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181,470 | 76f0e56326f7589bd6ba22e044e876009afd7370 | A police grenade was today blamed for the death of a young French eco-protester as fellow activists said Francois Hollande's government has blood on its hands. Remi Fraisse, 21, died early on Sunday morning during a fight with riot officers as he campaigned against the building of the Sivens Dam in the south west Tarn region of France. Seven police officers were injured after around 2,000 people gathered to protest, with some throwing Molotov Cocktails. An environmental protester holds a sign commemorating activist Remi Fraisse, 21, as a police grenade was implicated in his killing . Mr Fraisse died during clashes with police on Friday near the site of the Sivens Dam, south west France. Around 2,000 people gathered at the demonstrations, with some throwing Molotov Cocktails at officers . Prosecutor Claude Derens today said that Mr Fraisse died from a large wound at the top of his back caused by an explosion - and that more work was being done to establish weather a grenade was to blame . In a statement which implicated police in the death, prosecutor Claude Derens said: 'The big wound on the top of Remi Fraisse's back was caused, in all likelihood, by an explosion.' He said there would be further action to determine whether 'a grenade, thrown from the area where police were entrenched, was at the origin of the explosion'. Mr Hollande's former ecology minister Cecile Duflot said: 'For me it's an absolutely intolerable situation and an indelible stain on the action of this government.' Former members of President Francois Hollande's government have spoken out over the death, calling it a 'stain' on his administration (pictured, forensic officers examine the site where Mr Fraisse died) Mr Friasse was found dead at 2am on Sunday after vicious clashes with police officers (pictured, forensic officers examine the scene of his death, and protesters write tributes nearby) She said it was disgraceful that 'for 48 hours, no member of the government has expressed condolences, to say that it regretted what happened.' MEP Jose Bove directly blamed Mr Hollande's increasingly authoritarian government saying: 'It's evident that the Interior Minister is responsible for the death of Remi Fraisse'. Referring further to Bernard Cazeneuve, Mr Bove said: 'I accuse the Minister of the Interior of having put police officers in this zone to create tension. 'I ask him to explain. Is it that the government does something like this without saying anything. Bernard Cazeneuve doesn't know what's democratic.' Demonstrations have been going on for weeks over plans to build the dam, which will destroy a nature reserve . MEP Jose Bove accused the Minister of the Interior of stationing police in the region to deliberately escalate tensions with protesters . A man plays a guitar in front of police lines near the proposed site of the Sivens Dam during protest in France . In turn, Mr Cazeneuve accused political enemies of trying to undermine the government, saying: 'I see a lot of accusations even as criminal investigations are underway. 'Many comments this morning are part of a an attempt to politicise this drama. 'I have not heard much condemnation of violence from those who speak without knowing anything.' Fraisse's body was discovered at two in the morning on Sunday, after Molotov cocktails were thrown at security forces. There have been weeks of protest against the dam, which will destroy a biodiversity reservoir, despite ensuring irrigation. As Fraisse's grieving family contemplated a manslaughter complaint against the police, Mr Hollande was contemplating further demonstrations against his government. The death of Remi Fraisse has drawn more protesters to the streets as they staged a memorial march . A man holds a placard reading 'In homage of Remi, killed for defending the environment' during demonstrations . The family of Mr Fraisse are considering whether to pursue a manslaughter charge against officers after a police grenade was implicated in his death . | Remi Fraisse, 21, was found dead Sunday morning with wound to his back .
Prosecutor says injury was caused by explosion, possibly a police grenade .
Government have so far refused to comment on allegations against officers .
