of England tomorrow after grave concerns were voiced about its safety. The advice line is designed to be a cheaper replacement for NHS Direct - with . non-emergency callers with health problems being giving guidance on . whether they should visit their GP or attend a hospital. Already in operation in 22 NHS . regions, 111 is due to ‘go live’ across the North of Tyne and Tees . area tomorrow, and in a further 13 areas over the coming month. The initial plan had been to roll it out nationwide today, but doctors had repeatedly warned lives could be at . risk. Delayed: The new NHS 111 hotline service will go live in only one area of England tomorrow after grave concerns were voiced about its safety . Last week the British Medical Association wrote to the head of the NHS, Sir David . Nicholson, urging him to delay the full national roll-out of the . 111 service. Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA’s GP Committee, said: ‘We . cannot sacrifice patient safety to meet a political deadline.’ A cornerstone of the BMA's argument is that those taking the calls do not need to be medically trained at . all, and instead work through computer check lists as callers tell them . their symptoms. They may then be referred to speak on the phone with . nurses or doctors if necessary. Last night a spokesman for NHS England, . the body managing the NHS 111 service’s introduction, said: ‘This is a . very important service for the public and we will make sure everything . is in place to make a safe, high quality service that patients and the . public can trust. ‘Many . sites are already up and running, but in areas where NHS 111 is not yet . available we will make a thorough assessment of readiness before new . sites are introduced. ‘The . public can be assured the areas that already have NHS 111 will continue . this service. In those areas where NHS 111 is not yet in place they can . ring NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. All GP surgeries also have messages . advising what to do.’ The initial plan had been to roll the service out nationwide today, but doctors had repeatedly warned lives could be at risk . NHS Direct was launched in 1998 to provide medical advice round the . clock in an attempt to reduce the number of patients needlessly turning . up in A&E. The idea is the new service combines the long-running NHS Direct helpline with local emergency out-of-hours services. NHS bosses believe that dismantling it and merging it with . out-of-hours telephone services for GP surgeries will make it easier for . patients to get medical help particularly at evenings and weekends. They will be put through to a call centre worker who will decide if they . need to go to A&E, a GP clinic, a chemist or can get by with . over-the-phone advice. The operator can potentially send out an ambulance, put someone straight . through to a nurse, book an out-of-hours GP appointment, or direct the . caller to a pharmacist or dentist. In some areas of the country the new service will be run by private . firms while in others it will be overseen by NHS ambulance services. But the BMA has also warned that the service is being ‘run on the cheap’ with far higher proportions of untrained workers than nurses. Mess: Fears about the state of the service in trial areas have been reported, with some people kept waiting for hours . Staff have been recruited for as . little as £8 per hour to man the phone lines. Job adverts suggest they . require no medical experience but should have telesales experience and . typing skills. While nurses represented around 36 per cent of staff at NHS Direct, they . only comprise around 17 per cent of the NHS 111 workforce. As well as claims of potentially fatal conditions being missed, there have already been reports of ambulances being sent to people with hiccups. Some patients using limited 111 pilot schemes are already waiting . several hours for urgent medical advice, while others have been told to . phone back the following day because there is no one available to talk . to them. | Advice hotline designed to be a cheaper replacement for NHS Direct .
Already in operation in 22 areas and was scheduled to go nationwide today .
Halted after doctors warned repeatedly that patient safety was at risk .
Will now only roll out in the North of Tyne and Tees .
area tomorrow .
New plan is to extend to 13 other areas later in the month . |
150,580 | 4ea9e40dae644234a8b98a60b3193aa4793d0771 | Two Covina women were arrested Saturday for engaging in sexual encounters on the beach with their high school students, police said. South Hills High School teacher Melody Lippert, 38, met up with a group of male students from her high school at a beach in San Clemente in November of last year, CBS reports. Lippert reportedly gave the group alcohol and then engaged in a sexual act with one of the students, according to deputies. Violation: South Hills High School teacher Melody Lippert, 38, and district teacher Michelle Ghirelli, 30, met up with and had sex with a group of male students on an Orange County beach . Afterwards, she reportedly made plans to meet up with the students a second time at the same spot, bringing along another teacher 30-year-old Michelle Ghirelli. The two met up with several of the same group, spending a night on the beach during which they had sex with two students, police said. According to CBS, the West Covina Police Department alerted deputies at the Orange County Sheriff's Department Friday with information about the encounters, which had occurred in their jurisdiction. No further information about the victims or the incident was released, though authorities noted the encounters were not during events sponsored by the school or district. Lippert was charged with conspiracy and contributing to the delinquency of a minor while Ghirelli was charged with copulation and unlawful sex with a minor. Just this Tuesday, police from West Covina arrested a part-time girl's wrestling coach at South Hills High School for unlawful sex with a minor, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Anthony Vidales, 29, was placed on paid administrative leave after alleged inappropriate conduct with a 17-year-old member of the team, while authorities say they're investigating. | Melody Lippert, 38, allegedly met up with a group of male students at San Clemente State Beach in November .
