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192,881 | 85b4d029416b526e6ca86bca5fc0e5f32039a760 | By . Liz Hull . Last updated at 1:49 AM on 2nd March 2012 . Kane died after choking on a sweet in front of his terrified family . A boy of ten who choked on a gobstopper died because an ambulance crew couldn’t pinpoint his house on their satellite navigation system. Kane Wade was playing in his garden when the sweet became lodged in his windpipe. His parents dialled 999 and, with Kane’s 13-year-old sister watching on, desperately tried to clear the youngster’s throat while they waited for help to arrive. Despite arriving in the road within eight minutes, paramedics couldn’t find the family home on the in-built satnav and lost several vital minutes. Eventually, the ambulance crew found the address but by then Kane had turned blue and stopped breathing. Paramedics spent 20 minutes trying to revive him but, although they managed to restart his heart, he was pronounced dead in hospital several hours later. Last night it emerged that although the road where Kane lived, in Norris Green, Liverpool, was built in 2007, his house had been completed only three months before last June’s tragedy. This meant it was not on the North West Ambulance Service’s satnav system, which is updated annually each September. Kane’s mother, Lindsey Wade, 38, and father, Barry Ismail, 52, a nightclub entertainer, are now taking legal action against NWAS for failing their son, who was autistic and was unable to speak. Miss Wade, who has three other children with Mr Ismail – Nadine, 20, Olivia, 13, and one-year-old Romy – said yesterday: . ‘We were relying on that ambulance. The woman on the phone kept saying “It should be with you”, but there was no sign. ‘We’ve had no other problems. We get post, takeaways, everything – but not an ambulance to save my little boy’s life.’ Anger: Lindsey Wade and Barry Ismail by their street sign. The Ambulance Service couldn't find their home on their computer, despite the address being in the A-Z . Sources at NWAS said a fast-response paramedic and ambulance crew were dispatched at 6.39pm on June 26 last year and arrived at Pennycress Drive, where the family lived, at 6.47pm and 6.48pm respectively. Despite there being just 44 houses in the street, paramedics could not find the home, which is at the far end of a cul-de-sac, until 6.52pm. The delay meant the ambulance missed the target response time of eight minutes by five minutes. Miss Wade said: ‘So many new estates are being built all the time – is the ambulance service saying this risk is there for all those houses across the country?’ She said children playing in the street later reported the ambulance crew parked on a nearby road for several minutes beforehand. Clearly marked: Lindsey points to her street in the 2010 Liverpool A-Z . ‘They could have asked the children where our street was, but instead they just sat there and let Kane die,’ Miss Wade said. The family’s MP, Stephen Twigg, said he would be contacting Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to highlight the problem. ‘Everybody loved Kane, he was such an amazing boy,’ said Miss Wade. ‘He was autistic and could not speak, but he had such personality. ‘My daughters are distraught. It was terrible for Olivia, who he was so close to. She is 13 and watched her brother die in front of her. I’m afraid it’s a trauma that she will never get over.’ An inquest in June last year gave a verdict of accidental death. A spokesman for NWAS said: ‘We offer our sincere condolences to the family for their tragic loss.‘We have investigated this incident fully and shared the findings with representatives of the family.’ | Street is on 2010 Liverpool A-Z but didn't come up on ambulance sat nav .
Parents tried to save their son as they waited for ambulance to find them .
MP says there is a case to answer . |
217,421 | a57b4fe5b2164d4ae9637f5caa7b672cf373c0f4 | (CNN) -- Bloody clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian regime fighters raged on early Sunday in Tripoli, Lebanon, a day after the deadliest outburst of violence there in recent weeks indicated Syria's turmoil continues spilling across borders. Twelve people were killed and about 50 were wounded in fighting on Saturday, the state-run National News Agency reported. The clashes continued early Sunday morning, killing at least one person, NNA said. But government intervention appears to have calmed the situation. Syrian president condemns Houla massacre, rejects accusations . After meeting with leaders from the different factions involved in the clashes, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel announced that national security forces would enter the area to enforce a cease-fire Sunday morning. Tripoli residents and the NNA news agency said Sunday that Tripoli was quiet after the morning clashes, suggesting fighters apparently adhered to the cease-fire. At one point on Saturday, a continuous stream of rockets hindered national security forces' attempts to secure the area, the news agency said. One rocket exploded over a well-known castle in the city, while another landed some distance away. Prime Minister Najib Mikati went to Tripoli to assess the security situation, state news reported. The sectarian violence in Tripoli -- which is on the Mediterranean coast, about 50 miles from Homs, Syria -- mirrors the tensions in its neighboring nation. Clashes in both nations pit Sunnis, who make up the majority of the Syrian opposition and population, against Alawites and other Shiites, who are dominant in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. Sunnis are the majority in northern Lebanon, where Tripoli is located and where anti-Assad factions are relatively strong. The Syrian president, meanwhile, has more support in southern Lebanon and among members of the powerful Shiite militant and political group Hezbollah, which is considered a terrorist organization by U.S. authorities. The recent fighting is not the first time tensions have simmered over, including in Tripoli. Last month, violence flared after Lebanese authorities arrested Chadi Mawlawi, an Islamist activist who was helping Syrian refugees by providing food and shelter, his cousin said. Lebanon had accused Mawlawi of being an operative in an al Qaeda-inspired group -- something his relatives deny. The activist was eventually released, but not before his arrest sparked fighting that killed seven people and left dozens wounded. Elsewhere in Lebanon, the kidnapping of a group of Shiite Muslim pilgrims in Syria prompted angry protests last month in Beirut, the capital. Also last month, gun battles in Beirut between rival Sunni political parties -- one supporting Syria's al-Assad and one opposing him -- left two dead and 18 wounded. That was the worst outbreak of violence in a city where the powerful Hezbollah militia engaged government troops in street battles in 2008. That bloodshed came hours after Lebanese troops killed two Sunni Muslim clerics -- both opposed to the embattled Syrian regime -- at a checkpoint in northern Lebanon. Syria has long been a major influence in Lebanon, and not just because of the extensive border the two nations share. Lebanon was considered part of "greater Syria" until the end of World War I. Syrian troops were deployed in Lebanon between 1976 and 2005, primarily in the north -- ostensibly at first as peacekeepers to help stop Lebanon's long civil war, though they stayed long after the fighting stopped in 1990. The Syrian forces' 2005 withdrawal followed the car-bomb killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut, which some blamed on elements of al-Assad's regime. Since then, Lebanon's most prominent political blocs have been sharply divided -- the ruling pro-Syria alliance led by Prime Minister Mikati on one side and anti-Syrian factions led by Saad Hariri, the son of the assassinated former prime minister, on the other. The unrest in Syria that began 15 months ago with peaceful anti-government protests, followed by a government crackdown, has meant further complications for Lebanon. Thousands of refugees have poured across the border. And in April the Lebanese army announced it had intercepted a cargo ship bound for Tripoli that was filled with weapons it believes were meant to be delivered to rebel forces in Syria. CNN's Saad Abedine, Hamdi Alkhshali and Nick Thompson contributed to this report. | Lebanese media: Clashes continue early Sunday in Tripoli, leading to one death .
12 people were killed Saturday during fighting in Tripoli, state news reports .
Recent clashes pit factions opposed to and supporting the Syrian regime .
Tripoli residents say the situation had calmed by late Sunday . |
21,537 | 3d2df99bc872cb3d5c20d53e882ca64a971fa16d | Condemned: Joseph Wood's execution by lethal injection was halted after a court ruled this week he had a right to know the drugs that will be used to end his life . A U.S. appeals court has ordered the execution of an Arizona man condemned for killing his ex-girlfriend and her father in to be put on hold until the state discloses which lethal injection drugs it will use. Joseph Wood, 55, was scheduled to be put to death Wednesday, but the court ruled he was entitled to know more about the drugs that will be used to execute him and who will be administering them. The three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling effectively postponed Wood's death for the foreseeable future as the state scrambles to find an acceptable lethal injection method amid drug shortages and controversies around the U.S. Wood raised serious questions about whether his constitutional rights were being violated, and it said the inmate could suffer 'irreparable harm' if his demands were not met, the court ruled in a 2-1 decision. 'Since Wood's execution would likely not be delayed much, if at all, by giving him the information he seeks, the public interest factor weighs in Wood's favor,' said Judge Sidney Thomas, writing for the majority. Wood's attorney, Dale Baich, said in a statement that the decision underlined the public's right to know in the debate over capital punishment in Arizona and beyond. Chamber of death: An unidentified Arizona Corrections Officer adjusts the straps on the gurney used for lethal injections at the Florence Death House at the Arizona State Prison . 'The court said it's important that . specific and detailed information be provided so the public can know . about how safely and reliably the death penalty is administered,' Baich . explained. A spokeswoman for Arizona's attorney general said the state would ask the full appeals court to reconsider. Wood was convicted in 1991 of walking into an automobile body shop in Tucson and shooting his former girlfriend, Debbie Dietz, 29, to death after fatally shooting her father, Gene Dietz, 55. Saturday's ruling, which reverses a lower-court decision, requires the state to provide death row inmates with information on the drugs that will be used to kill them, as well as details about the medical personnel who will be involved. Wood is one of six death row inmates who sued Arizona last month arguing that secrecy surrounding lethal-injection drugs used in botched executions in Ohio and Oklahoma violates their constitutional rights. The most infamous incident happened in April, when a faulty drug combination caused Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett, 38, died of a heart attack 40 minutes after a botched injection. | Joseph Wood was convicted in 1991 of murdering both his ex-girlfriend and her father .
He was set to be executed Wednesday by lethal injection .
A court delayed the execution until the state tells him the drugs that will be used to end his life . |
192,389 | 851512afb429f42630c2f0a7b0c3f1dc0fa48f8a | By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 11:08 EST, 17 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:25 EST, 18 May 2013 . Justin Bieber has been hit with a bill for thousands of dollars by the German animal shelter where his confiscated pet monkey has been held for two months. The 19-year-old singer has until midnight to reclaim Mally, a capuchin monkey, and will have to pay up for his care even if he does not take the animal back. Mally will be transferred to a permanent home at a German zoo or animal park if Bieber does not take him back in time. Scroll down for video . Justin Bieber, seen last night in a recording studio, has until midnight to reclaim Mally the monkey from a Munich animal shelter . Stranger moments: Justin's monkey Mally was confiscated while on tour in Germany . 'If no further documents arrive then the seizure order comes into effect and the animal becomes the property of the German state,' said Munich customs office spokesman Thomas Meister. Mally was seized by German customs March 28 when Bieber failed to produce required vaccination and import papers after landing in Munich while on tour. The monkey was given to the singer for his 19th . birthday last month from music producer Jamal 'Mally Mal' Rashid and had . been taken away from his mother when he was only nine weeks old. The now 20-week-old animal was quarantined and cared for at Munich's animal shelter, where manager Karl Heinz Joachim said Mally had fared well and gained weight. The shelter has criticized Bieber for keeping such a young monkey as a pet, saying it shouldn't have been taken away from its mother until it was a year old. Experts say capuchin monkeys also need to be kept in groups as they are very sociable animals. Bieber must pay for Mally's care whether he takes the monkey back or not . 'The best thing would be not to buy one at all, but if you do, buy five,' said Mr Joachim. He said emails from Bieber's management to the animal shelter indicated the singer does not want the monkey anymore, but that the final decision would have to be made by German authorities. 'Our contact is the person that the monkey belongs to,' said Mr Meister. 'We've had contact with lots of people but none of them was an authorised representative.' He said the cost of care, food and vet visits at the Munich shelter amounted to several thousand (dollars). 'You can bet we are going to ask for that money back,' he said. Mally the monkey is now in quarantine at a German animal shelter . The capuchin monkey, taken from its mother at nine weeks, is treating a cuddly toy as its surrogate parent . Normally capuchin monkeys remain with their mothers for at least the first year of their life. He is now in quarantine in a Munich animal sanctuary where his only companion is a cuddly toy that he treats as a surrogate mother. Mally also spends his time repeatedly calling out in the hope of finding other members of his family group - something which Mr Joachim, 64, described last month as 'heartbreaking'. He said at the time: 'Justin Bieber has won an extension because the four week limit on confiscated animals only applies if the owner does not get in touch. 'However his management team had been in touch and indicated that they want the monkey back which means they now have as much time as they need to get the paperwork ready. 'If that takes months then it's months that they have. But that just isn't acceptable for the baby monkey needs company and to be with other monkeys at this crucial age in its life. 'We'll appeal to the star to do the decent thing and let the monkey be free for adoption. 'There are a great many suitable . places that have offered to take Mally and integrate him with their own . capuchin monkeys where he would be much more happy with his own kind. 'A baby monkey is not something suitable to be on a world tour even if he is travelling by private jet. 'He . should be out in the wild climbing trees and learning from other . monkeys if he isn't to have serious psychological problems later in . life.' The boss of the Munich animal shelter asked Bieber to do 'the decent thing' and let the animal be adopted . Mally spends his time repeatedly calling in the hope of finding other members of his family group, animal shelter staff said . A German customs spokesman said at the time of the confiscation that Bieber lacked documents certifying compliance with animal health and species-protection regulations. Mr Joachim said if it took months to sort out the paperwork and all that time was spent in a cage it would do irreparable damage to the monkey's mental state. He said if Bieber were to refuse to allow the monkey to be adopted by a suitable organisation then the only hope lay with the Bavarian environment ministry. However the Ministry has so far declined to comment on the case. | Mally the capuchin monkey was held by customs officials in Munich .
Bieber did not have the correct paperwork for Mally, a 19th birthday present . |
235,252 | bc8ced8aca7aec367a664d5ee467477f008f9109 | By . Deni Kirkova and Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 05:20 EST, 2 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:52 EST, 2 September 2013 . First John Lewis touched the nation with a series of heartwarming campaigns. Then M&S hit back with an all-star line-up for autumn 2013. Now Debenhams has joined the fray with a multi-million pound advertising campaign that plays up its style credentials and features some of London Fashion Week's biggest names. Soundtracked by up-and-coming songbird Foxes, the 'cinematic' advertisement follows the designers at Debenhams, among them Henry Holland and Julien Macdonald, as they create pieces for the brand. Scroll down for video . Glamorous: Debenham's new campaign focuses on its designer names such as Henry Holland . Hero products: The cinematic campaign takes a closer look at hero items by the designers at Debenhams . Along with Macdonald and Holland, other designers featured in the ad, which premiered during the X-Factor last weekend, include Preen, Ben de Lisi and Jasper Conran. Preen designer, Justin Thornton, said: 'We . are delighted to be involved in the new advertising campaign for . Debenhams. 'Two of our favourite pieces of the season are featured . including a suit with bold graphic stripes designed to give a chic and . sporty look to classic tailoring - perfect for the new season.' Other heavy hitters from Debenham's stable of designers also weighed in to praise the new campaign, with Henry Holland describing it as 'great' and Jasper Conran saying it showcased his new campaign against a 'backdrop of intrigue and glamour'. London: Among the names featured are some of fashion week's biggest hitters including the duo behind Preen . Debenhams say, the film, which was . shot in Buenos Aires, features a number of 'hero products', including an . £85 floral dress from Preen / Edition, a £79 J by Jasper . Conran biker jacket and a red fisherman's jumper from Principles by Ben . de Lisi for £38. The move . comes during what Debenhams describes as one of its biggest years ever, . with 2013 marking the store's 200th anniversary. Debenhams . is also working on a £25 million redevelopment of its Oxford Street . flagship store, which is due to reopen later this year. Marketing Director, Richard . Cristofoli added: 'We wanted to create an ad that . appeals to the full spectrum of women that shop with us regularly. 'By . showcasing a broader range of designer collections, we are using our . airtime to talk to more of our customers, whether they love Betty . Jackson or Henry Holland or both.' | New campaign features some of London's top names .
Among them Henry Holland, Jasper Conran and Preen .
Multi-million pound film shot on location in Buenos Aires . |
120,166 | 274d2a9c440898daefecf970e181e8182ca41236 | By . George Mair . PUBLISHED: . 02:47 EST, 21 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:43 EST, 21 June 2013 . For 90 years, his rifle over his shoulder, he stood guard at the war memorial. Now the bronze statue of the First World War soldier has been stolen. The 2ft figure – known locally as Jimmy – was taken from the war memorial in East Wemyss, Fife, on Tuesday. 'Cold and callous': The plundered bronze statuette, pictured right - affectionately known as Jiimmy - was taken from a war memorial in East Wemyss, Fife, left, that bears the names of soldiers killed in serving their country . ¿An absolute disgrace¿: George Gill in front of the town war memorial now missing its statue of a Great War rifleman, the vacant spot is circled in red . The memorial, erected in the 1920s, is inscribed: ‘In memory of the men of East Wemyss who fell during the Great War.’ It bears the names of 70 local men . killed in the First World War, 28 who fell in the Second World War Two . and one name that has been added since. Sacred: The 2ft figure - known locally as Jimmy - was taken from the war memorial by scrap metal thieves . Local . Labour councillor Jim Young, whose uncle’s name is on the monument, . said: ‘This is a war memorial. Some things should be sacred. To steal it . is a cold and callous thing to do. ‘This memorial means a lot to the people of East Wemyss. 'My . own uncle, Robert Young, who served in the Royal Navy and was killed in . the Second World War, is on the memorial – and there are many other . families who are shocked.’ The statue was stolen previously, in . the 1990s, but was eventually recovered from a scrapyard in the North of . England and bolted back in position. Local man George Gill, 70, of the Black Watch Association, said: ‘It’s an absolute disgrace. Targeted: The statue was stolen previously, in the 1990s, but was eventually recovered from a scrapyard in the North of England and bolted back in position . Lest we forget: The names of those who died fighting for their country and are commemorated on the war memorial in East Wemyss, Fife . 'When we got it back in the 1990s, pins were put into the stone and the statue, Jimmy as we know him, was bolted down – so it would have taken quite an effort to remove him again. ‘Whoever has stolen it will be lucky to get £100 for the bronze but it’s not about the monetary value. 'This memorial belongs to the village. It has huge sentimental value to people here. ‘If they still have it, if they could just return it back to the village, it would be most appreciated.’ A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed the force was investigating the theft of the statue. | Thieves stripped the 2ft statuette from East Wemyss, Fife .
Families of soldiers commemorated on memorial shocked by 'callous' crime .
Statue was also stolen in 1990s, but eventually recovered from a scrapyard . |
259,014 | db406525cee7f373db1f837b88bf6c56ac87ee92 | The founder of the Paris ice cream brand beloved of the city's international tourists, Raymond Berthillon, has died at the age of 90. A visit to the Ile Saint Louis in the heart of Paris and a stone's throw from Notre Dame is on many a tourists' itinerary, partly for the architecture, the gift shopping, and the chance to take pictures of the cathedral, but also because it is the home of Berthillon ice cream. Along the picturesque island's narrow 17th century streets, queues stretch all day and well into the night at the family-run company's handful of outlets, surrounded by the Seine river. Outside the famous Berthillon ice cream parlour: Raymond Berthillon flanked by granddaughter Muriel, right, daughter Marie Josee and son-in-law Bernard, left . Some 1,000 litres of homemade ice cream, made from all natural ingredients, is produced daily . The son of a baker, Berthillon took over his mother-in-law's cafe hotel La Bourgogne on the island at the age of 30. La Bourgogne remains the centrepiece of the Berthillon ice cream empire to this day. The ice cream shop first gained fame in 1961 when French restaurant guide Gault Millau wrote about 'this astonishing ice cream shop hidden in a bistro on the Ile Saint-Louis'. Berthillon's death on Saturday was announced in Monday's Le Figaro newspaper. The business, which celebrated its 60th birthday this year, posted a photograph of its founder in black and white at the top of its website on Monday, titled simply 'Raymond Berthillon 1923-2014'. TripAdvisor has ranked Glacier Berhillion fourth out of 383 shopping attractions in Paris, with many reviewers saying it has the 'best ice cream I've ever tasted' The company is owned and operated by the Chauvin family, descendants of the eponymous Monsieur Berthillon . Queues stretch all day and well into the night at the family-run company's handful of outlets . Raymond Berthillon's granddaughter Muriel behind the counter at the ice cream parlour on the Ile Saint Louis . Basic vanilla ice cream was the favourite flavour of Raymond Berthillon but the shop sells around 70 varieties . The ice cream shop first gained fame in 1961 when French restaurant guide Gault Millau wrote about it . 'La fraise du bois melba' is one of the many ice cream creations available at Berthillon . Berthillon took over his mother-in-law's cafe hotel La Bourgogne on the island at the age of 30 . | Raymond Berthillon died aged 90 after 60 years at helm of ice cream empire .
Parlour first gained fame in 1961 when critic raved about it .
His ice cream parlour is now one of Paris' most loved tourist attractions . |
132,273 | 37106172d80319450af609e9f4e164b169aac675 | (CNN) -- As the battle surrounding Casey Kasem brought his relatives into the courtroom again Friday, the iconic radio host's health is declining, and his family is preparing to say goodbye. Kasem "won't be with us much longer," said Danny Deraney, the rep for the "American Top 40" host's daughter, Kerri Kasem. His family is gathering at St. Anthony Hospital in Washington, where the ailing 82-year-old was in critical condition as of Thursday, according to the hospital. His son, Mike Kasem, traveled from Singapore to be with his father, and Kasem's brother flew in from Detroit. Kasem suffers from Lewy body dementia, which has no cure. Kasem's children from his first marriage hope the family will look past their dispute during his last moments. They want him to be surrounded by loved ones, including their stepmother and half-sister, Jean and Liberty Kasem. "If he opens his eyes, I want my dad just once to see everyone standing around him, putting our differences aside and let him know how much he is loved by everyone, including Jean and Liberty," Kerri Kasem said in a statement. Deraney said the Kitsap County Superior Court recognized a previous California court order that gave Kerri Kasem full health conservatorship over her father. During the hearing Friday, the court also found Casey Kasem's wife, Jean Kasem, in contempt, but did not penalize her with a fine, Deraney said. He added that Jean Kasem was granted a private family moment for more than two hours with her husband of 34-years. Attorneys for Jean Kasem said the judge's findings and order will be prepared and circulated for signature next week. Jean Kasem presented her side of the story in a declaration filed at the Kitsap County Superior Court on Wednesday, which was obtained by CNN. It includes documentation that the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office had no concern for her husband's well-being in her care, and supporting declarations from the family friends the Kasems were visiting in Washington. The declaration also claims that Kerri Kasem owes $1.3 million to Casey and Jean Kasem after accepting various financial gifts from her father since she turned 18. Jean Kasem further alleges that Kerri Kasem is a Scientologist, citing an unverified celebrity website, and includes an article about the FBI investigating the Church of Scientology for human trafficking. Deraney denies that Kerri Kasem has ever been a Scientologist, adding, "She loves studying religions. Jean picked out the most controversial one to distract from what's really going on." In light of the ongoing family feud, a court order signed by a Kitsap County judge on Thursday dictated that visits to Casey Kasem would be equally shared by both sides of the family, and that during his final hours everyone would be permitted to visit him at the same time. Kasem's daughter, Julie Kasem, also said she hoped for peace during her father's final moments. "My dad taught us that family comes first. We want to honor him and make sure all of his family, including Jean and Liberty, are surrounding him with love at this critical time," she said in a statement. Casey Kasem alert but in critical condition . Casey Kasem hospitalized as feud between wife, daughter continues . Washington state judge allows Casey Kasem's daughter to visit him . | The ailing 82-year-old is in critical condition .
Kasem "won't be with us much longer," rep says .
"My dad taught us that family comes first. We want to honor him," daughter says . |
268,321 | e78c4758110d48851701ad4fd884d1e91a1b7b3d | It is nothing new for England cricket captains to struggle against Australia when they take on one of the most demanding jobs in sport. More unusual is having to deal with a blackmail plot over your sex life within a month of taking charge. Such was the alarming and, frankly, bizarre scenario facing Eoin Morgan last week ahead of England’s second defeat against Australia in a one-day triangular series also involving India here ahead of next month’s World Cup. Yet Morgan who, until Thursday kept his private life very much to himself, has emerged from a startling affair that could have derailed his fledgling captaincy with the coolness and calmness that marks his promising leadership style. Eoin Morgan was dismissed for a golden duck in England's three wicket defeat against Australia . Gurinder Sandhu (right) of Australia celebrates removing England one-day captain Morgan . Morgan's desire for privacy was thrown out the window this week amid a blackmail plot against him . On Saturday Brooke Tsakirakis, the woman at the centre of the unlikely scandal to hit the England team, broke her silence to publicly denounce the man who attempted to blackmail Morgan and back the beleaguered skipper. Her words not only appeared to exonerate Morgan of any wrongdoing but would have been greeted with a huge sigh of relief from the ECB, who have spent the last year in turmoil since their Ashes thrashing the last time they came here. ‘I’m gutted and I’m furious,’ was the headline in Saturday’s Tasmania Mercury as it carried an interview with the ‘Hobart mum angry at being an innocent victim of cricket’s blackmail scandal.’ In it Tsakirakis who described herself, colourfully, as ‘ropeable angry’ distanced herself from the actions of her fiancé Nick Emery who demanded £35,000 to stop him revealing intimate details of a liaison between Morgan and Tsakirakis which apparently took place in Tasmania five years ago. Crucially for Morgan and English cricket, she strenuously denied that she has been in contact with the Irishman in recent times, as alleged by her now ex-fiancé, and only had a relationship with him when both were single. ‘I don’t want to air mine and Nick’s dirty laundry but I’m gutted,’ said Tsakirakis. ‘I’m ropeable angry. I’m furious but I don’t think right now that anger towards him is worth wasting my energy on because I have to protect my children. They are my first priority.’ Steven Finn, who has had a difficult past two years, has been in excellent form while in Australia . Morgan chats to bowler Finn before he begins an over against India at The Gabba on Tuesday . The ECB quickly called in Scotland Yard when they were contacted by Emery in Hobart, scene of Friday’s international, last Wednesday and by Thursday he had been tracked down. He was apparently remorseful and regretful and was quick to apologise for his actions. The ECB decided not to press charges but details of the affair emerged on the night before the match. Tsakirakis said the messages relating to her relationship with Morgan were so long ago that she couldn’t remember them. She said it was just two people messaging ‘to and fro’. She believes Emery hacked into a deactivated Facebook account she had at the time she met Morgan. ‘Some of it may have been romantic or sexually explicit but it was nothing more than what any two people who are consenting adults independent of anyone else might say to each other when they fancy each other. ‘What upsets me the most are the reports in the media that Nick has said he had evidence of contact between me and Eoin in the last 12 months. I deny that completely. I have never been in contact with Eoin while I’ve been in a relationship with Nick. Well, Nick and I don’t have a relationship any longer. ‘I feel for Eoin and his partner because we are all innocent parties and I wish everyone well and to move on. I don’t even want to be vindictive about Nick but I’m not going to take responsibility for his actions.’ Morgan was the victim of a blackmail plot but the England captain's reputation has remained intact . England coach Peter Moores backed Morgan for putting up with the blackmail plot over the past week . Morgan has been in a relationship for three years with Australian Tara Ridgeway and she is said to be fully backing him over the scandal. He looked a distracted figure when he took to the Bellerive Oval on Friday and was dismissed first ball but had regained his usual composure after England’s narrow defeat. ‘It hasn’t been distracting at all,’ insisted Morgan. ‘I spoke to the ECB yesterday and I was very happy for them to deal with it. They just told me to focus on my cricket a hundred per cent and I’ve done that. ‘I was very comfortable with the ECB dealing with it,’ added Morgan. ‘I’m happy it’s all been cleared, everything is over and I’ve managed to get on with my cricket as I did today. It wasn’t easy when I came in. The ball was reverse swinging. I nicked one. It happens.’ And on Saturday Morgan was backed by England coach Peter Moores, who feels the Irishman has made an outstanding start to his one-day captaincy and has cleared this little unexpected hurdle in his path with ease. ‘He kept it out of the way of the cricket and away from the lads and moved on,’ said Moores of Morgan’s personal problem. ‘That’s what we want to do at the moment and Eoin got on with it yesterday. I think Eoin goes in with his eyes wide open with the England captaincy. It’s a high profile job, it’s a tough job, but also a very rewarding one. Former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff (centre) speaks with England captain Morgan and Moores (right) ‘I think he’s done really well. He’s kept the captaincy simple which is important and I also think he’s got the right level of having his own view and listening to others and being measured and making sure the players in the side have got a way of talking and shaping the way we go. We want the players to have a voice. It feels a calm dressing room and very committed as it should be. I think he can be well pleased. ‘He has an ability to handle pressure – getting a hundred in the first game at the SCG showed his ability to deliver when it’s tough. That’s something that will stand him in good stead going forward as a captain because over the next two months there are going to be some tough games. ‘I’d say since he’s been captain he’s seemed more relaxed. It’s early days, yes, but he seems happy around the lads and they seem very happy around him and you need that openness in the team. But you also need some direct leadership when a call needs to be made and he’s prepared to make them.’ Morgan has always prided himself on being a detached figure who remains something of a mystery even to Middlesex team-mates who are not even sure where he lives. Well, the events of this week have punctured that desire for privacy and he has had a rude awakening as to what the England captaincy can entail. To the relief of all involved he has emerged with his reputation pretty much intact. It's been a difficult and testing week for Morgan in Australia but the England captain has not been derailed . | Eoin Morgan has been in the headlines this week after a blackmail plot .
England captain Morgan tends to try to keep his private life to himself .
Morgan faced a bizarre and unwanted scenario last week ahead of England's second defeat against Australia in one-day triangular series . |
196,708 | 8a9023eaca7eba64589f8b8d49bf7825a9f7de97 | Maybe it was all too easy. Perhaps when he saw the teamsheet, he thought it would be a formality that the record he has been closing in on would be sent tumbling. This should have been the night Cristiano Ronaldo moved out on his own. A capacity crowd in the Bernabeu Stadium, the eyes of the world watching and a date against one of the biggest names in football. The stage could not have been more perfect for Ronaldo to usurp Raul, as the Champions League's all-time scorer. The coronation, however, must wait. Worse still, if Lionel Messi engages overdrive in Amsterdam on Wednesday, when Barcelona duel with Ajax, Ronaldo could find himself in third place on the list when Real return to Champions League combat at the end of the month in Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo failed to overtake Raul as the Champions League's all-time top scorer on Tuesday night . Ronaldo takes on Liverpool defender Alberto Moreno but merely flirted around the edges against Liverpool . Ronaldo reacts to missed chances as two goals would have seen him write his name into the record books . It's not very often Ronaldo disappoints – can you use such a word about one of the greatest players of this, and any other generation? – but here was one such occasion. Given a standing ovation at Anfield when he faced Liverpool last month, this time Ronaldo could only flirt around the edges. Few would have expected this. At Real's Valdebebas training retreat in the days leading up to this contest, the Spanish press were asking questions of Carlo Ancelotti that suggested the two goals Ronaldo needed were a formality. Would he go it alone to get to the magical figure of 72? 'I have to speak about Cristiano Ronaldo a lot,' Ancelotti replied, a little wearily. 'The last time I said it's hard to find a new word to describe him. He' s a fantastic player and professional and that's it. He works hard for his team.' Ronaldo congratulates goalscorer Karim Benzema during Real Madrid's victory against Liverpool on Tuesday . SEVEN - Ajax . SIX - Galatasaray . FOUR - Schalke, Bayern Munich, Marseille, Lyon . THREE - Juventus, Copenhagen, Borussia Dortmund, CSKA Moscow, Dinamo Kiev, Roma . TWO - Man United, Apoel Nicosia, Tottenham, FC Zurich, Arsenal, Sporting Lisbon, Milan . ONE - Liverpool, Ludogorets, Basel, Atletico Madrid, Man City, Auxerre, Inter Milan, Chelsea . He does more than that, of course. Having scored in each of his last 12 games, Ronaldo gives this supreme Real Madrid side a devastating cutting edge, frequently adding the stardust that makes them what Brendan Rodgers, and many others, describe as 'the best team in the world'. Yet here it was missing. Ronaldo was first off the pitch at the final whistle, shaking hands with nobody other than Ancelotti, as the Bernabeu celebrated a routine 1-0 win. The cricket score and the slaying of Liverpool's reserves never materialised. Truth be told, he didn't appear to be in the mood. When the teams lined up before kick-off, Ronaldo had his back to the fence that kept Liverpool and Madrid apart. There was no dead-eyed intensity, just the feel that he was going out for a training exercise. A sense that his night would not go the way he hoped arrived after just five. Looking to take a pass just outside the centre circle, Joe Allen charged into him, spiriting the ball away and sending Ronaldo to the turf. He jumped, gesticulated and expressed his displeasure but there was no foul. The Real Madrid star evades the challenge of Martin Skrtel but was unable to find the back of the net . Ronaldo is halted by Lucas Leiva's arm as Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen watches on and races for the ball . Ronaldo goes to ground under the challenge of Liverpool's German international midfielder Emre Can . Had he not seen Simon Mignolet beat away a precise effort in the 10th minute, perhaps he would have ended up with the match ball. An early goal would have invigorated him and inflicted a blow into Liverpool's midriff from which they would have struggled to recover. But that was as good as it got. He got no change from Kolo Toure – a combination of words few would have expected to be put together – and was restricted to long range free-kicks, which he fizzed at Mignolet. One such effort in the 34th minute created the greatest theatre of the night.30 yards from goal, the beat of a drum and clapping of hands started slowly and got faster and faster as Ronaldo began his run up. They expected to scream goal, as they always do, but it wasn't to be. Not this time. | Cristiano Ronaldo had chance to become the Champions League's all-time top scorer against Liverpool .
However, Real Madrid star failed to find the target during 1-0 victory .
Former Manchester United forward trails Raul by a single goal . |
194,955 | 885e05bfab22ff9807738590c027395fa273e525 | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 05:51 EST, 6 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:03 EST, 6 February 2013 . The Federal Reserve has admitted it was hacked by Anonymous as the group 'takes revenge' for suicide of Reddit founder Aaron Swartz. The admission, which raises questions about cyber security at the Fed, follows a claim that hackers linked to the activist group Anonymous had struck the Fed on Sunday, accessing personal information of more than 4,000 U.S. bank executives, which it published on the Web. Swartz, 26, killed himself on January 11, just a month before he was set to go on trial in Boston for thirteen felony charges. Admission: The Federal Reserve has admitted it was hacked by Anonymous as the group 'takes revenge' for suicide of Reddit founder Aaron Swartz . Family and friends of Swartz, who helped create Reddit and RSS, say he killed himself after he was hounded by federal prosecutors. Officials say he helped post millions of court documents for free online and that he illegally downloaded millions of academic articles from an online clearinghouse. Today a Fed spokeswoman said 'The Federal Reserve system is aware that information was obtained by exploiting a temporary vulnerability in a website vendor product.' 'Exposure was fixed shortly after discovery and is no longer an issue. This incident did not affect critical operations of the Federal Reserve system,' the spokeswoman said, adding that all individuals effected by the breach had been contacted. Last meal: Aaron Swartz and girlfriend Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman shared a dinner of his favourite foods on the night before he hanged himself . Technology news site ZDNet separately reported that Anonymous appeared to have published information allegedly containing the login information, credentials, internet protocol addresses and contact information of more than 4,000 U.S. bankers on Sunday night. The claim was made via Twitter over an account registered to OpLastResort, which is linked to Anonymous, a loosely organized group of hacker activists who have claimed responsibility for scores of attacks on government and corporate sites over the past several years. OpLastResort is a campaign that some hackers linked to Anonymous have started to protest government prosecution of computer prodigy Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide on Jan. 11. The Fed declined to identify which website had been hacked. But information that it provided to bankers indicated that the site, which was not public, was a contact database for banks to use during a natural disaster. Hacked: This screenshot shows the hijacking of the sentencing commission website by Anonymous. The group claim they have already infiltrated several other government sites . A copy of the message sent by the Fed to members of its Emergency Communication System (ECS), which was obtained by Reuters, warned that mailing address, business phone, mobile phone, business email, and fax numbers had been published. 'Some registrants also included optional information consisting of home phone and personal email. Despite claims to the contrary, passwords were not compromised,' the Fed said. The central bank separately confirmed the authenticity of the message to ECS members. The website's purpose is to allow bank executives to update the Fed if their operations have been flooded or otherwise damaged in a storm or other disaster. That helps the Fed to assess the overall impact of the event on the banking system. Last month the hacker-activist group hijacked the website of the U.S. Sentencing Commission to avenge the death. On film: Aaron Swartz was caught soon afterwards this video taken at MIT was recorded on January 6 2011 with a laptop and a hard drive that contained secured and lucrative academic journals that had been hacked . The website of the commission, an independent agency of the judicial branch, was taken over early on a Saturday morning. Hackers replaced the homescreen with a message warning that when Swartz killed himself 'a line was crossed.' At his memorial last month, held at New York's Cooper Union, his girlfriend Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman . Stinebrickner-Kauffman's eulogy did not shy away from criticizing the role the government played in Swartz's suicide. 'He faced a deeply dysfunctional criminal justice system, one that he is far from the only victim of.' In . reference to the prosecutor overseeing the case on behalf of the U.S. Attorney's office, she said he was 'hell-bent on destroying [Swartz's] . life.' Government at fault: Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, Aaron Swartz's girlfriend, had critical words for the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston . She reflected on . him taking his own life, saying 'I'm so sad we'll never see all the ways . he'll change the world from here on out. The Boston-based U.S. Attorney . overseeing the case, Carmen Ortiz, when asked previously about the . charges filed against Swartz noted that 'stealing is stealing.' A maximum sentence would have carried decades in prison and huge fines. Prosecutors contended that Swartz had . broken into the computer database at Massachusetts Institute of . Technology (M.I.T.) in 2010 in order to access the scholarly website . JSTOR, which is pay-access. He was indicted in July the following year. | Federal Reserve confirmed a temporary security breach of its computers .
Swartz, 26, killed himself on January 11, just a month before he was set to go on trial in Boston for thirteen felony charges .
Family say he killed himself after he was hounded by federal prosecutors . |
199,765 | 8e9c6683f2ebdc09facca15ce94e59318b639dc8 | For years, all Butch the Boston Terrier knew was a life of roaming the streets, rifling through trash cans in the hope of finding a meal. But for one week, he got to experience unwavering love thanks to Alicia Buzbee and her daughter Kansas, who found him in Pinson, Alabama and threw him a party before he was put to sleep. As a puppy, the terrier had an owner and a home but, after a couple of years, the owner cast the dog out and he was left to live in the streets, AL.com reported. He lived off scraps and found shelter from the frost, but a week before Thanksgiving, Buzbee and her daughter discovered him lying in a front yard, struggling to breathe. Scroll down for video . Loved: Alicia Buzbee and her daughter Kansas found Butch, a homeless and dying Boston terrier, the week before Thanksgiving and lavished him with attention for a few days until he had to be put down . Celebration: They threw Butch a 'farewell' party where he met Santa Paws and opened gifts . Joy: The pup, who had been abandoned by his owner years ago, dons a cute hat for his party . They took him to a veterinarian at the Birmingham Boston Terrier Rescue and learned that he had almost no lung capacity, his trachea was leaking and his heart was swollen. The vet suggested he be scheduled for a 'humane euthanasia' and the women planned a final hurrah for the dog. For a few blissful days over Thanksgiving, he feasted on burgers and pumpkin pie, enjoyed playing with new toys and relished in the attention from his temporary owners. Then they threw him an early Christmas 'going away' party, where he sat on Santa's lap and donned a party hat as he opened more gifts. Care: The dog, who had a swollen heart, experienced more love in his last few days than he did in his life . Treats: Butch, pictured with Kansas and friends left, took trips to PetSmart for new toys and treats . At home: Butch, pictured grinning with Kansas, showed marked improvement during his few days of joy . The Buzbees noticed that Butch perked up after all the attention and was no longer struggling to breathe, so the trip to the vet was put off. But a few days later, his condition worsened again. 'Before he goes, I want him to look into my eyes, and I want to look into his eyes, and I want to whisper, "I love you",' she told AL.com. 'I want him to hear those words and to see those faces of the people who love him.' Last Saturday, she carried out her wish and put Butch down with her family by their sides. She said that she was overjoyed that she could bring a few days of joy to the abandoned pup and that she saw him become hopeful in that final week. 'The heart can do so many things when it gets what it needs,' she said. Dog days: Butch took a turn for the worse at the end of last week and was put down on Saturday . | Alicia Buzbee and her daughter found Butch struggling to breathe in a yard in Pinson, Alabama the week before Thanksgiving .
They learned he'd been roaming the streets and living off scraps for years .
He has a swollen heart and no lung capacity and vets recommended he be put down - but the Buzbees decided to give him some final days of joy .
He feasted on burgers and met Santa at a party thrown in his honor .
His condition temporarily improved but he took a turn for the worse again and was put down on Saturday . |
203,776 | 93cf05f9bc91d5ed81371dc2dc0bac10d339957f | The traditional image of the postman using bicycles and vans to get around may be consigned to history if a revolutionary new electric unicycle is a success. Now deliveries will be getting the sci-fi treatment - with postmen trialling an electric unicycle to distribute post to customers. The modern eco-friendly AirWheel has a top speed of 12mph and an inbuilt stabiliser that allows riders to travel wherever pedestrians go - including sand and dirt tracks. Fast delivery: The eco-friendly AirWheel - pictured in Birmingham - has a top speed of 12mph . Employees of Whistl - formerly TNT Post - have begun to trial the gadget in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. The gadget - which has a range of 28 miles and recharges when it goes downhill - was met with astonished reactions from onlookers on Monday. The UK's second largest delivery company's initiative mirrors Amazon's plan to deliver goods to customers by unmanned drones - but that idea is several years away from implementation. Fast delivery: Two posties using the electric unicycles while navigating commuters in Birmingham . Wheelie easy! A postie motors by intrigued onlookers in Birmingham . Curious stares: A postie gets quizzed by locals as he tries out the new vehicle in Liverpool . Urban deliveries: The futuristic unicycle will be trialled by posties across the UK . Nick Wells, CEO of whistl, said: 'We've got a long track record of innovation in the UK postal sector and this radical new delivery device grabbed our attention. 'Our team have had fun getting to grips with the gadget and it's gone down well with customers too. 'We are committed to ongoing efficiency and if the trial proves successful then the AirWheel will be adopted by whistl Posties across the UK.' Posties for Whistl will deliver packages using the electric unicycles which travel up to 12mph . Capital idea: A postman showcases the AirWheel Q3, which retails at £799, in London . First class! Whistl postie stands on the AirWheel which are being trialled by the company . The AirWheel Q3 retails at £799 and will be trialed with 100 posties by whistl in selected cities. Sam Parham, professional stuntman, who has worked on James Bond, the founder of TheAirWheel.com - the exclusive UK distributors of the product - said: 'We were delighted when whistl approached us about trialling the Q3. 'The AirWheel has so much potential for use in many diverse situations and couldn't be better suited to urban deliveries.' | Company Whistl is using the £799 AirWheel Q3, which travel up to 12mph .