Seven riot police were injured after activists threw Molotov Cocktails . |
66,363 | bc44a109d70d132f9543c1db0c562366990e5df6 | By . Victoria Woollaston . Another day, another product designed to make taking selfies easier, this time from Samsung. The South Korean firm's NX mini is a super-thin camera with a 3-inch rotating, flip touchscreen display designed for choosing the perfect selfie angle. The camera has a 1-inch 20.MP sensor, can shoot HD 1080p video, and photos are taken simply by winking at it - removing the need to manually press the shutter mid selfie pose. Samsung's NX mini, pictured, weighs 158g and is 0.8-inches thick. A 3-inch touchscreen display flips out from the back of the device and rotates 180-degrees. The camera's 1-inch sensor captures 20.5MP pictures and can shoot 1080p video. Photos can be taken either by pressing the shutter or winking at the sensor . A number of companies are selling . 'arm extenders', also known as selfie sticks, to make taking photos of yourself easier. The stick not only holds the camera, but comes with buttons on the handle used to take . the shot, and even focus the image. The trend for cameras on sticks, also . known as monopods, isn’t new and a number of sticks are already . available for digital cameras from companies including Opteka and XShot. But monopods designed especially for . smartphones, however, were unveiled at this year’s Mobile World . Congress, including a Samsung version from Chinese firm Winners’ Sun . Plastic Electronics. Once a wink is detected, the NX mini automatically takes a shot after a two second delay. Photos can also be controlled via a smartphone app. The NX mini additionally features interchangeable lenses, including a 9-27mm compact lens, and a 9mm wide-angle lens, perfect for taking group selfies. This lens would have been particularly useful during this year's Oscars ceremony when Bradley Cooper took the now ubiquitous selfie of various Hollywood stars on Ellen DeGeneres' phone. Other specifications of the NX mini include a 6 frames-per-second (fps) Continuous Shot mode, Wi-Fi and NFC capability, and photo filters. Samsung even claims the camera doubles up as a baby monitor. When it detects . noise using its built-in microphone, a connected smartphone is activated via an app, meaning parents . can see their child. Samsung’s NX mini is available in the U.S for $449. UK release date and pricing has not been announced yet. The NX mini additionally features interchangeable lenses including a 9mm wide-angle lens, perfect for taking group selfies. This would have been useful during this year's Oscars ceremony when Bradley Cooper took the now ubiquitous selfie of various Hollywood stars on Ellen DeGeneres' phone, pictured . Samsung claim the camera, pictured, also doubles up as a baby monitor. When a built-in microphone detects noise, a connected smartphone is activated via an app, meaning parents can see their child.The NX mini is available in the U.S for $449, a UK release date and pricing hasn't been announced . A Samsung spokesman said: ‘The 'selfie' has found a permanent place in vocabularies across the world in recent years and its popularity shows no sign of stopping. ‘Reflecting this recent consumer trend, the NX mini has a range of exclusive features which make taking amazing selfies effortless.' When synced to a smartphone or tablet, photos on the NX mini can be shared over Wi-Fi, or by pressing the camera to another enabled device using NFC. The NX mini weighs 158g and comes in four colours – white, green, black and pink. However, pink won't be available in the UK. Other specifications include a 6 frames-per-second (fps) Continuous Shot mode, Wi-Fi and NFC capability, and photo filters. It is available in four colours - white, green, pink, and black. Pink won't be available in the UK . A Samsung spokesman said: 'The 'selfie' has found a permanent place in vocabularies across the world in recent years and its popularity shows no sign of stopping. Reflecting this recent consumer trend, the NX mini has a range of exclusive features which make taking amazing selfies effortless . | The Samsung NX mini weighs 158g and is just 0.8-inches thick .
A touchscreen display flips out from the rear, and rotates 180-degrees .
Camera's 1-inch sensor captures up to 20.5MP and can shoot 1080p video .
It is WI-Fi enabled and fitted with an NFC chip so photos can be shared .
Photos can be taken either by pressing the shutter or winking at the sensor .
Samsung claims the NX mini can also be used as a baby monitor .
The NX mini is available in the U.S for $449, UK release date and pricing hasn’t been announced . |
137,204 | 3d790cb82edd25509071813972d2256025ae37dd | Schoolchildren as young as 14 are being used as drug mules by London gangs to transport hundreds of rocks of crack cocaine to villages in the Home Counties. Scotland Yard smashed a large criminal network yesterday allegedly trafficking boys and girls to rural parishes and towns in Kent and Hampshire where they were forced to carry crack cocaine and huge quantities of heroin worth thousands of pounds. Around 250 officers swooped on eight members of a Lewisham gang suspected of recruiting children directly from south London schools and youth clubs. Over the past six months 15 boys and girls aged between 15 and 20 have been arrested in Kent and Hampshire carrying up to 200 rocks of crack cocaine or large amounts of heroin (File photo) Police fear that London street gangs are increasingly using children to smuggle Class A drugs as they attempt to find new lucrative markets in leafy towns and villages around Canterbury, Portsmouth and Folkestone where there is less competition. Under pressure from high-profile police tactics that have led to the break-up of dozens of criminal networks in the capital, drug dealers are shifting their operations to areas in the Home Counties considered a ‘soft touch’. Over the past six months 15 