She gave the group alcohol and engaged in a sexual act with one student .
Lippert returned a few weeks later to meet the group with another teacher, 30-year-old Michelle Ghirelli, and the pair had sex with two students . |
37,920 | 6b52f9e55ca63d65db876ad622400e6afcf92e21 | (CNN) -- The U.N. chief made a landmark visit to Myanmar on Sunday, the latest high-profile official to descend on the nation as it undergoes economic and political reforms. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived during the day in Yangon, disembarking from a U.N.-designated plane to greet a number of people including Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin. Ban is set to meet President Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader who was subject to house arrest for years but recently won a seat in Myanmar's parliament. Speaking last week, Ban had said his visit comes at a "critical moment" for the South Asian nation, which is also known as Burma. "Myanmar is only at the beginning of its transition," Ban said then. "Many challenges lie ahead. Many concerns have yet to be addressed. Yet I am convinced that we have an unprecedented opportunity to help the country advance toward a better future." The government's relationship with the international community is thawing after it started implementing economic reforms and opened up dialogue with the West and ethnic minority rebel groups. Ban applauded several recent reforms, including elections and steps toward reconciliation with the rebels and opposition movements. But he said more needs to be done. "Now is the time for the international community to stand together at Myanmar's side," he said. "Yet we also recognize this fresh start is still fragile." The trip, which follows a series of political reforms in Myanmar, marks the latest step in the country's international rehabilitation after decades of isolation. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met with Suu Kyi on Saturday. Ashton will open a new embassy-level office for the European Union in Yangon to "help support Myanmar/Burma on its path to full democracy." Myanmar's authoritarian military rulers are loosening their grip on power after decades of stifling dissent and limiting freedoms. In the past 12 months, the government has pardoned hundreds of political prisoners, secured a cease-fire with Karen rebels and agreed to negotiate with other ethnic rebel groups. Suu Kyi and 42 other candidates from her party won seats in elections on April 1, a result welcomed by the United States and Britain as a sign of progress toward democracy after decades of repressive military rule. After the elections, Suu Kyi and other newly elected opposition members were invited to attend a parliament session last week, but they demurred, requesting a change in the wording of the lawmakers' oath. The tension over the oath marks the first public sign of conflict between the opposition and the reformist government since the elections. Other high-profile visitors to Myanmar in recent months include British Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. | NEW: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrives in Yangon .
He has lauded recent reforms, including elections and steps toward reconciliation with the rebels .
Ban: "Now is the time for the international community to stand together at Myanmar's side" |
62,696 | b222c4319ea32635578fe05f23f4094063c095ef | (Ars Technica) -- After months of fanfare and anticipation, gigabit home Internet service Google Fiber finally went live on Tuesday in Kansas City. The search giant is offering 1 Gbps speeds for just $70 per month -- significantly faster and cheaper than what any traditional American ISPs are offering. "We just got it today and I've been stuck in front of my laptop for the last few hours," Mike Demarais, founder of Threedee, told Ars. "It's unbelievable. I'm probably not going to leave the house." He lives in a four-bedroom house run by "Homes For Hackers" on Kansas City's Hanover Heights neighborhood, just on the state border with Missouri. The house has become one of the hubs for the KC Startup Village, an informal group of entrepreneurs who have clustered around homes immediately eligible for Google Fiber. Five cool things about Google Fiber . Meanwhile, Demarais said that on an Ethernet connection, he's seen consistent Google Fiber speeds of 600 to 700 Mbps, with Wi-Fi topping out around 200 Mbps. Even at the slower wireless speeds, that's more than an order of magnitude faster than what most Americans have at home. "The first thing I did was BitTorrent Ubuntu," he said. "I think that took two minutes, let me try it again right now." Prior to Tuesday, Demarais—one of the house's first two residents—said he'd been working out of local McDonald's and Panera locations for their free Wi-Fi. Mi Wi-Fi es tu Wi-Fi . The Homes For Hackers, founded by local Web developer Ben Barreth, had originally been conceived as a matchmaking scheme between entrepreneurs who wanted a free place to live and work, and local families who would open their homes to them. (Ars covered that effort back in August.) But once Google announced its fiber rollout schedule, Barreth realized the families that had signed up were not going to get crazy speeds until Summer 2013. So he took matters into his own hands and, with his wife's blessing, he liquidated his Roth IRA to put 20 percent down on a house they eventually bought for $48,000 in September 2012. The couple has no plans to profit from the house. Instead, they want to