Unicycles will allow posties to travel wherever pedestrians go .
Gadget is on trial in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham . |
193,036 | 85ee3ff85704ba3269c8da48f0f19eff057bd1e9 | Alastair Cook acknowledged his drop of man of the match Kumar Sangakkara was damaging as England lost the sixth one-day international against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Sangakkara, dropped by Cook at mid off on 41, hit a run-a-ball 112 at the Pallekele International Stadium in his last one-day international on his home ground. It set up a 90-run success which consigns England to a series defeat with one match to play. Cook said afterwards on Sky Sports: 'It didn't help, me dropping "Sanga" on 40 was a really costly drop. Alastair Cook says his dropping of Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara on 41 was a 'really costly drop' Cook takes the field for what would be a tough day at the office for the England captain in the sixth ODI . 'That was a really big catch to drop at that time because we'd built up quite a lot of pressure on them. 'It was probably a 260 (run) wicket and credit to him, he made us pay for that.' On his own struggle for form, Cook said: 'It's hard. You want to score runs and set the platform at the top of the order. I've done it before. 'We came here to try to make it three wins and didn't play well enough. Sri Lanka outplayed us today, in all forms.' England coach Peter Moores said: 'We felt we could draw the series level today but we've been outplayed in all departments. Sangakkara leaves the field in Kandy for the final time after spearheading Sri Lanka's 90-run ODI win . The keeper-batsman's team-mates ensure their veteran leads them off the field after clinching the series . 'We probably bowled our best up front. Towards the end our plans have to be a bit clearer, a bit simpler. Not just bowling yorkers but matching the ball you bowl to the field you've got, although the yorker is still a great ball if you bowl it well. 'We made some errors and didn't field as well as we could have.' On Cook's plight, he added: 'Everyone understands people struggle at times. It's tough on Alastair because he had the chance to take a catch and got out early. 'He's desperately trying to get himself some form and working very hard to do that. 'He's a very solid catcher - I'd have backed him nine times out of 10 to catch that. But confidence is a massive part of anyone's game. After putting down Sangakkara, who got 112, Cook was out LBW to Sachithra Senanayake for just one . 'He's our most successful Test match centurion and has had great success as a one-day player. He's in a tough patch at the moment but working hard to get out of it.' Sri Lanka captain Angelo Matthews said: 'It was a challenging wicket to bat on but 'Sanga' was amazing once again. 'Together with (Tillakaratne) Dilshan, they were brilliant and set the tone for us to launch at the end. 'The older he (Sangakkara) gets, the more runs he scores.' Sangakkara himself added: 'It's great to have grown up in Kandy and gone to school here ... to play one of my last games here is a special feeling. 'I've had a wonderful career and it's extra special to finish off with a win.' | England captain Alastair Cook dropped Kumar Sangakkara on 41 .
The Sri Lanka left-hander went on to make a run-a-ball 112 .
Sri Lanka beat England by 90 runs in their sixth ODI in Pallekele .
Cook admitted 'dropping "Sanga" on 40 was a really costly drop'
The skipper also failed with the bat, out LBW for one off two balls . |
277,733 | f3c87e468abdfdae922886e62936a0f7746dd051 | This is the scene of devastation that faced motorists today after a caravan overturned and disintegrated across a busy motorway. Pictures show the four-berth caravan smashed to pieces on the M6 with debris strewn across all three lanes of the carriageway. The crash happened between junctions T6 and T7 on the southbound side of the M6 Toll, near Cannock, Staffordshire, shortly after 1pm. An aerial shot shows the scene after a caravan crashed on the M6 Toll today, covering the motorway in debris . The caravan was left almost completely flattened after it was involved in the accident shortly after 1pm . Highways officers spent an hour picking up the owner's belongings which were strewn across the road . Incredibly, no-one was injured when the caravan overturned and split open, showering the road with broken fibreglass and shattered belongings. Central Motorways Police said the southbound carriageway was closed for an hour while officers cleared the motorway of debris. A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said earlier today: 'We have been called to the M6 Toll to junction T6 to T7. We have one ambulance in attendance at present. 'It looks as though a caravan has overturned but fortunately there have been no injuries.' Incredibly, despite the scenes of carnage, no one was injured in the crash, which caused long tailbacks . Motorists who later drove past the crash scene said it looked like a bomb had gone off . Debris from the scene was loaded onto a lorry and what was left of the caravan was towed away by police . Witness Andrew Howell, 45, an IT worker from Walsall, West Midlands, said: 'I went past shortly after it happened and it looked like a bomb had gone off. 'It was more like down-town Gaza than the M6 in the Midlands. It just shows how dangerous caravans can be.' Motorists took to Twitter to warn other drivers to avoid the area. Christina Savvas tweeted: 'This looks like a scene from a movie. Thankfully nobody hurt #M6TOLL #TRAFFIC' And Alex Bergh added: 'You know your day's not going well when you're stood on the M6 toll and hundreds of people are out of their cars.' Photos taken by witnesses show cushions, furniture and other belongings strewn across the carriageway . The crash closed the road for over an hour, causing huge tailbacks as traffic ground to a standstill . | Debris strewn across M6 Toll after caravan is smashed to pieces .
The vehicle overturned near Cannock, Staffordshire this afternoon .
Huge tailbacks on the motorway due to massive clear-up operation .
Witnesses describe scene as 'bomb site' as three lanes covered in debris . |
280,727 | f7aad09e25cda0fedb22894e72e6eb53fc7d950e | By . David Mccormack . PUBLISHED: . 19:03 EST, 18 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:51 EST, 19 July 2013 . Anyone familiar with New York City in the middle of a heat wave will know it can get pretty sticky and uncomfortable, but imagine if the entire city was moved to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Swiss photographer Gus Petro was so inspired after visiting two of the nation’s most iconic locations for the first time that he has chosen to juxtapose them. His collection of stunning images show what the bustling metropolis would look like if somehow magically relocated into the wide open spaces at the bottom of the great canyon. New York in the middle of a heat wave can get pretty sticky and uncomfortable, but imagine if the entire city was moved to the bottom of the Grand Canyon . Swiss photographer Gus Petro was so inspired after visiting New York and the Grand Canyon that he decided to juxtapose them using camera trickery . Petro has created a stunning collection of images which show what the bustling metropolis of New York would look like if somehow magically relocated into the wide open spaces at the bottom of the Grand Canyon . The images are part of a series that Gus Petro has called 'Empty, Dense, Merge' which explore two opposite feelings through the photos of places located in the U.S. Petro who visited the country for the first time in late 2012 said he was inspired by the contrast between New York City, where he said ‘it seems like, everyone wants to live’ and the Grand Canyon/Death Valley which are 'unlivable.' To create the images, Petro took the photographs he had of the two sites, matched their perspective points and lens angles, then put them through a process he calls ‘Photoshop magic.’ He said the most interesting reaction has come from people who have never visited either locale. ‘Most of the people, who haven't been in any of these places, thought it was real,’ Petro told Atlantic Cities. ‘They began questioning me where it is.’ The images are part of a series that Petro has called 'Empty, Dense, Merge' which explore two opposite feelings through the photos of places located in the U.S. Petro visited the U.S. in late 2012 and said he was inspired by the contrast between New York City, where he said 'it seems like, everyone wants to live' and the Grand Canyon/Death Valley which are unlivable . To create these amazing images, Petro took the photographs he had of the two sites, matched their perspective points and lens angles, then put them through a process he calls 'Photoshop magic' Gus Petro said the most interesting reaction to his images has come from people who have never visited either locale and thought his pictures were of a real place . | Swiss photographer Gus Petro was so inspired after visiting two of the nation's most iconic locations for the first time that he decided to juxtapose them.
His collection of stunning images show .
what the bustling metropolis of New York would look like if somehow magically .
relocated into the wide open spaces at the bottom of the Grand Canyon . |
133,261 | 384c9c6f2e049b5db35445c1219340b62f06188e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 00:49 EST, 29 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:50 EST, 29 December 2013 . Police have finally caught the real-life 'Bonnie and Clyde' teenage couple accused of stealing two cars and leading police on a high-speed chase through Colorado . Breanna Gomez, 15, Spencer Linville, 16, and two other teenagers, including 18-year-old Blake Bergeron, were captured Saturday night in New Mexico. The foursome fled Wisconsin in a stolen car on Tuesday, before outrunning Colorado police in a high-speed pursuit, authorities said. 'Bonnie and Clyde': Couple Breanna Gomez, 15, and Spencer Linville, 16, are allegedly on the run from police . On the run: Breanna Gomez, 15, and her boyfriend Spencer Linville, 16, are accused of stealing two cars and leading cops on a high-speed chase . The car thieves were apprehended in Raton, NM, after a short foot chase, cops told KMGH. Ms Gomez's worried relatives were relieved she was found safe. 'I’m not proud of what they did or anything else, especially Breanna,' grandmother Judy Carpenter told KMGH. 'I’m just glad she’s safe, and I know that she’s going to have to pay for the things she has done,' she added. 'There’s no excuse' The grandmother admitted to not knowing the other teens, or even if they were following her granddaughter's lead. 'She’s a very persuasive kid,' the woman lamented. The group dumped the car in Colorado, before allegedly stealing a light blue Chrysler Town and . Country minivan, ABC News reported . The teens were believed to be heading to Riverside, California, where Mr Linville's father has a fishing boat. Juvenile delinquents: Despite their young ages, Breanna Gomez (left) and Spencer Linville (right) have had run-ins with the law . Fugitive: Authorities say Blake Bergeron, 18 (pictured) is also on the run . Authorities had issued an alert for Breanna because she is an insulin-dependent diabetic who may have seizures without her medications. Ms Gomez's insulin, which she must use five times per day to stay alive, was found in the abandoned vehicle, her grandfather told the Denver Post. 'Her insulin was left [in the car]. If she doesn't have that, she will die,' Jerry Carpenter said. 'We love her and we just want . her to get treatment,' he added. 'Of course she is going to have . to pay the price for whatever she's doing. She's responsible for her . actions, but that does not mean we love her any less.' The convincing delinquent had just been released from juvenile detention after a six-month stint for various run-ins with police and cutting classes. 'She's been troubled for a while. We've been trying to help her,' Mr Carpenter told ABC. 'She was supposed to come and see us on Sunday [and] there was even talk of placing her with us.' The girl, who recently dyed her hair black, was wearing an ankle monitor but did not charge it, according to reports. It stopped transmitting on December 18 or 19, police said. Worried: Jerry Carpenter (left) says his granddaughter Breanna Gomez (right) has diabetes and could die without her insulin . | The four teens were on the run from police after stealing a car in Wisconsin on Tuesday and fleeing through Colorado .
They led cops on a chase through Colorado on Thursday before dumping the car and stealing another one, police said .
Breanna Gomez, 15, her boyfriend Spencer Linville, 16, Blake Bergeron, 18, and another teenager are no in custody . |
281,521 | f8abf4bf68682f93908f8acef4db4c402384ec4a | Dallas (CNN) -- The far-reaching investigation into a "bounty" scandal is reverberating across the National Football League and threatens to tarnish the loveable image of the New Orleans Saints franchise. "It's going to be a huge scandal," senior Sports Illustrated writer Peter King told CNN. "This will give the NFL a chance to come down on something that's sort of been a whisper campaign and a shadow story for a long time." The NFL said as many as 27 players were paid up to $1,500 for vicious hits that would knock opposing players out of the game or force them to be carried off the football field. According to the NFL, players paid into a "bounty" fund, that reached as high as $50,000 and Saints' defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would dole out the payments based on game performance. On Monday, NFL security officials continued interviewing coaches and players across the league. According to NFL.com, league security officials met with Williams, who now works as the defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. Williams admits carrying out the cash-for-performance scheme. "It was a terrible mistake," Williams said in a statement to the Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans. "And we knew it was wrong while we were doing it. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it." Many former players say "bounty" incentive programs have existed in professional football for a long time. Players, who question why this scandal is shocking so many fans, say football is a violent sport built around punishing your opponent. LaVar Arrington, a former Washington Redskins linebacker, now writes the "Hard Hits" blog for the Washington Post. Arrington said the best players in the history of football have always brought a "seek and destroy mentality" to the game. "So in a culture where it's an unwritten part of the game to get the best opposing player out of it, that's what players have done and still do to this day. The fact that there's such outrage appears to be a bit strange to me," Arrington wrote on his blog Monday. The NFL said the "bounty" program is a clear violation of rules intended to protect "player safety and competitive integrity." NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hasn't announced what kind of disciplinary action the league will take, but it's clear the punishment could include "fines and suspensions." The NFL said that in addition to Williams, sanctions could be brought against New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. Peter King: Goodell to make an example of Saints . The NFL statement said Payton was not a direct participant but "failed to stop the bounty program" after he was made aware of the allegations. Saints' general manager Micky Loomis could face harsh punishment as well. The league statement said Loomis was told by Saints owner Tom Benson to end the program and never followed through. Loomis also "denied any knowledge of a bounty program" according to the league statement. The "bounty" program investigation is also growing beyond the Saints' organization. The Washington Post reported the NFL is also investigating the Washington Redskins. Williams coached with the Redskins during 2004-2007 seasons. And Coy Wire, who played for Williams during his stint with the Buffalo Bills, told CNN he was interviewed by NFL security officials on Monday and questioned about "performance incentive" programs. Wire said Williams was one of the best coaches he's ever played for but got carried away and let the Saints' "bounty" program go too far. Wire is now a motivational speaker and worries about how this scandal will influence young kids learning to play football. "You want an edge mentally. You want to break your opponent's will to win. In football the best way to break their will is to break their body," Wire said. "We really have to figure out where to draw the line and what kind of rules and regulations need to be drawn up to make sure that nothing goes too far anymore so that we can make a safer game for future players." | NFL: As many as 27 players took part in the "bounty" program .
Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams admits to paying for hits .
Williams: "We knew it was wrong while we were doing it."
Investigation grows to include Washington Redskins . |
268,407 | e7a8242ce1d1d814048a6ffc22daf45b87831526 | Claims: A new book alleges Sarah Palin has taken cocaine in the past and had a six-month affair with a former business partner of her husband Todd . Sarah Palin snorted cocaine off a 55 gallon oil drum while snowmobiling with friends and had illicit affairs with a top NBA star and one of her husband's business partners, a new book sensationally claims. In revelations which could strike a devastating blow to the controversial politician's hopes of joining the 2012 presidential race, Mrs Palin is said to have taken the class A drug with her husband, while smoking marijuana at college in secret liaisons with one of her professors. Joe McGinniss's book The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin, which is due to be published on September 20, also alleges that the former governor of Alaska is far from the traditional family woman she claims to be. Mrs Palin, 47, had a one-night stand with Miami Heat basketball star Glen Rice less than a year before she eloped with her husband, the book claims. She is said to have met the 6ft 8ins . player in 1987 when he was playing in a college basketball tournament in . Alaska and she worked as a sports reporter for KTUU television. It is also claimed that she had a six-month affair with Brad Hanson, who ran a snowmobile dealership with her husband Todd - a betrayal which led to Todd dissolving their business. In a bid to expose Mrs Palin's . skeletons, Mr McGinness has studied the former vice presidential . candidate for three years and last year even moved in to a home next . door in Wasilla, Alaska, to dig some more. Heat: The book alleges that Palin had a one night stand with basketball star Glen Rice . The author writes that after college Mrs Palin developed a 'fetish' for black men. She allegedly had a tryst with . basketball star Glen Rice in her younger sister Molly's University of . Alaska dorm room, while she was dating Todd and just nine months before . the couple were married. Six months: Palin is said to have had an affair with Brad Hanson, one of her husband's colleagues . Mrs Palin got pregnant with Todd and they eloped in August 1988. Their son Track, the oldest of five, was born eight months later in April 1989. A . friend said Mrs Palin spent the night with the basketball star but . could not confirm whether they had sex, according to the National . Enquirer. 'I remember Sarah feeling pretty good that she'd been with a black basketball star,' a source told the magazine. The athlete is said to have confirmed the night of passion in Mr McGinniss's book. Mr Rice went on to have a huge career playing basketball in the NBA and was a three-timer All-Star. The book goes on to claim that while married Mrs Palin also had an affair with one of her husband's business partners. Todd is alleged to have ended all dealings with Brad Hanson after he found out about the secret six-month relationship in 1996. Both Mrs Palin and Mr Hanson have denied the allegations. Perhaps most damaging of all could be the suggestion that the supposed traditional all American mother has taken drugs. Separation?: Todd Palin, seen here with his wife outside their house in Wasilla, Alaska, is said to be filing for a divorce . Headlines: The book, written by Joe McGinniss and released this week, claims Todd (right) dissolved the snowmobile business he ran with Brad Hanson after discovering the affair . Mr McGinness writes that while Mrs . Palin attended Mat-Su College she took marijuana with a professor who . was also the father of one of her female friends. Before . she was elected governor she is also said to have snorted cocaine with . her husband off an overturned oil drum while snowmobiling with friends. Todd, . who was arrested for driving drunk in 1986 used cocaine a lot and was . 'on the end of a straw plenty,' according to a long-term associate . quoted in the book. Joe McGinness is a controversial author who has built a career on immersing himself in extreme subjects in order to, in his own words, ‘search for the truth, however elusive… Penetrating the façade of institutions and people in public life’. The writer gained notoriety aged 26 when his first book about how Richard Nixon marketed himself, titled The Selling of the President 1968, became an overnight success – leading to him becoming the youngest living author with a book on the New York Times bestseller list. He has since written a combination of true crime books and political exposés, as well as one non-fiction account of a year exploring Alaska. In 1983, his take on the notorious Jeffrey MacDonald murder case led him being sued, with MacDonald alleging McGinniss made him believe he was on his side before slamming him in the book. The case settled out of court. Even before moving in next door Sarah Palin, McGinness, 68, had tried to get close to her, offering more than $60,000 have dinner with the politician at a charity auction in 2009. He lost to a winning bid of 63,500. When the Palins found out about their new neighbour, Sarah wrote on her Facebook page: ‘We're sure to have a doozey to look forward to with this treasure he's penning. ‘Wonder what kind of material he'll gather while overlooking Piper's bedroom?’ The . explosive book goes on to quote those who knew the family growing up, . claiming Mrs Palin was a 'bad mum' who would lock herself in her room . for hours on end asking not to be disturbed while her children cooked . themselves dinner. Sarah Palin was plucked from obscurity to be the Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008. The 'pitbull in lipstick' sparked a media storm after accepting the nomination, despite questions over her experience. But she wowed the U.S. after a . barn-storming speech in September 2008 in which she attacked critics for . calling her 'small town'. A former mayor of Wasilla before she . became governor of Alaska, Palin stepped down after the Republican . defeat in the presidential election. The . mother-of-five has remained tight-lipped on whether she would stand . next year, but said she would likely make an announcement at the end of . this month. She has been overshadowed in recent months by Tea Party candidates including Michelle Bachmann. The . Republican, who has now associated herself with the Tea Party movement . in the U.S., has been dogged by scandal since being selected as Senator . John McCain's running mate in 2007. There have also been frequent rumours that she is set to divorce her husband Todd, which have always been denied. And she has faced accusations by the . father of her daughter's child, Levi Johnston, that she wanted to keep . Bristol's pregnancy a secret and adopt the child herself. Palin has yet to declare whether she intends to run for election in next year's presidential race. Joe McGinniss, 68, has written several political books including works on former president Richard Nixon and on Alaska. Explosive: The book, written by Joe McGinness, right, could halt Palin's 2012 bid before it has started . Next door: A fence in between the Palins' home, right, and neighbour, author Joe McGinness's home, left . But his work on the state sparked vitriol from Palin after he refuted her claims to have secured the construction of a $40billion natural gas pipeline. The antagonism heightened after he took up the offer of renting a small house next door to Sarah Palin's in Wasilla in summer 2010. It saw Palin write several posts on her Facebook account and articles in the right-wing press scathing Mr McGinniss's approach to writing the book. Mr McGinniss has since moved away from Wasilla after completing his book. | Former vice presidential candidate alleged to have snorted cocaine off an oil drum .
Said to have had night of passion with basketball star .
Husband Todd said to have dissolved snowmobile firm after discovering affair with business partner .
Ex-governor of Alaska has yet to announce whether she will run for president next year . |
136,298 | 3c52ba465d1affda53569e40341a0fef8d8f4ffe | A coach driver left his passengers stranded after he quit his job at the wheel after repeatedly getting lost during a journey to an airport. The National Express coach was travelling from Bradford in West Yorkshire to Heathrow on Tuesday night when the frustrated driver told passengers he has 'no idea' where he was going, before ringing up his bosses and quitting. He told customers he was not allowed a satnav as National Express bosses believe they look 'unprofessional.' The National Express coach was travelling from Bradford in West Yorkshire to Heathrow when the frustrated driver told passengers he has 'no idea' where he was going, before ringing his boss and quitting (file picture) At one point during the 'nightmare' seven-hour journey the coach was stuck on an industrial estate in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, for 25 minutes while the driver looked for Luton railway station. The coach journey normally has around 11 scheduled stops, including Luton railway station and Luton airport bus station. Trevor Wright, a passenger on the coach, told The Sun: 'People tried to talk to him but he refused to communicate. 'He called his controller and said, "why did you put a driver on a route he doesn't know? These directions are s**t. I've never done this f***ing route."' Mr Wright added that the driver eventually used a phone to find Luton railway station but then went 'ballistic' after he accidentally drove the wrong way up a one-way street. When the coach eventually made it to the railway station the coach driver called his boss and quit the job, telling them: 'I've had enough of this job, it's problem after problem.' Some passengers took to Twitter to vent their anger at National Express during their 'nightmare' journey . After getting lost the driver took the passengers to Luton railway station (pictured) where around 20 were left stranded and were forced to catch taxis to get them to Heathrow in order to catch their flights . The Sun reported that 20 passengers were then forced to get taxis to Heathrow in a desperate bid to catch their flights, while the driver took the rest to Luton Airport and would not drive any further. Some passengers took to Twitter to vent their anger. Yimika Edun said: 'Shouldn't there be some sort of gps system on board to assist the driver? We pay for efficient service @nationalexpress' and 'People have to get off to take taxis now. Additional expenses. Thanks so much @nationalexpress.' Another user, who had friends on the coach, wrote: 'Appaz the driver quit before they entered Luton. When they got there he just parked and called national express to say he quit.' A National Express spokesman said: 'One of our coaches was delayed on its way to Heathrow Airport yesterday. 'Unfortunately, this delay meant the driver had exceeded his maximum legal driving hours and so on arrival at Luton Airport - which is a scheduled stop on this route - customers were moved onto an alternative coach. 'We understand delays are always frustrating and we do of course apologise for the inconvenience caused.' Were you on the coach, or are you the driver? Email [email protected] . | National Express coach was travelling from Bradford to Heathrow Airport .
Frustrated driver got lost and told passengers bosses don't allow satnavs .
Eventually arrived at Luton station - but drove wrong way up one-way road .
Rang up bosses and quit so 20 passengers forced to get taxis to airport .
National Express have apologised for the inconvenience caused .
Were you on the coach? If so, email [email protected] . |
87,854 | f94aa96aca819a3f9bdaa9937970ccc8b8572e00 | By . Associated Press . A Mississippi man who sent letters dusted with the poison ricin to President Barack Obama and other officials has been sentenced to spend 25 years in prison. James Everett Dutschke was sentenced Monday after telling the judge that he had changed his mind about wanting to withdraw his guilty plea in the case. In addition to 25 years in jail, Duetschke was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and remains in federal custody. Changing stories: James Everett Dutschke initially entered a guilty plea, then tried to change it last week, but decided against that and was sentenced to 25 years in jail today . Dutschke waived his right to appeal. He wasn't fined or ordered to pay restitution because he doesn't have enough money, federal prosecutor Chad Lamar said. The 42-year-old Tupelo resident sent the letters to President Obama, Republican Senator Roger Wicker and Mississippi judge Sadie Holland in what prosecutors have said was an elaborate plot to frame a rival, Paul Kevin Curtis. Poisoned letters addressed to Obama and Wicker were intercepted before delivery, but one letter reached Holland. She was not harmed. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock had already signaled that she intended to accept the original plea, and Lamar said that Aycock found the outcome to be balanced. ‘She found our agreement to be a fair sentence and one that represented the severity of the crime committed,’ Lamar said after the hearing. The 42-year-old Tupelo man complicated matters on May 13 when he told Judge Aycock that he wanted to withdraw the plea agreement he made with federal prosecutors in January. Rivals: Dutschke, a martial arts instructor . (left), tried framing his longtime enemy Paul Kevin Curtis (right), an . Elvis impersonator, of sending the letters last spring . In a half-hour speech, the former martial arts instructor told the judge that federal prosecutors lied when they said he made the poison and about finding his DNA on a dust mask. He renewed accusations that Elvis impersonator and entertainer Curtis had committed the crimes. Curtis was initially arrested by federal prosecutors but was abruptly released after officials found no physical evidence of ricin in his home. Although he pointed the finger at Curtis, Dutschke also argued last week that had only used castor beans to make a fertilizer that couldn't hurt anyone, not a true form of the poison ricin. Bound for bars: Dutschke sent the letters to Obama, Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and Mississippi judge Sadie Holland in what prosecutors have said was an elaborate plot to frame Curtis (pictured in April 2013) At the end of the May 13 hearing, Judge Aycock had told Dutschke to file a formal motion asking to withdraw his plea. A decision on that motion would have been up to the judge, but Dutschke had a change of heart and on Friday, defense attorney Ken Coghlan sent a letter to Aycock saying his client would stick with the guilty plea. The prosecutor said he didn't know what prompted the reversal ‘other than he changed his mind and did not want to withdraw the plea.’ Pulling back the plea could have opened Dutschke to a possible life sentence as well as a longer sentence in a state court proceeding where he had pleaded guilty to fondling charges. State prosecutors have recommended that Dutschke serve his proposed 20-year sentence in the unrelated fondling case at the same time he serves any penalty on the federal charges. | James Dutschke has been sentenced to 25 years behind bars and five years probation after sending ricin-laced letters to government officials .
Tried framing his longtime rival, Elvis impersonator Paul Kevin Curtis who was briefly jailed and then released .
He originally entered a guilty plea then said he wanted to change it and have a chance of proving his innocence but didn't move forward with that . |
99,861 | 0ca840afab138ce01e4e62cf04ce897648eff3af | In my online Q&A this morning there was a lot of focus on poor performances in the Champions League but also on the current state of defending in the Premier League. One question in particular got me thinking: . Arsenal were awful in defence again against Anderlecht. But are there any good centre backs any more? I bet you can’t name 10 really good ones in the Premier League! Emma P in Watford . You’re right, Emma. I can’t! At the moment I can only really think of five defenders in the Premier League who are in good form, and even they are often dependent on their team-mates in front of them. Per Mertesacker and Arsenal endured a miserable collapse against Anderlecht in the Champions League . JOHN TERRY & GARY CAHILL . Terry is still such a reliable force for Chelsea and enjoying life again under Jose Mourinho. He has been important in the development of Cahill who I now feel is the most important player in the Chelsea back four. He has an excellent combination of mobility and physicality but he reads the game so well. They make a formidable pair and are a large part of Chelsea’s success this season. But even they can be troubled if they don’t get the proper amount of midfield protection. Crystal Palace were able to isolate them and when they did, Fraizer Campbell went past Cahill – the most consistent defender in the league – as if he wasn’t even there. That shows the importance of defending as a team. John Terry and Gary Cahill are the defensive rock holding up Jose Mourinho's Premier League leaders . JOSE FONTE & TOBY ALDERWEIRELD . Maya Yoshida started as Fonte’s primary partner but now Alderweireld, on loan from Atletico Madrid, has taken his place. Between them they have conceded just five goals in the league. Only Bayern Munich (three) and Barcelona and Juventus (both four) have conceded fewer this season. Not bad for a side who were supposed to be relegated! Under Ronald Koeman they are well drilled, they deal with crosses well and they are competent in possession. As individuals they may not stand out but with either Victor Wanyama or Morgan Schneiderlin dropping in to cover, they work well within an effective system. Southampton defender Toby Alderweireld (left) has impressed since joining the club on loan in the summer . Jose Fonte (left) has formed a formidable partnership with Alderweireld at the heart of the Saints back line . WINSTON REID . West Ham are in form and Winston Reid has been solid in their defence. James Collins and James Tomkins have been good but Reid is the most impressive member of their back line. Even then he has mostly just been getting the basics right rather than doing anything spectacular as an individual. West Ham are flying as a team, which always helps any defence, but Reid has been compact and consistent. Winston Reid is solid and not spectacular but is enjoying a fine season for West Ham . It is a defender’s responsibility to help shape and set up the team in front of him. You have to help build that barricade. If a midfielder is charging forward, you need to have words and make sure he does his job, otherwise you can be left exposed. You have to be prepared to open your mouth and ask for some help. I fell out with Lee Dixon on a few occasions at Arsenal when we disagreed about our positioning. But it was always over in a flash and we respected each other for being brave enough to speak up. I’d like to see defenders demand more from those around them. Marcos Rojo (bottom) suffered a painful end to the Manchester derby and has not shored up United's defence . Younes Kaboul (centre) is Tottenham's captain and centre back but is not shutting out the opposition . Even Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is not playing at his best this season . If you are under pressure, you need to make sure gaps in front of you are filled and the game settles otherwise you’re in danger of letting the momentum change. That’s what happened against Anderlecht – Arsenal gave away the impetus and they were punished. Every team these days is stocked with players capable of embarrassing you, not just the top sides. It’s up to you as a defender to want to keep them out more than they want to score. Good defending is all linked to your mentality and your desire. A lot of players spend time doing weights to build up their strength, but that inner strength doesn’t come from the gym. You need an attitude of: I want to win. I want to clear every ball and win every battle. If you want it badly enough all over the pitch then you create that physical energy, which makes you look more powerful than you are. If you’ve got that hunger and drive then it becomes infectious. You just need to let your team-mates know you expect them to back you up. | Arsenal suffered embarrassing defensive collapse against Anderlecht .
Other English clubs were also defensively poor in Champions League .
They reflect a wider drop in standards of defending in Premier League .
Only five centre backs are in top form in the top flight . |
34,605 | 62525e2ac2e4f958ef7451b19e2c12d4a762bbfa | By . Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 01:52 EST, 15 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:52 EST, 15 November 2013 . A power failure may have been responsible for the State Island ferry crashing into a dock in Manhattan Thursday afternoon. The Department of Transportation said the 'hard landing' didn't cause any injuries or damage to the boat. The boat had left the Whitehall terminal at 2pm bound for Staten Island, but then turned back after an unspecified mechanical problem. Hard landing: The ferry crashed into the dock but no one was injured on impact . According to SI Live, the ferry had neared the Statue of Liberty before it began to slow down. Passengers tweeted from the ferry after the crash. 'We were almost halfway to SI and the ferry headed back to Manhattan. Had to lay on the ground as we docked because of the impact,' wrote one passenger. Delays: The crash caused delays at rush hour; authorities are still investigating what caused the problem . Venerable: The first motorized ferry between Staten Island and Manhattan began running in 1817 . Ed V told SI Live that ferry workers told passengers to brace for impact. 'We hit really, really hard,' he said. A Department of Transportation spokesperson told CBS that the vessel ran into the pilings and the lower level of a bridge at a low speed. The evening rush hour ferry service was running on a modified schedule due to the incident, causing delays for commuters. October 15, 2003 - The Andrew J. Barberi collided with a pier, killing 11 people, seriously injuring many others, and tearing a huge slash through the lowest of the three passenger decks. March 7, 2004 - Actor/performer Spalding Gray committed suicide by jumping off the Staten Island Ferry . July 1, 2009 - The John J. Marchi lost power, and hit a pier at the St. George Terminal at full speed resulting in 15 minor injuries. May 8, 2010 - The Andrew J. Barberi hit the dock at the St. George ferry terminal with 252 passengers aboard and 37 people were injured. | New York's Staten Island ferry crashed into a dock at Whitehall terminal Thursday afternoon .
The ferry was headed for Staten Island when it turned back to Whitehall .
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, with some reports blaming a power failure . |
65,284 | b95ffdeb490c0be0fd39f872de585260b3a1319d | (CNN) -- President Barack Obama headed to the Czech Republic on Wednesday night to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and sign an arms control agreement that reduces the nuclear stockpiles of both nations. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) to be signed Thursday by the two leaders builds on a previous agreement that expired in December. Obama has called the treaty the "the most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades" and said it would cut the nuclear weapons of the United States and Russia by about a third. After meeting with Medvedev and attending the signing ceremony in Prague, the Czech Republic capital, Obama will have dinner with heads of government from 11 countries -- Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The highlight of the two-day trip is the new treaty with Russia, which is another step in nuclear arms relations between the former Cold War adversaries. Its signing comes two days after the Obama administration announced a new U.S. nuclear weapons policy and four days before Obama convenes a summit of 47 nations on nuclear security issues. "It significantly reduces missiles and launchers," Obama said of the new treaty, which lasts for 10 years. "It puts in place a strong and effective verification regime. And it maintains the flexibility that we need to protect and advance our national security, and to guarantee our unwavering commitment to the security of our allies." Obama has made nuclear non-proliferation a major priority of his presidency, prompting criticism from conservatives who fear the president will weaken the U.S. nuclear deterrent against possible attack. "We believe that preventing nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation should begin by directly confronting the two leading proliferators and supporters of terrorism, Iran and North Korea," according to a statement issued Tuesday by Arizona's two Republican U.S. senators, John McCain and Jon Kyl. "The Obama Administration's policies, thus far, have failed to do that and this failure has sent exactly the wrong message to other would be proliferators and supporters of terrorism." According to information released by the White House, the new treaty limits both nations to "significantly fewer strategic arms within seven years" of its signing. One of the limits: 1,550 warheads. "Warheads on deployed ICBMs (Intercontinental ballistic missiles) and deployed SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles) count toward this limit and each deployed heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armaments counts as one warhead toward this limit," the White House said. There also are limits on launchers. The treaty also lays out a "verification regime" that includes on-site inspections, data exchanges and notifications, the White House said. "The treaty does not contain any constraints on testing, development or deployment of current or planned U.S. missile defense programs or current or planned United States long-range conventional strike capabilities," according to the White House. Obama said the agreement is part of the U.S. effort to "reset" the U.S. relationship with Russia. "With this agreement, the United States and Russia -- the two largest nuclear powers in the world -- also send a clear signal that we intend to lead," the president said. "By upholding our own commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, we strengthen our global efforts to stop the spread of these weapons, and to ensure that other nations meet their own responsibilities." Negotiators have been working since April 2009 to wrap up the "follow-on" to the 1991 START agreement. Talks were difficult, with disagreements over verification, including on-site inspection of missiles that carry nuclear warheads. A U.S. official with knowledge of the talks earlier said that negotiators had found "innovative" ways to verify what each side has. Verification will be a top issue politically because the U.S. Senate and the Russian parliament will each have to ratify any agreement. Russian officials at one point objected to the Obama administration's plans to build a missile-defense system in Eastern Europe. Specifically, they were angered by news leaks from Romania that it had agreed to allow missile interceptors to be installed in that country. The issue, according to arms control experts, was resolved by including non-binding language in the START treaty's preamble stating that there is a relationship between offensive and defensive weapons; however, the treaty itself deals only with limits on offensive weapons systems. This resolution could help placate U.S. critics who want no link in the treaty between offensive and defensive weapons, arguing that it might be used to try to limit a U.S. missile-defense plan. The new treaty would be the first pact related to arms control since the end of the Cold War, experts have said, setting the stage for further arms reductions that will tackle thorny issues such as what to do with non-deployed warheads that are kept in storage, tactical nuclear weapons and further cuts in missiles and launch vehicles. Some of those issues are expected to come up at the nuclear security summit in Washington on April 12-13. | Obama: "Most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades"
President will also have dinner with heads of government from 11 countries during trip .
Treaty limits both nations to "significantly fewer strategic arms" |
159,485 | 5a289ab1bafdf50c9d2f4ef87ecbbfe40cddb956 | By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 21:06 EST, 5 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:30 EST, 7 March 2013 . Nurses who can’t speak English are being allowed to work on wards without undergoing proper tests, MPs warn today. They accuse the nursing watchdog of endangering patients by failing to enforce adequate language checks and have asked for ‘urgent’ action on the problem. There is widespread concern that many foreign nurses have a poor grasp of English and some patients report having to communicate by sign language. There are concerns that nurses who cannot speak English are a danger to patients (file photo) Under EU rules the Nursing and Midwifery Council is forbidden from testing European nurses before allowing them on the register. However, the watchdog can instruct hospitals and care homes to carry out their own checks on skills and language before employing nurses. But MPs from the Health Select Committee warn that the NMC is not doing enough to enforce these tests. In a report today, they accuse the watchdog of failing to put in place ‘sufficient safeguards to protect the interests of patients’. The flaws of not checking doctors for their skills or language ability was exposed by the case of incompetent GP Daniel Ubani who killed pensioner David Gray in 2008 . One of Britain’s top doctors, Lord Winston, has expressed particular concern over nurses coming in from Eastern Europe. The peer, a world-renowned fertility specialist, said they had been trained in a ‘completely different way’ to British nurses and were not used to speaking to doctors or their own patients. His views were backed up by Lord Kakkar, a surgeon, who said the situation was ‘intolerable’. Some patients claim they have mistakenly been given food by nurses who do not understand ‘nil by mouth’ while others have resorted to using sign language. Rules from Brussels state that neither the NMC, nor the General Medical Council, which regulates doctors, can test foreign workers before allowing them to register. But the flaw was tragically exposed in 2008 when pensioner David Gray was killed by an incompetent German GP, Daniel Ubani. The doctor had been allowed to cover an out-of-hours shift in Cambridgeshire without facing any checks on his medical skills or English language. The GMC has taken steps to get round the EU rules by ensuring checks are carried out by hospitals and primary care organisations. The watchdog has told all NHS trusts to appoint a senior medic tasked with checking foreign doctors’ competence and language. MPs today urged the nursing watchdog to take similar measures to reduce ‘risk to patients’. Every year around 3,000 nurses from the EU register with the NMC. It is not known how many are made to take tests before they are employed. But last year an investigation by the Mail found that nine in ten hospitals did not bother carrying out checks on nurses’ language or competence. Many assumed they had already sat tests for the NMC – not realising these are banned by the EU. Nurses coming to work in England from elsewhere in the world have to undergo rigorous English exams. | Still being allowed to work on wards without undergoing proper tests .
MPs accuse Nursing and Midwifery Council of endangering patients .
Surgeon Lord Kakkar says situation is 'intolerable' |
172,112 | 6ac3ee59ca13d8ccf9e1360bfb22d4520702cdc9 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 04:41 EST, 15 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:53 EST, 15 July 2013 . A man was exposed as a bigamist after his first wife tracked him down on Facebook - only to discover wedding pictures of him and his new spouse. Brian Frain, 36, of Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, is now facing a possible prison sentence following Anne-Marie Sim's shock find. Frain married Ms Sim at Tameside Register Office in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, in June 1999 after a two-month ‘whirlwind romance’, a court was told. Brian Frain is facing prison after he was exposed as a bigamist. His first wife, seeking a divorce, tracked him down on Facebook and discovered pictures of his second wedding to Louise Meredith . They separated after two months and she moved to Scotland. Tameside Magistrates’ Court was told that she attempted to get in touch with Frain five years later to seek a divorce as she wanted to re-marry. She contacted solicitors and hired a firm to track him down, but they couldn’t locate him. Eventually, Mrs Frain turned detective herself and hunted him down through Facebook - where she saw the wedding pictures of his marriage in September 2009 to Louise Meredith, the court heard. He used the same register office for both weddings. Frain claimed he thought the marriage was over because it had only lasted two months and took place 10 years ago. David Curtis, prosecuting, said: 'She made enquiries with the register office and he had not told them that he was already married.' Mr Curtis said that in interviews, Frain admitted that he had married in 1999. He said: 'Due to the amount of time that had passed, Mr Frain assumed that he was no longer married to her. 'He did not inform the register office and took no legal advice.' The court was told Frain met his second wife Louise, from Droylsden, in June 2007. They formed a friendship after they exchanged messages over the internet, district judge Paul Richardson heard. Mr Curtis added: 'He made no mention that he was married. Police were contacted and Frain was later arrested.' Frain pleaded guilty to a single count of bigamy. The case was adjourned for sentence. In a statement written by Ms Meredith, read out to the court, she said: 'Although I had been married before, I was under the impression that this was Brian’s first marriage. 'The wedding went well. I truly believed that I was his first wife. This has obviously affected me.' The court was told that they are no longer together. Rachel Wilson, defending, said Frain claims his second wife knew that he was married. District judge Richardson ruled that a short trial would be held on August 7 to settle the point. Ms Wilson said: 'He fully complied with the police. Ten years later he meets the second wife. He believes that at that stage, his marriage no longer existed because of the fact that it was only for two months and it was 10 years ago. 'He accepts that he was ignorant.' District judge Richardson told Frain: . 'It makes a difference whether or not you deceived this lady. Your . statements are opposite and we are going to have a trial of the issue.' Out of the blue: Louise Meredith said she was in 'shock' when police told her about the bigamy investigation . Frain was bailed to appear again in court on August 7. After the case, Louise, 34, said: 'I got a phone call around February this year from the police asking about Brian. I said I am not with him. 'They informed me there was a bigamy investigation - I was in shock. I wanted to see him, I wanted answers.' Tameside Register Office in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester. Frain used the site for both weddings . | Brian Frain, 36, married Anne-Marie Sim in 1999 after a 'whirlwind romance'
The couple seperated after two months and she moved to Scotland .
Seeking a divorce, she tracked him down on Facebook .
She was amazed to find pictures of his second wedding in 2009 .