boys and girls aged between 15 and 20 have been arrested in Kent and Hampshire carrying up to 200 rocks of crack cocaine or large amounts of heroin. Many are forced to stash the drugs under their clothes as they travel by train from the gang’s south-east London stronghold to a series of rented houses where they deal on the streets. Yesterday officers swooped in dawn raids on six London and four Kent and Hampshire addresses, arresting eight people, including most of the gang’s ringleaders, on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, inciting supply of class A drugs, child trafficking and money laundering. One of the network’s chief suspects was arrested on suspicion of trafficking and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at an address in Tottenham, north London, with £3,000 worth of crack cocaine found at the home. Yesterday officers swooped in dawn raids on six London and four Kent and Hampshire addresses, arresting eight people (File photo) While the gang’s 20-year-old alleged moneyman was dragged into a police van outside a four-storey Victorian stucco building in New Cross, and arrested on suspicion of laundering the organisation’s proceeds. As part of Operation Pibera, a four-month operation targeting the gang, police seized £1,500 in cash from a property in the North Downs village of Petham, five miles from Canterbury as well as raiding addresses in nearby Aylesham, Folkestone, and Portsmouth. They recovered a large quantity of crack cocaine and a press used to package drugs. The arrests included an 18-year-old man from Lewisham, a 20-year-old man in Haringey, a 32-year-old man in Kent, a 42-year-old man and a 31-year old woman in Hampshire.While a 20-year-old man, a 15 year-old youth and a 36 year-old woman were produced from prison. Detective Superintendent Tim Champion, of Trident central gangs unit, told the Evening Standard: ‘This is a gang that has evolved to use children. The controllers of the network stay in London most of the time and use the young people to take all the risks involved in drug dealing. ‘It means all the points where they could be intercepted with drugs is taken by these young people. ‘They can recruit through schools or other means. ‘They are given the promise of money or goods in exchange which never materialises. ‘If drugs are lost or seized debts are incurred and the links to the organised criminal network strengthens. It doesn’t start with a threat, it starts with a promise. It will become mental or physical abuse at the end. ‘They will pick people who the criminal network deems to be vulnerable and perhaps children who are getting into bad habits.’ Scotland Yard identified more than 250 gangs operating in the capital last year, which has been cut by a third, with nearly 900 gang members in prison and another 200 subject to other measures including antisocial behaviour orders. Although many of London’s gangs are territorial, based on postcodes and estates, the crackdown has led to a spike in offences being committed outside the capital as groups spread into new potentially lucrative areas. But neighbouring forces are waking up to the new problem on their doorstep. Kent Police Superintendent Andrea Bishop said: ‘To use teenagers to commit those crimes is despicable and would have far reaching consequences for them, as well as the public, if police hadn’t intervened to disrupt this London based organised crime gang. ‘Kent is the gateway to the UK and Europe and criminals may think that because of our location we are a soft touch. We are not. Our message to anyone who thinks they can pedal their crimes in our county is do so at your own risk.’ Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Dennis from Hampshire Constabulary added: ‘We identified that drug gangs from London were sending young people into Portsmouth to deal. These young people are themselves victims and we have taken steps to safeguard them and to work with them.’ | 250 police swooped on eight members of Lewisham gang suspected of recruiting children .
In past six months 15 children have been arrested in Kent and Hampshire carrying up to 200 rocks of crack cocaine .
Yesterday police swooped in dawn raids on six London and four Kent and Hampshire addresses, arresting eight people . |
65,992 | bb4a71c28fbb4a8d173cd53c0546d98e9337cd19 | The expectations of a nation are resting on their shoulders, but the Brazil squad certainly aren't showing any signs of bowing to pressure. The Samba stars lived up to their name by creating a party atmosphere on their personalied plane with Willian taking lead on the tambourine and Neymar bobbing along. It will be all systems go on Thursday, though, when the host nation declare the World Cup open against Croatia in Sao Paulo. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Neymar, Hulk and the Brazil team working out in the gym . Samba: Chelsea's Willian with the tambourines on Brazil's personalised plane . In the mood: Brazil players look in high spirits as they prepare to contest for the World Cup on home soil . Bonding: Neymar playing cards with his team-mates while the Samba party goes on . Team spirit, undoubtedly, appears high in the Brazil camp as they prepare to try and add a sixth star to their chest. And . their form isn't bad, either. Brazil thumped Panama 4-0 on Tuesday in . their pre-World Cup friendly with Neymar, Dani Alves, Hulk and Willian . all on the score sheet. Brazil were jetting off to face Serbia in their final friendly before the world's greatest tournament gets underway. Eyes on the ball: Neymar will look to have an impact for Brazil as they host the World Cup as favourites . Stretch: David Luiz (right) helps out team-mate Bernard during their training session . Flying high: Brazil know how to get about in style with their colourful plane . | Video shows David Luiz boarding plane, Willian with bongos and a tambourine, and Neymar playing cards with team-mates .