use it as a way to nurture Kansas City's nascent tech community. He's letting entrepreneurs like Demarais live in the house rent-free and utilities-free for three months—they just have to pay for their own groceries. "We're strong, devout Christians," Barreth told Ars. "I've been pushing on doors and a lot of doors have opened for me. I feel like this is what I'm supposed to do right now. It doesn't make a lot of financial sense but I really think it will benefit Kansas City. The whole reason why [we bought the house] was that no one in Kansas City was really exploiting fiber like we could be and this is the way I can bring in individuals that will exploit it. It helps that it's not a really expensive house. [My wife] is a stay-at-home mom with two kids too, so we're living off my one salary, and it's still a strain. It's a still a big strain." He anticipates getting donations, sponsorships, or, the most-likely scenario, renting out one of the bedrooms via AirBnB to the first Google Fiber "tourists"—people who might want to come for a day or two at a time to try it out. "$50 a night for 10 nights a month would cover mortgage and most of the utilities," he said. Barreth has been so busy dealing with local media requests that he hasn't yet had a chance to use the connection himself—he and his family live about 20 minutes away from the second house, and their neighborhood was not included in the first rollout regions. Kansas City, setting itself apart . Demarais said he knew he's been spoiled: "Wherever I go after this, my Internet speed is going to be ruined." His company, Threedee, hopes to provide an added benefit to the growing 3D printing ecosystem. "We're building a front-end dev toolkit that lets developers view and manipulate 3D models in a browser," he said. "We have an API that lets you communicate those models directly to 3D printers entirely in javascript without need to convert to a 3D model. We want to shake up manufacturing with tools that will allow people to buy products made for them." Demarais moved to Kansas City from Boston to work on his new startup—and while the move was driven in part by Google Fiber, being able to live rent-free for 90 days was huge. He had considered staying home in Boston or moving to San Francisco, but both cities are notoriously expensive. "I don't want to raise capital yet and it's hard to do that if I would need to get a part-time job just to pay rent," he added. "All of that stuff is taken care for me, that was the big thing. People are too quick to discredit the value of a free-rent environment with like-minded people. KC needs to separate itself from the other scenes. "Why here? Fiber is not enough. I think you need to have a dense startup community, and if young people are not moving here and trying to start startups, you need to artificially create that flow." COPYRIGHT 2011 ARSTECHNICA.COM . | Google Fiber, the company's ultra-high speed Internet service, went live on Tuesday in Kansas City .
User: "It's unbelievable. I'm probably not going to leave the house"
The service is significantly faster than what traditional American ISPs are offering .
Resident may rent out room to Google Fiber "tourists" who might want to come to try it out . |
110,010 | 19d04e71360605b29c077c7055d1ccd43229fdc9 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Chicago appears like a city in the clouds in this stunning photograph taken by a passenger from his plane window. Plane enthusiast and amateur photographer Mark Hersch captured the jaw-dropping scene of the city silhouetted in Lake Michigan from his seat on a Chicago-bound flight making its final approach. The late-afternoon image shows the low sun casting a golden glow on the water, which is visible beneath cloud cover. Stunning: Chicago appears like a kingdom in the clouds in this picture taken by plan passenger Mark Hersch of the city silhouette reflected on Lake Michigan . The buildings of the Windy City cast long shadows out into the water - while closer inspection reveals another passenger jet near the centre of the picture. Mark said the image is straight out of the camera, without use of image manipulation. 'I was flying home to Chicago from a business trip recently,' he said. 'It was a cloudy day, late in the afternoon. We were flying eastbound, made a pass by O'Hare International Airport, then made a sweeping 180-degree left turn over Lake Michigan for our final westward approach into the airport. Chicago, as seen from closer to ground level, was captured from an unusual angle through a break in the clouds by Mark Hersch . Mesmeric: The stunning picture of Chicago's skyscrapers, left, reflected onto Lake Michigan was taken by Mark Hersch, right, on his iPhone . 'I looked down and through a narrow break in the clouds, I saw the shadow of the Chicago skyline projecting onto the lake. Oddly enough, I am a very frequent flyer and almost always sit in an aisle set, but on this flight there were only window seats available. 'I grabbed my iPhone and snapped off a single shot, hoping I captured the scene. When I got home I opened the photo on my computer. Not only was I amazed at the shot, but I noticed I also captured another plane on a parallel approach - which you can see if you look closely at the clouds above the skyline in the centre of the image. 'My only regret is that the image is not as sharp as I would like; it's merely an iPhone capture, after all. Ironically, I am an avid amateur photography enthusiast, with some pretty expensive pro equipment.’ | Mark Hersch glanced out of the cabin window in time to see the amazing optical illusion . |