Frain 'thought the marriage over because it took place 10 years ago' |
99,648 | 0c6559da96abd249d1d49ab19992fc4bfe733b03 | Prince William could become an air ambulance helicopter pilot instead of starting full-time royal duties this year. He gave up his job as an RAF search and rescue pilot eight months ago to start a ‘transitional’ year of public service placements as part of his preparation for becoming King. But sources claim William, 31, has decided he is not ready to move on to full-time royal duties when this period comes to an end in September, and is keen to return to flying. Misses flying: The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William at the controls of his Sea King helicopter, after he qualified as an operational search and rescue captain . William hinted at a return to the skies during his family's recent official trip to New Zealand . One option would be to enlist as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, which is based near his country home in Norfolk. William hinted at a return to the skies during his family’s recent official trip to New Zealand. Touring an aviation museum, he said seeing the historic military aircraft made him ‘long to be flying again’ and revealed that he hoped to obtain a commercial pilot’s licence. He already holds a private pilot’s licence from his time in the RAF. Acquiring a commercial licence would allow him to fly civilian helicopters such as air ambulances. In a possible sign of where his intentions lie, William and the Duchess of Cambridge will meet representatives of the Scottish Air Ambulance Service on a visit to Crieff, near Perth, on Thursday. A source said: ‘William has privately said he does not want to give up flying and hopes to find a way to incorporate it into what he does in the future. ‘He will not become a full-time working member of the royal family in September, and Charles and the Queen support him in this.’ However, Kate may have some concerns about her husband becoming a pilot again. Writing in the introduction to a new book, Living In the Slipstream: Life As An RAF Wife, she revealed: ‘I cannot pretend that I didn’t feel anxious at times when William was on shift in howling gales, knowing that he was out flying in extremely challenging conditions.’ On Thursday he will visit an air ambulance team during a trip to Crieff, near Perth, with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge . The Duke of Cambridge shows the Prince of Wales one of the Sea King helicopters, as Prince Charles visits RAF Valley on Anglesey in July 2012 . The East Anglian Air Ambulance was launched in 2000 after an appeal led by jockey Frankie Dettori, who was involved in a plane crash in which the pilot was killed. Today there are two helicopters, funded by donations, which fly every day of the year, covering Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. A Kensington Palace spokesman said: ‘The Duke of Cambridge is currently considering his options and an announcement will be made in due course.’ The East Anglian Air Ambulance was unavailable for comment. | William stepped down as a rescue pilot with the RAF a year ago .
Since then he has spent time raising his son George .
He now plans to work with the East Anglian air ambulance service .
Sources say he has consulted the Queen about his plans .
Prince is taking what palace aides have called a 'transitional .
year' |
198,982 | 8d9ca681fad41ca7c5f4670b55a692c098156839 | These dramatic photos capture a herd of elephants as they charge towards the Tarangire River in Tanzania during their seasonal migration - chasing away hundreds of buffalo cooling off in the shallow water. Israeli zoologist Michal Samuni-Blank photographed the majestic elephants as they approached the river, where roughly 500 buffalo were escaping from the parched African heat. The herd of roughly 25 elephants - both adults and calves - can be seen sloping down a grassy hill before breaking into a run as they get closer to the water - a scarce resource during the dry season. Watering hole: Israeli zoologist Michal Samuni-Blank first captured roughly 500 buffaloes as they cooled off in the shallow water of the Tarangire River in Tanzania . Migration: The zoologist photographs the herd of thirsty elephants - roughly 25 adults and calves - as they make their way towards the water . Charge: The elephants, pictured in the foreground of the image, picked up speed as they approached the water, ready to chase away the lingering buffaloes . Startled: At the sight of the elephants, some of the buffaloes start to leave the shallow water and climb up the grassy hill on the other side of the river, pictured right . The elephants are then captured driving away the buffalo - who flee the watering hole at the sight of the stampeding herd. The chase is made more dramatic by the cloud of dust that is kicked up by the animals as they charge over the parched African ground. After chasing away lingering buffalo from the river bank in a dramatic pursuit, the elephants are left to relax in the water - where they are photographed frolicking and playing happily. But Dr Samuni-Blank, who watched the scene from 500 metres away at the Tarangire Safari Lodge, said that there was no physical contact between the two species. The zoologist, who is now based in New York, said: 'An elephant family - both adults and calves - approached the Tarangire river after a long journey. They started running towards the water when it came into sight. 'Elephants are herbivores, but they are very protective of their young calves, so they started chasing away a huge herd of buffaloes. Round up: The elephants break through the herd of buffalo standing in the river, before continuing up the grassy bank on the other side . Protective: More elephants from the herd join in chasing the buffaloes. Dr Samuni-Bank explained that the usually docile animals would have been protecting their calves . Force: Ears flapping in the wind, the elephants can be seen running faster as they drive the lingering buffalo from the water- a scare resource during the dry season . Drama: Dust is kicked up by the animals as the chase intensifies. Dr Samuni-Bank described the experience as 'watching the National Geographic Channel in real life' 'The buffaloes fled the scene, running up the hill, away from the river. When all the buffaloes have left the river, the elephants started drinking and playing in the water. 'The dust that the animals kicked up added mystery and excitement to the scene.' During the dry season in September, water resources for animals, like elephants, are very limited. It forces the animals to go on long journeys through the scrub in search of something to drink. Dr Samuni-Bank continued: 'The reaction I get is unbelievable and generally people can't believe I saw this. 'They say it is like watching the National Geographic Channel in real life. 'I was thrilled to witness this, it was a very powerful moment and I appreciated every second of it. 'Elephants are highly intelligent animals and are usually very gentle with other creatures. 'Even though the elephants chased away the buffaloes they didn't physically attack any of them - throughout the chase there was no physical contact between the two species.' Elephants go on seasonal migrations in search of food, water and mates, and typically coexist peacefully with other herbivores, which will usually stay out their way. | Herd of roughly elephants captured charging towards the Tarangire River in Tanzania during seasonal migration .
Adults and calves chase away hundreds of buffalo that had been enjoying a break from the dry African terrain .
The usually docile elephants force the buffalo to flee as they search for water - a scarce resource in September .
Israeli zoologist photographed the dramatic scenes as he watched from a safari lodge 500 metres away . |
117,093 | 232a2c00dcdd51b952a6316de81d4af0a3f5dc0e | When Honey-Rae Phillips was born with a giant strawberry birthmark, her mother and father wanted to show she was just like everyone else. But their act of devotion has gone beyond even the most caring parents' wildest dreams. Tanya and Adam Phillips each adorned their legs with mammoth tattoos, mimicking perfectly the blemishes which run up the right side of their 18-month-old daughter's body. Devotion: Honey-Rae Phillips (centre) was born with a harmless but disfiguring strawberry birthmark - so to show she is just like everyone else, her parents have each had tattoos of the same blotches (left and right) Supportive: Father Adam Phillips and his wife Tanya constantly tell Honey-Rae (left) that she is beautiful . The proud couple, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, were in tears when they first saw Honey-Rae after she was born in 2013. Although her strawberry birthmark is completely harmless, they were afraid the skin blotches - which affect one in ten children - could harm Honey-Rae's self-confidence when she grew up. When her daughter was barely a year old, Mrs Phillips was horrified to discover pensioners pointing at her and whispering next to a shop till. So for Christmas she paid for the two-and-a-half-hour, £80 procedure on her husband's leg - with plasterer Mr Phillips repaying the favour ahead of her 40th birthday this week. Mark: Mrs Phillips already had a tattoo on her right leg, but has added to what she had before . Mrs Phillips said: ‘Most people might think it’s very extreme but to us it was the natural thing to do to ensure our daughter never felt different or alone in the world.’ Recounting the moment she first saw her daughter's birthmark, the proud mother said ‘She struggled to breathe when she was first born and was rushed to the special care unit. When I went to see her she was just lying in a little incubator and that’s when I saw it. 'It broke my heart. I just sobbed and sobbed knowing my baby was going to permanently marked for the rest of her life. ‘Like any mum I didn’t want her to be different. I wanted her to be exactly the same as every other healthy child. And as much as the birthmark isn’t dangerous, I knew it could have a huge impact on the rest of her life. ‘Although in our eyes she was perfect, I knew other people would cruelly point and stare at her. For the first few months of her life, whenever we went out, I made sure her legs were covered up. I couldn’t cope with stranger’s curious glances or whispering comments.’ ‘I didn’t want sympathy or pity or people feeling sorry for Honey-Rae. Adam and I decided straight away that we wanted Honey-Rae to feel special, that her birthmark was something to feel proud of and not embarrassed by. 'From the moment she was born, we told Honey-Rae she was beautiful and constantly covered her in kisses.' But when she noticed an elderly couple 'whispering and staring' at her daughter, Mrs Phillips was 'distraught' and decided she had to take action. 'It was the first time I had taken her out without covering her up and it confirmed all my worries and fears,' she said. 'People are cruel without even realising. And I knew if adults could be that insensitive, then kids at school would also be unintentionally mean. ‘We had talked about having duplicate tattoos done for a little while but that day my mind was made up. We knew we had to do something to ensure Honey-Rae grew up knowing she was very much loved.’ Mark: Honey-Rae's birthmark, pictured, is harmless but caused strangers to whisper at a shop checkout . She added: ‘It was incredibly painful, especially as I had a flower to cover some old star tattoos, but it was worth every second of the pain. ‘When the swelling went down, I showed Honey-Rae, and she gently touched it and smiled as she said “Match”, pointing to her own leg. ‘If I’d have needed any reassurance that I’d made the right decision that was it. ‘She now constantly touches mine and Adam’s tattoos then her own birthmark and giggles - I couldn’t be happier. ‘Some people will says it odd and think what we’ve done is quite extreme, but in our eyes all we have done is ensure Honey-Rae never feels different. Mummy and Daddy now have the same permanent markings as she does.’ Condition: Known medically as haemangiomas, strawberry birthmarks are an abnormal cluster of blood vessels just under the skin. They affect one in ten babies but most of the time they are completely harmless . The couple already had tattoos on their legs, but none as extreme as the imitation birthmarks. Known medically as haemangiomas, strawberry birthmarks are an abnormal cluster of blood vessels just under the skin which can vary hugely in size. They get their name from their appearance, which can mimic the pattern and colouring of the summer fruit. Most are harmless and do not need to be treated, with some types fading over time while others stay on the skin permanently. Occasionally birthmarks need to be treated if they develop into ulcers or block the airways, but other people have them removed for cosmetic reasons. Many can be removed with medicines, while others require laser treatment or even plastic surgery, according to the NHS. | Honey-Rae Phillips was born with harmless but disfiguring birthmark .
Mother Tanya realised neighbours were pointing at it out in Grimsby .
She and husband Adam wanted to show Honey-Rae she was normal .
So they each had £80 procedure - and 'beautiful' daughter is delighted . |
198,417 | 8cd7de83ba2693b60a633765a1446ef62bb61db0 | (CNN) -- Lionel Messi celebrated his second successive world player of the year award with a hat-trick as Spanish champions Barcelona crushed division two team Real Betis 5-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal on Wednesday night. The Argentina forward, who headed off clubmates Andres Iniesta and Xavi to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or on Monday, proved the difference after the visitors provided stern early resistance. The 23-year-old finally broke the deadlock a minute before halftime with a delightful chip, and the tie was effectively over ahead of next week's second leg when he completed his treble with 17 minutes to play. Betis deserved better for their first-half efforts, highlighted by Ruben Castro crashing a shot against the crossbar soon after Messi's opener. Why were EPL players snubbed in all-star selection? But in the end they had goalkeeper Casto to thank that the scoreline was not even greater as he bravely thwarted a succession of Barca attacks. As it was, Pedro made it 4-0 on 76 with his 13th goal in 14 games after Casto blocked Daniel Alves' initial effort, and Seydou Keita headed the fifth with seven minutes to play as he rose high to meet Iniesta's outrageous scooped cross. Midfielder Iniesta also had an assist with Messi's first, while the second came in the 62nd minute following a pass from David Villa as the diminutive hero of the Catalan crowd squeezed home from an acute angle after Casto beat out his first attempt. Messi took his tally to 31 for the season when he won a one-on-one duel with the keeper, but Casto denied him a fourth from a similar situation before he was substituted. Messi claims World Player of the Year award . Josep Guardiola's team, seeking a 26th King's Cup crown, are now unbeaten in 29 matches in all competitions since the shock loss to Hercules in early September. In Wednesday's other quarterfinal tie, cup holders Sevilla battled back to earn a 3-3 draw away to third-placed La Liga side Villarreal. The home team twice led by two goals, as Cani and Italy forward Giuseppe Rossi made it 2-0 inside the opening half hour. Striker Alvaro Negredo replied with the first of his two goals six minutes before halftime but Marco Ruben restored Villarreal's advantage 10 minutes after the break. Blatter hails La Liga as 'best in the world' Negredo leveled on the hour mark and defender Alexis Ruano grabbed a crucial third away goal ahead of the decider at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. On Thursday, 17-time winners Real Madrid host city rivals Atletico while Deportivo La Coruna travel to Almeria in a clash between two of La Liga's struggling teams. Inter Milan moved into the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup on Wednesday night as the defending champions won 3-2 at home to Genoa with two goals from striker Samuel Eto'o. The Cameroon star struck in the 15th minute and again just before halftime with a fierce half-volley for his 21st this season, but Genoa midfielder Houssine Kharja reduced the deficit nine minutes after the break with a penalty following a foul by debutant defender Andrea Ranocchia -- playing against his former club. Kenyan midfielder MacDonald Mariga restored Inter's two-goal advantage with a header from a corner five minutes later, and Giuseppe Sculli's reply in time added on was just a consolation. Palermo also progressed into the last eight of the Coppa Italia with a 1-0 win at home to Chievo, as Fabrizio Miccoli scored the only goal from the penalty spot with 10 minutes left. | World player of year Lionel Messi nets treble as Barcelona thrash second division Betis .
Argentina forward helps put Barca 5-0 ahead in Spanish Cup quarterfinal tie .
Inter |Milan through to last eight of Italian Cup after beating Genoa 3-2 .
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o scores twice for the defending champions . |
66,623 | bcf6aedc950dc8e6c1081a2481b3cfee93223e26 | Falklands veterans who arrived to 'clean up' after the war ended have finally been given their campaign medals after 32 years. David Cameron handed the servicemen the South Atlantic Medal in Downing Street today after a long-awaited review found they should have been recognised for their service in 1982. The men all arrived on the islands more than a month after Argentine forces surrendered Port Stanley on June 14, 1982. Long-awaited: Falklands veterans who arrived to 'clean up' after the war were finally given campaign medals . Lining up: The Prime Minister made the presentations in 10 Downing Street, including to Nigel Morris (right) Long gap: Warrant Officer Sean Clench is presented with his South Atlantic Medal today by the Prime Minister . Although the war was over, their work was not without its dangers. They had to deal with landmines and the graves of the war dead, and one soldier, Gurkha Lance-Corporal Budhaparsad Limbu, died when his spade hit a grenade two weeks after the surrender. For decades the only veterans who could claim the South Atlantic Medal were those who had been on the islands up to July 12, 1982. But this year a long-awaited independent review ruled that time should be extended by three months to October 21, 1982. It now covers veterans who served up to when an airfield at what is now RAF Mount Pleasant, opened in 1985, was completed as part of Britain's efforts to strengthen the islands against future attacks. Service: Ian McVitie receives his medal. A long-awaited independent review made the change earlier this year . The controversial review was by former British Ambassador to France John Holmes. Pictured: Tony Anderson . Add to the collection: Many other veterans, such as Greame Fordham (pictured), have other campaign medals . One veterans' co-ordinator said the ceremony was 'a long time coming'. Pictured: Mark Morris meets the PM . Gap: Colleagues of Kevin Browne (pictured) earned their medals when Margaret Thatcher was in Number 10 . The review by the former British Ambassador to France, Sir John Holmes, was controversial with many other servicemen - because it left out veterans of conflicts including Aden, Suez and Korea. It declared new medals would be awarded to those who served in Cyprus and the Berlin Airlift - when the Allies flew supplies to people in West Berlin in 1948 and 1949. Other conflicts were not mentioned in the review, whose aim was 'to draw a definitive line under issues which in some cases had been controversial for many years'. Falklands veterans welcomed today's ceremony. Kev Greathurst, Dorset and Somerset co-ordinator for the South Atlantic Medal Association, told MailOnline: 'It's been a long time coming. Honour: Derek Selwood with his medal. One veteran said: 'The jobs these guys had to do were horrendous' Campaign: Mark Willoughby with the Prime Minister. The veterans were of varying ages and experience . Michael Rawding receiving his campaign medal. Some servicemen missed out on the honour by just a day . Dirty work: Clive Smith (pictured) was one of those who had to clear areas of mines after the surrender . Return: Steven Rue. The review was designed to 'draw a line' under all historic claims on campaign medals . 'There was still danger in the form of minefields which are still there to this day. A Gurkha was killed after the conflict ended doing trench clearance.' The 56-year-old added: 'Some of the jobs those guys had to do afterwards were horrendous. 'They had to clean up the mess left by the invasion. They were digging up and finding the dead. In Stanley, some of the Argentine forces had defecated in drawers and on plates.' Midlands co-ordinator Les Palmer, 61, added: 'Although the conflict had stopped there was still significant danger. A lot of ships still went down. 'My mate was one of those who missed out. He didn't get the medal because he got there one day too late. At the time they certainly felt like they weren't being recognised'. Criteria: The medal is now given to soldiers who served until an airfield at RAF Mount Pleasant (above) was built . Hidden danger: There are still minefields in the islands feared never to have been cleared, veterans said . | Former soldiers had arrived on the islands after the conflict ended .
They still had to negotiate land mines and graves of the war dead .
Review this year ruled they should be eligible for South Atlantic Medal .
Awards were presented in 10 Downing Street today by Prime Minister . |
224,502 | aeae2cee156d675268cf4bea7cf5dc4093b7bf14 | By . James Nye . A long-lost relative of the reclusive and eccentric New York heiress Huguette Clark, who stood to inherit $19 million of her $300 million fortune has been found dead from hypothermia in rural Wyoming. Wealthy: Huguette Clark left an estate valued at $306.5million when she died last year . Timothy Henry Gray's body was discovered by children sledding under a Union Pacific Railroad overpass in Evanston, in the southwest of the state on Thursday, as the temperatures hit 10 degrees. Gray, 60, was the half great-nephew of Clark, who died in May 2011 aged 104 and tragically was unaware that he was potentially entitled to 6.25 percent of her copper mining fortune, which has been conservatively estimated at £307 million by the administrator of her estate. Lieutenant Bull Jeffers of the . Evanston Police Department said that there was no evidence of foul play . involved in the death and that Gray was wearing a light jacket. He . added that it wasn't clear if Gray was living under the overpass at the . time of his death, however, other homeless people have been known to . camp there during the year. Tim . Gray was an adopted great-grandson of former U.S. Senator William . Andrews Clark, who made his reputation as one of the copper kings of . Montana, who also diversified into banking, building, railroads and . reserves special fame as the founder of Las Vegas. The . impressive senator's youngest daughter lived as a recluse in New York . City hospitals for 20 years until her death in 2011 while her palatial . properties across the country sat unused. Valuable: Ms Clark's three apartments in this New York building are worth a total of $53million . Untouched: The heiress had not visited Bellosguardo in Santa Barbara, California since the 1950s . In . her will, Huguette Clak bequeathed no money at all to her family, . leaving it all instead to her nurse, goddaughter, attorney, accountant, . hospital, doctor, favourite museum and various employees and an art . foundation she wanted established at her oceanfront estate in Santa . Barbara, California. It . is thought that not one of her relatives had seen her in 40 years, . although some had tried to keep contact with her through holiday cards . and the occasional phone calls. Because they did not receive a penny in her will, 19 of Clark's relatives stepped forward to challenge her will in a New York court. A public administrator joined in on behalf of Gray who lawyers had tried to contact about the battle, but all they could find were belongings abandoned in a storage locker - private investigators were not able to find him. Indeed, even if investigators could not contact Gray and he had been granted a share of the massive inheritance, his spouse or children would have been entitled to it - however he had no wife or kids. In fact, in spite of his homelessness, Gray had access to money and the coroner said that Gray's wallet contained a cashier's check from 2003, for a 'significant amount.' Gray's older brother, Jerry, said that Tim had worked as a cowboy and lived in the Rocky Mountain states most of his life. 'He was homeless essentially,' said Jerry to NBC News. 'If we had proper mental health services in this country, we could have notified and known to do something.' Evanston, Wyoming, where potential Huguette Clark heir Timothy Henry Gray was found dead under a railway overpass . Mysterious life: Except for a small, tight-knit circle, few knew of Clark's existence . Once beautiful: Skin cancer had devastated Clark's once-attractive face, the medical notes reveal . Inheritance: Clark, pictured with her father and sister, inherited her vast wealth from industrialist and senator William Clark . Clark's huge fortune, which came to light in court documents at the end of the year show that she had an $84.5 million estate which she had not visited in more than five years. The reclusive millionaire abandoned all five of her homes during her last 20 years, instead setting up residence in a New York hospital. Her valuable estate is at the centre of a bitter legal battle, as her relatives fight to overturn her will which largely divided her fortune between various charities and the nurse who tended her before her death. Documents filed this week in the Manhattan Surrogate's Court reveal exactly how much is at stake - a fortune valued at $306.5million in all, according to NBC News. This vast haul is divided between property, investments and her personal possessions including paintings and a huge collection of dolls. The most valuable item in Ms Clark's estate is 'Bellosguardo', an $84.5million mansion overlooking the ocean in Santa Barbara, California which she had not visited since the 1950s. Media interest: The Clark family have always . been the subject of media speculation, particularly Huguette in recent . years as many were fascinated by her reclusive lifestyle . Family: U.S. Senator William A. Clark, centre, joins his daughter, Huguette, at the Easter Parade in New York. He left her billions of dollars when he died . More pricey real estate comes in the form of three apartments on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, overlooking Central Park, with a total of 42 rooms between them. The apartments are valued at a total of $53million - the penthouse suite has already been sold for $24million. Ms Clark's country house in New Canaan, Connecticut, known as 'Le Beau Chateau', is apparently worth $14.3million. The home, which she never lived in, has nine bedrooms, a wine cellar, a ballroom and 11 fireplaces. In addition to the five pieces of blockbuster real estate, Ms Clark apparently owned $79.3million in stocks, trusts and cash. She also had $75.4million worth of 'personal property' which includes a painting by Monet and a doll collection which is itself worth millions of dollars. Sprawling: The $84m ocean-side estate of Huguette Clark in Santa Barbara, California, which local campaigners want to turn into an art museum in accordance to her second will . Legal wrangle: Ms Clark has not visited the 21,666 square feet estate in half a century. She abandoned all of her five homes in later life, instead setting up residence in a New York hospital . The valuation, which will be subject to taxes, came as part of the current court case between Ms Clark's longtime nurse, Hadassah Peri, and her great-nieces and great-nephews. The heiress, whose fortune dervies from her 'robber baron' father, Montana senator W.A. Clark, drew up two separate wills in 2005, aged 98. The first gave $5million to Ms Peri, but left the bulk of the estate to 'intestate distributees', meaning her closest living relatives. But the latest, written just six weeks later, deliberately excluded Ms Clark's family and left most of the fortune to an art foundation to be set up at Bellosguardo. It also included a bequest of around $30million to Ms Peri, a 62-year-old Filipina who earned $131,000 as the millionaire's private caretaker. In a statement released after Ms Clark's death, the nurse said: 'I was her private duty nurse but also her close friend. 'I knew her as a kind and generous person, with whom I shared many wonderful moments and whom I loved very much.' | Timothy Henry Gray's body was discovered by children sledding under a Union Pacific Railroad overpass in Evanston, Wyoming .
Gray, 60 was a long-lost relative of the reclusive and eccentric New York heiress Huguette Clark, and stood to inherit $19 million of her $300 million fortune . |
84,567 | efeb3aadf90212f9eab3c451a560d4624038e4d1 | A woman who awoke in the middle of the night to find her five-year-old daughter being kidnapped by a stranger has revealed 'woman's intuition' made her know something was wrong. Stephanie Holladay Edson and her husband Aaron Edson woke early on Friday morning to find their daughter Lainey being carried across the front yard of their home in Sandy, Utah - allegedly by Troy Morley, 48. After a calm interaction between Aaron Edson and Morley, the little girl was handed back to her family unharmed. Morley was later found inside a neighbor's home and arrested. Speaking exclusively to Good Morning America on Monday, Mr Edson, 37, revealed that there were no noises in the home that woke them up - and instead thanked his wife's 'woman's intuition'. Scroll down for video . Thankful: Stephanie and Aaron Holladay Edson spoke with GMA on Monday about the terrifying moment they found their five-year-old daughter had been snatched from their home in the middle of the night . Safe: Lainey, pictured left with her mother, step dad and brothers, is back home safe after Friday's scare . 'We were asleep and I woke up - not to a noise,' she explained. 'Nothing woke me up. I looked at my cell phone - it was 4.07. I remember thinking, "I'm not tired, I'm awake, this is weird".' 'I was fully mentally alert and because I was awake, I was able to hear the things that... saved my daughter.' She said that she heard a dull thud and her daughter's voice, but could not hear her daughter walking. The girl has a minor physical handicap that gives her a recognizable gait pattern, she said. 'There was no footsteps,' her mother, 32, said. 'There was her voice without her footsteps... I knew something was wrong.' At that point, she woke up her husband, yelling: 'She's outside! She's outside!' Mr Edson jumped from the bed and the couple found their daughter's door open, her light on and her bed empty. He ran outside. Emotional: Stephanie said that she awoke at 4am and immediately knew that something was wrong . Heroic: Aaron ran outside and asked the kidnapper what he was doing, before calmly convincing him to hand the little girl back over. He said no one raised their voices and that the handover was peaceful . 'I was just looking for Lainey,' Mr Edson explained. 'I wanted to get her back in a way that was not upsetting to her.' He called out gently and then he saw the man carrying his step-daughter - who was still holding on to a story book - away from the home. 'What are you doing?' he asked. Morley explained to the father that he was in trouble and 'if he had her with him then they wouldn't kill him,' Edson recounted. Mr Edson said that he wanted to help but that he couldn't take the girl with him. The man handed over the little girl without any trouble, he said. 'Just peacefully and calmly and nobody's voice ever got raised,' he said. The couple said their daughter was smiling and was even excited that she would get to stay up until the morning. Saved: The five-year-old girl is carried to the family's home on Friday, hours after the ordeal . They called 911 and alerted police, who found Morley inside a neighbor's home. 'It came so close to being something horrible,' Mr Edson said. It was 'a very close call... If it has to happen, if this is the way it has to end, it's just perfect.' The five-year-old girl wasn't hurt in the frightening experience, but the incident has evoked haunting echoes of when 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was snatched out of her Salt Lake City bedroom in 2002. She was held captive for nine months before being found. The abduction attempt was not targeted, but a random incident, said Sandy Police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The family said they don't know Morley. The intruder was in the family's basement searching through things when he came upon the girl sleeping in her bedroom, Carriger said. Police don't know what his motive was. Caught: Troy Morley, 46, is seen here being led in the jail after he was released from the hospital on Friday afternoon. He was bitten on the shoulder by a police dog before his arrest . In custody: Police say Morley had been wandering through the neighborhood trying to find open doors and windows to break into a home. He entered the house through an unlocked side door . 'It obviously was a very scary, traumatic situation,' Carriger said. 'The sanctity of our home is huge and for somebody to enter that and grab your child, it's got to be one of the worst nightmares a parent could face. 'If those parents were not awakened to go out and investigate, he could have easily left undetected with the girl.' After the 911 call, officers set up a perimeter, and with the help of police dogs, launched a search. Mugshot: A booking photo from 2012 shows Troy M. Morley, who was arrested on Friday . The suspect went into a second home two blocks away through a doggy door in an attempt to evade capture. The dogs at that house alerted the residents, who yelled at police already in the area to come get him. Police captured Morley outside the second home thanks to a police dog that bit the suspect in the upper shoulder, Carriger said. He was arrested and booked on charges of child kidnapping, burglary, trespassing and resisting arrest. Morley isn't on Utah's sex offender registry and online court records only show a pair of divorces and DUI charges. Family spokesman Miles Holman called it a miracle that the parents woke up in time. 'Thirty seconds later and it would have been all over,' Holman said. 'He would have been long gone.' The family's backyard butts up against a canal that separates the neighborhood from a bustling shopping center in the heart of Sandy, a city of 90,000 people that, like most parts of Utah, is predominantly Mormon. 'Things like that just don't happen around here,' said Melissa Johnson, 26, who is staying in her parents' house that is next to the home where the abduction event occurred. She said her younger sibling heard screams and commotion in the early morning and came to sleep with her downstairs. Johnson said they attend the same Mormon congregation as the family. 'I've been thinking that the Heavenly Father had a hand it,' Johnson said. 'He was protecting them. . . I just hope it won't be traumatizing for the little girl.' Johnson and other neighbors say it's a scary thought that a man capable of snatching a child was roaming their neighborhood in the night. Scene: Troy Morley allegedly broke into this house in quiet Sandy, Utah, by slipping in through an unlocked window. Once inside, he found a five-year-old girl, whom he tried to abduct, police say . Taken away: Sandy Police drive the suspected kidnapper to the Salt Lake County Jail on Friday . April Parry, a mother of three children who lives down the street, said she and her husband are considering an alarm system. 'That is your biggest fear as a parent,' Parry said. 'It can happen anytime, that's what makes it scary.' About 45 miles north in Roy, where Morley lived, neighbors said they weren't the least bit surprised to find out the man known as a super creep had been accused of trying to abduct a girl. Next-door neighbor Andrea Shearer, 33, said she forbid her children to interact with Morley after a series of bizarre and inappropriate conversations. Shearer said Morley had been caught sneaking into backyards, including hers. She obtained a no trespass order on him from police. She said she believes Morley had a meth addiction. He talked about a satanic cult causing his wife to leave him and having critters crawling through the attic, she said. 'He scared me. I'm so glad he's gone,' said Shearer, a health care professional. 'You always hear people saying about their neighbor that they seemed so quiet and normal. Not him, I'm not surprised.' | Aaron and Stephanie Edson awoke early on Friday morning to find their daughter Lainey missing from her bed in Sandy, Utah .
Mr Edson ran outside and calmly convinced the kidnapper to hand her over .
The couple spoke out about the ordeal on Good Morning America on Monday .
Suspected kidnapper Troy Morley, 48, was found inside a neighbor's home shortly afterwards and he was arrested and remains in custody .
He had told Mr Edson that he needed to take the little girl with him because he feared someone would kill him, but they wouldn't if he was with the child . |
286,824 | ffa3038472c656cb0b655693d3de3a253da94cfb | The last few days have been something of a whirlwind for Joey Prusak whose story has been all over the internet. The Hopskins, Minnesota Dairy Queen employee saw 'an older lady' steal a $20 bill from a blind customer after unknowingly dropping it on the floor. Joey ended up confronting the thief and asked her to return the money to its original owner. Scroll down for video... Serving up kindness: Joey Prusak, 19, an employee at the Hopkins, Minnesota Dairy Queen (pictured) gave a blind customer $20 out of his own pocket after he saw another customer steal the man's money he dropped on the ground . Honorable: Joey Prusak, 19, said that returning the money to the blind man 'felt like it was the right thing to do' When she refused, he ended up giving $20 back to her on behalf of Dairy Queen. It was, however, his own money. A fellow customer witnessed the interaction and wrote an email to the store which was then printed, posted on the store noticeboard and then photographed and posted online. Joey has simply said that he was just doing his job. Mr Prusak started working at the Dairy Queen in Hopkins five years ago when he was just 14. Sweet spot: The thieving customer was asked to leave and the witness said they will forever be a Dairy Queen customer after the incident (stock photo) Nice tip: A witness emailed the company and praised the employee . 'It's the only job I've had, the only . job I've needed,' he smiled. He is now the manager of the store and . essentially runs the branch. The . letter to the store explained how the customer saw a blind man had . taken his food and sat down inside the store to eat. Joey went . over to him and opened his wallet, giving him $20 of his own cash saying that . he wanted to give him the money 'on behalf of Dairy Queen' before . promising that it had the same face value as the bill he dropped. 'I . was in shock by the generosity that your employee had, taking his own . money out of his own wallet to give to the customer because some other . lady decided to steal something that wasn't hers,' the customer wrote. He talks about the incident, which happened on September the 10th, in the most modest of manners. '[After . the visually imparied man gave his order] right then and there I knew . when he dropped that $20 bill, game's over, he's not going to know,' explained Mr Prusak to KARE11. 'He . just kept walking and that's when the lady picked it up and I thought, . she's going to give it back 'cause she picked it up so quickly.' Mr Prusak said he then saw the woman her put the money in her purse. He didn't know what to say, at least not at first. When the customer reached the counter for her order, Joey confronted her. She claimed the money was hers and he said it wasn't. 'I . said, ma'am I'm not going to serve someone as disrespectful as you, so . you can either return the $20 bill and I'll serve you, or you can . leave,' explained Prusak. 'And she goes well it's my $20 dollar bill, . and I go, we'll then you can leave.' Accolades: Joey received a call from Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in the world (and a major shareholder in Dairy Queen) and he has had offers to appear on Queen Latifah's TV show . It was one of the other customers in the store who saw what happened and wrote an email to Dairy Queen. An impressed co-worker decided to post the message on Facebook and it ended up going viral. He . has been inundated with requests from various news stations and . websites that he has lost count, however he says he is excited about a . possible appearance on the 'Queen Latifah Show.' 'Warren Buffet called me this morning and we talked for about 10 minutes,' Mr Prusak said. Warren . Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, one of the richest men in the world and a . major shareholder in Dairy Queen, personally called to say he's a big . fan. Mr Buffett said he’s planning future talks with Mr Prusak. 'I . go, ‘What I would like to know is why you’re calling here?’ He goes, ‘I . just wanted to call and thank you for all that you did. It means a lot . to me,’' Prusak said. 'He told me he was going to have me flown out in May, to attend an investor's conference in Texas.' 'I was too star-struck to be asking questions,' he admitted. 'I didn't even know what to say.' Even with the star-studded attention, Joey Prusak remains humble about his deed. 'I just felt like it was the right thing to do,' he said. | Blind customer dropped $20 bill in Dairy Queen store .
Another customer picked up the cash but kept the money instead of returning it .
Manager of Dairy Queen, Joey Prusak, asked customer to hand cash back but she refused .
$20 of employee's own money was given to the blind customer .
Another customer saw the good deed and wrote a praiseworthy email .
Letter went viral and now others are congratulating the 19-year-od . |
125,731 | 2e87f3dbf9dc0b852a8a94ddde945e2de5c32d0a | (CNN) -- Lewis Hamilton will take time out from his preparations for the Malaysia Grand Prix to see his disabled half-brother follow in his footsteps and compete on the racing circuit for the first time. The 2008 Formula One world champion will make the 10,500km trip from Kuala Lumpur to Britain to see Nicolas, who has cerebral palsy, make his racing debut at the Renault Clio Cup at Brands Hatch on April 2. The 19-year-old son of Anthony Hamilton and his second wife Linda has suffered from the condition all his life and is unable to stand or walk for long periods of time, however, he is able to race alongside his able-bodied competitors courtesy of a specially modified car. McLaren driver Hamilton has said in the past his younger sibling is his biggest inspiration and confirmed to reporters on Tuesday that he would be trackside to support Nicolas in his first race. "I am the closest person to him but even I cannot comprehend what it must have been like to have the difficulties he has had," the Briton told reporters. "I'm so proud of him. I'll just head back to see his qualifying and race and then pop back out. It's cool. I will get to watch lots of movies on the plane." After attending the race the 26-year-old, who finished second behind reigning drivers' champion Sebastian Vettel in the first grand prix of the season in Australia last weekend, will then make the return journey to the far East ahead of the Sepang-event on April 8. Meanwhile, the elder Hamilton brother has also confirmed he is set to appear alongside Holywood stars Owen Wilson, Michael Caine and Jason Isaacs in the sequel to the successful animated film Cars. "Big news," he wrote on his official Twitter page on Monday. "I'm going to be in Disney Pixar's Cars 2. This is wicked." Hamilton is the latest in a line of big-name racing champions who have made cameos in the Cars franchise, including retired American driver Mario Andretti and seven-time German F1 world champion Michael Schumacher. | Lewis Hamilton will fly back to Britain to watch his brother compete for the first time .
Nicolas, who has cerebral palsy, set to take part in Renault Clio Cup on April 2 .
2008 F1 champion is in Malaysia preparing for the second grand prix of the season .
British driver has described his disabled brother is his biggest inspiration . |
211,755 | 9e36898f739bb800bdd8de81eda734c5a0c998df | By . Jessica Jerreat . PUBLISHED: . 17:43 EST, 18 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:52 EST, 18 May 2013 . A 16-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer who was bitten on her arm and shoulder is unable to tell her parents who is responsible for the brutal attack because she cannot speak. When Ariel Alexander's parents reported the bite marks on their disabled daughter to her special needs school in Philadelphia, the school tried to blame the attack on Ariel's sister. Her parents have rejected claims that the attack happened in their own home, questioning how Ariel's attack went unnoticed in the special needs classroom of Martin Luther King High School. Victim: Cerebral palsy sufferer Ariel Alexander is covered in bite marks but she cannot name her attacker . Brutal attack: Human bite marks can be clearly seen on the disabled teenager's back and shoulder . 'They gonna try and pass the buck, say it happened here. No way, impossible,' her father, Randell Alexander, said. Ariel's family believe the attack happened in school on May 1, telling MyFoxPhilly.com they first noticed the marks two days later. The teenager, who has been confined to a wheelchair for most of her life and is unable to communicate clearly, had four human bite marks and other marks along her shoulder and back. 'It's brutal! It is brutal,' Mr Alexander said. 'There's no way possible that no one's seen the incident occur.' He claims that after reporting the attack to her school, a male teacher told them that one of Ariel's classmates was responsible. Mr Alexander added that the teacher suggested one of the other pupils who has special needs had been attacking other students. Silenced: Randell Alexander with his daughter Ariel, who is unable to communicate and name her attacker . The school rejects this claim however, saying that when the teachers were interviewed they denied seeing the attack. Fernando Gallard, a spokesman for the school district, said: 'It could not have happened at school, . and if it could have -- if for some reason something happened-- someone . would have seen it.' Ariel, whose suffers from a neurological disorder that affects muscle movements, shares a special needs classroom with six other children and seven adult supervisors. While many toddlers go through a . phase of biting, it is also often seen in older children who have . development problems or disabilities. The school reported the injuries to Philadelphia's Department of Human Services, which . is investigating the case as possible child abuse. Blame game: Ariel's parents say the attack happened at Martin Luther King High School, but teachers deny this . Mr Alexander said the department interviewed him and his wife about the possibility that Ariel's 17-year-old sister had bitten her. Cerebral palsy is one of the most common disabilities affecting muscle movement in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in every 303 American eight-year-olds are affected by it. After research in 2006, the center concluded that families and sufferers were in need of improved health, education and intervention services. Cerebral palsy sufferers can be affected to differing degrees. While some, like Ariel, are confined to wheelchairs and lack the ability to speak clearly, others may be only slightly affected and will need little assistance over their lives. And while there is no cure, researchers say that with early intervention for physical and occupational therapy, many sufferers are able to lead regular lives. But in Ariel's case, with no clear way to tell her parents or teachers who caused her wounds, her attacker remains unnamed. Investigators from the Department of Human Services are due to return to the family's home next week to check on the welfare of the Alexander children. | Cerebral palsy sufferer's family say fellow student is to blame for attack .
Philadelphia school blames 16-year-old's sister for inflicting the wounds . |
271,483 | eba3fd9bb80458768603820c6d8a7ddaf40038a9 | Along a corridor inside Villa Park, Manuel Pellegrini knew what was coming. Did Yaya Toure’s stunningly graceful opener indicate the summer of discontent was finally over and he is back to his best? The Manchester City manager is very adept at handling situations like this. Not too high after a victory, never too low in defeat. After Toure’s shenanigans with birthday cakes and seemingly wanting out in pre-season, the manager’s stance is wise. ‘I don’t want to focus on all the things Yaya did,’ was the response from Pellegrini, who claims the summer engineering from Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk to get him out of the club was all a misunderstanding. Yaya Toure's form has been under scrutiny but Manuel Pellegrini has thrown his support behind his player . Toure (centre) broke his goal-scoring duck for the season with a stunning left-footed effort against Aston Villa . ‘I support him in the good games and in the bad games. I trust what he can do. I speak with him every day. I know what he thinks and know the way he works. ‘He was working in the perfect way. He always criticises himself on when he is going to return to his normal performance. ‘When I see the players work every day I know about their commitment to the project or not. I have a squad I can manage with different names but for the whole squad the commitment is very important. In this squad I don’t have any problem with any player.’ Although Toure’s goal was brilliant, he was generally poor on Saturday. The Ivorian gave possession away needlessly throughout — one particular 10-yard pass flew out of play — and his final ball was often ill-judged. City players celebrate with Toure after his goal set them on their way to a 2-0 victory over Villa . City boss Pellegrini said: ‘I support [Toure] in the good games and in the bad games' This is nothing new for Pellegrini. As he alluded to after this win, the champions had to put up with Toure’s infuriating performances last season, only for them to be forgotten after a classy swish of a boot and the 20 goals it brought. ‘If they want to, they (the critics) can continue,’ was Toure’s retort. ‘Sometimes people forget that I’m a midfielder and my job is not to score goals all the time.’ There is no doubting that Toure is one of — if not the — best central midfielder in the Premier League. But here he only really played for 15 minutes. City need something extra, more consistent. Pablo Zabaleta indicated as much. ‘We need him back to his best form in terms of passing, even free-kicks,’ the Argentine said. ‘We are 100 per cent sure we will see the best of Yaya soon. He’s been OK for us and he knows how important he is for that team. ‘If he is on his best form, Yaya can do whatever he wants because he’s just different class. We are at our best when Yaya is at his best.’ Despite his goal, Toure wasn't at his best for Manchester City against Aston Villa . The Ivory Coast international (right) looked lethargic when the hosts broke quickly on the counter-attack . City were at their most fluent against Paul Lambert’s side when Pellegrini opted to replace Edin Dzeko with Fernando and play three in midfield. Toure could then breathe and made the difference. But while that tactical manoeuvre swung the contest, Pellegrini is insistent on persisting with two up front — even in the Champions League. Roma sussed them out comfortably last week and City have come under increasing scrutiny in Europe for not being able to adapt to different propositions — particularly this time last year when they were humbled by Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich. ‘I repeat that for me it isn’t a tactical problem,’ the Chilean added. ‘We have a lot of statistics on games when we play with two and how many we play with one. The most amount of games that we win is with two strikers and four midfielders. ‘We can make changes — it is important to do it. I can’t always speak about a game we played against Bayern Munich one year ago. We played 70 games and didn’t have any problem, except that match because we played very badly with two strikers.' Toure (left) gets tackled by on-loan Villa midfielder Tom Cleverley (right) during a mixed display . | Manuel Pellegrini said he supports Yaya Toure in good and bad games .