Brazil kick off World Cup on Thursday against Croatia in Sao Paulo . |
141,135 | 427d0040c597e8fa3312201af0abc180f7618009 | It is one of the most coveted awards in showbusiness. But even the stars who don’t win a Oscar at this weekend’s ceremony won’t go home empty handed. A Los Angeles-based marketing firm will be handing out gift bags worth £45,000 to all the nominees and presenters at the prestigious event on Sunday night. Ticket to paradise: Even losers at this weekend's Oscars will be winners with a goodie bag that includes a trip to Lizard Island resort on the Great Barrier Reef, pictured, which would usually cost £2,500 . Everyone's a winner: A holiday to the Lizard Island resort on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, comes free for stars at this weekend's Oscars, even those who do not win an award . Large 'swag bag': The LA based firm Distinctive Assets will be offering guests at the ceremony a collection like this one, from last year, worth more than $45,000 . Free hair products: The 'swag bags' also contain organic shampoo from Phyto . Known as swag bags, among the items . included are trips to Australia, Hawaii and Mexico, personal training . sessions, condoms, a bottle of tequila, cosmetic treatments, acupuncture . sessions and a one-year membership to London’s Heathrow Airport’s . private VIP service. The confirmation of condoms in this year’s gift bag has raised eyebrows amongst some. Guests will also be invited to . enjoy four night stays at the exclusive Lizard Island resort on the . Great Barrier Reef, which would usually cost £2,500. They will also be given free hair . care products by Phyto, skincare cosmetics by Lierac, a free £600 . facelift procedure and, at the lower end of the scale, a £2 bottle of . Windex glass cleaning fluid. It has become something of a . tradition for A-list stars to receive a treasure chest of goodies at the . Oscars. Brands and manufacturers hope that the celebrities will be seen . wearing or using their products and ensure free publicity. Everyone's a winner: Among the items in the gift bags are bottles of tequila and condoms . The gift bags have been put . together over the past 11 years by US company Distinctive Assets, with . the cost of the packages having slowly risen. In 2003, nominees received . £11,000 worth of items, including mobile phones, cameras, designer . clothes and jewellery. The 2004 gift bag included a . holiday at a luxury resort in Mexico. Gwyneth Paltrow, who presented an . award at the Oscars that year, was said to have used the holiday for her . honeymoon with Coldplay singer Chris Martin. Pressies: Gwyneth Paltrow (left) is said to have used one of the holidays for her honeymoon with Chris Martin while Calista Flockhart loved a T-shirt so much she wore it in an episode of Ally McBeal . Glam: Los Angeles firm Distinctive Assets will hand out its annual goodie bags at this year's Oscars . Actress Calista Flockhart once . received a Dritti T-shirt in a gift basket from Distinctive Assets and . loved it so much that she wore it for an entire episode of Ally McBeal. Similarly, another T-shirt designer saw their gifts end up on Beyonce . Knowles on the cover of Ebony magazine. In recent years, stars are said to . have been worried about alienating recession-hit fans by being seen . with heavily laden gift bags. However, Lord of the Rings actor Sir Ian McKellen is one of the stars who has spoken of his delight at his gift haul. Luxurious: Presents include trips to Australia (pictured), Hawaii and Mexico . ‘They’re the most wonderful goodies,’ he explained. ‘They keep you going for a year.’ Lash Fry, founder of Distinctive . Assets, said: ‘It’s first come, first served, because we do offer . product exclusivity. 'We’re always looking for new and unusual products, . it’s not always about the most expensive. ‘We’ve got things at both ends of . the spectrum and everything in between, stuff for guys and stuff for . girls. More is more is our philosophy.’ | Gift bags will be handed out to all nominees and presenters worth £45,000 .
Known as swag bags items include facelifts, treatments and holidays .