198,364 | 8cc66c305734464078e104b9e7b5ac5660fe76fc | Buckets of snow falling in Boston. Ice cracking trees and bringing down power lines in the Northeast. Temperatures as much as 40 degrees below normal in the High Plains. Another day, another storm, in what's proving to be a wet, wild and nasty winter. From the Midwest to New England, more than 120 million people are yet again bundling up against cold, ice, snow or all three, according to CNN meteorologists. Some are taking it in stride. "Only perk of going to school in Boston: SNOW DAYSSSSSSSS," Facebook user Carla Torres posted. Others were ready for it to be all over. One item frequently shared Wednesday over social media was a picture of an angry-looking baby, with the words "What do you mean more snow ..." superimposed on it. Here's a look at what winter's bringing around the country: . Who's getting hit worst? For snow and ice, parts of the Midwest and Northeast in a band running from Illinois east all the way to Maine. For cold temperatures, it's the nation's midsection, from Montana east to Wisconsin all the way south to northern Texas. What's the forecast? It's going to be awfully cold in the Plains and High Plains -- as much as 40 degrees below average in some places, according to the National Weather Service. In Helena, Montana, for instance, Wednesday's high is forecast to be 3 degrees below zero. That compares with 2 degrees on Tuesday and the average high of 36. Snowy, icy conditions are expected from eastern Missouri into the Mid-Atlantic states and New England. Up to 2 inches of snow per hour may fall around Boston, with as much as a foot of snow predicted in parts of Massachusetts. Who's being affected? In New York, where heavy snows are taxing salt reserves, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared an emergency for the entire state and shut down Interstate 84. "New Yorkers in affected regions should stay off the roads, check on their neighbors and loved ones, and stay inside their homes until the worst of the storm has passed," he said in a statement. Transportation regulators waived rest rules for salt-truck drivers to get remaining salt stockpiles moved to where they are needed: New York City and Long Island. In Pennsylvania, Villanova University announced that it would be closed Thursday and Friday after the school's power provider projected an extended outage in the area. And in Kansas, authorities announced a third weather-related death from the storm: a 58-year-old man died overnight after a traffic accident Tuesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol said. In Boston, the weather seemed little nuisance. CNN iReporter Jenifer Schwartz, visiting from California, marveled at how the city handled the storm. "My flight home today is one of the many that was canceled, but getting a cab this morning to get to meetings around the city did not prove to be too much of a problem," she said. Relative Boston newcomer and native Southerner Josh Parsons was just trying to process it all. "Since this is my first winter in the North, the snow still feels like a novelty to me," he told CNN on Wednesday. "I enjoy seeing it falling and enjoy walking around in it right after the fresh snow. Having said that, I do not like some of the things that come along with the snow." Such as? Salt, slush and the simple fact all the snow just won't go away. "The roads get cleared, the sidewalks get cleared, but then there are just mounds or brown, dirty ice piled up everywhere," he said. Meanwhile, in Michigan, two Delta Air Lines aircraft got stuck in the snow in unrelated incidents at Detroit Metro Airport. This comes a day after a Southwest Airlines plane hit a snowbank as it was taxiing to a gate in Kansas City, Missouri, according to airline spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger. Nationwide, airlines had canceled nearly 2,800 flights, according to flight tracking website Flightaware.com. Most-affected among major airports include New Jersey's Newark Liberty International, New York's LaGuardia and Boston Logan International. The Federal Aviation Administration also reported significant delays at airports in Chicago, Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina. Why all the severe weather this winter? Boston is about 8 inches ahead of its normal snowfall pace for the year, the National Weather Service said. In New York, the number is 23 inches. It's not unusual or unprecedented, Radley Horton, a climate scientist with Columbia University, told CNN's New Day. "If we look at winters in the past, we can get this kind of setup with a very wavy jet stream. Colder air spills into one side (while) the other side of the country has extremely warm weather," he said. But climate change -- particularly the way melting Arctic sea ice may be affecting jet stream patterns -- could be increasing the frequency and severity of such wild weather rides, he said. "There's always going to be variability," Horton said. "There's always going to be these waves in the jet stream. But it does seem, according to some research, as we lose that sea ice in the Arctic, one possible surprise could be more cold air spilling south, more warm air going north." | Third storm-related death announced in Kansas .
Nearly 1 million homes and businesses are without power in four states .
Governor declares an emergency in New York .
Airlines have canceled more than 2,700 flights . |
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