Manchester City boss said Toure is 'working in the perfect way'
Toure scored his first goal of the season for City against Aston Villa .
Though the Ivorian broke his goal duck for the season, his performance was far from convincing or anywhere near the midfielder's lofty expectations . |
222,082 | ab76e457ce4da2648b703838469aabe9d39ec6da | Berlin, Germany (CNN) -- There are few cars in the world where the difference between driving them and watching them being driven is greater than with the Trabant. It's a cute little car. Its two big, round headlights look almost like innocent eyes staring back at the beholder. And its tiny frame seems so fragile that all other drivers give you the right of way when you're taking a spin around town. But driving a Trabant is an adventure, to say the least. As pedestrians smile and take selfies in front of the car, you will be locked in a constant battle just to keep the vehicle on the road. Slipping behind the wheel of a Trabant is sort of like squeezing into a sleeping bag -- especially when you're 6 feet 5 inches tall, like me. Getting the engine started is half the battle -- the car immediately stalls if you take your foot off the gas -- and the brakes pretty much don't work at all. Take all these factors together and a trip in stop-and-go traffic quickly becomes nerve-wracking torture. You're thrilled when you've finally reached your destination, and the car can once again become the eye-catching backdrop of a myriad of photos snapped by gawking tourists. Nevertheless, the Trabant has been an icon to Germans ever since the tiny Communist-built cars started rolling across the border between what was then East and West Germany in 1989. There have been movies about the car, where it is depicted as an underdog in races -- almost like the American films about "Herbie" the Volkswagen Beetle. The Trabant is so significant that CNN Berlin just had to get one for our coverage of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and it quickly became one of the centerpieces of our coverage. We looked on the internet and found that there are few "Trabis" left. The ones for sale were being offered up not for driving, but for spare parts. When we finally found one that had somehow managed to pass its latest driving inspection, we snapped it up immediately. The Trabant, produced in Communist East Germany by the government-run conglomerate VEB Sachsenring from 1957 till 1990, was flawed from inception. A few tweaks were made to the design in 1962, but fundamentally the car never really changed. The Trabi's frame is made of cheap PVC plastic -- a material the Germans nicknamed "racing cardboard" -- and its tiny frame houses a 26 horsepower, two-stroke engine that runs on a mixture of oil and gasoline. We needed a good concept to make our Trabi -- a 601 S station wagon -- the corner stone of our "Fall of the Wall" coverage, so we hired the artist Martin Raumberger to give the car a makeover. He focused on three themes: Berlin, CNN, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Martin did an amazing job. He sketched several of Berlin's most famous symbols on our Trabi, including the broadcast tower and the Brandenburg Gate. He also drew a tree of people breaching the Berlin Wall, a symbol of human life penetrating and destroying the anti-human barrier that separated East and West Germany. The longest part of the Wall still standing today (the East Side Gallery, for instance) is an open air museum, a living piece of art covered in graffiti. Thousands of people have scrawled their names on the Wall with permanent marker. We decided our Trabi should be no different. We asked people from all over the world to sign the car with their names and hometown, and the reaction we got was amazing. On November 9 thousands of people crowded around our car to sign it, draw on it, and take their picture with it. At some point the authorities asked us to stop because the crowd grew so large that it was blocking the bike path and the street at the East Side Gallery. Now that the celebrations are over it is time to decide what to do with the CNN Trabant next. It has turned into a real work of art by Martin Raumberger and all those who signed their names on it. I certainly will miss our little Trabant, but I will not miss driving it! | CNN's Frederik Pleitgen takes the iconic German Trabant car for a spin .
The cars rolled across the border between what was then East and West Germany in 1989 .
CNN hired the artist Martin Raumberger to give the car a makeover .
Thousands of people crowded around the car to sign it, draw on it, and take their picture with it . |
54,000 | 99134603cf198d1cbdcee1f4f6332081e93a04a4 | By . Martha Cliff . Huge wigs, lashings of glitter and one very prominent beard, it can only mean one thing: London Pride is back with a vengeance. And this year, the line-up is more dazzling than ever before, with Eurovsion winner Conchita Wurst, Sir Ian McKellen, 75, Sinitta, 50, and, of course, plenty of drag queens, all on the bill. Thanks to Conchita's triumph, the success of Rupaul's Drag Race and the popularity of London Live's reality TV series, Drag Queens of London, the drag scene has enjoyed an upswing in interest in recent months. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Miss Dusty O has worked on the drag scene for 25 years and is one of Soho's most famous queens . Dusty named herself after Dusty Springfield, her childhood idol, which was also the nickname that her school bullies taunted her with . But of all the drag queens to feature in the London Live show, none is as popular The Very Miss Dusty O, who runs Trannyshack at Madame Jojo's in Soho and the host on the main stage of this year's Pride in Trafalgar Square tomorrow. But while she's enjoying her new found popularity and soaring success, Miss Dusty says her career wasn't handed to her on a plate. 'I've been in the business professionally for about 25 years,' she explains. 'It started with me just dressing up for Night Clubs and then I started in the industry by standing on the door of clubs and ripping up tickets.' She is now one of Soho's biggest names, and her reputation has seen her become a mentor to young aspiring drag queens - although Dusty herself says she still can't understand the hype. 'I can't deny that I am [a mentor] but . I'm not very comfortable with that,' she confesses. 'I think it's because I'm highly . visible, London has a very small drag scene - everyone always thinks it's . bigger than it is - and I have been in it a long time so people do look . to me for advice. 'People think I am more high-profile and more . successful than I actually am - and certainly more than what my . bank balance is telling me!' Dusty helps to judge Trannyshack Academy at Madame Jojo's, a drag competition that helps uncover new talent. But not every drag queen is created equal. According to Miss Dusty, drag comes in many forms and reveals that the only way to make it is by putting the effort in. 'I always say have . fun, be who you want to be, learn from your mistakes and dress up up up! If you're a professional, you have to really hone your craft. Dusty (centre) took part in London Live's reality TV show, Drag Queens of London . 'People . always ask me: "How do I become a great Queen?" and I always say: "Do it!" You . have to just get out there. 'It's no good sitting at home in . front of the mirror drawing an eyebrow on. It's like any other art - you . have to practise it.' Miss Dusty's image has certainly changed over the years, starting with a penchant for the New Romantics and her current incarnation: huge ball gowns and plenty of make-up. Dusty will be hosting the main stage at Pride tomorrow . A big character who is not afraid to ruffle the odd feather, Miss Dusty has had her fair share of showdowns, including one with fellow drag queen Bourgeoisie who claimed Dusty had humiliated her. 'I'm different from other drag queens in the way that I don't adopt a character,' adds Miss Dusty. 'Dusty is me, I spend a lot of my time in drag when I host, so I can't pretend to be someone else. 'The name Dusty came from my nickname as a child, everyone else liked Duran Duran and I liked Dusty Springfield. 'Dusty used to be my name of torture at school but now look where it's got me. All of those bullies are in council houses with five children and I'm not!' Miss Dusty has more than 5,000 followers on Twitter and 750 Facebook fans - with social media, according to the veteran, why the drag scene is becoming more accepted. 'There was a real resurgence in the 90s, and I think we're starting to see one now too,' she adds. 'Social media means it's easy to access, everyone everywhere . knows everyone else's business and videos are getting 100,000 hits on YouTube.' But while the ensembles worn by Dusty and her fellow drag queens might look bizarre to the uninitiated, Dusty says it has been around for longer than you might think. 'There has always been an alternative drag scene,' she explains. 'It is becoming a bit more mainstream with Conchita winning Eurovision but there have always been people pushing boundaries. 'Pride is more relevant now than it ever . has been. It reminds us of how lucky we actually are especially when . there are people being stoned to death for being gay.' 'There do tend to be fewer people strutting around in feather boas singing: "I am what I am", but the recent hype around drag is nothing we haven't seen before, it isn't revolutionary.' Tomorrow, she will take part in Gay Pride - an annual event that sees thousands of people descend on Trafalgar Square in London. 'Pride is more relevant now than it ever has been,' adds Miss Dusty. 'It reminds us of how lucky we actually are especially when there are people being stoned to death for being gay. 'When people question why we still need Pride I always say: "It's one day a year!" We have heterosexuality shoved in our face everyday and this isn't harming anyone. 'At the end of the day it's a party and it puts a smile on people's faces.' | Miss Dusty O is one of the biggest stars on the London drag scene .
Says becoming a drag queen means dressing 'up, up, up'
She will be appearing on the main stage at Gay Pride in London tomorrow .
Says Pride highlights plight gay men and women in countries like Uganda .
Miss Dusty O will be hosting the main stage at Trafalgar Square tomorrow and the Drag Queens of London will perform throughout the day. For the full line-up visit prideinlondon.org.uk .
Live from Pride will air at 3pm on Saturday 28th July on London Live, Freeview 8, YouView 8, Sky 117 and Virgin 159 – or watch it live online at www.londonlive.co.uk . |
87,541 | f862600838849a918062fa3dbb560d731d7ddf3c | Hundreds of gay rights activists held a peaceful protest at the California mall where a couple were told to leave because they were kissing and holding hands. Daniel Chesmore, 21, and Jose Guzman, 24, recorded a security guard at the Roseville mall in Sacramento, California telling them: 'If you continue to kiss, you will be asked to leave the mall. Period.' Guzman said afterwards: 'I feel like we’re always treated differently because we’re gay. It makes me sad.' The aim of Saturday's rally was to get the mall . 'to understand why the community was hurt by their response', Shara . Murphy, executive director of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center told . CBS. Scroll down for video . Saturday's rally at the Roseville Galleria mall in Sacramento was in support of a gay couple who say they were told to leave because they were kissing . Discrimination: Daniel Chesmore, right, and his boyfriend Jose Guzman were out shopping when they were asked to leave a mall after kissing . Hundreds of gay rights activists turned out for the peaceful protest . 'What's important is love, and all love is love, and we respect individuals and their right to love.' she said she hoped the mall would have better training for their employees. Robert Woodward, who attended the . Love is Love rally, said: 'We have every right, just as everyone does, . to feel comfortable in our own skin, loving our partners.' People at the event carried banners with the hashtag '#loveislove' and wore T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan. During the recording by the couple, the voice, allegedly of the security guard, said: 'I counted you guys kissing 25 times.' The security guard told the couple, who are teachers at an elementary school in Oakland, California, that he would eject anyone for such public displays of affection. Roseville Galleria staff offered food . and water for everyone at the rally and said they wanted everyone to be . comfortable at the event. Initially the mall defended the security guard's actions but changed its mind after the response from the community. It first told Fox40 that anyone who violates the mall's code of conduct will be asked to leave. One supporter at the rally sported a T-shirt saying 'It's all fun and gay 'til someone loses their rights' Roseville Galleria, run by Westfield, said it wanted supporters to be comfortable at the event . Asked to leave: 21-year-old Daniel Chesmore, right, and his boyfriend Jose Guzman, 24, recorded audio of the guard who asked them to leave the Westfield mall in California . Affectionate couple: Jose Guzman, left, said that he feels they are 'always treated differently because they're gay' However, Fox found nothing in the code of conduct that prohibits public displays of affection and spotted dozens of heterosexual couples openly being . affectionate with each other without being asked to leave. It is not known if the guard was disciplined for the incident. Representatives from the mall met event organizers before the rally and told CBS Sacramento they wanted to support it. In an interview after the incident, Chesmore said: 'In a perfect world, there would be no difference in treatment between straight couples and gay couples.' 'It makes me feel like no matter what I do in society, I will always be different.' Code of conduct: The Westfield Galleria in Roseville said at first that couple were violating rules about public displays of affection but backed down after the response from the local LGBT community . | Rally at Roseville Galleria held to back Daniel Chesmore and Jose Guzman .
Mall provided food and water for all attendees at the event on Saturday .
Security guard told the pair he 'counted them kissing 25 times'
Jose Guzman said as couple they are 'always treated differently' |
204,859 | 9539fc2a9fcd254c0c991f22b467738873c64b7d | A growing numbers of teenagers in search of Internet fame are risking their lives by performing dangerous stunts in the New York City subway in what has become an alarming online trend. YouTube is filled with clips of mostly men in their teens and early 20s jumping across the tracks, playing chicken with trains or 'surfing' on moving trains. The growing number of recordings and images posted online showing the underground acts of daring has left New York City officials calling for a crackdown on thrill-seekers. Scroll down for video . Easy rider: The young man shown in this viral YouTube video 'surfing' a New York City subway is only one of a large community of thrill-seekers who perform risky stunts underground . Leap of faith: One of the most popular feats among teenage daredevils is jumping across the subway tracks . Call for action: Manhattan Borough President Stringer has called on the MTA to crack down on people bent on putting their lives at risk and threatening the safety of others . 'This game should be an embarrassment to New Yorkers. I don’t think we should let it go. I think we should prosecute people who do this because they are putting other people in harm’s way,' Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer told CBS 2. Stringer said he wants the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to take steps to prevent teens from risking their lives and the lives of straphangers. In a statement, the transportation agency overseeing the sprawling New York City subway system has called the stunts 'exceedingly stupid' and 'extremely dangerous,' urging the public: 'Don’t do it.' There were 55 subway-related deaths in New York City last year and more than a dozen so far this year. Game of chicken: YouTube is filled with videos showing people jumping on the tracks for a death-defying stroll just moments before a train arrives . One of those who perished underground was Liam Armstrong, who was struck and killed by a No. 2 train in March as he tried to run across the tracks as a dare on his 18th birthday. Liam and two friends had mistakenly boarded a northbound No. 1 train while trying to get to Greenwich Village and got off at 79th Street when they realized their mistake. But instead of crossing to the southbound side above ground, they dared each other to run across the tracks. One friend successfully reached the other side and another had yet to cross when Liam was struck as the train barreled into the station. As a result, the teen’s leg was severed and he succumbed to severe head injuries. On the wrong track: This 2009 clip shows a youth with dreadlocks getting down onto the tracks and jumping over the rails to the opposite platform . Heart-stopping: Photographer Jacob Ireland captured 'Koki' performing his daring skateboard stunt at the 145st Street station . Even those instances of risky subway feats that do not end in tragedy are still disturbing to watch. In a video that went viral since hitting YouTube in October 2011, a grinning young man in a baseball cap worn backwards could be seen 'surfing' on a moving train by holding onto a door from the outside of the car. Another short clip posted in 2009 . shows a youth with dreadlocks getting down onto the tracks and jumping . over the rails to the opposite platform. But . one of the most daring - and arguably foolish - stunts was performed . this past January by a daredevil named 'Koki,' who managed to leap over . the tracks at the 145th St Station on his skateboard. Popular: Liam, a student at Smithtown HS East on Long Island, was at 79th and Broadway on Manhattan's Upper West Side when he was hit by a No. 2 express train at 6.30pm . The dangerous trick - known as an 'ollie' - was made famous after a photograph of 'Koki' soaring over the tracks and landing on a platform appeared in 43Magazine. Photographer Jacob Ireland also got a chance to capture 'Koki' performing his daring skateboard stunt. Amid the on-going proliferation of subway stunt videos, the Manhattan borough president asked the MTA to consider installing platform edge doors and track intrusion detectors to ward off thrill seekers. | There were 55 subway-related deaths in New York City in 2012 and a dozen so far this year . |
26,087 | 49ef1fbdb1728e078518a6af07b50d904692486f | By . Jack Doyle . PUBLISHED: . 18:19 EST, 14 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:21 EST, 15 January 2013 . Barely half of all police officers would report a colleague for administering a punishment beating on a suspect, according to a study which concluded there is a ‘blue wall of silence’ in policing. A study into police ethics by the Open University found just 54 per cent of officers would ‘definitely’ tell on a fellow officer who punched a suspect for trying to escape. Its author, Dr Louise Westmarland, senior lecturer in criminology at the Open University, said the findings show there was a ‘blue wall of silence’ which ‘still exists’ within the police. 'Blue wall of silence': A study into police ethics by the Open University found just 54 per cent of officers would 'definitely' tell on a fellow officer who punched a suspect for trying to escape . She told a conference on police standards that ‘the study found officers were unlikely to report officers even in cases they thought were serious'. Nearly one in five officers said they would definitely not report a colleague who ran a private security business in breach of the rules. Around 17 per cent would definitely not report someone who ‘accepted unsolicited gifts on duty’. One in four officers would definitely not report an officer who accepted food and alcohol on occasions such as Christmas. On the violent attack, officer were told a colleague ‘punched a suspect a couple of times as a punishment for fleeing and resisting’. Around 10 per cent said they would . definitely or maybe not report the incident, while 21 per cent said they . said they possibly would report it, while 13 per cent did not say . either way. The survey collated responses from 520 police officers at three unnamed forces. Dr . Westmarland said the study also found that overall officers were . ‘uncertain’ about what was against the rules and what was allowed. 'Unacceptable': Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz (right) found the research by Dr Louise Westmarland (left) startling and said it shows the blurred line between right and wrong. She said the 'blue wall of silence' 'still exists' in the police force . Louise Westmarland, senior lecturer in criminology at the Open University . She said: ‘The findings of the study reveal that officers seem uncertain of the rules and regulations covering their behaviour, especially at the lower end of the spectrum. ‘In other words, officers were not clear about the bending of rules covering minor offences such as working in their spare time or accepting free drinks or small gifts.’ More experienced officers were more likely to report a colleague than younger officers. Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: ‘We all expect our police officers to uphold the highest standards of integrity, but this startling research shows how, for many, the line between right and wrong is indeed blurred. ‘It is also apparent that for some officers, the sense of proportion has gone wrong. Use of inappropriate force and cover ups are completely unacceptable for officers of the law. ‘The police service is undergoing significant reform, with the new College of Policing and a tough new Chief Inspector of Constabulary it must take this opportunity to make sure that our expectations for officers’ conduct are clearly established and upheld.’ | A police ethics study concludes there is a 'blue wall of silence' in policing .
The survey collated responses from 520 officers from three forces .
Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz: 'The line between right and wrong is blurred' |
121,814 | 2974f3e33879f0b25b4efd4234b8906bc5ad6f84 | By . Matt Barlow . Follow @@Matt_Barlow_DM . Phil Jones is ready to return to full training as the England squad regroup on Monday to continue their World Cup preparations. Jones is recovering from a shoulder injury which prompted manager Roy Hodgson to rate him as the player most in danger of missing the tournament in Brazil. Recovery: Phil Jones is ready to return to full training as the England squad meet again . The Manchester United defender stepped up his recovery work last week in Portugal. He is ahead of schedule and should be fit to play in at least one of the warm-up friendlies before England fly to Rio de Janeiro. Hodgson gave his players the weekend off after their training camp in the Algarve and they are back together on Monday at St George’s Park. Jones is unlikely to be risked as England play Peru at Wembley on Friday but there are games against Ecuador and Honduras once the squad reach their training camp in Miami. Hodgson is keen to see each of his 20 outfield players in action before they arrive in Brazil ahead of the opening game against Italy on June 14. Line up: Steven Gerrard, Ricky Lambert, Jon Flanagan, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones take to the red carpet . | Manchester United defender had been out with a shoulder injury .
Jones lightly trained last week but is ready to return to a full session .
England players regroup on Monday at St George's Park ahead of the Peru friendly on Friday . |
266,380 | e506da37f2ddf06912e1422e3afdbf139498eb9d | The pilots who averted a near-miss crash at Barcelona airport have revealed the shocking moment the air traffic controller ‘went silent’ as another plane taxied in front of them on the runway. Nikolay Limarev, the captain of the UTair Boeing 767, which was carrying 260 passengers, was forced to perform an emergency ‘go-around’ procedure to avoid hitting the Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus A340 at El Prat Airport in Spain. Limarev admitted the incident ‘could have been serious’ if it had not been a clear day. Scroll down for video . Dramatic footage: The video shows the moment a aircraft was forced to abort its landing after another plane taxis across its path at Barcelona airport . He also said the air traffic controller was 'silent' at the key moment, which meant he pulled the plane up without waiting for instructions from the ground.The air traffic controller apologised afterwards for the ‘failure’. The dramatic moment was captured on video and posted on YouTube where it has had more than eight million views in just two days. It shows the Boeing coming in to land on the runway, making its final approach, as the Airbus, getting ready for a flight to Buenos Aires, taxis across its path. The Boeing is forced to abort the landing, with the pilot carrying out an emergency 'go-around' procedure. The jet, which had travelled from Russia, landed safely shortly afterwards. Co-pilot Kirill Kuzmin told how they heard air traffic control instruct the Argentine aircraft to wait for the UTair aircraft to land before crossing the runway - and also heard the crew of the Airbus acknowledge the order, which they then defied. 'Worst experiences ever': The Boeing 767 comes into land at the airport as the Airbus taxis across the runway . 'Go-around': The Boeing pilot is forced to abort the landing, pulling up and going around the other plane . He told The Siberian Times: ‘Before getting close to the runway we heard the air traffic controller's command allowing Argentinians to cross the runway after we had landed. ‘The Argentinians repeated the comment which meant that they heard and accepted it. ‘But then suddenly - and without a clear reason - the Argentinians got onto the runway just as our altitude was going below 100 metres.’ At this point, ‘the air traffic controller clearly got confused. He went silent,’ Kuzmin said. ‘We had nothing else to do than go on a second round. We have worked on this situation many times during training.’ Kuzmin said the air traffic controller ‘apologised’ to the Russian, saying the incident had been a 'failure'. Limarev, the UTair captain who was praised by his airline for his quick-thinking, said: ‘As we were getting ready to land, about 10, 15 seconds prior to reaching the rear end of the runway, we noticed the Argentinian Airbus A340-300 moving at 60 degrees towards the runway we were approaching. Safe landing: The Boeing 767 from Russian airline Utair lands after the near-miss at Barcelona airport . ‘The weather was fine, so after the Argentinian plane reached the runway and got onto it, we went onto a second round, not waiting for the air traffic controller's command. ‘It took us about 15 minutes to complete the second round. When we finished it we approached the airport again and successfully landed at El Prat. ‘As we were taxiing the airport's controller apologised on the radio for the situation.’ UTair - one of Russia's largest airlines, based at Khanty-Mansiysk in Siberia - praised the captain for his 'composure and professional excellence' after 'appropriately' assessing the situation. The airline said that the matter was under investigation. Plane enthusiast Miguel Angel, who filmed the drama, described it as ‘one of the worst experiences I have ever had’. Spanish airport authority AENA announced a request for the country's civil aviation safety commission, CIAIAC, to examine the near miss and its causes. David Guillamon, spokesman for the Spanish air-traffic controller association, Aprocta, said the incident was a ‘serious case, but claimed that despite appearances, there was ‘no danger of a collision’. | Boeing 767 co-pilots revealed Aerolineas Airbus ignored instruction to wait until they had landed to cross runway .
Air traffic controller at El Prat airport 'went silent' at key moment - later apologising for the 'failure'
Captain Nikolay Limarev has been praised for carrying out 'go-around' procedure without waiting for instructions . |
105,480 | 14032bde26ccae382a1caedf3305ad0759fc239f | By . Paul Bentley and Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 07:40 EST, 3 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:55 EST, 3 January 2013 . The mother of Neon Roberts, the seven-year-old boy with cancer, said today she planned to launch an eleventh-hour appeal against him having radiotherapy. Sally Roberts, 37, said she felt there were 'other options' for her son, who is due to begin radiotherapy next week, and said she wanted to find a medic who would back her up. She also admitted fear of missing out on grandchildren was a factor in her fight. Determined: Sally Roberts told Daybreak's Matt Barbet and Kate Garraway that she wanted to explore other treatments for her son . Mrs Roberts, who has been fighting against conventional medical treatment for her son's brain tumour, said this morning she planned to appeal against a court's decision that Neon should have the treatment. She told Daybreak: 'I feel there are other options out there that we haven't explored and I would really like the opportunity to explore these other options. 'I wasn't given enough time last time to present them with what I wanted to and that was a professional expert - a medic to back what I'm saying. 'It should be my choice because I'm the one that is going to be caring for Neon or the rest... I have always been his main carer.' 'I just want to do the best thing for Neon and if the doctors have to go down their route and something happens to Neon, am I not going to hold that in my mind?' Seriously ill: Neon Roberts is due to start radiotherapy next week . She added: 'I would like the opportunity to do all these other treatments for him.' Neon was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour and had an operation to remove it on October 25th last year. Doctors said he needed radiotherapy as routine follow-up treatment but his mother missed three hospital appointments and went on the run with Neon for four days without telling his father Ben, her estranged husband. Neon is now due to begin radiotherapy next week, after a judge at the Family Division of London's High Court overruled Mrs Roberts' wishes to try alternative therapies. The child has spent the last week being prepared for his treatment by doctors. Today Mrs Roberts told Daybreak that she had many concerns about her son having radiotherapy, including 'damaging the DNA'. She said: 'Just altering it and him never recovering from that. His growth. Infertile. 'No grandchildren is a big factor. And there's just so many other treatments that he could be having.' She said in countries including Germany and China, doctors used treatments including 'hyperthermia' in which heat is used to stimulate healing alongside radiotherapy and chemotherapy to lessen the risk of side effects. Mrs Roberts said radiotherapy was 'not a sure thing' and denied that stopping it would kill her son. 'That's from the doctors here in the UK,' she said, 'We've gone abroad and found other doctors who are backing what I've been saying from the beginning.... In other countries in the world they are giving these other treatments a chance and doing very well with them. She also refuted concerns that her son might be running out of time, saying: 'That's what they keep saying but I disagree'. 'We all want what's best for Neon': Sally Roberts on Daybreak this morning . Mrs Roberts, who is from New Zealand but lives in Brighton, East Sussex, said her son was 'doing very well' following the most recent operation to remove cancerous cells. Neon and his twin sister, Electra, spent Christmas Day with their father, an IT consultant from Knightsbridge, west London, and his family after Mr Roberts told Mrs Roberts she was not welcome following the family rift over how best to treat Neon. Mr Roberts believes his son should receive conventional treatment based on advice from his son's medical team. Doctors advise that patients in cases like Neon's should receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 28 days of surgery for the best chance of survival. The boy's doctors agree that there may be side-effects, but say that without the treatment the little boy could be dead within a few weeks. A doctor told the court last month: 'This boy has a very highly malignant disease and he will die very quickly unless somebody gets their hands on him to treat him.' Mrs Roberts said: 'We all want what's best for Neon. He is the most amazing little boy.' VIDEO: Sally Roberts talks about her fight to stop her son Neon having radiotherapy... | Sally Roberts, 37, tells Daybreak she wants to 'explore other options'
Seven-year-old cancer sufferer Neon due to begin radiotherapy next week . |
18,542 | 346ef8f251b31081ba0adfcfddc65d1fe5d76023 | Sam Burgess has become the first English winner of the Rugby League International Federation's International Player of the Year Award at a function in Australia. Burgess, who defied a fractured eye socket and cheekbone to help South Sydney to victory in the NRL Grand Final, received the prestigious award at the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane, where the 2014 Four Nations Series gets under way without him on Saturday. The former Bradford forward will link up with Bath next week ahead of his cross-code switch, although he will not be able to make his rugby union debut until December as he recovers from the injuries he sustained in the first tackle of the match against Canterbury Bulldogs earlier this month. Sam Burgess (right) receives the International Player of the Year's Award from ex-Aussie great Wally Lewis . Burgess takes a big hit during the NRL Grand Final at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, which his side won . The rugby league star received the award at an event in Brisbane, becoming the first ever English winner . Burgess has just received another rugby league accolade but is making the switch to union with Bath . Past winners of the award, which is not to be confused with the Golden Boot, are: . 2008 - Billy Slater (Australia) 2009 - Jarryd Hayne (Australia) 2010 - Todd Carney (Australia) 2011 - Billy Slater (Australia) 2012 - Cameron Smith (Australia) 2013 - Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand) Burgess was chosen by a panel of 10 judges from a group of nominees which included former St Helens prop James Graham, who will lead England against Samoa at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, Dally M Medal winners Johnathan Thurston and Jarryd Hayne and Super League Man of Steel Daryl Clark. 'Sam was wonderful for England in the World Cup last year and his performances for South Sydney through the NRL season were first class, all the way to his Clive Churchill Medal effort in the Grand Final against Canterbury-Bankstown,' RLIF chairman Nigel Wood said. 'He is a worthy recipient and deserves to be recognised for his achievements over the past year on the international stage as well as in the NRL competition.' Sam Burgess (left) played on with a suspected broken cheekbone for South Sydney in the NRL Grand Final . Burgess went on to win the Clive Churchill Medal (left) man of the match before getting his hand on the trophy . Cook Islands - Dominique Peyroux . Fiji - Semi Radradra . France - Remi Casty . Ireland - Liam Finn . Jamaica - Nathan Campbell . Lebanon - Chris Saab . Papua New Guinea - Israel Eliab . Russia - Kirill Kosharin . Samoa - David Fa'alogo . Scotland - Matty Russell . Serbia - Stefan Nedeljkovic . South Africa - Ruaan du Preez . Tonga - Jason Taumalolo . Ukraine - Oleksandr Skorbach . Wales - Rhys Evans . United States - Joseph Paul . Canada - Steve Piatek . | Sam Burgess fractured eye socket in South Sydney's NRL Grand Final win .
Burgess named Rugby League International Federation's Player of the Year .
He is the first ever Englishman to claim the prestigious international award .
Burgess has agreed to switch codes and join Bath in rugby union . |
222,827 | ac75a2ddcd837f48c30bf414594fc9f76ed209f6 | By . Pa Reporter . Besiktas coach Slaven Bilic refused to critise referee Pedro Proenca after the Turkish side were denied a penalty in Wednesday's Champions League clash. The former West Ham defender was furious that a penalty was not awarded when Ramon Motta appeared to be clipped from behind by Jack Wilshere. Banned: Slaven Bilic watches on from the stands at the Emirates on Wednesday night . Controversy: Referee Pedro Proenca waved away Beskitas appeals for a penalty . Arsenal held on to secure a 1-0 win on aggregate and book a lucrative place in the group stage of the Champions League. Bilic, who watched from the stands as he served a touchline ban for arguing with an official during the first leg, refused to blame the decision for their exit and instead praised his side and aiming at a tilt at Europa League glory. 'We are disappointed on one hand but also so proud. My team gave Arsenal 180 very open minutes', he said. 'We didn't give up and in the last 10-15 minutes we were very exciting and they were on the ropes. Not many teams have done that to Arsenal on their home ground. Off you go: Arsenal's Mathieu Debuchy (right) is sent off by referee Pedro Proenca . Anxious: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was relieved to see his side squeeze through . 'They showed a little bit of extra quality in the box. 'We are very, very gutted because we were so close to going through - we are going to come out of this very positive and go in the Europa League. 'We are not there just to particpate, we want to do business there and go very far. If we continue to play like this or better, with a couple of more players. 'We can go far in the Europa League and fight for the Turkish Championship which is always a priority for our club.' | Referee Pedro Proenca waved away appeals for a penalty after Ramon Motta appeared to be clipped from behind by Jack Wilshere .
Arsenal held on to secure a 1-0 win on aggregate and book a lucrative place in the group stage of the Champions League .
Besiktas coach Slaven Bilic targets Europa League glory . |
240,080 | c2cfc5daab873dc1e39d7dcd66cab2115c2c5164 | By . Oliver Pickup . Last updated at 9:59 PM on 20th September 2011 . A girl fitting the description of Lauren Hopkins was spotted in Birmingham . Police detectives hunting for a missing 15-year-old girl fear she may have been groomed over the internet. Lauren Hopkins, from Haringey, north London, vanished on September 6 amid fears she may be in the company of older men, believed to be Asian, Scotland Yard said. Officers said they were 'increasingly concerned' for the safety of the vulnerable schoolgirl and sources said the teenager had previously been in contact with older men on the web. A girl fitting her description was seen in Birmingham 10 days ago. 'She may be with another girl she is believed to have befriended and both are vulnerable,' a spokeswoman said. 'They may also be in the company of older Asian males.' Lauren is described as white, 5ft 4ins and of medium build with shoulder-length dark hair with a faded red tint. At the time of the Birmingham sightings she was wearing a cream top and black leggings. Anyone with information is asked to call Haringey missing persons unit on 020 8345 1809. | Girl fitting teen's description spotted in Birmingham . |
263,788 | e19fac123f9fb7c014b69e8140b357669e513aba | By . Etan Smallman . Seen the opulent visions of paradise at the Chelsea Flower Show and fancy a piece of the action for your own garden? Well, never fear. You, too, can have epic statues, stellar lighting displays and giant gazebos — just as long as you have some spare cash to flash. Here is a selection of the most lavish, and wacky, ornaments, gadgets and furniture items your garden is missing . . . Up to £1,600, enchantedtrees.co.uk . Enchanted forest: These 3m tall trees can illuminate your garden for more than 50,000 hours . Let there be light! These 3m-tall trees come pre-decorated with more than 3,000 LED bulbs, which can illuminate your garden for more than 50,000 hours. They can be installed permanently or just for a party, and are happy indoors or out. £895, thegardenedit.com . Plants deserve the best: This watering can is a work of art . Even your plants deserve the best. But this watering can — handmade in Vienna, Austria, from polished and patinated brass, with cane wrapped around its handle — is such a work of art that you may end up feeling it’s just too good for your yuccas and cacti. Up to £20,000, bbqisland.net . Don’t show yourself up this summer with a disposable barbecue and cheap plastic table — go all out with a fully fitted alfresco kitchen. Make sure you include an induction hob, charcoal grill, glass-fronted fridge and under-granite lighting and spit-roasting facility. £3,295, thelapacompany.co.uk . Mix olde-worlde English charm with modern ostentation by investing in a focal point that will make all the neighbours gasp with envy — and will also protect your privacy while you have a soak in your spa. You can add colourful roof linings and side panels for extra protection, as well as bar ‘kits’ so friends and family who want to stay dry and have a drink next to the tub can still enjoy the fun. Make a statement: This garden ornament has a tasty bonus . £2,000, kimfh.co.uk . Make a statement — and a tasty pot of honey — with a customised hive. Woodwright Kim Farley-Harper has produced several for Fortnum and Mason’s Chelsea show garden in the past. Some have golden embellishments; others are given viewing windows, pedestals and copper-pitched roofs. £3,740, thelapa- company.co.uk . Set up your own exotic-themed drinking establishment in your back yard with a 3.2m-wide tiki bar. Install a drinks station or use the thatched shelter to house an undercover barbecue. £50 each, parrot.com . This nifty gizmo measures the moisture in your soil and communicates with your smartphone to tell it when when your plants need watering. The accompanying app can offer handy maintenance tips plus a library of ‘identity sheets’ for more than 7,000 plants. It also features graphs to analyse the health of the plant, weather forecasts and a watering diary. £875, sparrowandfinch.co.uk . Launched at Chelsea last year, this all-in-one bird house and ornamental planter is painted a chic ‘French grey’ and features individually hand-cut and fixed cedar roof tiles and a solid copper ridge. The birds won’t want to leave. £400 each, chelsea-gardener.com . Nuts about garden ornaments: These decorations are best presented in large clusters . For . a nutty lawn decoration, buy some of these cracking outdoor ornaments. Made from reconstituted limestone and finished by hand, they are . said to weather especially beautifully when placed beneath a canopy of . trees and are best presented in large clusters. From £2,000, malcolmtemple.co.uk . You don’t have to be from a Native American tribe to enjoy a totem pole — they are making their way into suburban gardens. That is in part thanks to artist and garden designer Malcolm Temple, whose 9ft wooden creations are the perfect alternative to a staid water feature. £24,000, architectural-heritage.co.uk . This is the ultimate garden ornament — a bronze Mercury shown in flight and raised upon a circular marble plinth, made in about 1880. What’s not to like? £1,999.99, firebox.com . All aboard: This carriage can pack 72 people and sleep 16 adults . Once you’ve invested so much time and money in your garden, you won’t want to leave it. So snap up a luxury tent that will let you sleep in your manicured haven. All aboard — this carriage can pack in 72 people at a stretch and sleep 16 adults comfortably in seven zip-separated compartments, with two side openings and a door for the driver. The perfect accommodation for parties and epic sleepovers. | The Chelsea Flower Show has inspired us all with its opulent gardens .
You too can have epic statues, stellar lighting displays and giant gazebos . |
33,291 | 5ea35288dc0342eb9ed66ba911b1839a45d388ad | Nine months after synthetic marijuana destroyed a large portion of her brain, Emily Bauer did something her parents feared they'd never see: She went back to high school. Excited, nervous and terrified, the sophomore rolled through the hallways of Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas, last week. Despite the familiar surroundings, Emily is living in a new world. She can't read or write. She is relearning basic addition and subtraction. A rotating cast of aides help Emily get through her school day. They wheel her from class to class, assist her in the restroom, help her eat, read class material to her and take notes for her, as she is partially blind. She attends school for half the day and goes to therapy in the afternoon. Teen narrowly escapes death after smoking synthetic marijuana . And the 17-year-old has a message for anyone who wants to try fake weed. "The high is great, but in the long run, it isn't good," she said, describing her experience smoking synthetic weed. "It's no fun to be stuck in a wheelchair, to have to go to therapy or (possibly) die." But she prefers to focus on the stuff she can do, like getting a perfect score on her first world history quiz. For the fiery-haired student, simply being back at school is epic. Less than a year ago, in December 2012, Emily was on life support after several strokes left her paralyzed, blind and largely unaware of her surroundings. Her family has no doubt the drug that landed her in the hospital was synthetic marijuana. Her parents first believed she had only tried it a couple times. But they recently learned the extent of her use -- Emily told them she smoked it daily for the two weeks before she went to the hospital. Best known by the street names "Spice" or "K2," fake weed is an herbal mixture sprayed with chemicals intended to create a high similar to smoking marijuana, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Advertised as a "legal" alternative to weed, it's often sold as incense or potpourri and in most states, it's anything but legal. Emily's stepfather, Tommy Bryant, told CNN last year that doctors diagnosed his daughter with vasculitis, which is an inflammation of the blood vessels. The vessels going into Emily's brain were constricting, limiting blood and oxygen flow. Emily is far from alone in her scary experience. Last week, three people in Colorado may have died after smoking the drug, according to state health officials. The Colorado Department of Public Health launched an investigation after 75 people were hospitalized in late August after using the substance. CNN first wrote about Emily in February, after learning about her story through iReport. A lot of people were quick to say then that marijuana should be legalized so drugs like these aren't on the market. Others pointed out after the Colorado news that marijuana is legal in that state. Emily's stepfather, who has been in her life since she was born, is not interested in the debate. "My focus is trying to get rid of this one bad product and not trying to substitute with anything else," said Bryant. Bryant and his family started an organization called Synthetic Awareness For Emily to educate families, as well as teachers and doctors, about the dangers and warning signs of synthetic marijuana use. He said his goal isn't to scare students -- he just wants them to be aware that this stuff is out there. "I'm trying to get the kids to realize that one bad decision could lead to a lifetime of pain," Bryant said. "Not just for them, but for their loved ones." It's been a slow recovery. After months in the hospital, Emily's family had to operate a lift in their home to move Emily from the bed or from the chair. Now Emily can stand up and shift herself, so it's easier for her parents to transfer her on their own, her mother Tonya Bauer said. She can't walk, but she's been taking physical steps at therapy sessions. Special equipment supports her body so she can focus on moving her feet. Watch Emily learning to walk . Emily has difficulty lifting the front of her foot, also known as "foot drop." Her feet point straight down when she stands up, which puts her knees and hips out of alignment. The family has opted for a tendon-lengthening surgery in the near future. Her mother hopes the surgery will mean Emily will be able to walk again one day. As Emily recovers, she and her family try to find joy in doing small things. They go out to movies and ice cream here and there, and they even took Emily to a Drake concert a few weeks ago. Seeing Emily sing along and be a teenager again, along with watching the handicap bus whisk her off to school last week, are signs that Emily is feeling more like herself, said her parents. And here's more evidence: During her telephone interview with CNN, she sounded just like a typical 17-year-old girl. "Our goal is to get Emily independent again so she can live on her own one day," said her mother. "Having her go back to school has really made us see that this is possible." | Emily Bauer nearly died after her family says she smoked synthetic marijuana .
The 17-year-old is in a wheelchair and partially blind, but she returned to school recently .
75 people in Colorado may have become sickened after smoking synthetic marijuana .
Synthetic marijuana is an herbal mixture sprayed with chemicals . |
3,548 | 0a475a12cf5aa8cd3f16ec8828a2146f5fc0902b | Female cat owners are more likely to suffer mental health problems and commit suicide because they can be infected with a common parasite that can be caught from cat litter, according to a study. Women infected with the Toxoplasma gondii - or T. gondii - parasite, which is spread through contact with cat faeces or eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables, are at increased risk of suicidal thoughts. About a third of the world’s population . is infected with the parasite, which hides in cells in the brain and . muscles, often without producing symptoms. Risk? Female cat owners are more likely to commit suicide because they can be infected with a common parasite that can be caught from cat litter . The infection, which is called . toxoplasmosis, has been linked to mental illness, such as schizophrenia, . and changes in behaviour. Scientists from the U.S., Denmark, Germany and Sweden looked at more than 45,000 Danish women who gave birth between 1992 and 1995. Babies . don’t produce antibodies to T. gondii until three months after they are . born, so the antibodies present in their blood represented infection in . the mothers. The scientists . scoured Danish health registries to determine if any of women . diagnosed as infected later attempted suicide, including cases of violent suicide attempts . which may have involved guns, sharp instruments and jumping from high . places. They found . that women infected with T. gondii were one-and-a-half times more likely . to attempt suicide compared to those who were not infected, and the . risk seemed to rise with increasing levels of the T. gondii antibodies. Lead researcher Dr Teodor Postolache, from the University of Maryland, said: 'We can’t say with certainty that T. gondii caused the women to try to kill themselves, but we did find a predictive association between the infection and suicide attempts later in life that warrants additional studies.' The study is the largest ever to try and ascertain a link between T. gondii and attempted suicide and the first prospective study to document . suicide attempts that occurred after the infection was discovered. Dr Postolache’s research team at the University of Maryland was the first . to report a connection between T. gondii and suicidal behaviour in 2009. The parasite thrives in the . intestines of cats and is spread through oocysts passed in their . faeces. All warm-blooded animals can become infected through ingestion . of these oocysts. The organism spreads to their brain and muscles, . hiding from the immune system within 'cysts' inside cells. Humans . can become infected by changing their infected cats’ litter boxes, . eating unwashed vegetables, drinking water from a contaminated source or, more commonly, by eating undercooked or raw meat that is infested . with cysts. Not washing . kitchen knives after preparing raw meat before handling another food . item also can lead to infection. Pregnant women can pass the parasite . directly to their unborn babies and are advised not to change cat litter . boxes to avoid possible infection. Dr Postolache noted the study's limitations, such as the inability to determine the cause of suicidal behaviour. He added: 'T. gondii infection is likely not a random event and it is conceivable that the results could be alternatively explained by people with psychiatric disturbances having a higher risk of becoming T. gondii infected prior to contact with the health system.' The findings are published online in the Archives of General Psychiatry. | Women infected with Toxoplasma gondii are one-and-a-half times more likely to attempt suicide .
Third of world's population is infected with parasite, which hides in cells in the brain and muscles, often without producing symptoms . |
211,269 | 9d994b0a8bf44a911b29124fe0699f72a0fc76c3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:52 EST, 6 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:06 EST, 6 January 2014 . A New Jersey woman has filed a lawsuit claiming she's borne the brunt of a dangerous neighbors threats, intimidation and racist remarks. But instead of her neighbor, Cyndee Phoenix of Hamilton Township is suing the development company who sold her the home in October for 'knowingly concealing' her future neighbor was a 'dangerous individual.' Phoenix's suit also claims that developer Lennar Corp. directly aggravated the problem by sending Potter a letter that addressed his past behavior and made it look as if Phoenix had complained. Cyndee Phoenix, 53, accuses the home developer Lennar Corporation of failing to disclose what they knew about her neighbor in a Mays Landing, New Jersey development Kevin Elville Potter . Phoenix claims her bad experience with neighbor Kevin Elville Potter began before she'd even purchased the home, reports Courthouse News Service. Phoenix works as a community outreach director for a casino in Atlantic City and had just seen a home in nearby Hamilton Township. While she was mulling over whether or not to buy a home in a Lennar Corp.-owned planned development, Phoenix and a sale representative were approached by Potter. Potter demanded to know why he was no longer receiving community services such as landscaping. While the sales rep 'implied that Mr. Potter was no longer eligible (for) services as a result of the time that had passed since his house was purchased,' according to court papers, Phoenix says she learned after she bought the home that Potter was no longer getting services as a result of his 'aggressive, harassing and hostile interactions' with Lennar employees. Phoenix claims Lennar Corp knowingly concealed her neighbor's dangerous nature from her so that she would purchase the home . Phoenix ended up buying the home and says no sooner had she moved in then Potter began to harass her. 'He's made snide and racist comments, like, "Go back to Atlantic City where you belong" which is a more urban area,' Phoenix's attorney Brett Datto told ABC News. 'He blares his music loudly, takes pictures of my client's guests. He's a problem person.' The complaint claims Potter directed '"increasingly harassing' behavior toward Phoenix, going to far as to threaten her sister's life. It also states that during one confrontation, Potter became 'aggressive, hostile and kept mentioning' the letter written to him by Lennar. Phoenix says she had nothing to do with the letter but now claims it made matters a lot worse for her because Potter believed she was behind it. Damages? The home was in this Mays Landing, New Jersey housing development. Phoenix is seeking seeking damages for fraud, consumer fraud, misrepresentations and omissions . When she and her sister actually filed harassment complaints against Potter, Phoenix hired a bodyguard to protect them from her angry neighbor and even he became a target. The lawsuit says Potter 'started to confront the hired security guard by staring at him for long periods of time, calling the police on the security guard and even following the security guard for 15 miles on the Garden State Parkway.' Phoenix's complaint names Potter but not as a defendant. Phoenix says she 'is constantly living in fear' and that Lennar 'omitted material information' so that she would purchase the home. She is seeking damages for fraud, consumer fraud, misrepresentations and omissions, and violations of New Jersey's Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act. | New Jersey woman Cyndee Phoenix accuses the home developer Lennar Corporation of failing to disclose what they knew about neighbor Kevin Elville Potter .
Phoenix says Lennar sent Potter a letter addressing his behavior shortly before she moved in and Potter took his anger over the letter out on Potter .
Phoenix claims Potter threatened her and her family's lives, made 'snide and racist comments,' and photographed her guests . |
276,963 | f2d073851275e23f5ddf345907f8542e7ec20c8b | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 19:32 EST, 1 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:01 EST, 2 October 2013 . Hidden cameras have captured the birth of London Zoo's first tiger cub for 17 years. Five-year-old Sumatran tiger Melati gave birth to the cub on Sunday evening after a six-minute labour. The pregnancy, which lasted around 105 days, was kept secret by zookeepers who kept a careful watch on the first-time mother through hidden cameras so they would not disturb her. Scroll down for video . Watchful eye: Hidden cameras captured the moment Sumatran tiger Melati gave birth at London Zoo . Up on its feet: The cub is the first to be born at the zoo for 17 years and staff said they were 'over the moon' The cub was born six months after the opening of the new 'tiger territory' at London Zoo, designed to encourage breeding of the critically endangered sub-species of tiger. Zookeeper Paul Kybett said everyone at the zoo was 'over the moon' about the birth. 'We were nervous about the pregnancy, as it was Melati's first cub and we didn't know how she'd react. When it came to her due date, we were all watching our monitors with bated breath. 'The actual birth happened very quickly and Melati's maternal instincts kicked in immediately as she started licking the cub all over and it soon began wriggling around - we couldn't have asked for a smoother birth. Doting mum: Staff said Melati's maternal instincts kicked in straight away and they are both doing well . 'It's still very early days, so we're leaving Melati to take care of her adorable baby, and our cameras allow us to watch them both from a distance. 'So far she's proving to be a doting mum,' he said. Zookeepers do not know the sex of the cub, which is in the exhibit's cubbing den with its mother. The zoo plans to keep the baby out of the public eye for several weeks until Melati is ready to show the youngster off to the world. The cub is the grandchild of the zoo's last tiger cub, Hari, the father of Melati. The cub's father is five-year-old Jae Jae, who is playing no part in taking care of the new arrival. | Sumatran tiger Melati gave birth to a cub on Sunday after six-minute labour .
Zookeepers said five-year-old has already proven herself as a 'doting mum'
Cub will be kept from public for several weeks until the pair are stronger . |
195,515 | 8912a083c1b9c86ef33af9a031ce6c7094f1866c | (CNN) -- Thursday, January 21 . 8:44 p.m. -- Haitian police shot and killed a man they suspected of stealing rice in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, leaving his body on the sidewalk for hours as his family mourned. Witnesses said no one was looting at the time. A nearby shop owner said the five bags of rice the men were found with fell from a truck and passers-by picked them up. 8:30 p.m. -- Haiti's orphanages have become targets for people desperate for food, water and medical supplies, aid workers said. On Wednesday night, Maison de Lumiere, an orphanage caring for 50 orphans, came under attack from a group of 20 armed men, aid workers told the Joint Council on International Children's Services. A neighboring orphanage sheltering about 135 children has been robbed several times over the past few days, they said. 6:20 p.m. -- U.S. medical assistance teams have treated 7,000 patients in Haiti, the White House said in a statement. A total of 160 U.S. missions have been flown carrying 2,600 tons of relief supplies and more than 2,500 military and relief personnel into Haiti, and will be delivering 50,000 hand held radios to Haitians, the statement said. The U.S. has also evacuated approximately 10,500 people from Haiti so far, including 8,300 American citizens, the White House said. 5:59 p.m. -- The Senate unanimously passed legislation Thursday that will allow taxpayers to deduct cash donations to Haiti earthquake relief on their 2009 tax returns instead of having to wait to file the claims next year. 4:37 p.m. -- Haitians are lining up in the streets for hours to try and receive wire transfers at the banks and wire services open in Haiti. Some Haitians said they haven't been able to eat because they don't have cash to buy any food available at street markets. 3:34 p.m. -- The U.S. Southern Command conducted an air drop of food and water over Haiti on Thursday. A C-17 delivered water and 17,200 meals ready to eat , the military said in a statement. Thursday's air drop was the second since the quake; the first was Monday. 1:06 p.m. -- Soldiers at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have set up tents, beds and toilets in anticipation of a possible influx of Haitian refugees, a military spokeswoman said. 12:55 p.m. -- A Dutch Navy ship, the Pelikaan, was docked at Port-au-Prince's south pier Thursday, unloading 90 tons of humanitarian aid. Two other ships previously offloaded containers. 12:29 p.m. -- The USGS confirms a magnitude 4.8 aftershock occurred nine minutes after the magnitude 4.9 at 11:45 a.m. and 15 miles closer to the capital. 12:14 p.m. -- Twitter users in the Port-au-Prince area report multiple small aftershocks. 11:45 a.m. -- An aftershock shook the capital. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated its magnitude at 4.9 and located its epicenter 30 miles west of Port-au-Prince. 11:10 a.m. -- Gen. Douglas Fraser, head of the U.S. Southern Command, said 63 military helicopters and 20 ships are working in and around Haiti. The military has distributed 1.4 million bottles of water, 700,000 meals and 22,000 pounds of medical supplies, he said. 10:52 a.m. -- One of two piers at the port serving the Haitian capital has reopened, and a gravel road was laid off of it, clearing a major route for aid to come into Port-au-Prince, officials said. 10:21 a.m. -- Save the Children, World Vision and a unit of the British Red Cross called Thursday for an immediate halt to any new adoptions of Haitian children after last week's earthquake, saying the focus must first be on tracing any family members the children may still have and reuniting them. 10:14 a.m. -- Louis Belanger of the charity Oxfam tweeted: "Water: all @oxfam sites are operational today. No logistical problems reported. Good day in #Haiti so far." 9:35 a.m. -- Haitians need donations of cash -- not clothes, food, medicine, or other relief supplies, as well intended as they might be, aid groups said Thursday. Such "in-kind" donations take up valuable space in cargo shipments and waste aid workers' time in sorting through the items, charities said. 9:19 a.m. -- The State Department says the campaign that allows mobile phone users to donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting "Haiti" to 90999 has surpassed $25 million, making it the largest mobile donation campaign to date. 8:18 a.m. -- About 100 aid flights are arriving daily at the Port-au-Prince airport, up from 25 a day just after the earthquake hit January 12, a senior administration official says. How you can help . 8:13 a.m. -- Ice and bread began appearing on the streets of Port-au-Prince this morning, for sale next to flattened and buildings and piles of rubble. Street vendors have been selling goods for days, but mostly nonperishables like crackers and candy. CNN crews spotted loaves of bread Thursday that appeared homemade as well as men and women carrying small blocks of ice in plastic bags. 2:48 a.m. -- The U.S. military will now station aid officials in the Port-au-Prince airport control tower to assess the contents of each flight, to prioritize landings and ease the flow of aid. The military also will provide security for U.N. relief teams, which had not been able to operate at night without protection. Share your earthquake stories . 1:15 a.m. -- Any U.S. citizen who wants to leave Haiti on a U.S. military transport aircraft can do so simply by going to the airport and applying for voluntary departure at a State Department office placed on the tarmac. The service is available to U.S. citizens or anyone escorting a U.S. citizen who is a minor. iReport.com: Looking for loved ones . 12:01 a.m. -- Electrical power was still out most places in Port-au-Prince, but traffic lights were functioning. Some banks, wire-transfer offices and a few stores reportedly were planning to reopen Thursday. Follow daily developments: . January 12 . January 13 . January 14 . Friday . Saturday . Sunday . Monday . Tuesday . Wednesday . | Watch Anderson Cooper live from Haiti at 10 p.m. ET tonight.
Read Twitter feeds to stay up to date on the latest in Haiti .
Read CNN.com's complete special coverage of the Haiti earthquake .
iReport: Looking for loved ones . |
272,065 | ec67242ae09dd30f8abd4a80106fa42747278c01 | By . Joshua Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 08:33 EST, 18 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:36 EST, 18 September 2013 . Friends and family of a Georgia teenager abducted in the night yesterday are scrambling to gather a ransom now being demanded by her kidnappers. The two strangers who wrenched Ayvani Hope Perez from her suburban Atlanta home want $10,000 for the 14-year-old’s safe return. The men are making the rare ransom demand despite taking Perez only after the family had no money or jewelry to give Tuesday. Scroll down for video... 'She's safe!': Home invaders stole Ayvani Hope Perez, 14, away from her family Tuesday. The teen was returned to her family safe and sound Wednesday . A vigil of 150 people gathered late Tuesday evening, but Perez’s aunt Suky Guerrero told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she was still unsure where the money was going to come from. ‘My brother doesn’t have a clue. He doesn’t have any money like that,’ Geurrero, the sister of the girl’s father, told the Journal-Constitution. A law enforcement source confirmed the ransom demand to the Atlanta paper. Meanwhile, local officials have publicly denied knowledge of a ransom. 'We haven't heard anything about a ransom, I don't know how that got out,' Clayton County police Sergeant Kevin Hughes told Mailonline. Sergeant Hughes said the county is now working in conjunction with state and federal officials. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said the FBI has now taken the lead on the case. A call to FBI's Atlanta division was not immediately returned Wednesday morning. Terrified: The 4-foot-9, Hispanic teen was wrenched from her terrifying mother around 2am Tuesday while she was still wearing her Star Wars pajamas. Police say she is in extreme danger . ‘He was devastated, not knowing what to do,’ Guerrero said of her brother. Alberto Perez, 47, was en route to Atlanta as his daughter’s terrified friends gathered at Dutchtown High School in Hampton, Georgia for a prayer vigil. ‘She's so nice,’ one friend told 11alive.com. ‘I don't know why people would do this to her. I'm praying just to get her home safely.’ Another classmate was struggling to come to grips with the situation. ‘I don't get it,’ said Sydney Chaquir. ‘It's not clicking in my mind why somebody would do this to her. It's like a dream.’ Unsuspecting: Clayton County Police Lt. Marc Richards updates the press at the Georgia subdivision once described as nice and quiet where Ayvani was snatched in the night . Pictured: Police sketched show the two African American men who authorities believe took Ayvani after their demands for money and jewelry went unmet. They also shot the family dog. Now they want a $10,000 ransom . Senseless: Two black males in dark clothing broke into Perez's Ellenwood, Georgia home at 2am Tuesday. When her mother had no valuables, they shot the dog and took Ayvani . Clayton County Georgia police spokesman Phong Nguyen said the invasion appears to be completely random. ‘It didn’t appear that they knew each other,’ he said. ‘They just moved in about a month ago.’ Nguyen said the two African American males smashed through a back door of the home and Maria Perez quickly tried to hide her children, but the men found Ayvani. The men wanted money and jewelry, but Maria had none to give, so they took the girl instead. Relief: Around 150 of Ayvani's classmates and former classmates gathered at a Hampton, Georgia high school for a Tuesday night prayer vigil. Their prayers were answered Wednesday . Spreading the word: Many friends and even concerned strangers quickly took to social media to spread word of Ayvani's kidnapping and to gather information . Alert: Clayton County police monitor Brookgate Drive, a suburban street full of families where Ayvani had lived for just one month before she was snatched . Now authorities are doing what they can to get her back. ‘This is the time for the Clayton community and the community as a whole to come together,’ Clayton County Police Chief Gregory Porter said. ‘We’re trying to make sure that we bring her some safely.’ The abductors escaped with Perez in a grey Dodge or Chevrolet sedan and were described as wearing dark clothing. Perez is believed to be in extreme danger and a Levi's Call—Georgia's version of the Amber alert—was activated. Man hunt: A Clayton County Police officer questions a driver in the Brookgate subdivision. State, federal, and local officials have all joined the frantic search for Ayvani, which ended Wednesday with her joyous reunion with family . Worries: Toni Hill walks her granddaughter home from the bus stop Tuesday afternoon. Ayvani's unthinkable kidnapping now has nearby residents in Ellenwood, Georgia wondering if the once quiet area is still safe . Freightening: Kybria Jackson, 13, and Mykevius Hodges, 12, talk while Clayton County police officer, T. Lucas, right, checks outgoing and incoming traffic in the Brookgate subdivision . Vigilant: Clayton County police Sergeant K.T. Hughes, officer P. Nguyen and officer T. Lucas converse as night fell over Brookgate subdivision Tuesday . erez is Hispanic, 4-foot-9, 93 pounds, and has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing blue and grey Star Wars pajamas and a superhero sweatshirt. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation released sketches of the two men who kidnapped Perez from the 3800 block of Brookgate Drive. Clayton County police urge anyone who may have information to call (678) 610-4781 immediately. The search: Investigators quickly fanned out across Georgia with police checkpoints and helicopters searching for Ayvani on Tuesday . Unthinkable: The calm was shattered in the subdivision of Brookgate, which residents described as nice and quiet . | 150 family members and classmates of Ayvani Hope Perez held a vigil for the girl's safe return Tuesday night .
The 14-year-old was kidnapped while still in her Star Wars pajamas .
Georgia police put out an alert on the 4-foot-9, 93-pound girl around 4am Tuesday .
Two male, African American men fled the scene in a gray sedan and Perez is believed to be in extreme danger .
The invaders also shot the family dog . |
23,538 | 42d36eb5e0475ec627057e8e12e03faa5701b579 | Don't expect Barry Geraghty to turn into the green-eyed monster looking at colleague’s rides any time soon – there is no need. Lining up for the 35-year-old Irishman in the coming weeks should be his 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth, King George VI Chase favourite Simonsig and recuperating 2013 Champion Chase winner Sprinter Sacre. Geraghty also has an enthusiastic eye on future talent. Barry Geraghty wins the Doom Bar Sefton Novices Hurdle with Beat That . Geraghty is looking ahead to racing up and coming horses including Beat That and Vaniteux . That’s why missing riding Jezki, his Champion Hurdle winner in March, on his return to action against Hurricane Run in Saturday's Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown and More Of That, his World Hurdle winner, in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury later this month, will not spark a hint of a tantrum. Geraghty said: ‘I can’t say I am overly envious of anyone. I got a great ride from More Of That and Jezki last season. They are two horses you’d like to ride but I hope to have two young horses to step up and snap at their heels in Beat That and Vaniteux. ‘Beat That was a frame of a horse last year and did well to win at Punchestown and Aintree. He should improve a lot physically. The hope is that he will be a World Hurdle Hurdle horse. More Of That sets the standard but he should have a shout.’ Geraghty celebrates after winning the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Chelteham with More Of That . The Irish jockey races to victory on Jetzski at the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham . Geraghty’s aspirations for Vaniteux, third in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in March, will be tested when he carries top weight of 11st 12lb in tomorrow’s Greatwood Hurdle. Geraghty said: ‘Even though he has top weight, his handicap mark is reasonable. He has pace but he doesn’t lack physique – he is very strong.’ Geraghty rides Oscar Whisky for his boss Nicky Henderson in Saturday afternoon’s Paddy Power Gold Cup, a race he won in 2002 on Cyfor Malta. Geraghty (C) leads eventual winner Parlour Games to victory at the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle . The three-time Grade One winner has not yet matched best hurdles form when chasing but Geraghty feels he knows the key. The rider said: ‘The big thing is to get him into a rhythm jumping. If he does, he has a big chance.’ Geraghty’s Open Meeting got off to a good start on Friday, easily landing the Grade Two Hyde Novices’ Hurdle on John Ferguson-trained 10-1 Parlour Games. The six-year-old, now the same odds to the Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in March, showed a classy turn of foot, hardly surprising given he won the 2011 Melrose Stakes at York and his dam is 2000 Irish Oaks winner Petrushka. BHA and Cheltenham will not change the start time of the Paddy Power Gold Cup, despite fears it could be disrupted by low sunlight. Only 10 of the 16 obstacles were jumped in Friday's novices’ chase won by Champagne West which started at 2.25pm. Today’s race is off at 2.30pm. Spokesman Robin Mounsey said the chance of a problem was ‘low risk’ but BHA will hope to avoid an embarrassing hat-trick. Two weeks ago the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby was run over the wrong distance. Last week’s Badger Beer Chase at Wincanton was ‘won’ by ineligible entry The Young Master, subsequently disqualified. | Barry Geraghty has no reason to envy any of his colleague's rides .
Jockey has had major wins with Bobs Worth, Simonsig and Sprinter Sacre .
Geraghty missed out riding Jezki and More of That again but has Beat That and Vaniteux lined up as future prospects . |
205,172 | 959861bd636b9338a199e60c571b738f895be835 | By . Nick Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 17:05 EST, 28 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:59 EST, 29 May 2013 . More than a year after ash dieback was discovered in the UK, not a single product is available to tackle it . Fears are growing that most of Britain’s 80million ash trees could be lost because of delays in licensing potential treatments for a deadly disease. More than a year after ash dieback was discovered in the UK, not a single product is available to tackle it. A firm which has developed a promising treatment claims the Government has snubbed it despite independent laboratory tests showing it is effective. The airborne fungus – chalara fraxinea – is rife across mainland Europe, where in countries such as Denmark it has already affected 90 per cent of ash trees. With the infection confirmed at 501 sites across the UK, the Government is focused on identifying trees naturally resistant to the disease, which could then be used to restock affected woodlands. But with only a small percentage of trees likely to be impervious, millions will be left to wither and die. Conservationists and landowners fear this approach will scar the countryside for generations. Tim Mott, director of Natural Ecology Mitigation, says his company has developed a copper-based solution specifically designed to tackle tree disease. Independent laboratory tests at Reading University have found it effective against the fungus, as well as a host of other tree pathogens. But the firm has been unable to get on to the Government-funded shortlist of products for testing against ash dieback. Despite this, it is determined to get the treatment on to the market and is seeking £1.2million in private funding to undertake field trials. Fourteen potential treatments are being considered by the Government but with no deadline for approval, many ash owners are becoming increasingly anxious. The airborne fungus ¿ chalara fraxinea ¿ is rife across mainland Europe, where in countries such as Denmark it has already affected 90 per cent of ash trees . Baron Imre von Maltzahn, who has 10,000 ash on his 400-acre Shelswell estate, near Bicester, Oxfordshire, said the Government’s approach was ‘baffling’. ‘I’m certainly in favour of trying to do something rather than just sitting on our hands, and would use a treatment if available,’ he said. Graham Taylor is managing director of Pryor and Rickett, a woodland management consultancy. He said several clients – from estate owners to those with a single ash – are willing to spend their own funds to protect their trees. ‘It is frustrating for those that just want to get on and try. They may well find the solution that the Government does not seem to want to find.’ Plant physiologist Dr Glynn Percival, who tested the treatment developed by Mr Mott’s firm, says ash dieback can be tackled. ‘It is a fungus and can be treated with a fungicide, as simple as that. 'The results for this new treatment are very positive. Although we have yet to carry out field trials, if I were a gambling man I would have no qualms saying that this product used in the right concentration will give control against ash dieback.’ A Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs spokesman said: ‘Plant health experts are currently looking at potential treatments, but finding resistance to ash dieback is the best hope for the future of ash in the UK.’ | Ash dieback was discovered in the UK more than a year ago .
Yet there is still no product available to tackle it .
Conservationists fear the countryside will be scarred for generations . |
65,730 | ba9bf25883bf69a98dc31c10e5ff94fc33736e7d | By . Sarah Michael for Daily Mail Australia . Two men who allegedly viciously assaulted another man after he refused to buy 'weed' off them have been tracked down by police because one man had his named tattooed on his back. The men, aged 21 and 22, were drug and alcohol affected when they bashed the 27-year-old victim in a convenience store in Darwin at about 10.30pm Sunday, police said. At one point the men, from interstate, had the man in a choke hold. Two men, aged 21 and 22, allegedly bashed a 27-year-old man in a convenience store on Mitchell St in Darwin at about 10.30pm Sunday . 'After the assault they took their shirts off, placed them around their heads and ran around the block,' Duty Superintendent Louise Jorgensen. 'Lucky for the investigating officers one of the offenders had his name boldly tattooed across his back.' Police located the men at a nearby bar and they were arrested. 'One complied and was put in the rear of the police van,' Supt Jorgensen said. 'The other resisted violently – so much so that the offender in the van got out to help police control his mate. After the assault the men took their shirts off, placed them around their heads and ran around the block, and police were able to track them down because one man had his name tattooed on his back . 'Ridiculously both of them then carried on at the Watch House. 'They will be interviewed later this morning once they have reached an appropriate level of sobriety.' The victim was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital with serious facial injuries, and is 'obviously distressed about the senseless nature of the attack'. The men will be charged by police today, Northern Territory Police told Daily Mail Australia. | Two men allegedly assaulted another man after he refused to buy 'weed'
The men 'bashed' the 27-year-old victim in a convenience store in Darwin .
After the assault they took their shirts off, placed them around their heads and ran around the block - but one man had his name tattooed on his back . |
22,387 | 3f928c972d46c94bc75e9ea4b7402c7d0c147d93 | (CNN) -- BP announced Wednesday it has reached a class-action settlement with attorneys representing thousands of businesses and individuals who made claims after the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The basic terms were announced two days before the second anniversary of the disaster that began with a rig explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon. Eleven workers died. A federal judge must give preliminary approval of the pact, which BP estimates will total about $7.8 billion, including associated costs and expenses. The company, in a statement, cautioned the final tally could be higher. ''This settlement demonstrates BP's continued progress in resolving significant issues related to the Deepwater Horizon accident,'' said BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley. "BP made a commitment to help economic and environmental restoration efforts in the Gulf Coast, and this settlement provides the framework for us to continue delivering on that promise, offering those affected full and fair compensation, without waiting for the outcome of a lengthy trial process.'' The settlement would be paid from a $20 billion trust, BP said. Oil spewed into the sea for nearly three months before a cap was placed on the BP-owned Macondo well, nearly a mile beneath the surface. The spill damaged coral reef formations, according to researchers. Scientists have previously confirmed that a plume of hydrocarbons from the well settled in the deep Gulf. Coral damage linked to spill . Two agreements would cover the majority of economic, property and medical damage claims, BP said. The plaintiffs and BP "believe that the settlement agreements are a fair, reasonable and adequate resolution of the claims," the company said. BP has asked a court to delay a liability trial until it decides whether to grant final approval to the agreements. The Plaintiffs' Steering Committee said, generally, there is no cap on the amount BP will pay to those who agree to the settlement. The committee said BP has agreed to pay $2.3 billion to members of the seafood industry. "The people and businesses of the Gulf Coast stand to reap great benefits from these settlements," said plaintiffs counsels James P. Roy and Stephen J. Herman. "We have held BP fully accountable for the Deepwater Horizon tragedy less than two years after the spill. Through extensive arms-length, good-faith negotiations, hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents and businesses will be made whole." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said about 59,200 barrels of liquid oil a day flowed from the well. Pipeline company proposes new route . In September, the government issued a formal report on the oil spill, finding that BP, Transocean and Halliburton all shared responsibility for the explosion, but that BP was "ultimately responsible" for operations at the site "in a way that ensured the safety and protection of personnel, equipment, natural resources, and the environment." A federal judge in New Orleans earlier this year ruled that Halliburton is not liable for the some of the compensatory damages sought by third parties in the worst oil spill in U.S. history, leaving BP responsible for the majority of those claims. The judgment was similar to the decision that came down regarding Deepwater Horizon rig owner Transocean's responsibility. Halliburton was contracted by BP to cement the well and had argued its contract protected the energy company from legal action resulting from its work. BP and Halliburton sued each other in April 2011, each claiming the other was to blame for the deadly explosion and resulting leak. CNN's Vivian Kuo contributed to this report. | BP, plaintiffs reach settlement on class-action claims .
Company estimates payout costs will be about $7.8 billion .
Parties file for preliminary court approval .
11 workers died in 2010 oil rig explosion that prompted the nearly three-month spill . |
68,006 | c0f49b234863c6c64e5ef70376b7e4d0ea82e644 | By . James Slack and Jack Doyle . PUBLISHED: . 08:44 EST, 14 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:29 EST, 16 January 2013 . Crossbench peer Baroness Meacher said that like illegal drugs, her morning coffee was not safe . Youngsters should be encouraged to switch from drinking alcohol to taking drugs, the head of a powerful parliamentary group said yesterday. Baroness Meacher also compared taking banned substances to drinking coffee. The former social worker insisted some drugs are ‘a good deal safer’ than tobacco and alcohol and said it may be a ‘very good thing’ if teenagers stopped getting drunk and took some types of legal highs instead. Her comments came the day after the All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform, of which she is chairman, called for the possession and use of heroin, ecstasy and crack cocaine to be decriminalised altogether, which would relegate it to the status of a minor driving offence. The report suggested that giving criminal records to young drug users creates ‘higher levels of unemployment, homelessness and relationship problems’. It also called for licences to be issued to allow chemists to sell so-called ‘legal highs’, which have been blamed for causing more than 40 deaths in a single year. Baroness Meacher told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘No drugs are completely safe. Coffee is not safe. I have just had a cup but it isn’t safe. ‘The fact is some of these drugs are a good deal safer than tobacco and alcohol. It may be a very good thing if we could get some young people to switch from alcohol. ‘As you know, a lot of young people . are drinking far too much. Get them to switch to something rather . safer.’ The cross-bench peer, who is paid up to £50,000 a year by the . NHS, said many young people are ‘determined’ to take drugs but there was . ‘nowhere’ for them to do so. If hard drugs are decriminalised users would escape with a fine, confiscation and no criminal record . Under existing laws users of drugs such as heroin, cocaine or ecstasy face a maximum sentence of seven years in jail, along with a criminal record, but the new report calls for a weakening of these regulations . Under the group’s plan, chemists . would have to show that the substances carried only an ‘agreed low risk . of harm’. They would be given licences and regulated by council trading . standards officers. Yesterday, Baroness Meacher suggested they could stock ‘legal highs that are a substitute for ecstasy’. Taking drugs would remain illegal but users would escape with a fine, confiscation and no criminal record. The report drew an angry response from anti-drugs campaigners. Tory MP Michael Ellis, a member of . the home affairs committee, said: ‘It is balderdash to say that we . should legalise drugs. We would see increased A&E admissions, . increased criminal justice incidents as well as far more deaths and . injuries.’ Mary Brett, of Cannabis Skunk Sense, . said drugs would fall into the hands of minors if made readily . available. She added: ‘Does she think the drug dealers will just pack up . and go home? ‘They are criminals, they will smuggle them in and undercut the price. They will still target the under 18s.’ The Lib Dems want a major review of . Britain’s drug laws, but the idea is being fiercely resisted by the . Prime Minister. Yesterday, David Cameron’s official spokesman said: . ‘[His] very strong, clear view is that the approach we currently have is . the right one and is working.’ Molly Meacher has held a string of . public sector and quango posts in her career which have granted her . significant influence over public life. The . ex-wife of the Labour firebrand Michael Meacher, she worked as a social . worker before becoming a commissioner for the Mental Health Act in . 1987. She was a senior adviser to the Russian government on employment in the 1990s, while filling key roles on London health trusts. She . is also a former deputy chairman of the Police Complaints Authority and . chairman of the Security Industry Authority – a hugely controversial . quango which granted hundreds of illegal immigrants permission to work . as bouncers. | Crossbencher Baroness Meacher calls for heroin, ecstasy and crack cocaine to be decriminalised .
She heads cross-party group which says licences could be issued to allow drug dealers to sell so-called 'legal highs'
Senior police officer says arresting drug users was often pointless . |
20,052 | 38e755572ea041f830adf732aac805c9d2d9d4bf | England were beaten 31-28 by South Africa on Saturday, extending their winless run against the Springboks to 12 games. Here, Sportsmail looks at five things we learned from Twickenham. South Africa celebrate the only try of the first half during their 31-28 victory over England on Saturday . Too many unforced errors - England must make most of pressure . It's an all-too-familiar story for England fans, but again the hosts at Twickenham dominated possession and had the majority of the territory against the Springboks. But fumbled balls, especially in the first-half, cost Stuart Lancaster's side time and time again. New Zealand would have capitalised more than South Africa too, which is a worrying thought. England made too many mistakes against South Africa and were punished for not converting chances . Time for Ford . England's kicking let them down again on Saturday, and although you can never doubt Owen Farrell's goal-kicking, it is perhaps time for George Ford to enter the fray permanently. The 21-year-old can control the tempo and has the creativity to unlock defences, even though he may not have quite proved it in his brief substitute appearance. Owen Farrell's place-kicking is exemplary but his place in the side is coming under threat . South Africa hoodoo . The Springboks are the second best side in the world, undoubtedly, but 12 games without a win against them is turning into an England hoodoo. Unlike the hosts, South Africa were clinical when they entered the opposition's 22, and were in fact only really troubled when they were a man down in the second-half. Jan Serfontein runs away for his try as the Springboks made it 12 on the bounce against England . Changes for Samoa . Three-point defeats may sound like they are narrow, but the visitors were much better than England on Saturday. It was a similar story against New Zealand, and Lancaster surely must look to freshen things up against Samoa. Marland Yarde and Ben Youngs could be options, with the Leicester half-back impressing after replacing Danny Care. Ben Youngs impressed at scrum half when he replaced Danny Care and could start against Samoa . Unfortunate debut for Anthony Watson . The young winger couldn't quite show fans what he was about at Twickenham. This wasn't helped by some lazy decision-making from Farrell early on, who flicked an inside ball towards the younster by his own corner with two South African defenders closing in. Three points would follow. With the vast amount of options to return after this series, Watson may have to wait for his next big chance on the international stage. Anthony Watson was unfortunate on his full debut for England and may have to wait for another chance . | England lost 31-28 to South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday .
It is the 12th Test in a row in which they have lost to the Springboks .
Sportsmail looks at five things we learned about Stuart Lancaster's men . |
677 | 01fa3a4f8a95d7b1a63f82cb3348d8d2467a4835 | By . Cindy Tran For Daily Mail Australia . and Aap . A former prison guard has pleaded guilty to a dozen of charges after her involvement in a crime ring operating outside of a Darwin prison. Sarah Dawn Rudd held her six-month-old son when she faced the Northern Territory Supreme Court on Wednesday, according to NT News. The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to several drug charges, as well as convincing a colleague to illegally access confidential information on other prisoners on the Corrections database. Sarah Dawn Rudd pleaded guilty to several drug charges and convinced a colleague to illegally access information on other prisoners on the Corrections database . Her partner and co-offender, Anthony Butt, who is a firefighter, supported her in court. The couple were both charged in May last year for possessing steroids from a trip to Thailand. Her barrister Jon Tippett QC said his client had a hard time working as a guard and began using drugs – before she was arrested with ecstasy pills and 1.5g of the drug ice in her undies during a drug deal at Le Cornu, Winnellie. The court heard how Ms Rudd told a woman name Zayley Ainslie how to smuggle cannabis past patrolling dogs for her prison boyfriend Phillip Noel Kaye, who was also Ms Rudd's alledged drug dealer. Ms Rudd had been working at the Darwin Correctional Centre for four years when she was arrested in a police sting, Operation Moonraker, in June last year. Justice Jenny Blokland said the harm was in compromising the integrity of Corrections, according to NT News. It is believed that Ms Rudd had committed 12 crimes between March and June 2013. Crown prosecutor David Morters told the court she used fellow guard Dwayne Reichelt to access confidential information to find out if her alleged drug dealer Mr Kaye who was already arrested when she tried contacting him. She also passed messages from prisoner Jared Davis, a Rebels bikie, to James Hau, who was arrested with 14 guns that former navy sailor Matthew Evans stole from a patrol boat at Larrakeyah, telling him that Davis wanted him to organise cannabis supply to the prison through Kaye, according to NT News. She also told Hau what evidence Mr Davis wanted him to give about the firearms. Prosecutor Morters said Mr Hau had planned to trade the guns to the Rebels in exchange for “dangerous drugs”. 'These offences constitute a serious undermining of the criminal justice system,' prosecutor Morters said. 'It's a significant breach of trust to be participating in the supply of drugs into a correctional facility.' Barrister Tippett said Justice Jenny Blokland should be lenient in sentencing her because none of the charges resulted in any serious harm. 'She had been a prison officer who had (always) stuck to her ethical and professional responsibilities in the past and along came a period of significant uncertainty (and) emotional upheaval,' he said. The sentencing case continues. | Sarah Dawn Rudd pleaded guilty to several drug charges and convincing a colleague to illegally access confidential information on other prisoners .
The former prison guard held her six-month-old son when she faced the Northern Territory Supreme Court on Wednesday .
Her partner and co-offender, Anthony Butt, firefighter, supported her in court .
Ms Rudd had committed 12 crimes between March and June 2013 . |
242,300 | c59a5bc2c556246c66d6d7fe26b8b2c94cb94bf5 | George Zimmerman was charged Monday with felony aggravated assault after allegedly pointing a shotgun at his girlfriend, according to Dennis Lemma, chief deputy with the Seminole County, Florida, Sheriff's Office. Zimmerman, who was acquitted earlier this year of murdering teenager Trayvon Martin, was arrested after the incident at the home of Samantha Scheibe, Lemma said. He also was charged with two misdemeanors -- domestic violence battery and criminal mischief -- in connection with the same incident, Lemma said. Zimmerman is being held in jail without bail and will make his first appearance in front of a judge Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Differing 911 calls . According to a police report on the incident, Scheibe said that after an argument Zimmerman broke a table with a shotgun then pointed it at her "for a minute." Scheibe called 911 at 12:30 E.T., Lemma said. On a 911 call recording released by police, a woman can be heard telling authorities: "He's inside my house breaking all my (things) because I asked him to leave." The woman then says to someone at the house, "I'm doing this again? You just broke my glass table. You just broke my sunglasses and you put your gun in my freaking face and told me to get the (expletive) out." A man is heard telling her to calm down, but then she tells the dispatcher that the man just pushed her out of the house and locked the door. On a separate 911 call, a man calls to report that his girlfriend was "for lack of a better term, going crazy on me" and throwing his things out. The caller says the woman is outside with police. When asked why he is calling, the man says, "I just want everyone to know the truth." He says he never pulled a firearm and that it is in a bag, locked. He claims she was the one who broke the table. When deputies arrived at the house, Scheibe gave them a key. When they pushed open the door -- which was blocked by several small pieces of furniture -- they found Zimmerman, who was sitting and unarmed, Lemma said. He was passive and cooperative, Lemma said. The sheriff's office was seeking a search warrant to look for two guns deputies believed were inside the home, he said. According to the police report, Zimmerman had locked up the guns before police arrived. Recent contact with authorities . This is one of several brushes that Zimmerman has had with law enforcement since he was acquitted this year of murder and manslaughter in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. Earlier this month, police in Lake Mary, Florida, said no charges would result from an alleged domestic dispute in September between George Zimmerman and his estranged wife, Shellie Zimmerman. Shellie Zimmerman said in September that she has doubts about his innocence in the Trayvon Martin case. Since his acquittal in the Martin case, Zimmerman also has been stopped for speeding twice. He was pulled over the first time in Forney, Texas, in July and told the police officer he had a concealed weapon permit and a gun in his glove compartment. The officer wrote on his incident report that he gave Zimmerman a verbal warning. Zimmerman was pulled over in early September going 60 mph in a 45-mph zone in Lake Mary and received a $256 ticket. He was not carrying a weapon at the time. National headlines . Zimmerman fatally shot Martin in the Sanford neighborhood where Zimmerman and Martin's father lived in February 2012. Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, had a confrontation with the unarmed African-American teen after calling police to report a suspicious person, and he said he shot Martin, 17, in self-defense. Zimmerman was acquitted by a six-person jury in July on second-degree murder and manslaughter charges. The high-profile case sparked a heated nationwide discussion of race as well as debate over Florida's "stand your ground" law. His attorney in the murder trial, Mark O'Mara, no longer represents him. Zimmerman's wife has doubts about his innocence . | Women tells 911 that man is breaking things with gun because she asked him to leave .
On another call, man says woman broke things, his gun was locked up .
George Zimmerman was charged with one felony, two misdemeanors .
He will appear before a judge on Tuesday afternoon . |
107,685 | 16d5a7853beeda4d49ea60f1538a23cb35e11fe8 | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 09:44 EST, 8 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:22 EST, 8 March 2013 . Jailed: Mahdi Mohammed was sentenced to 27 months in prison after he groomed two schoolgirls for sex via Facebook . An Iraqi-born paedophile, who has been jailed for grooming 13-year-old girls for sex via Facebook, avoided deportation in 2005, it has been revealed. Questions are now being asked about why the UK Border Agency allowed Mahdi Mohammed to seek asylum in Britain after he first appeared in court charged with inappropriately approaching girls as young as ten back in 2005. This week Mohammed, 33, was jailed for 27 months after he admitted sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to sexually touch a child and possessing indecent images at Peterborough Crown Court in Cambridgeshire. Judge Nic Madge described his crimes as ‘sophisticated offending,’ plying schoolgirls with mobile phone top-up vouchers. When he was caught he blamed them for ‘making themselves available’ to him. Claire Matthews, prosecuting, said Mohammed was seen hanging around a playground in Peterborough where he met two 13-year-old girls on a number of occasions. He gave them mobile phone top-up vouchers, offered to take them home, and tried to put his hand down one of the girl’s trousers. He also showed the girls pornographic TV channels and encouraged them to take part in sexual activity. Avoided deportation: Questions are now being asked about why the UK Border Agency allowed Iraqi-born Mohammed to seek asylum in Britain after he was charged with inappropriately approaching girls as young as ten back in 2005 . He sent indecent Facebook messages to one of them and even posted a memory stick to her home and asked her to put pictures of herself on it. He also sexually touched a 15-year-old in another park and had 19 indecent images of children on his computer. 'Sophisticated offending': Mohammed met two 13-year-old girls at a Peterborough playground, offering to take them home and trying to put his hands down one of girl's pants . Lawrence Bruce, defending, said: ‘He came to the UK in 2000, having fled persecution from Saddam Hussein in Iraq. ‘Admitting guilt publicly has been a very difficult process, and has involved the loss of faith, character and reputation.’ After . reading a letter from Mohammed, Judge Nic Madge said: ‘The letter is . disturbing in two senses. 'Firstly, the account of treatment of your . family in Iraqi Kurdistan, but also allegations that young girls were . making themselves available in a sexual manner to you.’ Mohammed first appeared at Peterborough Crown Court in September 2005 when he admitted using inappropriate language towards young girls in the city. He was sentenced to 80 hours of community punishment and a 12-month rehabilitation order and also got an ASBO banning him from approaching young girls for five years. At the time, the court was told that Mohammed’s application for asylum had been refused and he would be returned to Iraq. But the Border Agency confirmed today that he was granted leave to stay in Britain shortly after the case and was legally here when he committed the latest offences. 'Disturbing' letter: Judge Nic Madge told Mohammed at Peterborough Crown Court (pictured) that a letter from him was troubling because in it he alleged that the girls 'made themselves available' to him . 'Appalling case': Conservative MP Shailesh Vara, said serious questions needed to be asked about why he was allowed to stay since 2005 . They refused to say why Mohammed had been allowed to stay in the country. Shailesh Vara, Conservative MP for North West Cambridgeshire, said: ‘This is an appalling case. 'Serious questions need to be asked as . to why despite the asylum application having previously failed, the UK . Border Agency allowed him to stay. ‘The sooner this man is deported the better.’ Tory MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson added that it was ‘appalling’ Mohammed had not been deported in 2005. He said: ‘This is a shocking case and is typical of the previous government’s lax and dangerous policy of unrestricted immigration. ‘This man should have been removed from the UK in 2005 and the fact that he wasn’t is appalling. ‘I will be writing to the Immigration Minister to ensure that he is permanently removed from our country after his prison sentence is served.’ The Border Agency said that Mohammed would now be deported at the end of his prison sentence. | Mahdi Mohammed was jailed for 27 months at Peterborough Crown Court .
He appeared in court in 2005 for inappropriately approaching girls .
Despite being refused asylum at the time, he was allowed to stay in Britain .
MPs are now asking why the UK Border Agency avoided deportation . |
49,727 | 8c9002c567d7bc173fea3a40dc2fb9ecb9a87ed5 | An unlucky-in-love singleton in her late twenties has been put up for 'sale' by her family on eBay - in a bid to find her a steady boyfriend. Sammy Maalem, 27, who lives in Cardiff, has been single for a year after being dumped, messed around, and even cheated on. So her brother Kyle, 28, decided to get involved to find her the perfect man - by selling off a date with the beauty to the highest bidder under the heading: 'Date my sister'. The starting bid was £50 on the internet auction site listing. Scroll down for video . Sammy's listing ended with no bids but has since been relisted . Sammy and brother Kyle who advertised her and said that he would 'judge' every man who bid . The online advert read: 'Firstly this is a serious advert. 'My sister is 27 years old, originally from London but now lives in Cardiff, and is slim and curvy, 5ft 4in, blue eyes dark hair. Very bubbly and outgoing. She not a party animal and very faithful. No kids but would like kids eventually. 'My sister is unlucky with finding a real man. So me and my family are looking for someone who is a great guy who is genuine. Loving. Faithful. Normal. And just very down to earth. Also musts are Must have a job. No bums please. Must have a car or be willing to commute if your far away. Must be decent looking. Pref taller then 5ft 8in Must be kind hearted and genuine. 'Must be aged 27-35. Must be family orientated as we are also a close family. No silly boys. No one expecting 1 night stands. No one confused if they are straight or not. No weirdos. No married or engaged men. No overseas and must be within a 150 mile radius. 'Genuine people only this is for a date with my sister that will hopefully be on-going. This is a genuine advert which my sister knows about.' Sammy was furious when she first found out she was being advertised . Sammy works with Kyle in the family's jewellery business in Cardiff . The advert also joked about free postage and packaging being included and bidders are warned that the 'item' has been previously used. Sammy who works with Kyle in the family's jewellery business in Cardiff said: 'I was absolutely livid when I saw what Kyle had done. Kyle has been threatening for years to put me on Ebay but I never took him seriously, so I was shocked to see myself on there - it was quite scary. It was funny but listing me as used definitely wasn't - the cheek of it. 'I haven't had very good relationships in the past and I have tried dating sites which really wasn't for me. I have a had a few relationship, the longest which lasted two years, but they have never worked out. 'A lot of my friends - even my younger sister - are in loving relationships, some are even married with children and I am sick of going out with immature guys, I need someone I can settle down with. 'All I want is a decent guy with good morals and who is honest and faithful, it really has got harder to meet decent people. 'When the Ebay bids close I will probably go ahead with it, my brother went through all that trouble and because he is vetting the bidders I feel at ease, he is very protective of me so I trust his judgement.' Kyle said: 'I have never thought Sammy's boyfriends have been good enough for her, a lot of them have had quite a lot of baggage and Sammy needs someone without any ties. 'I was tired of her getting messed around all the time, she's a brilliant person and at least now I can vet these guys for myself. 'I have had quite a lot of enquiries, a lot of people asking if it is a genuine Ebay post. I had one guy who refused to give me his Facebook page - at the end of the day I am not interested in any shifty guys for Sammy. 'She has asked me to take the post down quite a few times - she was quite embarrassed, I kind of just told her 'oh sis you're for sale' and she wasn't too happy.' Kyle, right, said: 'I have never thought Sammy's boyfriends have been good enough for her' Sammy's mother Natalie, 52, who has been married for 30 to husband Simon, 54, said: . Mrs Maalen said: 'My daughter is the most warm-hearted person you could ever want to meet and in my opinion the perfect girlfriend. 'She isn't nasty, or possessive or self-centred, she is just a lovely girl who is beautiful both inside and out. 'She has struggled to get a job for the past few months and has been down on her luck so Kyle thought it would be a nice surprise to show off his matchmaking skills. 'Only she screamed the house down when she found out, she was really annoyed that he listed her as used. 'But now she sees the funny side to it and I think she would be up for a date once the bidding is ended provided they are a good guy - her last relationship was over a year ago. 'She has messed around quite a few times in the past and has even been cheated on, I think she deserves a knight in shining armour to take care of her.' 'We have had quite a few calls to the house but until they bid Natalie isn't dating anybody, she really wants to settle down and have children but just can't seem to find the right guy to do it. 'She needs a man, not a boy.' The first listing ended with no bids but has since been relisted. Sammy, 27, has been single for a year has been dumped, messed around and even cheated on . Sammy's listing in eBay ended with no bids but has since been relisted . Leanne and mother Natalie (right) are hoping to find Sammy (centre) a man . | Sammy Maalem, 27, who lives in Cardiff, has been single for a year .
She has been dumped, messed around, and even cheated on .
Brother Kyle listed her online as 'used' with 'free economy delivery'
Light-hearted listing had honourable intentions for his sister .
Said: 'No bums. No weirdos. No 1 night stands. No married men.' |
80,218 | e3579feb3b3875a0a7349480f44be0fe74ffa319 | By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 16:32 EST, 19 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:32 EST, 19 November 2013 . Accusations: Dr Robert Brown, pictured, fell for one of his patients after they started chatting about Monty Python, a hearing heard today . A married GP fell for one of his patients after they started chatting about Monty Python, a hearing heard today. Dr Richard Brown first met the woman while working at the Uplands and Mumbles Surgery in Swansea, south Wales, in 2010. The patient, a diabetic mother-of-three, was suffering from depression and the GP arranged for her to have counselling. The two bonded when they realised they both had three daughters and were fans of Monty Python, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service heard. But the relationship broke down when Dr Brown’s wife discovered flirtatious text messages from the patient on her husband’s mobile phone. The woman, referred to as Patient A, told Brown’s partners about the affair and they reported him to the General Medical Council (GMC). Ms Natasha Tahta, for the GMC, said: ‘She felt, looking back, she had been manipulated by Dr Brown and decided to speak out because of the impact it had on her family and over concern it might happen to someone else in the future.’ Dr Brown admitted having an inappropriate sexual relationship at a fitness to practise hearing in Manchester. If he is found guilty of misconduct over the affair, he could face being struck off the medical register. The GMC allege the . inappropriate relationship started in November 2010 and continued up . until last July, but the doctor claims it only lasted between March and . July 2012. He says the relationship began to develop when Patient A was discharged from hospital at the end of February 2012 after an operation to amputate a toe. The hearing was told that during one consultation Dr Brown hugged the patient and rubbed the small of her back to comfort her before giving her his email address. Giving evidence from behind a screen, Patient A told the panel: ‘It was quite difficult to get around but said I would maybe find it easier to email my thoughts to him. ‘We were sat on the sofa together. He put his arms around me and rubbed the small of my back because I was upset,’ she added. ‘It was the depression and how vulnerable I was, but that is the way that he consoled me.’ The pair began to exchange friendly personal emails, swapping details and pictures of family members. Meet: The pair, who met at the Uplands and Mumbles Surgery, the Uplands Surgery of which is pictured, after Patient A had an operation in 2012 . ‘We had a lot in common. He sent me picture of himself and his daughters, family pictures, ordinary friends chat about things we found funny, both liked, etc,' patient A said. Their conversations soon became more intimate as the couple began to send sexually explicit messages by text and on MSN instant messenger. Their relationship became physical at the beginning of April 2012 and the couple met several times for sex, the hearing was told. Fiona Neale, defending Dr Brown, suggested to the patient: ‘He knew he was doing something that was reckless and wrong, but did it anyway and he made it plain to you throughout that the responsibility for that was his and in no way were you to blame for that situation.’ Patient A first told Dr Brown’s colleagues at the surgery there had been no sexual relationship and they were just friends. She even wrote a letter to the practice and encouraged her youngest daughter to do the same in an attempt to save Dr Brown’s career. But when Dr Brown told her he had resigned from the practice and was leaving the area to ‘try to save his marriage’, Patient A told his partners about the affair. She said: ‘Basically, my conscience was bothering me and I felt I had made a huge mistake in writing the letter to the surgery to say we had not had a relationship and felt that I should do the right thing. ‘He was not telling me not to do it, but he was telling me what the outcome would be if I did do it. He did tell me what he had said to the partners about the relationship previously. ‘I believe there were certain things in the letter [to the practice] that he had mentioned which I had not,’ said Patient A. ‘We both had three girls, we were both fans of Monty Python, basic things like that. Things he had told me.’ Dr Brown denies encouraging Patient A to include misleading information in a letter to Uplands and Mumbles Surgeries. Dr Brown has also admitted behaving dishonestly by asking Patient A to delete all correspondence between them, including texting her to say: ‘Make sure you delete them all because it’s how we got into bother.’ Dr Brown is currently subject to conditional registration, which restricts him to working for Swansea Out of Hours Service or the Singleton Hospital, in Swansea. He is not allowed to carry out face-to-face consultations with female patients unless there is a chaperone present. The hearing continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Dr Richard Brown met woman at Uplands and Mumbles Surgery, Swansea .
Depressed mother-of-three went to the GP following an operation in 2012 .
Bonded with woman, referred to as patient A, over love of Monty Python .
Pair started a relationship, which broke down when the doctor's wife found text messages from the patient - who later reported him to Medical council .
Doctor admitted having an inappropriate sexual relationship at hearing in Manchester and could be struck off the medical register . |
121,168 | 28a3b5d9e3189d7904fe942f79e7d79e4bf85d58 | Two of the four inmates who escaped through the ceiling in the shower of the Caddo County Jail in Anadarko, Oklahoma, this weekend have been captured, Caddo County Sheriff Gene Cain told CNN on Monday. The two men, Dylan Ray Three Irons, 21, and Prime Brown, 23, were taken into custody in Chickasha, Oklahoma, the sheriff said, less than 20 miles away from the jail. The men were spotted by Grady County District Attorney investigators as they were walking to a convenience store. Both men "appeared very wet and dirty," according to the Grady County Sheriff's Office. The four inmates made a clean getaway Sunday after prying open a maintenance hatch in their shower -- the first escape from the 2-year-old Caddo County jail, Cain said. They broke a lock on the hatch above the shower head, Cain told CNN affiliate KFOR-TV, and then moved through a crawl space until they reached a wall, where they knocked out concrete block or two. That got them to an unlocked door outside the jail area, Cain explained. They apparently kept their clothes on in the shower. Four orange inmate uniforms were found outside the jail, CNN affiliate KOCO-TV reported. Three of the men -- Three Irons, Brown and Anthony James Mendonca, 24 -- had been convicted of methamphetamine offenses and were awaiting transfer to a state prison. The fourth escapee, 32-year-old Triston Cheadle, was awaiting trial on a federal gun charge, KOCO-TV reported. Cheadle and Mendonca remain at large and are considered armed and dangerous. | Both men captured were "very wet and dirty," sheriff says .
Sheriff: Inmates broke lock above shower to crawl space, then broke through wall .
It was the first escape from the 2-year-old Caddo County jail .
Three escapees convicted of meth charges; fourth awaiting federal gun charge trial . |
176,828 | 70e683e52acc6e9e4b4cbb5e8e9a8ce5edeff36c | Sir Patrick Stewart has revealed that he regrets missing time with his children when he was younger . Actor Sir Patrick Stewart has revealed that he regrets having worked so much when he was younger - and admitted that it damaged his family. The X-Men actor said that he ‘missed huge amounts of time’ and that he would barely see his children once a week. Stewart said that it was ‘hard’ on son Daniel and daughter Sophia and that he wished things had been different. He said that he only took his latest film because it was shot round the corner from his new home in Brooklyn, New York. In an interview, Stewart, 74, described how he would come home when he wanted and spent plenty of time with third wife, jazz singer Sunny Ozell, 36. Stewart and his first wife Sheila Falconer divorced in 1990 after 24 years of marriage and two children. By that stage he had been a prolific stage actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company and had been playing Star Trek’s Jean Luc Picard for three years. The role demanded that he live in Los Angeles and work to a gruelling schedule. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Stewart said: ‘When I got married and I had children, I missed huge amounts of time. ‘I would see my kids on Sundays if I was lucky. It was hard on my kids.’ Scroll down for video . Sir Patrick, pictured receiving his OBE with (from left to right) his son Daniel, second wife Wendy Neuss and daughter Sophia, said he would barely see his children once a week earlier in his career . Sir Patrick only took on a role in his new film Match because filming took place not far from his apartment in Brooklyn, where he lives with his third wife Sunny Ozell . Stewart said that he is loving living in Brooklyn and relishing the work-life balance it affords him. His new film, ‘Match’, in which he plays a ballet teacher who pursued his professional career at the expense of his personal life, was shot on a more leisurely schedule than he is used to. Stewart said: ‘We (him and Ozell) had our breakfast and our lunch sitting at the kitchen table of (our) apartment. ‘I would take my naps or rests whenever I could get them on my bed in the apartment. It was home.’ | Sir Patrick Stewart revealed he regrets working so much when younger .
X-Men star admitted he 'missed huge amounts of time' with his children .
Star Trek actor says he only took role in a new film as it is close to home . |
272,705 | ed32ca3c30be5d246519970888fc063641b517b8 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:19 EST, 9 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:53 EST, 9 March 2013 . It is a craze which has swept Japan - and now cat cafés are coming to Britain. The concept, first made popular in Taiwan, allows customers to stroke and play with roaming cats over a coffee. 'It's just like a regular café. It sells coffee, tea, cakes and snacks. The only difference is that it . is full of cats,' says entrepreneur Lauren Pears, who is looking for a . suitable site for her Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, which she hopes to have . up and running by May. Scroll down for video . Puuurfect: A customer relaxes in a Cat cafe in Chongqing, China, but Londoners may soon be able to do the same if Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium opens . Feline fine: Lauren Pears explains that 'cat welfare is really important to us and we want to choose cats that will be happy in the environment that has lots of people in it' Paws for thought: Customers at cat cafes can interact with the cats, petting and stroking them, as they eat and drink . The 30-year-old Australian's dream was made possible after she raised £100,000 through crowd-funding website Inidegogo. Cat cafés took off in Tokyo . in the noughties, and Ms Pears says she sees similarities in London due both cities' congested living conditions, people's time constraints . and landlords that don't take kindly to tenants owning their own pets. Ms . Pears, who is looking at potential sites in London's Old Street, says . she has already found 15 felines to start with, all of which will come . from the Mayhew Animal Home in Kensal Green. Cat cafes have been a massive hit in the east with hundreds now open in China, Japan and Taiwan . Feline Friends: Both cat and customer feel pampered and loved in a cat cafe . Furry nice: As a nation of cat lovers, a cat cafe would allow those who can't own a pet to have contact and play with felines whenever they liked . King of the cafe: The cats would be specially chosen to ensure they enjoy human company, and the cafe would provide a home to cats who don't have one . She said: ‘If something exists you can probably . get it in London, but there’s one thing that lots of people living in . London can’t have – a kitty. The world's first cat café opened in Taiwan in 1998 and spread to Japan in 2004, where a branch opened in Osaka. Tokyo now has at least 39 cat cafés, of which there are many different types. Some specialise in black cats, fat cats, rare breed cats or ex-stray cats. Japanese cat cafés feature strict rules to ensure cleanliness and animal welfare, in particular seeking to ensure that the cats are not disturbed by excessive and unwanted attention, such as by young children or when sleeping. One of the first cat cafés in Europe, Cafe Neko, opened in Vienna, Austria, while there is also one in St Petersburg, Russia. ‘We thought long and hard about who would really benefit from having a cat café in London. 'I . see commuters walking on their way to and from the station stopping to . pet the neighbourhood cats, and since I am unable to own a cat myself . due to my current flat and long hours I understand the desire to have a . cat around.' To . stop the animals getting stressed, there will be a 'small cover charge' for customers to encourage them to linger over their beverages for a . little longer. Ms Pears said: ‘Cat welfare is really . important to us. In particular, we want to make sure we can house cats . who don't have a home to go to. ‘We tried to . figure out a solution where the cats don’t get too stressed out, which . is why we’ve introduced the cover charge. 'That way, . people can stay as long as they like without feeling like they’re . against the clock, which works for the cats because it takes them a . little time to get used to people.’ Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium will have . an 'opulent Victorian decor' to help both customers and animals 'relax in . the height of luxury'. Its website explains the concept behind the café: ‘It's not just about . being able to play with the cats. It's about the whole experience: a . small indulgence, a place to forget about your day and unwind. It's . about coming in from the cold to a comfortable wingback chair, a hot cup . of tea, a book, and a cat.’ Ms Pears hopes to have the café up and running by May. | Japanese craze introduced to Britain by Australian entrepreneur .
Lauren Pears, 30, raised £100K from public to make dream happen .
Roaming animals to come from shelters and will live in 'lap of luxury' |
255,588 | d6d13001dc6e0cc8b3f50f1a61a369363b900b9e | By . Candace Sutton . It's 23 years since the bodies of Clinton Speedy, 16 and Evelyn Greenup, four, were discovered in the tiny town of Bowraville, Australia and all that remained of Colleen Walker, her clothes, bagged and weighted down with rocks in the Nambucca River. All the victims were indigenous and the families say if they had been white and living in suburbia instead of being black and from an Aboriginal mission, the murders would have been solved long ago. Now a senior homicide detective is about to give evidence at a parliamentary inquiry that a serial killer operating in the country town where the three children disappeared in the early 1990s escaped justice because police failed to properly investigate. Submissions to the inquiry will say the families were failed and assumptions were made that when Aboriginal children disappeared they had just 'gone walkabout'. Evelyn Greenup, four, (left) and Colleen Walker, 16 (right) both went missing parties on the Aboriginal mission outside the Australian town of Bowraville in 1990. Local police suggested the kindergarten pupil was a runaway, but her partially decomposed body was found the following year on a dirt track near the river, in which Ms Walker's clothes were found weighted down with rocks . After Clinton Speedy-Duroux, 16, disappeared in 1991 from a local man's caravan where he and his girlfriend had been sleeping, his body was found two weeks later dumped along the same bush track as four-year-old Evelyn Greenup. No attempt was made to conceal either body and both appeared to have suffered significant blows to the head . Detective Inspector Gary Jubelin of the New South Wales Police will tell the NSW Law & Justice Parliamentary Committee in relation to the Bowraville Murders on Thursday that the three child murder cases should be considered together and that there would be a reasonable chance of identifying and convicting the 'serial killer'. One suspect in 1991 was a local tannery worker, Jay Hart, a white man then in his twenties. Hart was charged with the murders of Clinton Speedy and Evelyn Greenup. After a judge, Justice Badgery-Parker of the NSW Supreme Court, ruled that Hart could not be tried for the two murders together, Hart was tried and acquitted of the murder of Clinton Speedy in 1994, and of the murder of Evelyn Greenup in 2006. Nobody was charged with the murder of Colleen Walker. Inspector Jubelin's submission, along with others from Aboriginal language and cultural experts, and the victims' families will point to a lack of forensic evidence being gathered at the time of the murders, of the disappearances not being taken seriously and the two cases which were prosecuted being treated 'apathetically'. A community divided: The white community in the tiny country town of Bowraville did not mix with the local Aboriginals from the mission on the road out of town until a local man started taking alcohol and cannabis to mission parties with indigenous people . Evelyn Greenup's mother did not realise the four-year-old was missing until late the following day after she was apparently kidnapped from a bedroom. The girl's body wasn't found till months later . Leonie Duroux, the sister-in-law of Clinton Speedy-Duroux, organised a protest outside NSW Parliament House last November which led to the inquiry. She said the treatment of the murders was a 24-year-old sham and had been so from the start. 'From the time they disappeared it has been [a sham],' she said. 'I am a white person, and if I went missing the police wouldn't go and ask if I'd just gone walkabout, or like they did of Colleen Walker's mother if she might have gone because she'd just got pregnant. 'They also asked her if she was actually Collen's mother, because Colleen was light-skinned. 'There was no forensic evidence taken from the house from which Evelyn disappeared and she was treated as a runaway. She was four years old, and had left behind a shoe. Former Bowraville man, Jay Thomas Hart (interviewed, above, on the Seven Network's Today Tonight programme) has been tried and acquitted on the murders of Clinton Speedy and Evelyn Greenup . A poster from the protest in November last year staged by members of Bowraville's Aboriginal community outside Parliament House in Sydney, which sparked a state inquiry into the murders of Colleen Walker (left), Clinton Speedy (centre and Evelyn Greenup more than 23 years ago . 'Clinton's disappearance was taken a little but more seriously because his body was found three weeks later. Even so, there was an eye witness who identified the man standing over Clinton's body on the road at the time he disappeared and that was taken by the police but not used. 'There are families and communities in many places and towns who are still suffering and paying for the mistakes made by police all these years later.' The first victim of the Bowraville killer was Colleen Walker, who in September 1990 arrived from her home 60 km north, to the community of around 150 Aboriginal and 750 white people. Few of the white townsfolk fraternised with the Aborigines on the mission, except Jay Hart. A police officer will tell the inquiry that the murders of Evelyn Greenup (above) and teenagers Clinton Speedy and Colleen Walker should be tried as serial killings in the one court hearing . On her first or second day in Bowraville, the 16-year-old attended a party at the mission, at which there was alcohol and cannabis, known as 'yarni' . Walker got very drunk and failed to meet her friends to take the 3am train out. Her mother did not find out she was missing until days later. The following month, on October 3, after another party at the mission, a drunk Rebecca Stadhams took her three children, including four-year-old Evelyn to their father, Billy Greenup's house,but found he was too inebriated to mind them. Back at her mother's house, Stadhams fell asleep with the children only to wake up the next morning to find Evelyn gone. Assuming the child had walked down in daylight to see her father, Stadhams didn't realise Evelyn was missing until she caught up with Billy Greenup later in the day. In January 1991, Clinton Speedy was visiting from his home in the country town of Tenterfield, five hours north-west of Bowraville. Speedy attended another party at the mission. The teenager disappeared and the discovery of his body dumped on a dirt track seven kilometres out of Bowraville sparked the first suspicions by police of a murder at the mission. The next remains to be discovered were when a fisherman snagged Collen Walker's clothes in the river near that track and, thereafter, Evelyn Greenup's decomposed body. Police charged Jay Thomas Hart with the murders of Clinton Speedy and Evelyn Greenup, having identified similarities in the deaths and identifying a possible sexual motive, in that Hart allegedly wanted to have sex with someone in each victim's company at the time of their disappearance. A Supreme Court judge decided to try the cases separately, making evidence about the Collen Walker and Evelyn Greenup deaths inadmissable at Hart's 1994 trial for Clinton Speedy's murder. Hart was acquitted. More than a decade later, Hart was tried and acquitted for the Greenup murder. Inspector Jubelin, who was not part of the original murder investigations, took up the case in 1997 and has since taken carriage of the families' fight for justice. Leonie Duroux told the MailOnline the families of the murder victims and the wider indigenous community were grateful this latest inquiry might give them another opportunity for the cases to be investigated and tried. 'We hope something comes of it,' she said. 'it was because of these cases that the laws were changed surrounding double jeopardy [in which a person cannot be tried a second time after being acquitted once on the same charge],' Ms Duroux said . 'The law now says a case can be retried if the evidence is fresh and compelling. We hope they will listen and and decide something has to be done. 'It has been a very long time and the murders still affect people's lives.' Jay Thomas Hart's mother. Marlene Hart, told the MailOnline her son was an innocent man who had been unfairly targeted for almost a quarter of a century. 'It's been absolute terror,' said Mrs Hart, who still lives in Bowraville. 'It's affected our whole family and my health, but [the police] stop at him and don't go any further.' | Two teenagers and a young girl were murdered in tiny Australian town .
Bowraville was the scene of three unsolved murders 23 years ago .
Victims were Clinton Speedy, 16, Colleen Walker, 16 and Evelyn Greenup, four .
All were Aboriginal and police now say were victims of a serial killer .
One man was charged with two of the murders but acquitted .
Families say when kids went missing police said they'd 'gone walkabout'
Murders now to be examined by a state parliament inquiry .
Authorities now admit families were failed by police . |
62,305 | b10069488d9948f9df65f8f234e8515bb1c6fc7f | (CNN) -- This is not your typical Super Bowl Sunday. There are things that are down. The temperature, for one. Ticket prices, in some cases, are another. A few things are up. The cost of the ads many people will be tuning in for -- a record $4.5 million. The security presence, even by Super Bowl standards, will be big. So how about some good news? Weather forecasters say that by game time -- note to party hosts, 6:30 p.m. ET --- a clipper system will have moved through New Jersey, leaving just a few inches of new snow behind in East Rutherford. Temperatures will be in the mid-30s at kickoff. That's not as nice as past Super Bowl sites like Miami (high of 79 on Sunday), Tampa (81) or next year's host city, Glendale, Arizona (73), but compared with what might have happened this crazy winter, it must be the NFL's best imagined scenario. Not that they haven't planned for other possibilities. "We feel like we're prepared for every alternative," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" on Monday. That included moving the time of the game if league officials felt like the safety of the fans was in jeopardy. "We're working with all the officials here. We're pretty comfortable we'll be playing at 6:30 on Sunday night." Goodell has said he will sit out in the stands, just as the late Pete Rozelle did at Super Bowl VI when it was 39 degrees for the kickoff in New Orleans at Tulane Stadium. Madden 25 predicts exciting overtime finish . Security by land, sea and air . Huge sporting events like the Olympics and Super Bowl always draw large security forces as did prior events at MetLife Stadium, site of Sunday's game. Lt. Col Ed Cetnar of the New Jersey State Police told CNN this is a different ballgame. There will be more than 700 troopers in and around the stadium complex, he said. But they won't be the only people guarding the game. "There's eyes all over the place, whether it's state, local, federal or county assets there," he told CNN's Alexandra Field. That also includes 3,000 private security guards on site. And extra security for mass transit options because there will only be 12,000 parking spots at the game for 80,000 fans and 5,000 media members. Live updates from Media Day . "There is a template within the NFL and there are certain things that we follow with the NFL. But we have to use our own template because every city is different," he told CNN. "Obviously it's different than other Super Bowls because of our proximity to New York City." The proximity of the stadium to waterways and railways will mean extra Coast Guard boats on game day and more planes from federal agencies in the sky equipped with infrared and night-vision systems. Homeland Security officials said federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will deploy hundreds of employees to assist New Jersey and New York police secure what's been officially designated "an event of national significance." And there is one noticeable difference for fans, a change instituted for this NFL season. In light of the bombings at the Boston Marathon, if fans want to bring a bag bigger than 4 ½ by 6 ½ inches, it must be clear plastic. (Even the garbage being taken out has to go in clear bags). An affordable Super Bowl? Well, not quite for many fans. But prices of game day tickets on the secondary market have been sliding since the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks each won their conference championship games. On the NFL's official ticket exchange site, more than 3,300 tickets were available, starting at a little more than $1,600. There were almost 4,800 tickets on StubHub, a popular online ticket reseller. As Bleacher Report points out, with the game in the New York metropolitan area and featuring a top-rated offense versus a top-rated defense, it seemed like prices would have been astronomical. But that hasn't been the case in the past week. SeatGeek, which aggregates listings from ticket resellers, said the Super Bowl might be the least expensive since 2002, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Seat Geek said the prices for all seats has dropped 40% since the two conference championship games about nine days ago. The big drop in prices for the game have been in the end zone and upper deck seats, the paper reported. SeatGeek spokesman Will Flaherty told the Denver Post: "Strong supply and uncertainty about the weather forecast has helped to keep prospective buyers on the sideline for now, driving prices downward at a record rate." So now that the weather will be practically balmy for this time of year, back accounts might be emptied after all. Super Bowl XLVIII ticket prices continue to drop as game day approaches . Or just watch on TV . Watching the game on television means seeing all of the famed Super Bowl commercials. That way you'll get to see all 32 minutes and 30 seconds with the other partygoers without having to watch online the next day. Of course you can get a glimpse of some of the ads before the game and not have to slip off to the bathroom during actual game action. For some companies the game is an opportunity to take $4.5 million to say "hi" to new potential buyers. "The Super Bowl for us is a risk. We do a lot of marketing, but it's the first time we'll hit a really mass consumer audience," Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena told the New York Times. Squarespace is among the companies that have posted a commercial on YouTube already. The company's blog said it will also release an extended version of the spot and some of the material that was cut after the game. There will also be one ad from a small company that wins a 30-second commercial paid for by financial software company Intuit. The contest was open to any U.S.-based business with 50 or fewer full-time employees. The commercial will air during the third quarter. This year's Super Bowl will have 43 advertisers, according to CNNMoney. CNN's Chris Welch and Evan Perez contributed to this story. | Forecasters say Super Bowl XLVIII weather should be good .
New Jersey State Police bringing in hundreds to be part of large security presence .
Ticket prices on secondary market aren't as high as some thought they might get .
Super Bowl ads to feature a newcomer and a contest prize winner . |
270,672 | ea9076085bbc5eb7620d18b80e062a90af41b4a8 | In the middle of his first congressional hearing as the new head of the embattled Internal Revenue Service, Daniel Werfel was asked Monday how he would restore public trust in the agency after revelations that conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status were targeted for extra scrutiny. "It is going to be a difficult process," acknowledged Werfel, a career public servant appointed by President Barack Obama last month to clean up the mess that is dominating news headlines early in his second term. Werfel described a process of identifying what happened, who was responsible and steps to ensure it can never happen again to address what Republicans depict as politically motivated harassment that abused constitutional rights of conservative groups. 'Liar' charge a step too far for some Republicans . Democrats, while expressing outrage over the IRS targeting, reject Republican inferences that it was a broad political conspiracy reaching as high up as the White House. In addition to the targeting uncovered by a Treasury inspector general, a second audit coming out this week described improper spending on IRS conferences to buttress GOP portrayals of big government gone wild under Obama. The IRS spent close to $50 million on 225 conferences between 2010 and 2012, according to briefings given to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee by the inspector-general overseeing the IRS. One of those, an August 2010 meeting for 2,700 employees in Anaheim, California, cost $4 million, and the agency spent $50,000 to produce two videos that were shown at the event, including one with a "Star Trek" theme. In a response to the new audit, obtained by a congressional source, the IRS says it has cut training costs and reduced spending on meetings by 87% since 2010. "The expenditures related to this 2010 meeting are not reflective of the current spending environment at the IRS or the spending that has occurred over the past several years," wrote Pamela LaRue, the agency's chief financial officer. But LaRue defended the need for large-scale conferences at the time. Nearly a third of managers in the division under scrutiny were inexperienced, and the agency faced added concerns about security after a Texas man crashed his plane into the IRS office in Austin, killing himself and two other people. "Although the average cost per employee was reasonable, the IRS recognizes that a number of less significant costs warranted additional scrutiny and were not the best use of government resources," she wrote. IRS faces new battle on overspending . Rep. Hal Rogers, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee who sat in on his panel's Financial Service's subcommittee on Monday, made clear that he would assess the effectiveness and commitment by Werfel to uncover the source of the wrongdoing when considering IRS funding for next fiscal year. "The power of the purse rests in the Congress, and we're prepared to use that purse to get to the truth," the Kentucky Republican said. Two more congressional hearings are scheduled for this week as Republicans seek to keep up the pressure on Obama and Democrats over the controversies. They follow three previous hearings by House and Senate panels, and the matter also is under investigation by the Justice Department, the Treasury inspector generals office and Werfel in his new capacity. A former Office of Management and Budget official, Werfel took over from former IRS Commissioner Steve Miller, who resigned under pressure after news of the targeting emerged. He described himself Monday as a fixer of problems in government. "The IRS is an agency in need right now," Werfel said, adding that he took the job "because I thought it could be helpful." That didn't impress some Republicans on the Financial Services subcommittee, who expressed frustration with the lack of answers to their main question -- who ordered the targeting? Issa: Cincinnati IRS employees say direction came from Washington . Werfel said he also was frustrated and urged patience to allow the various investigations underway to work through the process. Both Werfel and J. Russell George, the inspector general who conducted the audit that revealed the IRS targeting, repeated past assertions that the findings so far indicated gross mismanagement rather than political malfeasance. Read IRS watchdog's report . Meanwhile, White House spokesman Jay Carney sought to tone down the rhetoric over an increasingly bitter dispute with congressional Republicans over the issue. Asked by reporters about an accusation by House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa that he was a "paid liar," Carney at first jokingly feigned ignorance, answering: "I hadn't heard that. That's amazing." As laughter erupted in the briefing room, Carney took a more serious tone. "I am not going to get into a back-and-forth with" Issa, he said, adding that the White House focus was on finding out what "inappropriate activity" occurred, hold responsible those at fault for "inappropriate, outrageous activity" and ensure it never happens again. It was a diplomatic effort to avoid prolonging headlines about harsh statements Sunday from Issa and a former White House official that escalated the controversy into a full-fledged Washington political imbroglio, including name-calling and references to decades-old allegations of wrongdoing. Carney brushes off Issa remark . Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Issa said Sunday that the White House was misleading the public about the full magnitude of the IRS targeting, in which some conservative groups seeking tax exempt status were singled out for extra scrutiny. In particular, he called Carney a "paid liar" and claimed that interviews with IRS officials in the Cincinnati office that considered requests for tax-exempt status showed that Washington officials were involved. However, he stopped short of providing proof of his claim, saying only that further investigation would reveal "the whole truth." In response, former White House adviser David Plouffe, a Democratic strategist, denied any political motivation in the IRS targeting. In a tweet posted later Sunday, Plouffe referred to Issa's comments as "strong words from Mr Grand Theft Auto and suspected arsonist/insurance swindler." By the Numbers: Internal Revenue Service . The tweet also called Issa "loose ethically today," adding a link to a story about Issa's appearance on CNN. Plouffe's tweet referred to allegations from 1972 and 1982 against Issa, the former owner of a car alarm company. In 1972, then-19-year-old Issa was arrested under suspicion of stealing a car, but charges were ultimately dropped. Issa's brother, on the other hand, is a convicted car thief. In 1982, the office and factory of two companies Issa had purchased -- Quantum Enterprises and Steal Stopper International -- caught fire. The insurance company's investigation found "suspicious burn patterns" and company officials noted that in the month before the fire, Issa had increased his insurance from $100,000 to $462,000. Again, no criminal charges were filed. IRS investigation takes nasty turn . | Conference costs have been slashed since 2010, IRS says .
The IRS is accused of targeting conservatives and wasting money .
New commissioner says restoring public trust in the tax agency will be "a difficult process"
White House spokesman Carney laughs off, ignores Issa's "paid liar" insult . |
120,220 | 2761ae07352e6702d4a1013b26f3150769787c52 | (Rolling Stone) -- Iggy Pop has announced a new album of mostly French covers set for May 9. "Après" will feature the singer's versions of songs by Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Yoko Ono and more. "I wanted to sing some of these songs myself, hoping to bring the feeling I felt as a listener to my listeners through my voice," said Iggy Pop in a press release. "Many of these songs are in French, probably because it is French culture which has most stubbornly resisted the mortal attacks of the Anglo-American music machine." "Après" follows Iggy Pop's 2009 English/French album "Préliminaires," which was inspired by the Michel Houellebecq novel "La Possibilité d'une Ile" ("The Possibility of an Island"). Track listing: . "Et Si Tu N'Existais Pas" (Joe Dassin) "La Javanaise" (Serge Gainsbourg) "Everybody's Talkin'" (Harry Nilsson) "I'm Going Away Smiling" (Yoko Ono) "La Vie En Rose" (Edith Piaf) "Les Passantes" (Georges Brassens) "Syracuse" (Henri Salvador) "What Is This Thing Called Love?" (Cole Porter) "Michelle" (The Beatles) "Only the Lonely" (Frank Sinatra) See the full article at RollingStone.com. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | Iggy Pop will be releasing an album of mostly French covers .
"Après" will feature Iggy Pop's versions of songs by Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra .
"Après" follows Iggy Pop's 2009 English/French album "Préliminaires and will be released May 9 . |
125,325 | 2e02346b39e170ce2908499e1231194cf4bc1a77 | Hoylake, England (CNN) -- You can tell when Tiger Woods is stalking a major championship. The air gets thicker, the galleries larger and the bristle of excitement notably louder. Especially in this part of the world, because Liverpool's love affair with Woods clearly hasn't slowed in the eight years since he last walked the fairways at Hoylake and claimed the 2006 British Open title. But that exuberance might have frayed the edges of Tiger's love for Liverpool, such was the determination of some of the thousands of fans who followed him around Thursday to capture a memento. "There were a lot of cameras out there and we were backing off a lot of shots," the 14-time major champion told reporters after his opening round of three-under-par 69, a further three behind clubhouse leader Rory McIlroy. "It was tough. Unfortunately people just don't put their phones on silent and some of the professional guys were getting on the trigger a little early. "I've had numerous years of dealing with this. You've just got to stay focused out there." It might have been Woods' first major for nearly a year, injuries taking their toll on his 38-year-old body, but the surroundings were at least familiar. Victory here was his first since the passing of his father. After tapping in on the 18th green, the then world No. 1 collapsed into tears. Perhaps that is the reason Hoylake holds him in such affection, given it was a rare occasion when one of sport's great stonewallers turned on the waterworks. "I was here that day when Tiger won and then broke down," says Nick Smith, a native of Liverpool and one of many who tailed Woods for the entirety of his round on Thursday. "We celebrated with him and cried with him." The landscape is different eight years on -- Tiger's walk isn't quite so tall. His last major title came barely 18 months after success at Hoylake, and the following years have been a litany of near misses, injuries and one off-course maelstrom of his own making. But the fascination for him remains undimmed, illustrated by the thousands that roared him off the first tee just after 9 a.m. on a still and sunny Wirral day. While he still commands huge crowds, there seems a tangible shift in mood; that people have come to see the man who once ruled supreme, rather than someone who can hit those heights again. There was still the odd unwitting sheep among a devout flock. One man who asked "Who is this?" as Tiger strolled down the first fairway was met with a rather stinging response: "There's 5,000 people following him, who do you think it is?!" Though Woods' gait might not have been entirely recognizable to all, the quality of his golf during Thursday's fledgling stages was in keeping with recent disappointments. Two dropped shots on the first two holes elicited groans from the gallery, one man remarking to no-one in particular: "There's always next year, Tiger." As the world No. 7 reached the fourth green, faces pressed against the windows of a double-decker bus crawling past on the main road that flanks the eastern part of the course. A par there seemed to lift Woods, who birdied the next to energetic applause. Chances came and went, one missed birdie putt on the 10th prompting a sigh as another patron opined: "He used to rattle those in for fun." Woods needed a spark from somewhere, and he got it on the back nine. A birdie from off the green at the 11th saw the first release of that famous Woods fist-pump, amid cheers from those who'd scrambled up grassy banks to net a glimpse. It isn't just spectators who stick to Woods on his way around the course. After a fine shot on the par-four 12th, which would yield another birdie, Woods strode over the brow of the hill with a cavalcade of cameramen, photographers and reporters in tow. Perhaps this is why he can appear emotionless and steely while walking the links -- it's simply his method of blocking out the circus that follows his every move. A expertly-struck shot on 13 carved a path through the steadily building wind thrown up from the River Dee and set up another opportunity. The bellow that communicated its success underscored the joy those present felt at capturing their own slice of Woods magic firsthand. A wayward approach to the 14th resulted in a dropped shot, reclaimed immediately at 15. And by the time a delicate chip on the 16th tiptoed towards the hole and offered a tap-in for birdie, Woods had made a blitz of five in six holes. Pars followed on 17 and 18, when he was clearly irritated again by an eager photographer's trigger finger, but his final tally of three-under was more than had looked likely after that inauspicious beginning. "I didn't get off to the best of starts but I turned it round," he said. "The forecast the next few days is supposed to be iffy -- guys aren't going to go over and above. "There's a ton of players between two and four under par and that is the way I think this championship is going to unfold." One brave journalist ventured that it had felt like "old times" as the American went on his run of five birdies in six, a statement that was met with a roll of the eyes and the reply: "It wasn't that long ago." But the signs are promising. Not only did Woods turn things around, he also reported feeling fitter each day after the back surgery that sidelined him for four months. "I'm getting stronger, I'm getting faster, I'm getting more explosive and the ball is starting to travel again -- those are all positive things," he added. "It felt good to be out there competing again." With that Woods left a crowded press tent and made a beeline for the practice range. "I thought he'd be taller than that," a punter said as Woods bustled past. Give it a few days and he just might be. | Tiger Woods returns to the scene of his last British Open success .
The 2006 champion cards three-under-par 69 in opening round .
He won his third Open title at Hoylake after death of his father .
American followed by thousands of golf fans on Thursday . |
64,671 | b7aa93f75367bd6cd1c43bd3e4835d8eec404f93 | Pope Francis created 19 new cardinals Saturday in a ceremony in the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica -- the first such appointments since he was elected pontiff last March. The new cardinals come from countries around the world, hailing from as far afield as Brazil, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, South Korea and Haiti. The pope presented them with the traditional biretta, or red cap, and ring at a formal ceremony called a public consistory. The scarlet color of the cap symbolizes the cardinals' willingness to die for their faith. Looking frail, Benedict, the Pope Emeritus, lined up with the existing cardinals for the ceremony in the historic church. When last year he became the first pope in almost six centuries to stand down, Benedict said he would live a life of seclusion and study. His presence in St. Peter's Basilica alongside that of Francis and the cardinals who will one day vote for his successor is a highly unusual event. Francis spoke . Sixteen of the new cardinals are under the age of 80, making them eligible to elect a new pope when the time comes, according to Vatican Radio. Three of them are over age 80 and "are chosen for their distinguished service" to the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church, it said. One of those is 98-year-old Archbishop Loris Capovilla, who was the secretary of Pope John XXIII. He was not present for the ceremony, but will be presented with his biretta in the coming days. Two of the newly appointed cardinals already hold top Vatican positions -- Archbishop Pietro Parolin is its secretary of state, while Archbishop Gerhard Mueller is head of the church's chief doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. No Americans were named among the new members of the college of cardinals, but there is one Canadian, Quebec Archbishop Gerald Cyprien Lacroix. Francis: Not a promotion . In a letter sent last month to the chosen clergy, Francis gave some words of advice about remaining humble. Becoming a cardinal "does not signify a promotion, an honor nor a decoration: it is simply a service that demands a broader vision and a bigger heart," he said. "And, although it seems a paradox, this ability to look further and love more universally with greater intensity can be acquired only by following the way of the Lord: The way of lowliness and of humility, taking the form of a servant." Commenting last month on the clergy named by Francis, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi highlighted the geographical range and diversity of the countries they come from. "The choice of cardinals of Burkina Faso and Haiti shows concern for people struck by poverty," he is quoted as saying by Vatican Radio. | Pope Francis presents the new cardinals with their traditional red cap and ring .
Pope Emeritus Benedict is present for the ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica .
The new cardinals hail from around the world, and most are under age 80 .
Francis has advised them to follow "the way of lowliness and of humility" in their new role . |
281,638 | f8d8490ad15eaa0efa2863d50563cab60afef2d3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . As staff at a New England grocery store chain prepared for another week of protest at the loss of their beloved CEO, the company's director prepared to meet with his board. Thousands of staff have been on strike since Market Basket's Arthur T Demoulas was ousted by his cousin Arthur S Demoulas. The . feud dates back to the 1970s, but the most recent round of infighting . began last year when Arthur S. gained control of the board of directors. Last month, the board fired Arthur T. Scroll down for video . Rivals: Arthur T Demoulas, left, was ousted as Market Basket president by his cousin Arthur S Demoulas, right . As he headed to a meeting of directors in Boston on Friday, Arthur S told 7News he will not consider his cousin's bid for the chain until he has seen it. He added that he had no comment about the workers' strike, and reaction from customers who have come out in support of his ousted cousin. Arthur T, who staff have always liked, and who is described as being like George Bailey from the classic film It's a Wonderful Life, has said that his offer more than meets the value of Market Basket. He also called on the company to reinstate the staff who had been fired after protesting in favor of him. 'Their fierce loyalty to the company and its customers has always been deeply valued,' he told the Boston Herald. 'It is about the people who have proven their dedication over many years and should not have lost their jobs because of it. I urge that they be reinstated.' Market Basket supermarket employees and supporters hold a rally Friday to back ousted former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas . A decades-long family feud, which brought about the ouster of Arthur T. Demoulas as CEO of the privately held company, led to a worker revolt, customer boycotts and empty shelves in the grocery chain's stores in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire . Maria Arvarado, of Haverhill, Mass. finds empty produce bins as she shops at Market Basket supermarket . The ongoing dispute has been called a . David vs. Goliath story, a 'Tale of Two Arthurs' and even the 'ultimate . Greek tragedy. A . workers' revolt at the Market Basket supermarket chain has led to empty . shelves, angry customers and support for a boycott from more than 100 . state legislators and mayors. Industry . analysts say worker revolts at non-union companies are rare, but what's . happening at Market Basket is particularly unusual because the workers . are not asking for higher pay or better benefits. They are demanding the . reinstatement of beloved former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, whom they . credit with keeping prices low, treating them well and guiding the . company's success. The New England grocery store chain is embroiled in a family feud featuring two cousins who have been at odds for decades. While . earlier squabbles between Arthur T. Demoulas and Arthur S. Demoulas . were fought in courtrooms, this dispute has spilled into the stores. Cashiers and baggers sit idle at the Market Basket supermarket chain . For . the past week, warehouse workers have refused to make deliveries to . Market Basket stores, leaving fruit, vegetable, seafood and meat shelves . empty. Workers have held protest rallies and organized boycott . petitions through social media, attracting thousands of supporters. Customers . are switching to other grocery stores. In some cases, customers have . taped receipts from competitors to Market Basket windows. 'We . are going to go somewhere else from now on,' said Soraya DeBarros, as . she walked through a depleted produce department at the Market Basket in . West Bridgewater this week. 'I'm sad about it because of course I want . to keep the low prices, but I want to support the workers.' Market Basket employees acknowledge passing supporters as they picket in front of the store in North Andover, Mass . Despite . threats by new management to fire any workers who fail to perform their . duties, 300 warehouse workers and 68 drivers have refused to make . deliveries. Eight supervisors have been fired. The . new executives have assured workers they are not planning drastic . changes in the way the company is operated and have urged them to return . to work. On Friday, the company again . appealed to workers to return, saying they won't be punished or face any . change in compensation and benefits. 'We welcome back associates who are committed to Market Basket's customers,' it said in a statement. Massachusetts . Attorney General Martha Coakley, who is running for governor, and New . Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan have publicly supported the employees. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, who is running for governor, and New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan have publicly supported the employees . A shopper examines produce near empty bins . 'If . you had told me that workers at a grocery store would walk out to save . the job of a CEO, I would say that's incredible. There is usually such a . gulf between the worker and the CEO,' said Gary Chaison, a professor of . industrial relations at Clark University in Worcester. Market . Basket stores have long been a fixture in Massachusetts. The late . Arthur Demoulas - grandfather of Arthur S. and Arthur T. and a Greek . immigrant - opened the first store in Lowell nearly a century ago. Gradually, Market Basket became a regional powerhouse, with 25,000 . employees and 71 stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Workers are fiercely loyal to Arthur T. 'You . know the movie, `It's a Wonderful Life.' He's George Bailey,' said Tom . Trainor, a district supervisor who worked for the company for 41 years . before being fired last weekend over the protests. 'He's just a . tremendous human being that puts people above profits. He can walk . through a store, and if he's met you once, he knows your name, he knows . your wife, your husband, your kids, where they are going to school.' Meat manager Dave Fillebrown wipes down largely empty shelves at a Market Basket supermarket in Haverhill, Mass. Earlier Friday, board members said they will consider an offer Arthur T. made this week to buy the company. 'Consistent . with its fiduciary obligations, the board will evaluate and seriously . consider this proposal, along with any other offers previously received . and to be received,' the board said. The board also decried what it called the 'negative behavior' of some current and former employees. 'It . is now clear that it is in the interests of all members of the Market . Basket community for normal business operations to resume immediately,' it said. As the board met, up to 10,000 . employees, customers and supporters attended another protest rally at a . Market Basket store in Tewksbury. Employees . said they believe the fight between the family members loyal to Arthur . T and Arthur S is largely over money and the direction of the company. They say Arthur S and his supporters have pressed for a greater return . to shareholders. Arthur T and his supporters have focused on keeping prices low. Many . employees are distrustful of Arthur S and two co-chief executives who . were brought in from outside the company: Felicia Thornton, a former . executive of the grocery chain Albertsons, and Jim Gooch, former . president and chief executive at RadioShack Corp. Arthur S. has not spoken publicly about his ouster or the striking workers supporting him . The company statement Friday acknowledged 'the strain this change of leadership has placed on our associates.' Valerie Burke, a worker in the West Bridgewater store, said she's worried about her job. 'It's . a great company to work for now, but we are worried it won't stay that . way,' she said as she picketed outside the store Tuesday. Arthur S. has not spoken publicly, except a short response to 7 News when he said he wouldn't consider selling until he had seen his cousin's offer. Gooch and Thornton have communicated only through prepared statements. Steve . Paulenka, who started in 1974 as a bag boy and rose to facilities and . operations manager before being fired last weekend, said he sees no end . to protests unless Arthur T. is reinstated. 'A . big part of me doesn't like what's going on - it's like breaking your . favorite toy on purpose,' he said. 'But we'll get through this.' | Market Basket staff continue strike that has led to empty .
shelves, angry customers and support for a boycott .
Workers want return of former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, whom they .
credit with keeping prices low and treating them well .
Demoulas was removed as company president last month .
The New England grocery store chain is embroiled in a family feud featuring two cousins who have been at odds for decades . |
179,114 | 73eb328dbe5421ac73b777675ce4212daf1ac245 | By . Wills Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 04:54 EST, 6 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:50 EST, 6 March 2014 . He revolutionised the baking industry when he introduced the Cronut. Now pastry chef Dominque Ansel has turned the world of hybrid desserts upside down again with his newest creation - Chocolate Chip Cookie Milk Shots. He posted a photo of his new delicacy, which consists of chocolate chip cookie 'glass' filled with shot of milk, on Instagram. Delicious: The new Chocolate Chip Cookie Shots is made up of a chocolate 'glass' filled with a shot of milk . The inspiration for the new product came when after the French chef tried his first Oreo, he told Eater. He added: 'If everyone was drinking milk with cookies, you might as well make a dessert that allows them both to be combined.' The desserts will be unveiled in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, when 40,000 people are expected to descent on the city for the annual technology conference. Last year, Ansel's sell-out Cronuts became so popular they were being sold on Craiglist. Invention: The pastry chef created mania when he introduced the cronut at his bakery in New York . Delicious: French pastry chef Dominique Ansel became famous overnight with his hybrid dessert . With only 200 cronuts made per day, and a line 30-people deep before the Manhattan bakery even opens its doors, the $5 croissant-donut hybrid has become a hot commodity for sweet-toothed New Yorkers - and opportunists are taking note. The hybrid doughnut-croissant was quietly unveiled on May 10 last year, when a small batch of 50 were placed on the shelves. Three days later, when 200 had sold out by 9.30am, one angry and disappointed customer apparently 'flipped the finger' at staff on his way out of the pâtisserie. Now, there is a six-cronut limit per customer. Delicacy: The dessert became so popular, they were being sold on Craiglist for up to $200 . | Dominique Ansel's creation is a chocolate 'glass' filled with a shot of milk .
The pastry chef became inspired after trying his first Oreo .
He said if people were drinking cookies and milk 'why not combine them'
Follows the success of the hybird-doughnut he sold in his New York bakery . |
138,630 | 3f480f59be875caa68eba9b8bb952b13227194eb | (CNN) -- Bruce Levenson couldn't cut it as a successful NBA owner. His business, the Atlanta Hawks, was failing. He needed a scapegoat, and he blamed African-Americans, his most loyal customer base. Apparently, he forgot those fans are the only group that has stuck by him in spite of the inferior product he's put on the basketball court since he took over the team 11 years ago. He should be grateful any fans showed up for the games at all. His first mistake, among many, has been forgetting that Hawks have been barely a smidgen above mediocre for as long as any sports fan can remember. Philips Arena is dull; the overpriced concession food is awful. And no matter what anyone says about "Hotlanta," football (college first and then NFL) will always be king in that city. So if you are going to invest in the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, a league that boasts the highest share of black television viewers, at 45% -- three times higher than the NFL or NCAA basketball -- and a player roster that is nearly 80% black, well, then you better have a smart business strategy to keep your core customers happy and attract corporate dollars at the same time. What we know . Levenson, it seems, had no winning strategy. The "self-reporting" bigot seems to have awakened one day, looked around the City of Atlanta (which according to the 2010 census is 54% African-American and 38.4% white) and decided that all of his business failures in Atlanta had nothing to do with his own mismanagement of the team. He then sent a racist, ranting email to his business partners, outlining his personal theories about how their failing franchise might be turned around. Levenson has apologized for his tirade and said he will sell his controlling interest in the team. "I wrote an e-mail two years ago that was inappropriate and offensive," Levenson said in a Hawks news release. "I trivialized our fans by making cliched assumptions about their interests (i.e., hip hop vs. country, white vs. black cheerleaders, etc.) and by stereotyping their perceptions of one another (i.e., that white fans might be afraid of our black fans). By focusing on race, I also sent the unintentional and hurtful message that our white fans are more valuable than our black fans." But I take his apology with a large grain of salt. Though his rambling email was incoherent and ill-advised, in hindsight at least, it reads as though it is the words of a man speaking from his heart. In fact, it turns out Levenson's decision to sell his interest in the team was triggered by the discovery of his inflammatory email by an outside law firm reviewing the organization, according to CNN reports. In professional sports and in business, winning is everything. Nothing else counts. And when Levenson and his partners realized that the arena was half-empty, the first questions Levenson should have asked are: Will sports fans pay money to watch this team play? And what are my successful competitors doing to attract more customers? Well, according to the Hawks website, the average ticket price is $103 per game, and the average fan and corporate packages run from $599 to $4,499 per season. I'm not sure about Levenson, but I could definitely find a better way to spend my hard-earned cash and my time than driving to an arena to watch a losing team. Levenson's downtown pro sports neighbors, the Atlanta Falcons, are certainly having no problem thriving in an urban environment where it is necessary to court African-American customers. The Falcons, who have posted five consecutive winning seasons, including four trips to the playoffs, sell out nearly every game, and they do so in part because they intentionally put a smart strategy in place to attract their African-American fanbase. Successful teams across sports in cities like New York, Washington and Los Angeles are using this same multicultural business strategy to run winning franchises. Levenson is now getting undeserved credit for reportedly going first to the NBA to confess that he sent the racist email before it was exposed. The league, to its credit, in the wake of the Donald Sterling disaster, had been vetting other team owners who fostered climates of discrimination and bigotry behind closed doors. Therefore, clearly, Levenson had a compelling reason to come clean about his 2-year-old email. Opinion: Levenson and the Hawks' real problem . Sterling was forced to sell the Los Angeles Clippers over the summer when racist audio recordings came to light. He defended himself then, saying that he was not the only NBA owner to harbor prejudice attitudes. And there's no arguing that he was right. Despite its leading record in the sports industry on diversity hiring, both on and off the court, the NBA is no stranger to the controversial topic of race in sports. It is ironic that Levenson, touted as a public do-gooder, has missed his own message of tolerance and understanding. This year, he took his NBA team the Holocaust museum in Washington. The players even met Levenson's mother-in-law, Irene Boyarsky, a concentration camp survivor. Levenson said then: "Having them come here and having them see the faces of bigotry and hate, it's important. For them to learn lessons of this museum and of the Holocaust means a lot to me." Tolerance is a pretty word we like to use. But in real life, it takes courage, humility and commitment to live by it. Whether the topic is homophobia, gender equality or religious intolerance, Levenson certainly is not the first person whose public actions have fallen short of their private hearts. But Levenson's brand of public hypocrisy is not just morally corrupt, it is bad for business. And the NBA is big business. Thanks to strong leaders like NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and his predecessor David Stern, who have implemented tough love but racial compassion, the league has not only preached but mostly practiced racial tolerance. It's a smart strategy because without African-American fans, and the talented men who play the game, there is no league. And today, the best companies are looking for a way to diversify and grow their customer base. I say good riddance to Levenson and other NBA owners like him, of which I think there are few. And kudos to Silver and others who are working to root out racist owners. "As Mr. Levenson acknowledged, the views he expressed are entirely unacceptable and are in stark contrast to the core principles of the National Basketball Association," Silver said in a statement Sunday. Call me overly optimistic, but I believe that most NBA owners are decent people. And more important, they are shrewd businessmen who understand that in today's global economy, a company that doesn't not have the cultural intelligence to build a diverse customer base will fail. In 1903, W.E.B. DuBois poignantly wrote in "The Souls of Black Folk," "for the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line." And today, as America's face shifts from white to shades of brown, it remains to be seen whether we will ever stop stumbling over that line, fearing the line, hating that line, so we can finally stand together as one strong nation. | Roxanne Jones: Bruce Levenson's email revealed NBA owner scapegoating blacks .
She says he thought profits low because too many blacks at games, but team is mediocre .
Jones: This bigot gets no points for "self-reporting"; he's selling interest under pressure .
Jones: Levenson touted as public do-gooder but is a hypocrite . |
3,972 | 0b7344fc70c5dfee2f05cdd83876f15b9e8c3761 | At first glance, these images may look other-worldly, but they actually show everyday materials such as glass and foam - and each one are winning entries in a photo competition designed to show the beauty of engineering. Other entries include a kaleidoscopic swirl of a neural network, ribbons of crystals unfolding like sheets of wrapping paper and a photo showing the look of relief on the faces of villagers in Malawi after their local well was repaired. The University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering photo competition shows the breadth of research going on at one university alone. The University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering photo competition shows the breadth of research going on at the university. This is the winning image by Indrat Aria. It shows free-standing graphene foam, which is made by growing layers of graphene on the surface of a porous metal foam skeleton, which was the dissolved so that only the foam remains . Along with three main winners, the Zeiss-sponsored competition had two extra categories this year: a prize for images taken using an electron microscope and a Head of Department’s prize for the photo or video with the most innovative engineering story behind it. The first prize was awarded to Indrat Aria, for his image entitled Asteroidea Electrica, which shows free-standing graphene foam, made by growing layers of graphene on the surface of a porous metal foam skeleton. The skeleton is then carefully dissolved so that only the graphene foam remains. Second prize went to PhD student Yarin Gal for his image of extrapolated art, extending past the edges of paintings to see what the full scenery might have looked like. He used the PatchMatch algorithm on the frame of Van Gogh's painting Starry Night to extrapolate its contents (pictured left). A pretty image of graphene flowers by Mari Ijäs is pictured . This image shows pulsed laser deposition, which was used to apply a metal layer to a glass slide. The technique is used for creating structures that induce thermal and electrical conduction across the surface of an insulator. The image was captured by Jonathon Parkins using an optical microscope . As it’s electrically conductive, highly porous and lightweight, graphene foam could be used in applications such as chemical sensing, energy storage and ultra-lightweight structures. Dr Aria used an electron microscope to take the image and then applied artificial colours to it. Second prize went to PhD student Yarin Gal for his image of extrapolated art, extending past the edges of paintings to see what the full scenery might have looked like. He used the PatchMatch algorithm on the frame of Van Gogh's painting Starry Night to extrapolate its contents. Third prize went to undergraduate student Anthony Rubinstein-Baylis, for an image he took while on his gap year in rural Malawi. The Electron Microscopy Prize was awarded to Tanvir Qureshi for his image of a bridge forming in self-healing concrete. A sample was collected from the cement’s self-healing zone, where flower-like bridges effectively expanded and healed the cracks . Undergraduate student Anthony Rubinstein-Baylis took third prize in the competition for an image he took while on his gap year in rural Malawi. In it, a group of people crowded around a broken village well and await the one person who can help - Francis the engineer (centre) In it, a group of people crowded around a broken village well and await the one person who can help - Francis the engineer. Despite a lack of formal training, Francis took water to scores of local villages through ingenuity and hard graft. He jumped down the well and quickly sorted the problem – the rope had simply fallen off the pulley – restoring order so the day could carry on as normal. The Electron Microscopy Prize was awarded to Tanvir Qureshi for his image of a bridge forming in self-healing concrete. A sample was collected from the cement’s self-healing zone and put under a microscope, where flower-like bridges effectively expanded and healed the cracks. Worldwide, a significant amount of money is currently being spent on the repair and maintenance of existing concrete structures, although its demand is increasing. This image shows an array of diffractive lenses imaged using a dark field optical microscope. Each lens is composed of hundreds of metallic nanostructures, which scatter light at specific wavelengths . In this picture the invisible has been made visible. A web of carbon nanotubes are bundled together and integrated in a matrix. The carbon nanotubes were synthesised in a continuous gas phase process and the picture shown is a snapshot of this. The image is a negative . Bottom-up growth of nanostructures is a fascinating area of nanoscience. This image shows Zinc Oxide nanowires grown on a graphite flake during thermal chemical vapour deposition, and has been coloured using Photoshop . Considering the growing concrete demand, environmental concerns, and the longevity of built infrastructure, suitable self‐healing technology adaptation in cement concrete is becoming a highly sought after technology. The Head of Department’s prize went to Andrew Payne for his video of the rise and fall of liquid crystal ‘mountains’. He made a video from a collection of images taken at one-second intervals. It shows the slow growth of liquid crystal structures under the influence of an alternating electric field, and their rapid collapse as the field is reversed. Entrants, including students, professors and other staff, were told that the images they entered may be ‘beautiful, fascinating, intriguing, amusing, or possibly all of these things’. The images were judged by experts at Zeiss, and Cambridge professors including Dame Ann Dowling, Dame Dowling is the first female President of the Royal Academy of Engineering. ‘We continue to be blown away by the beautiful images produced by our students and researchers for this competition,’ said Philip Guildford, Director of Research for the Department. ‘But more than just pretty pictures, these images also show how engineering is helping to solve problems, big and small, all over the world. While our winners were judged to be the best of this year’s entries, we received more than 250 diverse, beautiful and meaningful images.’ A color-coded map shows the output of a deep neural network applied at each point in the image. Deep neural networks have recently enabled breakthroughs in machine vision, speech processing and translation, but some of their properties still are not well-understood. This research is a small part of the effort to understand why they work . Here, researchers from the Fibre Optic Sensing Research Group and the Cambridge Centre for Smart infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) supervise the installation of the innovative fibre optic instrumentation into the lining of one of one of Crossrail’s sprayed concrete tunnels during its construction. The picture was taken 131ft (40 metres) below ground level . | University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering photo competition shows breadth of research at the university .
As well as the top three prizes, there were two for microscopic images and showing an innovative engineering story .
First prize was awarded to Indrat Aria, for 'Asteroidea Electrica' showing free-standing graphene foam .
Other entries include a kaleidoscopic swirl of a neural network, ribbons of crystals unfolding like sheets of wrapping paper and a photo showing the look of relief on the faces of villagers in Malawi after their local well was repaired . |
131,358 | 35de68e06d05ffc04d2613536467b16e954043e6 | The Greek island where Aristotle Onassis married Jackie Kennedy is believed to have been sold by his sole surviving heir for £100 million. Athina Onassis Roussel, granddaughter of the Greek shipping tycoon, is said to have agreed to sell the island of Skorpios, in the Ionian Sea, to a Russian billionaire . According to Greek media, the identity of the businessman has not been disclosed. Sold: The Greek island where Aristotle Onassis married Jackie Kennedy has been sold 'for £100million' The island, off the western coast of Greece, was bought by Onassis in 1962. At the time is believed to have cost just 3.5 million drachmas, the equivalent of about £10,000. Six years later it hosted his wedding to Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of the late President John F Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. After his death Skorpios passed to his daughter Christina, who died of a heart attack aged 37 in 1988, and then to Athina, the Daily Telegraph reports. According to Greek press the contracts for the purchase of the private island are being drawn up by law firms in Athens and Geneva. Farhad Vladi, whose company, Vladi Private Islands, has hundreds of islands on its books, told the paper that while he had not heard of the deal, it was possible Ms Onassis Roussel had decided to sell the island. Athina Onassis Roussel, granddaughter of the . Greek shipping tycoon (left as a child holidaying on the island, and . right), is said to have agreed to sell the island to a Russian . billionaire . Jackie Onassis and Aristotle Onassis, on Skorpios, Greece in 1968. The island, off the western coast of Greece, was bought by Onassis in 1962 . Family home: After Aristotle's death Skorpios passed to Onassis' daughter Christina, who died of a heart attack aged 37 in 1988 . He said: 'These Russian oligarchs have billions, so it may be that one of them came along and said "I will give you 100 million or 200 million euros for it". Anything is possible.' He was asked by Ms Onassis Roussel to carry out an evaluation of the island eight years ago. It is believed she has little . interest in spending time on the island, or in Greece. He said the water comes from a mountain bought by Aristotle Onassis on a nearby island, and that anyone who bought the island would need to buy the mountain also, which he estimated would cost upwards of 100 million euros. The island hosted many parties during the time of Aristotle Onassis, who is buried there, as is his daughter and his son, Alexander, who died in a plane crash in 1973. It is also home to three residences, a helicopter landing pad and a boat quay. Swiss-educated Ms Onassis Roussel is the only surviving descendant of the shipping magnate. Aristotle Onassis with Maria Callas on Skorpios Island in the 1960s. It hosted his wedding to Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of the late President John F Kennedy . Ms Onassis Roussel was born in France, and is the only child of Christina Onassis and her fourth husband, Thierry Roussel. She is married to Brazilian Olympic show jumper, Alvaro de Miranda Neto, and lives in Sao Paulo. In the past there have been rumours that Giorgio Armani, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and Madonna were interested in buying the tiny island. | Athina Onassis Roussel, is granddaughter of the Greek shipping tycoon .
She is said to have agreed to sell Skorpios to a Russian billionaire .
Island, off coast of Greece, was bought by Onassis in 1962 for £10,000 . |
96,310 | 07e2cc2b7e839f6410947e4a690a0dc3e233e0e0 | By . Jack Gaughan . Follow @@Jack_Gaughan . Usain Bolt may be convinced he can star for Manchester United, but his first stop in English football looks set to be at Millwall. The fastest man in the world, who struck Commonwealth gold in the 4x100m relay with Jamaica last weekend, should receive an invite from fellow countryman Ricardo Fuller to make a trip to The Den in the coming months. Fuller explained the pair know each other from back home - going out for a drink during downtime this summer - and Bolt wouldn’t hesitate in saying yes to taking in a game. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Usain Bolt say he wants to play fro Man United when he retires . London Calling: Usain Bolt could be ready to watch Millwall thanks to an invite from Ricardo Fuller . Mates: Fuller explained the pair know each other from back home - going for drinks during the summer . ‘The next time Bolt is in London I am going to invite him to watch a Millwall game at The Den,’ the 34-year-old said ahead of the new Championship season, which the Lions kick-off against Leeds at home on Saturday. ‘And though he supports Man United, I know he will come here. Who knows? He might even start supporting us after!’ That trip could be sooner than expected. The six-time Olympic champion stays and trains with his agent in Teddington, south west London, when competing on the continent and is pencilled in to run at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich on August 28; Ian Holloway’s side host Fuller’s old club Blackpool two days later. ‘I saw Bolt when I went home in the summer,’ Fuller added. ‘We always hang out together and go for a drink. It’s normal. Everybody knows everybody in Jamaica. ‘Even though people might see him as this so-called superstar, he is just a normal guy. You could pass Bolt on the street and say hi. He wouldn’t be able to do that here, but it is different in Jamaica.’ Winners: Bolt celebrates with his teammates after anchoring the quintent to gold in the Men's 4x100m relay . Bolt’s friend Fuller signed a one-year deal with Millwall in July and, although he is very much an elder statesman in the group, is putting younger colleagues to shame across the ground in pre-season. Hardly surprising, the striker rationalises, given his nationality. ‘Bolt’s trainer, Glen Mills, used to coach me on the track as well,’ he added. ‘Me and Carlos Edwards (35) are the fastest players in training. The stats show it. We posted the same time. Bang on. But I should have broken the record – I let him off the hook!’ There may be charisma and measured arrogance radiating from Bolt, but Millwall’s Jamaican isn’t missing much swagger either. Fuller insisted he took a four-week break before finally committing to the club. ‘I spent the first month enjoying myself, seeing family and friends and then after the first month I started training and getting back into it,’ he said. ‘I knew about Millwall over a month before I came here. Blackpool also wanted to do something but we all know about the problems they are having.’ VIDEO I don't know if we will get promoted - Holloway . | Fastest man in the world is good friends with Millwall striker .
Fuller wanted to watch Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games .
Bolt is known to be a big fan of Louis van Gaal's side . |
229,280 | b4dda96da23f3c2181856116f495525394f79d56 | (CNN) -- The lawyer for Joran Van der Sloot, the Dutch national accused of killing a 21-year-old woman in Lima, Peru, last year, said Monday he has asked the court to charge his client with the lesser offense of manslaughter. "In his statement to the police, Joran admitted that he committed the crime, but it was not in the way that the police said it happened," said attorney Maximo Altez. "We have submitted a motion to show that he shouldn't be charged with aggravated murder, but with violent emotion murder." "Violent emotion murder" is the equivalent of manslaughter in the United States. Van der Sloot faces up to five years in prison if convicted on the lesser charge and a minimum of 15 years if found guilty of first-degree murder. Altez gave a copy of the motion, dated late last year, to "In Session." A judge has not yet made a ruling on it, he said. Van der Sloot has been charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the case of 21-year-old Stephany Flores. Authorities found Flores' body in a Lima hotel room registered to him in June last year. He is perhaps best-known as the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of an American teenager in Aruba. Van de Sloot was arrested twice in connection with the Natalee Holloway case, but was not charged. Police have said Van der Sloot admitted that he attacked Flores on May 30 after she read an e-mail on his computer connected with the Holloway case. After killing Flores, police say, Van der Sloot took money and bank cards from her wallet and fled to Chile, where he was arrested June 3. He was returned the next day to Peru. "My client ... admits having murdered the victim, but not with ferocity, for profit or pleasure, nor any of the other element(s) that make up this murder, but only by violent emotion that overtook him at the time he was attacked by the victim," Altez's motion read. The lawyer contends there is no evidence of robbery. Van der Sloot also faces federal wire fraud and extortion charges in the United States, where prosecutors say he demanded more than $250,000 from Holloway's family in return for disclosing the location of her body. "I hope he remembers that there's a hold on him and that he faces up to 20 years for extortion here in the U.S.," said John Kelly, the attorney for Holloway's mother. He said Van der Sloot is a "prolific liar." Van der Sloot is being held at the Miguel Castro Castro Prison. He is spending his time teaching English to the guards and is still in solitary confinement, his lawyer said. CNN's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report . | Defense lawyer has asked judge for lesser charge .
Joran Van der Sloot is accused of killing 21-year-old Stephany Flores in Lima, Peru, last year .
If found guilty of first-degree murder, Van der Sloot would spend a minimum of 15 years in prison . |
63,822 | b52f5c17676d0d0fa1d3ab7dd7e20c55b0fd73c0 | The body of a mystery man found down a well by gardeners last week was dumped there two years ago, police revealed today. The corpse is of a white man who was assaulted and bound before being thrown down the well in Warlingham, Surrey, tests have confirmed - although a cause of death could not be established. Detectives have vowed to find the killers, and a forensic team will be at the scene for another month as they hunt for clues. The well has been partly demolished and water samples taken for analysis. Scroll down for video . Probe: Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a man was found down a well in Surrey . Grim task: Officers from the Underwater and Confined Space Search Team during the recovery operation . Aerial view of the scene: The well was 2ft wide, 7ft deep and the water was approximately 4ft deep . A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: . ‘A post mortem examination which took place on Sunday, 17 November did . not provide a cause of death and further tests are being conducted. ‘However, . the examination did reveal that the body - confirmed to be of a white . male - has sustained injuries consistent with an assault prior to being . placed in the well. Cleaned: A police specialist diver being washed down after leaving the scene . ‘It has . also been established that the body was bound up before being placed in . the well by a third party. Detectives now believe the body had been in . the well for around two years.’ He . added: ‘Officers continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding . the murder of a male whose body was discovered in a well in Warlingham. ‘Police . were called after workmen discovered the body in a well outside an . address in Audley Drive, Warlingham at around 13:50hrs on 15 November. ‘Specialist officers, including Metropolitan Police divers, attended the scene and recovered the body.’ Detective . Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons, who leads the investigation, revealed: . ‘Our enquiries continue to try and establish the identity of this male. These enquiries have included reviewing missing person reports but this . process may take some time. ‘I . would like to thank the public for their positive response to our . appeals so far and specifically those in the local community who have . been supportive throughout the disruption caused by police and media in . their neighbourhood. ‘Given . the complex nature of this investigation, it is likely that forensic . work at the property will continue for a further month as we attempt to . secure all available evidence.’ Tents: The body was found in the narrow shaft of a well outside this house on Audley Drive in Warlingham . Gardeners working at the house, set within an acre of land, spotted the body in the well in Surrey . The . investigation has so far seen the well where the body was found partly . demolished and water from within the well taken for forensic . examination. 'It . has also been established that the body was bound up before being . placed in the well by a third party. Detectives now believe the body had . been in the well for around two years' Metropolitan Police spokesman . Forensic work will continue on the well, the house and outbuildings at the property to establish as much evidence as possible. DCI . Lyons added: ‘While our work continues to establish the facts of how . this male came to sustain his injuries and his body end up in the well, . our focus is also on finding out his identity. ‘This . is someone’s son and my team owe it to him and his family to find out . the truth and bring those who committed this atrocious act to justice.’ Seven . men, aged between 21 and 27, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. They were interviewed and subsequently released on bail on Sunday until . a date in late December. The arrested men are all Polish car wash workers who live at the house. One of the men said: ‘I want to clear my name. There has been a big mistake. We don’t know nothing. We just live there.' Specialist divers, pictured, were called to the scene and were assessing how to remove the body without destroying any evidence . Evidence found by the divers at the scene indicated that the body had been placed in the well, police said . George Anastasi, owner of both the property and car wash, said he was ‘completely shocked’ when he heard of the discovery. Rory Mulholland, 21, who was working at the property with 17-year-old Jack Duncan said following the body's discovery: ‘There was quite a lot of trash in the garden. ‘I assumed whoever owned the house was clearing the house out and getting it renovated and it was the end of their tenancy. We spotted a big blue tarpaulin at the bottom of the well. ‘We were curious to see what it was. Jack turned the tarpaulin over with a length of kitchen drainpipe and then we noticed the outline of a person. ‘You could see the shape of someone’s legs and a bottom. Then we flipped the tarp over again and I saw someone’s upper thigh. It was definitely a man. I’ve never smelt anything like it.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Body found on Friday by two gardeners at house in Warlingham, Surrey .
Police reveal victim was seriously assaulted before being dumped there .
Seven men aged between 21 and 27 are arrested on suspicion of murder . |
158,125 | 587600fc8d393811d84406575f25c23be6ae078c | (CNN) -- The United Nations is urging countries to invest in green jobs working with "sustainable forest management" to address the growing problem of unemployment worldwide. A deforested area appears in a rain forest in Brazil's Para state in October. At least 10 million such jobs could be created, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization will say in a report to be released this week. The report does not mention any countries but is aimed at "mainly regions with substantial rural unemployment and degraded land areas," said C.T.S. Nair, chief economist in the U.N. Forestry Department and one of the authors of the report. While all countries could benefit from investing in these green jobs, Nair said, Asia and Africa -- and to some extent Latin America -- could benefit the most. India, China and almost all countries in Africa stand to benefit, he added. The United Nations said it already is seeing indications that some countries -- such as the United States, India and South Korea -- are interested and taking action to invest in sustainable forest management by making it part of their economic stimulus plans. Sustainable forestry aims to prevent depletion of forests by managing them and making sure their use does not interfere with natural benefits or the local environment. For example, in forests where wood is being removed, the United Nations is suggesting that people be hired to monitor and manage how much wood is taken out to ensure the forest does not become depleted and can grow back fully. Managers also would make sure the wood harvest wouldn't affect biodiversity and the water supply. The report will be discussed and analyzed next week at the U.N. Committee on Forestry meeting in Rome, Italy. The Food and Agriculture Organization has designated next week as World Forest Week. | U.N. says countries should invest in green jobs for "sustainable forest management"
Sustainable forestry aims to prevent depletion of forests .
Asia and Africa could benefit the most from such jobs, report co-author says .
Report will be discussed next week at meeting in Italy . |
145,452 | 48184b53d9dfd689216b3ce1c49ae08406493721 | By . Freya Noble . If the biggest alcohol distributor in Australia goes ahead with industrial action, half the bars, pubs, and clubs in New South Wales could be left with crowds of unhappy customers. Truck drivers at delivery company BevChain are expected to vote on the action on Wednesday, after negotiations over a new industrial agreement were halted. The drivers, who are members of the Transport Workers Union (TWU), were in talks with management about pay increases and safety concerns, The Daily Telegraph report. If alcohol delivery truck drivers strike, bars across the state could be left without booze . BevChain deliver half of the beer in NSW to licenced premises, and are a the largest alcohol distributor nationwide. They operate in five states from 14 distribution centres. James Squire, Corona, Tooheys and James Boags are just some of the beers the company delivers, and they also have wine and spirit brands such as Brown Brothers and Bacardi under their belt. A business partnership between Lion Nathan breweries and supply chain company Linfox, BevChain could take an indefinite strike or refuse to work overtime if their complaints are not met. Employees are campaigning for an increase in their Super contributions and a 16 percent pay rise per year. BevChain is the largest distributor in the country and transport beers such as Corona . According to transport website Fully Loaded, earlier this month the Fair Work Commission approved an application for the drivers to hold a ballot to gauge the amount of support there was for industrial action. 'We’ve been in there trying to negotiate for a fair agreement that recognises our hard work and dedication, but it seems like the company doesn’t want to hear it,' Greg Leslie from the TWU’s negotiation team said. The negotiations are said to have been running for as long as four months, and the company could be thrown into chaos if the drivers go ahead with a strike. The drivers have been in talks with management for months over pay issues and safety concerns . | Drivers at alcohol delivery service BevChain could strike on Wednesday .
The company are the largest distributor of alcoholic beverage in Australia .
Employees are in talks with management about pay rises and safety . |
52,415 | 947c6efcc0a20e41975f7c4fab443c6f3600542c | Michael Phelps' intersex girlfriend was convicted to two years in jail for stealing $10,000 from a businessman, she claims. Taylor Lianne Chandler went by the name David Roy Fitch when, at the age of 19, she blackmailed a man she met in a Maine bar in 1992. It was, she claims, a desperate bid to pay for gender reassignment surgery, which she completed years later before striking up a romance with Olympic gold medalist Phelps. Scroll down for videos . Secrets: Taylor Chandler (left), who claims to be girlfriend to Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps (right) says she was jailed in 1992 for blackmailing a businessman into giving her $10,000 for her corrective surgery . Claims: The 41-year-old wrote on Facebook that she served 30 days before completing two probation years . Shocker: Michael Phelps' self-proclaimed girlfriend Taylor Lianne Chandler (above) has admitted she was born David Roy Fitch, and had both male and female genitalia . In the dark: Chandler said her new man Phelps (above) was not aware of her past, though there's no actual proof that the two were ever an official item . Her choice: Chandler began taking testosterone blockers in her teens, and had corrective surgery in her early twenties to get rid of her male genitalia . Feet in the sand: Chandler has since been a champion for gender rights . Chandler only served 33 days in state prison before receiving a two-year probation order. She claims she pleaded for probation after being raped by three men in her cell. She explained on Facebook: 'At 19, I thought it would be smart to blackmail someone into giving me the money for my surgery. 'As soon as I received the money I was arrested and charged with extortion. 'I spent 30 days in jail because I was too ashamed to tell my family what happened thinking no one knew. 'Even though my birth certificate and drivers license said female they put me in a cell with 3 men and I was raped. 'I sued the state of Maine and got them to provide training for staff to deal with people on different spectrums of gender. 'They even created new facilities for housing someone with special needs. 'I plead and got probation for two years. I went on the talk show and tabloid TV circuit pleading my case for gender rights. 'After a brutal rape and a horrible trial in 1993 I went away to get my surgery and changed my name to Taylor Lianne Whitney to escape back into anonymity and have a normal life. 'For the last 20 plus years that is exactly what I have done.' The revelation comes a day after Chandler first revealed she was born with both male and female genitalia. As a teenager Chandler went on testosterone blockers and had her name changed and then, in her early twenties, underwent corrective surgery to get rid of her male genitalia. Chandler was born a male however in name only, and is actually intersex, meaning she had male genitalia, but no testicles, while also having a uterus and no ovaries. As she explains in a Facebook post, 'I was never a man, never lived as a man. No one can say they knew me as a man or produce a photo of me as a man.' She then adds, 'There are people that remember me as an androgynous child at times because of what was forced upon me.' She is also revealing how in love she is with Phelps, and claims the two clicked after meeting on Tinder. 'Spending time with him was like a teenage love affair,' she says. 'I have never felt so comfortable and accepted in every way as I did with him.' In costume: Chandler dressed as Wonder Woman for Halloween with a pal . Bad night: Chandler (left) claims she was with Phelps (right) the night he was arrested on suspicion of DUI . I'm yelling Tinder: A look at Phelps' alleged Tinder profile, which is how he and Chandler first met . She had previously detailed their first date, to a Baltimore Ravens games, to the National Enquirer. 'One thing led to the next, and we made love during halftime,' she claims in the interview. 'Later, we had sex again. The intimacy with him was amazing! It was the first time in my life that someone has made me feel like a true woman.' She also told the magazine that she never lied to the swimmer about her past, saying it just never came up. Famous friends: Chandler cozies up to RuPaul's Drag Race alum Detox . So sweet: Chandler posted this image of Phelps to her account and wrote about how excited she was to see him again . Now however, Chandler thinks Phelps may 'leave her' after telling her truth. 'I am probably going to lose him because he is a brand that his team wants to protect and things since he went to rehab came to my attention that didn’t put him or our relationship in the best light,' she says. Her Facebook is a shrine to the swimmer, with his photos plastered all over her wall and banner. She also seems to repost any and all stories that mention their relationship. He's out: Chandler said on her Facebook on Wednesday that Phelps is out of rehab . Still on?: Phelps has yet to comment on any of this . Chandler claims she was with Phelps when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI on September 30 in Baltimore, Maryland. The swimmer entered rehab just a few days after the incident and completed his program on Wednesday according to Chandler. The alleged couple also have a bit of an age gap between them, and Phelps is 29 and Chandler is 41-years-old. Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals, is currently serving a six month suspension from swimming as a result of his DUI. Boots for days: Chandler's Facebook page is a shrine to Phelps, with the swimmer's photos everywhere . In her post, Chandler also takes some time to discuss the difficulties she has faced in her life. 'In my early teens I was medically diagnosed and went on testosterone blockers, at 15 estrogen enhancers. My birth certificate was modified along with my name while I was a teenager, prior to any corrective surgery,' she explains. 'I originally changed my name to Paige Victoria Whitney. At 16 I legally emancipated from my family. I had already left home at 15. At 18 I got in trouble twice, once for a bad check and then a DUI.' 'At 19 I thought it would be smart to blackmail someone into giving me the money for my surgery. As soon as I received the money I was arrested and charged with extortion.' 'I spent 30 days in jail because I was too ashamed to tell my family what happened thinking no one knew. Even though my birth certificate and drivers license said female they put me in a cell with 3 men and I was raped.' She has since spent much of her life crusading for gender rights. | Michael Phelps' self-proclaimed girlfriend Taylor Lianne Chandler has revealed she was David Roy Fitch when she stole $10,000 and was jailed .
Claims it was to pay for corrective surgery, said she was raped in jail .
Chandler is intersex, meaning she has male genitalia but no testicles, and a uterus but no ovaries .
She is revealing her 'amazing sex life' with Phelps in a new interview, claiming the two had sex at a Baltimore Ravens football game .
She began taking testosterone blockers as a teenager and had corrective surgery in her early twenties to get rid of her male genitalia .
Chandler is now concerned that after this admission Phelps may no longer want to be with her when he leaves rehab .
Phelps is out of rehab now according to Chandler . |
53,284 | 9723159ca05b5c22c3f812689b32f1f313f46417 | By . John Barnes . PUBLISHED: . 08:06 EST, 18 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:03 EST, 18 December 2012 . With a personal fortune worth hundreds of millions of pounds, she was never going to settle for a mundane 70th birthday bash. So those fortunate enough to receive an invite to Stagecoach co-founder Ann Gloag's party at her castle knew they were in for something very special. And the businesswoman did not disappoint the 250 guests at her grand soiree. Stagecoach millionaire: Ann Gloag one of Scotland's richest women, pictured at her former home in Balcraig, near Perth, hosted her 70th birthday in her castle with performances from Lulu and Neil Sedaka . Those lucky enough to attend were . treated to live performances by legendary singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka . and veteran Scots pop star Lulu. Sedaka, 73, sang a selection of his most memorable hits, including 1962 classic Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. But it was Lulu who opened the evening's entertainment at the lavish event. She was followed by celebrity magician Dynamo. The black tie party was held at Mrs Gloag's impressive home, Kinfauns Castle, Perthshire, where she has lived since 2004. Guests arrived to a champagne reception, followed by a threecourse meal served in a marquee erected in the castle's grounds. Castle party: Ann Gloag's Perth home, Kinfauns Castle, where she hosted her elaborate 70th birthday party . Those lucky enough to attend were . treated to live performances by legendary singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka . and veteran Scots pop star Lulu. Sedaka, 73, sang a selection of his most memorable hits, including 1962 classic Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. But it was Lulu who opened the evening's entertainment at the lavish event. She was followed by celebrity magician Dynamo. The black tie party was held at Mrs Gloag's impressive home, Kinfauns Castle, Perthshire, where she has lived since 2004. Guests arrived to a champagne reception, followed by a three-course meal served in a marquee erected in the castle's grounds. The menu included traditional turkey with all the trimmings, as well as sea bass and a trio of desserts. One guest said: 'It was a superb night and Ann looked stunning. She certainly defied her 70 years. 'She was surrounded by family and friends and she had flown in around 20 staff who work with her African charities.' Mrs Gloag runs a school in Nairobi, Kenya, named in honour of her late son, Jonathan who took his own life in 1999, aged 28. Pop performers: Entertainment at Mrs Gloag's party came from Lulu, left, and Neil Sedaka, right . She now devotes a significant amount of her time to her charitable causes, including support for Mercy Ships, which operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world. Mrs Gloag was awarded an OBE in the 2004 New Year Honours list for her services to charity. In 2005, Edinburgh Napier University awarded her an honorary doctorate. Before being overtaken by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, she was the richest woman in Scotland. Mrs Gloag, a trained nurse, once told how she amassed her wealth by 'fighting for survival'. She became a unit sister in Bridge of Earn Hospital, Perthshire, where she met her future husband, Robin Gloag, while he was a patient. By the 1970s, the couple were running a small caravan sales business. But, after 20 years in nursing, Mrs Gloag branched out. The bus men: Stagecoach Group is an inter-national company operating buses, trains, trams and ferries - and Mrs Gloag serves as a non-executive director . The couple, along with Mrs Gloag's brother Brian Soutar, who now runs Stagecoach, bought a bus for £425. Their intention was to take the trip of a lifetime to China but the plan failed through visa problems. Instead, the entrepreneurs were invited by a construction company to provide transport for workers travelling to building sites. The brother and sister realised the potential and with their savings and their father's timely redundancy payment of £25,000, they bought two more buses. Stagecoach expanded from its limited Perthshire routes to offering cheap tickets between Dundee and London. The venture took off and Stagecoach Group is now an inter-national company operating buses, trains, trams and ferries. Mrs Gloag serves as a non- executive director. Her former husband was killed in a car crash on December 6, 2007. Last year, Mrs Gloag received the prestigious Eleanor Roosevelt Award in recognition of her charitable work over more than three decades. The medal honours individuals who carry out the values which former US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt espoused in her public life. Mrs Gloag is a committed Christian and rescued a Kenyan baby, Paul, more than two decades ago and raised him as her own. She once said: 'I've got the view that, regardless of what you do in life, very few of us are remembered. 'I'd like to be remembered as someone who was caring – that, and a great big statue.' | Ann Gloag's black tie party held in Kinfauns Castle, Perthshire, Scotland .
She has lived there since 2004 .
Champagne reception and three-course meal served in marquee .
Guests ate turkey with all the trimmings, sea bass and trio of desserts .
Celebrity magician Dynamo also performed . |
245,930 | ca50700436f0032855be7975baab5dcaf59f9636 | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 06:28 EST, 5 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:43 EST, 5 November 2013 . A grandfather has celebrated his 100th birthday by jumping out of a plane - but only after getting a doctor to say he was fit enough. Vernon Maynard is believed to be one of the oldest people to ever complete a tandem skydive after he leapt from 13,000ft yesterday. He was joined by his two great nephews and trained instructors for the jump near Los Angeles, California. Vernon Maynard marked his 100th birthday by jumping out of a plane at 13,000ft with instructor James Perez . It was organised by his friends after he told them it was the only thing he wished he had done in his long life. The retired car dealer, who is originally from Nebraska but lives in Palm Desert, had to provide a doctor's note to Skydive Perris before he was allowed to jump. Mr Maynard told The Press Enterprise: 'I am just tickled to death and very appreciative that my friends helped put this together.' Despite his age, Mr Maynard said he was not nervous at all. His daughter Linda Hironimus said her father has 'no fear'. When he was 65, he jumped from the second storey of a cruise ship into shark infested waters, he told the website. The experience was organized by his friends after he said it was the one thing he wished he had done in his life . The grandfather was joined by friends and family for the celebration, who waited on the ground until he landed. He did a 44 second free fall with James Perez, the company's chief skydiving instructor, who said Mr Maynard is the oldest person he has ever jumped with in his career. Mr Maynard's granddaughter Lisa Ruggiero burst into tears when he landed safely. She told the website: 'This is simply amazing. My grandfather is . the most positive and energetic person I have ever met.' Mr Maynard is one of the oldest men to ever complete a tandem skydive. He matches the efforts of Fred Mack, who also jumped from 13,000ft to celebrate his 100th birthday in 2011 in New Jersey. | Vernon Maynard leapt from 13,000ft after friends organized event .
'Fearless' grandfather said it was one thing he had wished to do in his life . |
188,428 | 800440b191478b437f36d4e6d49803395cfde8c0 | A father of eight has sparked controversy by refusing to save money for his children’s college education. Guerilla Parenting author David T. Fagan told the Washington Post that college is 'a lot of wasted time' and if his children want to attend, they will have to pay for it themselves. The 37-year-old marketing entrepreneur, whose family lives in Orange County, California, added to MailOnline: 'The focus is too much on a piece of paper and not enough on self-reliance.' Scroll down for video . Family man: David T. Fagan, a father of eight, says if his kids want to go to college they have to pay for it themselves (center) and their eight children, says college is a resource, not a destination . He continued: 'College isn't necessarily bad - it can be quite good - but it quite often needs to be customized. Kids are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many times, that money could be spent differently and more efficiently in helping people become truly self-reliant.' Mr Fagan says that while he'd approve if his kids, whose ages range from two to 17, paid for school with jobs and scholarships, what he really wants is for them to start their own business, which will ultimately teach them more and be far more lucrative. 'College might help you learn what you love,' he told the Washington Post. 'But it's a method. It’s a process. It’s a tool, it’s a resource. Different priorities: Mr Fagan, pictured with his wife Jill (center) and their eight children, says college is a resource, not a destination . Entrepreneurial spirit: Mr Fagan, now the owner of a branding and promotional firm, moved to California from a small town in Oregon at 17 and persuaded an electronics company to hire him as a salesperson . 'It’s not the destination. Too many people go to college as if that is the finish line. And that’s why you see all these people sleeping on their parents’ couches.' Oregon-born Mr Fagan, who was the oldest of six, says his parents raised him to work for anything he wanted. He left high school after the 11th grade and only briefly attended the University of Phoenix. At 17, he moved to California and persuaded an electronics company to hire him as a salesperson. Declaration of independence: Mr Fagan and his wife Jill (right) preach the importance of self-reliance to their eight children . Mr Fagan is now the owner of Icon Builder Media, a branding and promotional firm. He believes business skills are more valuable these days than the kind of knowledge taught in school. By the book: Mr Fagan shares his views in Guerilla Parenting, out this January . 'Who are the people who make the most money overall? What are the careers? Sales people. Entrepreneurs. 'Maybe only 10 percent to 20 percent of those sales people or entrepreneurs are really doing well but that 10 to 20 percent of those people are drastically slanting the numbers against anything else,' he says. He says that even if his 15-year-old daughter Taylor, whom he deems 'perfect' for college, becomes an attorney, he will encourage her to open up her own practice rather than working for someone else. Mr Fagan says the biggest problem in society now is the inability of parents to teach kids to go after what they want. 'You very rarely see two or three generations of success in a row because that one person gets the success and what do they say? They say, “I never want my kid to go through what I went through.” When what they went through was exactly what made them a success. 'So what do they do? “I’m going to send you to the best school. I’m going to send you to the best college. I’m going to give you this, I’m going to give you that. I’m going to give you all the things I never had” –without them ever having to work for it. 'And so by giving them things they’re kind of condemning them to a life of mediocrity.' Guerilla Parenting will be released in January 2015. | In his new book, Guerilla Parenting, David T. Fagan says college can lead to 'a lot of wasted time' |
74,456 | d31475e8db3d7d5e5c366b1734eabe862d7b3232 | Maj. Gen. James Post allegedly told lower-ranking officers that talking to members of Congress about the A-10 aircraft was equivalent to treason . The Air Force is probing allegations that a Major General told lower-ranking officers that talking to members of Congress about the capabilities of the A-10 attack aircraft is equivalent to treason. The alleged comment by Maj. Gen. James Post, a prominent leader at the prestigious Air Combat Command, has stirred concern in Congress about the Air Force muzzling officers in violation of their legal rights. 'This is very serious, to accuse people of treason for communicating with Congress,' New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte told General Mark Welsh, the Air Force chief of staff, who testified on Wednesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Post is reported to have said the remarks to Air Force officers attending a recent weapons and tactics conference in Nevada. He allegedly said that it is their duty to support the service's budget priorities by refraining from offering opinions inconsistent with those priorities. Air Force leaders have proposed retiring the A-10 fleet but Congress has refused, and some inside the Air Force have sided with Congress. Post's alleged comments were first reported by Tony Carr, a retired Air Force officer who writes a blog called 'John Q. Public.' Carr said he learned of Post's comments from a number of officers who were in the audience at the time Post spoke. He said Post prefaced his remark in the closed-door conference by saying, 'If anyone accuses me of saying this, I will deny it'. Air Force leaders have proposed retiring the A-10 fleet but Congress has refused, and some inside the Air Force have sided with Congress (file photo) Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh III (pictured) testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday as the Air Force investigates allegations that Major General James Post . Post then added: 'Anyone who is passing information to Congress about A-10 capabilities is committing treason.' 'These comments can be seen as nothing less than an attempt to intimidate subordinates into refraining from exercising their rights to free expression and civic participation,' Carr wrote. The Air Force has not disputed that Post made the comment as reported. New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte said she was concerned that the Air Force is trying to find out which officers talked to Congress about the A-10 . 'We are aware of the concerns surrounding the alleged remarks made by General Post,' said Captain Andrew Schrag, a spokesman for Air Combat Command, who is in charge of the service's combat aircraft. 'We take this matter very seriously and are fully cooperating with the Secretary of the Air Force Inspector General's investigation,' he added. Another Air Force spokesman, Maj. Colin Hughes, said the Air Force investigation began January 22. In his remarks on Wednesday, Welsh said the Defense Department is overseeing an investigation of the matter by the Air Force inspector general. He added that he had personally intervened by calling Post after seeing a news report about his alleged comment. Pressed on the matter by Ayotte, Welsh said he found it 'not at all' acceptable for a general to make such a comment. 'I support any airman's right to discuss anything that you would like to discuss with them and to give you their honest opinion,' Welsh said. 'In this particular case, with the investigation ongoing, my job is to wait until the facts are known,' he added. 'It worries me about the climate and the tone that set if members — airmen, airwomen — are told that they would be committing treason for communicating with us,' Ayotte said. Ayotte said she was concerned that the Air Force is quietly trying to find out which officers talked to Congress about the A-10. Welsh said he was unaware of any such internal investigation. 'I would be astonished by that,' he said, adding, 'I would not condone it.' It is the ugliest aircraft in the Air Force's arsenal. The A-10, often called a warthog, was designed to destroy Soviet tanks and troops on the ground. Officially the Thunderbolt II, it was quickly nicknamed the Warthog for its unusual looks, . It was specifically designed around its main weapon, a 30mm cannon which fires 4,000 rounds a minute. The plane can fly low and slow, coming down to 50ft to shoot at or drop bombs on enemy positions. Its top speed is just above 400mph but it can go as slow as 150mph and 'loiter' for hours above targets making it an effective deterrent as well as an attack plane. The Warthog is covered in 1,200lbs of titanium armor, making it invulnerable to attack from anything but heavy weapons. Even when hit it is designed to fly home on one engine, with no tailfin and half a wing missing. On board the single-seater the pilot has at his controls the cannon, which is accurate to 4,000ft, and fires depleted-uranium shells, as well as Maverick air-to-surface missiles, 500lb free fall bombs, and Hydra air-launched rockets. Despite USAF attempts to retire the fleet, it is expected to remain in service into the 2020s. At one stage when the Air Force suggested retiring its more than 300 A-10s the Army indicated it would take them over as soldiers are so keen on its close support capabilities. Air Force leaders have proposed retiring the A-10 fleet but Congress has refused, and some inside the Air Force have sided with Congress . | Major General James Post allegedly made the comment at a recent weapons and tactics conference in Nevada .
Comment stirred concern in Congress about Air Force muzzling officers .
Air Force leaders have proposed retiring A-10 fleet but Congress refused .
Some Air Force members have sided with Congress . |
139,542 | 4072883b8bd8b8203af6c3c8fa31f4245b1a1f66 | By . Chris Kitching . Travellers who flout hand luggage liquid rules are creating longer queues at one of the UK’s busiest airports at the height of the summer travel season. More than 4,000 passengers are breaching the restrictions every day as they pass through Manchester Airport – causing unnecessary delays as people try to get through security and board their flights. The figure amounts to 10 per cent of the 40,000 pieces of hand luggage that are inspected by airport security officials on a daily basis. Scroll down for video . Liquids can be carried in hand luggage if they are under 100ml and placed in a clear, resealable plastic bag . Manchester Airport shared the figures after it received public criticism over growing queues during what is expected to be its busiest summer since 2007. Airport officials say many passengers are unaware of the rules, even though the restrictions have existed at airports around the world for years. Current rules require all liquids in containers over 100ml in size, including large bottles of water, lotions and perfume, to be stored in luggage in an aircraft’s hold. If large containers are found in a traveller’s hand luggage they will likely be thrown in the bin. All in a day's work: Security officials at Manchester Airport inspect 40,000 pieces of hand luggage a day . In Manchester, travellers have been quick to lay blame or express their discontent over security and passport control queues this summer. Forty-year-old passenger Darren Harris, of Stalybridge, told the Manchester Evening News he waited in line for more than an hour after flying in from Malaga last Friday: ‘It went down the corridor and down to where the planes land. I was quite shocked. I have never seen it that bad before.’ Border Force said 13 flights arrived outside their scheduled times and they deployed additional staff, but they would not compromise security while the necessary checks took place. Bag it: A sign at Gatwick Airport warns approaching passengers about hand luggage liquid rules . To reduce delays, the airport has invested £20million in security this year. Tricia Williams, the airport’s customer services director, said: ‘This summer we have increased security staff and during peak times all available staff and lanes are open for passengers to use and if needs be we deploy security staff to other terminals to help alleviate pinch points.’ She said queues are already longer during the summer due to the increase in passengers and the fact travellers are leaving additional time for their journey. The airport is encouraging passengers to allow plenty of time before their departure and obey the hand luggage restrictions. Spokeswoman Heather Griffiths said Gatwick Airport is not experiencing similar issues. She said it takes passengers an average of two minutes to pass through security at Gatwick. | More than 4,000 a day breach liquid rules at Manchester Airport alone .
Current rules require liquids over 100ml to be stored in checked luggage .
Manchester Airport has increased security staff to reduce delays . |
176,290 | 7039cfba445f3cc51a0e48be65a92dd6cf359132 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 08:05 EST, 24 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:12 EST, 24 January 2013 . Hospitals will become ‘warehouses of older people’ without major changes in the National Health Service, Labour claimed today. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham warned up to 40 per cent of hospital beds are taken by older people and the ageing population will mean the problem will only get worse. He called for the NHS, social care and mental health services to be merged to stop elderly people being put on a ‘fast track to care homes’. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham warns an ageing population means hospitals will become 'warehouses of older people' without major changes in the health service . Mr Burnham said that as people get older their needs become a ‘blur of the physical, mental and social’ and health spending should be combined into a single £119 billion budget. Ministers including Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and PM David Cameron have blamed poor standards of nursing for problems on wards. But Mr Burnham says the NHS has failed to adapt to the increasingly old patients it treats. Councils, qwhich are currently responsible for adult social care, are under pressure to keep council tax down so have ‘whittled away’ services. ‘It's financial madness, as well as being . bad for people,’ Mr Burnham said in a speech to the King’s Fund as he . launched a Labour policy review of health and social care. Mr Burnham used a speech to the King's Fund to call for NHS, social care and mental health budgets to be merged . ‘Hospital chief executives tell me that, on any given day, around 30 per cent to 40 per cent of beds are occupied by older people who needn't have been there. If we leave things as they are, our district general hospitals will be like warehouses of older people - lined up on the wards because we failed to do something better for them. ‘But it gets worse. Once they are there, they go downhill for lack of whole-person support and end up on a fast-track to care homes - costing them and us even more. ‘We could get much better results for people, and much more for the £104 billion we spend on the NHS and the £15 billion on social care, but only if we turn this system on its head. ‘We need incentives in the right place - keeping at home and out of hospitals.’ He claimed hospitals operate a 'a 20th century production-line model' which treats immediate problems like broken bones or the impact of a stroke without considering the 'whole person'. Staff in hospitals who used to rarely see a patient over the age of 80 have not changed to deal with ever greater numbers of very frail people in their 80s and 90s, with intensive physical, mental and social care needs. Mr Burnham spoke of his distress in 2007 at being unable to fulfil a promise to his sister-in-law, who had breast cancer, that she would be able to die at home. 'I told her I thought I would be able to. But, after a day of phone calls, I will never forget having to going back to Claire and say it couldn’t be done. 'And I was a minister who knew how the system worked, so what chance have families who are at a low ebb and don’t know where to start?' Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, pictured on a visit to King's Collge Hospital in London, accused Labour of plotting a fresh reorganisation of the health service . However ministers accused Labour of plotting a huge reorganisation of the NHS, after criticising the coailiton's own shake-up . Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: 'The public will rightly be concerned that, despite their promises, Labour plan a massive restructuring of the NHS which takes power away from the doctors and nurses who know their patients best and puts it in the hands of local politicians. 'I welcome the fact that Labour have finally recognised the importance of integrated care, but they had 13 years to achieve this and failed to do so. In fact, the system they left was fragmented and focused on treating patients as a collection of conditions not as individuals. 'In the last two years we have put patients at the heart of the NHS by allowing GPs, who understand the sometimes complex conditions of their patients, to commission services to meet their personal needs.'Chris Ham, chief executive of The King's Fund think tank, said: 'The demands of an ageing population, changing burden of disease and rising patient expectations mean that fundamental change is needed.' He said Mr Burnham's plans were 'ambitious' but leaves 'a number of unanswered questions' | Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham warns nurses are not able to deal with growing numbers of elderly patients .
Speech at The King's Fund calls for NHS, mental health and social care budget to be merged into £119billion pot .
Government accuses Labour of plotting a huge reorganisation of the National Health Service . |
165,417 | 61ea0bfad2647f7dc83d2c82ad83b9666d89f9c8 | By . Sarah Dean for Daily Mail Australia . and Aap . A mother-of-three has been found dead at her home in an affluent Brisbane suburb. Police say the 34-year-old's body was discovered in the lounge room of her house, on Milsom St in Norman Park, 4 kilometres east of the CBD, by her two flatmates at around 3.30am. Her 11 and 12-year-old daughters were also at home at the time and one of them was woken by the assault. They were seen leaving the house in forensic clothes early on Tuesday morning. Police released a picture of a man named Jacob Michael Smith, 38, on Tuesday evening who they believe may be able to assist with their investigation. Scroll down for video . Police have released this photo of Jacob Michael Smith, 38, who they want to speak to over the 34-year-old's suspected murder . Police and paramedics were called to the house at 3:30am in Brisbane's south east after she was found dead . 'He is described as 180cm tall, of average build with dark brown hair,' the police statement said. 'Anyone who may have information about his whereabouts is urged not to approach him but to instead contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Dutton Park CIB on 3028 8150.' 'The girls are most concerned, they are getting counselling,' Detective Inspector Rod Kemp said. 'It's horrendous. It's their mother. Absolutely horrendous,' he added. Two of Ms Mari's daughters, aged 11 and 12, were at home at the time and were dressed in forensic clothes as they were led from the property . Police say the 34-year-old's body was discovered in the lounge room of her house, on Milsom St in Norman Park, Brisbane . Police believe a man in his thirties, thought to be a friend of the woman, came to the house at around 2am. Police said no extreme violence or weapon was used and the woman's flatmates, who are giving statements, didn't hear anything. He said police are looking at previous relationships but have 'no idea what sparked it' at the moment. One of the woman's male flatmates spoke to the man as he was leaving. 'They saw this person leave and then one of the person's has then checked on the deceased,' he said. 'He is known to the person, he has been there before.' Police said no weapon was used and her flatmates who are giving statements didn't hear anything . Police want to talk to a man in his thirties who visited the house during the night . Police do not believe the man who came to the house was in a relationship with the woman . Ms Mari She also has a 15-year-old daughter who lives with her grandmother . 'We don't know if it's a relationship,' he added. 'Just prior to 4am a resident phoned police from the house,' DI Kemp told media outside Dutton Park Police Station. Just before 7am a man, who is thought to be a witness, was reportedly taken away by police. Later on Tuesday morning one of the woman's housemates told reporters, as he was leaving the police station, that he had known the woman for a long time. The woman's housemate told Channel Nine as he got into a red car: 'I hope they get the dog that did it.' When asked what happened at their Milsom Street home, he said he didn't know the man police were searching for and that he was asleep when she died. 'I wouldn’t have a clue mate I was asleep in bed when it happened,' he told the Courier Mail. He told Channel Nine as he got into a red car: 'I hope they get the dog that did it.' Police are appealing for anyone who saw anything in the street or at the nearby Norman Park railway station to come forward. They believe the man may have fled from the scene by car or train. The woman received CPR from paramedics but they were unable to revive her. Police are appealing for anyone who saw anything to come forward . Police have established a crime scene in the affluent suburb . Detective Inspector Rod Kemp described the incident as 'absolutely horrendous' 'The residence has been declared a crime scene and investigations are continuing,' a police spokesman told AAP. He said there was no other information available. Forensic and homicide officers are currently at the scene of the suspected murder and two people are being questioned by police. The entire street is now on lockdown. A neighbour on the street, Linda Bright, told the Brisbane Times: 'It's normally a pretty quiet house... You never really see much movement or never really see people coming in or out. 'We sometimes wonder if anybody ever lives there.' The woman, who rented the home she was found dead at, also has a 15-year-old daughter who lives with her grandmother. Police said the two children who were inside the home at the time are 'assisting and now our child protection experts are looking after them as we speak.' Officers were called to the house on Milsom St in Norman Park at around 3.30am . The woman was found in Milsom St, 4km from Brisbane's CBD . | Police were called to a serious assault at around 3.30am at a shared home in Norman Park, in Brisbane's south east .
A mother, 34, was found dead in her lounge in 'suspicious circumstances'
Two of her daughters, aged 11 and 12, were at home at the time and were dressed in forensic clothes as they were led from the property .
The woman also has a 15-year-old daughter who lives with her grandmother .
Homicide and forensic officers have been called in to investigate the death .
Police are searching for a man who came to the house at around 2.00am .
No weapons were used and the woman had no obvious signs of trauma . |
127,740 | 311f0ac8e58afb13c2dd754019772e913a344210 | By . Darren Boyle . Former Prime Minister Tony Blair looks enthralled as he listens to Hollywood heartthrob Antonio Banderas. The pair were watching a special Easter parade in Malaga and seemed to onlookers to be getting on famously from the balcony of the Larios Hotel in Malaga where rooms cost between £130 and £160 a night. A banner hanging from the balcony featured the words 'Room Mate' which looked appropriate as the former Prime Minister and Mr Banderas looked like they had known each other for years. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair listens to Hollywood star Antonio Banderas . Mr Blair and Mr Banderas were watching a special Easter parade in Malaga and seemed to be getting on famously . The former Prime Minister is later joined by his son Euan (right) and his daughter-in-law Suzanne (left) The Easter break in Malaga is the first . time the Blairs have been photographed together in public since Nelson . Mandela's memorial service in December. He and Cherie have been married since 1980 and have four children; Euan, 30, Nicky, 28, Kathryn, 26, and Leo, 13. The Blair's Spanish break comes two years after they last visited the Costa del Sol. In 2012 the couple were pictured visiting a friend's house in Benahavis near Marbella. The holiday is the latest stop in Mr Blair's busy schedule, as he travels the world in his new roles as business consultant and public speaker. In the last year he has been seen disembarking from a £30million private jet at in Bangkok, Sardinia and New York state, and the top-of-the-range Bombardier Global Express private jet has also been seen in Switzerland, Ukraine and Israel on dates which matched Mr Blair’s visits. Mr Blair's eldest son Euan is believed to be considering a future in parliament. It is believed that he could be installed as a candidate in a safe Labour seat to ensure he is successful at his first attempt. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Hollywood star Antonio Banderas enjoy the festivities in Malaga . The former Prime Minister was enjoying a break with his family after touring the world as a business consultant and speaker . | Former Prime Minister is locked in deep conversation with the star .
Mr Blair is later joined by his son Euan and his wife Suzanne .
The Blairs were enjoying an Easter break to Malaga, Spain . |
232,294 | b8c9b5f7974de05ef704159882e7f4a60f3bfed1 | By . Emily Davies . PUBLISHED: . 22:34 EST, 18 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:57 EST, 19 December 2013 . Tony Booth, the actor and father of Cherie Blair has been battling Alzheimer’s disease for nearly a decade, his wife revealed last night. Mr Booth was diagnosed with dementia in 2004 and his fourth wife Stephanie said she is struggling to care for him as his condition worsens. It became clear Mr Booth was suffering from Alzheimer’s when he became forgetful and suffered short-term memory loss. Tony Booth is being cared for by wife Stephanie (left) who says Cherie (right) is a 'constant source of support' Illness: Mr Booth was diagnosed in 2004 and wife Stephanie said she is struggling to care for him . The effects of the condition made it impossible for Mr Booth, who played ‘Scouse Git’ Mike Rawlins in the 1960’s and 1970’s sit-com Till Death Do Us Part, to learn scripts, Mrs Booth said. She wrote in the Irish Times: ‘We are at the stage where he cannot look after himself. Tony’s forgetfulness is now the greatest threat to his safety. ‘There are dark times when I feel I can no longer cope. It is hard to repeat the same answer again and again as if each time were the first response to the question.’ ‘Tony is leaving me and I will not get him back. Hopefully, we are still some way off Tony completely retreating into the hinterland of his mind. Sometimes I wonder if reaching that final stage might not actually be a blessing for him. ‘He is aware of what is happening and can become very frustrated. These are the hardest times for me.’ Memory: It was clear Mr Booth (pictured left with Cherie) has Alzheimer's when he became forgetful . Mrs Blair, the QC wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, travels from her London home to West Yorkshire at least one day a week to spend the night with her 82-year-old father. She is Mr Booth’s daughter from his first marriage to Gale Howard. In 1998, he married Mrs Booth, who used to be a regular columnist for the Irish Times. Mrs Booth described Mrs Blair as a ‘constant source of support’ and added: ‘She looks after her dad regularly, so I can have a break.’ Mr Booth was also known for featuring in the L-Shaped Room in 1962 and more recently for his role in The Contender in 2000. The news of his illness comes one week after the G8 summit in London where David Cameron pledged to lead a ‘global fightback’ against dementia. He promised to double funding of research into dementia by 2025 in order to tackle it as HIV and AIDS had been in previous years. He said dementia ‘steals lives’ and ‘wrecks families’. | Mr Booth was diagnosed with dementia in 2004 .
Wife Stephanie said she is struggling to care for him .
The effects of the condition made it impossible for him to learn scripts . |
256,844 | d870890be638c98209efd24c36fa2927a5bf548d | By . Alexandra Klausner . and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 12:51 EST, 30 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:35 EST, 30 December 2013 . One Korean food market in Glendale, California has enforced a heated new rule--customers may only purchase one bottle of the Sriracha each. Laist reports that HK Market is limiting Sriracha to one bottle per person because they are afraid they'll run out. Now that the quantity of the sweet and spicy chili sauce is growing less after the factory was partially shut down, demand for Sriracha is on the rise. Irwindale, California residents complained that the Sriracha Factory in their area created a spicy air that made their eyes burn, gave them coughing fits and headaches. The smell was such a 'nuisance' that Judge Robert O'Brien ordered Huy Fong Foods, Inc. to partially shut down their factory for the time being earlier this month. Hot on the market: HK market in California is rationing the hot sauce for fear they will run out . This Instagram user brags about having four bottles of Sriracha despite the 'Sirachapocalypse' Now, customers are ravenous for the popular chili sauce. '1 each' reads a sign on the Sriracha tubs HK market sells for $3.99 per container. Laist spoke with HK market earlier this morning to ask why they are rationing the Sriracha, and an employee said that they are 'afraid of running out.' The term, 'Sirachapocalypse' has become a popular term for the growing demand for Sriracha in the wake of the factory shutdown. On social media sites like twitter and instagram, 'Sirachapocolypse' has been deemed a concern among young 'hipsters' and possesses a kitsch value that's be come increasingly popular over time. Publications like Quartz have called Sriracha the 'coolest hot-sauce of all time' and pointed out the fact that Sriracha doesn't pay one cent on advertising their brand. Sriracha is 'too cool' for twitter, facebook page, or google plus--something that people on all of those media sites find alluring. Laist reports that Huy Fong started in Chinatown in 1980 but that he sold $60 million worth of hot sauce last year alone. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports that Sriracha supporters like restauranteur Eric Greenspan said, 'I don't see Sriracha disappearing.' Gabriel believes that the disappearance will help to boost the brand. 'I dont think anything's goig to stop their momentum,' he said. 'It's too darn hot.' Sirachapocalypse is here: Social media users comment on their love for the chili sauce . Sriracha has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially among the 'hipster' population . The Sriracha company had previously argued that there is no reason to close the plant now because harvest season and subsequent grinding of red-hot Jalapeno peppers, the sauce's key ingredient, has passed. That suggests that the injunction may not have a major immediate effect on the company's production or the nation's hot sauce supply as Huy Fong keeps up its year-round mixing and bottling. The judge acknowledged there was a 'lack of credible evidence' linking locals' complaints of breathing trouble and watering eyes to the factory. But he said the odor that could be 'reasonably inferred to be emanating from the facility' is, for residents, 'extremely annoying, irritating and offensive to the senses warranting consideration as a public nuisance.' Irwindale officials commended the decision. 'We believe it's a strong ruling that acknowledges and is reflective of the concerns that the community has raised about the health impacts of the odor,'City Attorney Fred Galante said. The case could still go to trial, but Galante said the city would like to see a settlement outside court, and does not want to shut down Sriracha altogether. 'We're going to try to keep having a conversation with Huy Fong,' Galante said, and hopes to find a collaborative way to 'make sure the odor problems are addressed.' Nobody ever goes in, nobody ever comes out: Now that the factory is partially closed, Sriracha's mystique is on the rise . David Tran, owner of Huy Fong Foods, maker of Sriracha hot sauce, is trying to negotiate with the town of Irwindale . | HK Korean food market is limiting Sriracha tubs to one per person for fear that the store will run out .
Judge Robert O'Brien ordered Huy Fong Foods, Inc. to partially shut down their factory earlier this month after residents of Irwindale, California complained that the air was 'too spicy'
The factory shutdown is creating a greater demand for the product, especially among 'hipster' culture who have named the concern, 'Sirachapocalpyse' |
119,169 | 25eb1fc514877bc0a05a3f979216dce349d554f2 | (CNN)What do you get when you combine Japanese culture, rock and musical theater? Chaos. Or more precisely KAO=S -- a band of spellbinding musicians presenting vivid visual performances unlike anything you may have ever seen. Following the devastating tsunami in 2011, the trio came together with the mission of creating something beautiful out of the turmoil. The result is an unusual musical style that blends the vocals and raw acoustic guitar of frontman Shuji Yamagiri with traditional Japanese instruments like the three-string Tsugaru-shamisen played by a musician known as Jack. The two instrumentalists are accompanied by powerful sword dancing from "Lady Samurai," aka Kaori Kawabuchi. "Music gives me imagination or inspiration by just listening to it. It's like I tell a story by using my body," Kawabuchi says of dancing with a samurai sword known as a katana. "I get an image from the sound by the (band) members under the conditions on that day, energy given by the audience, and the atmosphere." Kawabuchi's energetic sword dancing is a fluid, swift selection of movements that translate the musicians' deeply personal sound into a visual spectacle for the band's growing international audience. Since their conception, the band has played several high-profile gigs outside of Japan, including at the venerated annual SXSW music and media festival in Austin, Texas. They've also completed a tour of the United States as well as performed for fans at festivals in Germany and England. Band leader Yamagiri adds: "A strength and characteristic of our band is, we have [Kawabuchi] between us, and through her movement, she expresses the feeling of sadness and delight that we try to express in our play, using her body. "I think it makes it easier for an overseas audience to understand. She can deliver feminine delicacy and tenderness, and also intensity, which is even stronger than men." Watch the video to learn more about how KAO=S is turning their live gigs into a visually stimulating sensory experience. | KAO=S is a Japanese band formed in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami .
Made up of three members, the band fuses Japanese culture with music .
Performances include masks, kimonos and samurai sword dancing .
The trio hope to create a new Japanese style by elevating their live performance . |
139,860 | 40d51ab038d600bdcf3ad95ff3b0820c7235b7de | By . Tom Goodenough . PUBLISHED: . 09:55 EST, 6 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:34 EST, 6 August 2012 . Volunteer Julia Simonson pictured with an injured swans which was recaptured after the robbery at the Leicestershire Wildlife Centre . Ruthless metal thieves left animals for dead after raiding an animal hospital and stealing their cages to sell for scrap. The heartless thieves took 26 stainless steel and aluminum cages, worth up to £30,000, after turfing the sick animals out of them. Two blackbirds and six hedgehogs died after the raiders broke into the Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital in Kibworth. And some of the injured birds being treated, including wood pigeons, collared doves and blackbirds, escaped through the front door which was left wedged open by thieves. Others, including an injured swan, were left wandering around the building. Staff at the animal hospital said they were confronted with a scene of devastation and destruction after turning up for work last Friday. Volunteer Julia Simonson said the thieves had ransacked all six rooms at the hospital and left the site in disarray. Julia said: 'I saw sick animals either dead or dying on the floor. The people who did this ripped the cages off the walls and threw the animals out. 'It was heartbreaking to see all the animals I and other volunteers care for and nurture just lying there cowering or wandering about distressed. 'What kind of people can do this to a collection of sick animals? They must be sick themselves. 'Usually, when I arrive at the hospital the animals recognise my car and my voice and all clamour to be fed. When I arrived last Friday it was eerily quiet.' Thieves stole 26 stainless steel and aluminum cages, worth about £30,000, from the animal rescue centre . Julia Simonson, pictured with a kestrel which thieves set free at the Leicestershire Wildlife Centre after stealing cages . Hospital founder Angela Downham said it looked like the thieves had used a van to rip the front gate off its posts to gain access to the site. Angela, 46, said: 'The alarm system tells us that they got in through a window and attacked the main system at 10.02pm on Thursday. 'They forced the front door and wedged it open, which is how lots of our sick animals have wandered out or flown off.' The 46-year-old founded the charity 24 years ago and opened the hospital 18 months ago after raising £500,000. Two blackbirds and six hedgehogs died after the raiders broke into the wildlife hospital for injured animals . She said: 'We had only half-built the hospital as we had run out of money. It is shame as the full site would include a flat, which would provide a 24-hour security presence. 'This is very distressing and a real setback for us, but it will not stop us. We will have to close the place to new admissions and just look after the animals we have.' A police spokesman said: 'We are aware of the incident and appeal to anyone who has information to give us a call.' | Two blackbirds and six hedgehogs died after the raiders broke into the Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital and stole 26 cages .
Several injured birds also escaped through the front door which had been wedged upon by the robbers .
Staff at the animal hospital said they were confronted with a scene of devastation when they showed up for work last Friday . |
183,171 | 79410e78669fe1cfba3807597c0cb2f2f3c95b3e | By . Richard Alleyne . The family of California teenager Jahi McMath said her 'healing begins' today after doctors successfully fitted her body with breathing and feeding tubes. Nailah Winkfield, her mother, claimed the 13-year-old’s body was fitted with a tracheostomy to her windpipe and a gastrostomy to her stomach this morning. She said the procedure meant that her daughter was getting the nutrition she needed for the first time since she was declared brain dead a month ago. Scroll Down for Video . Long road to recovery: Jahi McMath is making progress after being declared brain dead last month . It also meant that she could be 'kissed on the lips' without a ventilator tube being in the way. A spokesman for family said: 'Doctors are optimistic that her condition has stabilized and that her health is improving from when she was taken from Children's Hospital Oakland.' Jahi suffered massive brain damage while recovering from an operation to remove her tonsils at Children’s Hospital Oakland, in California, on December 9. Bleeding from the teenager's throat caused her heart to stop and, while doctors were able to resuscitate her, the resulting brain damage was so severe they declared her brain dead three days later. But the family disagreed with the doctors and successfully won a court order preventing the hospital from turning off her life support. They then organized for Jahi to be removed on Sunday to a secret facility in order to receive long-term care. At first reports said that the condition of her body was worse than first thought due to lack of nutrition, and that an operation to secure feeding and breathing tubes was proving difficult. Hope: Nailah Winkfield says she can now kiss her daughter as a ventilator tube has been moved . Optimistic: Sandra Chatman, with pictures of her and granddaughter Jahi, who is stabilizing since she has been moved to a different medical facility . But today the family posted that it had been carried out successfully and they were still hopeful she could heal. Her mother posted: 'Jahi had surgery this morning and it was successful!! Now I can kiss her lips without that damn tube in the way and now she can get nutrition!! 'Thank you Lord! My child will heal. I believe it.' Jahi’s sister added that she will be 'finally receiving nutrition' for the first time since December 8. 'We are praying for a strong recovery,' she wrote. Despite the success of the operation, the family admitted that she remained in poor shape and her body has yet to be stabilized. Chris Dolan, the lawyer who helped the family stop the hospital turning off Jahi's life support machine, hit back at criticism he had deceived a poor grieving family. Mr Dolan had been accused of being 'heartless' by the hospital for having a 'reckless disregard for the truth' and perpetuating the 'hoax' that Jahi could recover. 'The whole thing about me giving them false hope is a construction of public relations because they needed a villain,' Mr Dolan said. Steps to recover: Omari Sealey, pictured with Jahi's grandmother Sandra Chatman, are praying for Jahi to make a full recovery . 'Not only that but it is patronising to Jahi’s family if not bordering on racist: these minority people are being deceived by this white lawyer, it was they seemed to be saying. 'The family made the decision. This case was about who decides what happens to a child, the parents or doctors. 'I always said there was very little hope she will recover but this family needed to be able to fight for this girl,' he added. XXXX . | 13-year-old has been fitted with devices to help her breathe and get food .
Doctors 'optimistic Jahi has stabilized' since being moved to new medical facility . |
186,536 | 7d9d1e1d07daacb979a0d6d9046d3acf02cbba84 | By . Daniel Martin . PUBLISHED: . 17:56 EST, 7 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:20 EST, 7 January 2014 . Boris Johnson’s spat with Nick Clegg took a tasteless turn yesterday after he described the Deputy Prime Minister as David Cameron’s condom. The Mayor of London said the Lib Dem leader served as a ‘prophylactic protection device’ to shield the PM when he makes decisions that ‘cheese’ people off. The two men, who both take part in regular phone-in shows on London radio station LBC have repeatedly taken potshots at one another in the past, with Mr Clegg branding the mayor a ‘slacker’ for only hosting a monthly call-in on the station while Mr Johnson claimed the Deputy PM was an ‘idle bum’. Ongoing battle: Johnson called Clegg a 'lapdog-cum-prophylactic protection device' on LBC radio in latest jibe . Mr Johnson was pressed about his views on Mr Clegg’s criticism yesterday of Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement that £12billion of new cuts to benefits will be needed following next year’s general election. The potential future Conservative leadership candidate told the station: ‘I don’t want to get into some sort of endless ding dong with poor old Cleggers. ‘He’s there to fulfil a very important ceremonial function as David Cameron’s lapdog-cum-prophylactic protection device for all the difficult things that David Cameron has to do that cheese off the rest of the...’ Presenter Nick Ferrari interjected saying he had ‘never heard it called that before’ prompting the Mayor to reply ‘you know what I mean’. Mr Johnson said: ‘He’s a kind of shield, he’s a lapdog who has been skinned and turned into a shield to protect the [Prime Minister].’ Both host LBC's phone-in show and make jibes at each other either on their own show or calling in . It is the latest spat in a public rivalry between the pair, with the Mayor previously describing Mr Clegg as a ‘wobbling jelly of indecision and vacillation’. The Deputy Prime Minister hit back by saying that if they were ever to have a beer together ‘I’d probably pour the drink over his blonde mop’. Last night a source close to Mr Clegg said: ‘Boris needs to make up his mind. Half the time he’s moaning that we are blocking policies and half the time we’re a lapdog. ‘All he’s done for the people of London is put his name to Ken Livingstone’s bike plan and bang on about a fantasy airport. He should focus on the day job, not the job he wants to have.’ | London Mayor called Lib Dem leader shield for when PM 'cheeses people off'
Pair take pot-shots at each other over phone-in show on LBC radio .
Clegg previously branded mayor a 'slacker' for only hosting once a month . |
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