Bags have been put together by US company Distinctive Assets . |
21,477 | 3d070c74e785fe50e4a4b744dfe50f11cfcd1e8f | LONDON, England (CNN) -- Hundreds of energy workers across the UK have taken strike action Friday in protest over the use of foreign workers on a multimillion-dollar oil refinery project on the northeast coast of England. Protesters gather outside the Total Lindsey oil refinery in north-east England on January 30. The dispute surrounds the decision by oil giant Total to award Italian company IREM a contract to build a new hydro desulphurization facility at its Lindsey Oil Refinery in North Lincolnshire. The British Press Association reported that several hundred demonstrators had gathered for a third day outside the plant, following a walk-out by contractors on Wednesday, but the unofficial action has now spread to other parts of the UK, including Scotland and Wales. In Scotland, hundreds of workers at the giant Grangemouth oil refinery walked out following an early morning meeting Friday. According to PA, the mechanical contractors, who work for BP and INEOS, said they were supporting their colleagues in Lincolnshire. Elsewhere, PA reported that police were called to the Aberthaw power station near Barry in South Wales after workers staged a protest, while around 400 workers staged a demonstration at the Wilton oil refinery in Teesside, north-east England. In a statement released Friday, Total said: "We recognize the concerns of contractors but we want to stress that there will be no direct redundancies as a result of this contract being awarded to IREM and that all IREM staff will be paid the same as the existing contractors working on the project. "It is important to note that we have been a major local employer for 40 years with 550 permanent staff employed at the refinery. There are also between 200 and 1000 contractors working at the refinery, the vast majority of which work for UK companies employing local people. "On this one specific occasion, IREM was selected, through a fair and competitive tender process, as the most appropriate company to complete this work. We will continue to put contracts out to tender in the future and we are confident we will award further contracts to UK companies." But Bernard McAuley, a representative of Britain's Unite union, was quoted by the BBC telling demonstrators in Lincolnshire that there was "sufficient unemployed skilled labor wanting the right to work on that site and they are demanding the right to work on that site." Five British companies and two European contractors bid for the work before it was awarded to the Italian firm on the basis that it was supplying its own permanent workforce, PA said. The news agency added that 100 Italian and Portuguese workers are currently on site, with a further 300 expected to arrive next month. The workers are being accommodated in large, gray housing barges moored at nearby Grimsby. Meanwhile, The Guardian newspaper reported Friday that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was quizzed about the strikes during a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He said: "I understand people's worries about their jobs. I understand people's anxieties about employment across the country. But we are doing everything we can both to get economic growth moving in our country and to help people who are unemployed, to help them into new jobs." | Dispute over Total's decision to award oil refinery contract to Italian company .
IREM will supply their own permanent workers from Italy and Portugal .
Striking workers at Lincolnshire site joined by energy workers across UK .
Total: There will be no direct redundancies as a result of this contract . |
190,728 | 82f77c0268423a6e572953e2714b0b17d6389de4 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 14:49 EST, 14 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:58 EST, 14 February 2013 . This albino squirrel has become a regular dinner guest in one West Lothian garden. The cheeky rare creature - a grey by breed but completely white from head to claws - clambers onto Adele Logan’s bird feeder and snacks on peanuts and other delicacies. Mrs Logan, 47, a civil servant from Bellsquarry, has named him Albert and said (Thur): 'Albert first appeared during the terrible winter of December 2010. Red-eye: Albert the albino squirrel regularly feats at a bird feeder outside the home of Adele Logan in Bellsquarry, West Lothian . 'Since then he has made regular appearances. He comes along for his feed and then off he pops. Scottish SPCA National Wildlife Rescue Centre Manager Colin Seddon said: 'Albino grey squirrels are rare, largely because their colour makes them more visible to predators such as birds of prey and domestic cats. 'It’s possible if there is one albino grey squirrel in this area, there may be others nearby. In some parts of southern England people have reported seeing several albino squirrels at a time.' Only one in 100,000 squirrels is an albino. Albino animals have always fascinated humans and when discovered in the wild are often put in zoo's or circuses. Albino squirrels often struggle to survive in the wild, but Albert seems to be thriving and may have family . Famous Albino animal attractions include Snowflake the Gorilla who had thousands of visitors come an pay their respects to his home in Barcelona Zoo when it was announced he had terminal skin cancer. Although it is rare that albino animals in the wild survive as their fur make them stand out and proves difficult to camouflage, it appears tough little Albert doesn't need to worry about holding his own in the wild, according to Mrs Logan. 'Another grey squirrel appeared briefly but Albert saw him off,' she said. Rare: One in 100,000 squirrels are albino. Albert is a grey squirrel, similar to the one pictured right, by breed . | Rare creature has made a West Lothian home its regular eatery .
Albino squirrels struggle to survive, but 'Albert' holds his own against rivals .
Animal experts say there may be more than one albino in the area . |
237,110 | bee28d2c65f62a5a6fc8b3edabe273130783c666 | The son of a hockey legend has been arrested for allegedly selling New York Rangers' player Derek Boogaard the prescription drugs that killed him in 2011. Jordan Hart, 31, was arrested on Long Island on Tuesday morning by the DEA's New York drug enforcement task force and appeared in court in Manhattan on Tuesday. A Utah physician's assistant, Oscar Johnson, was also arrested in the death and stands accused of writing bogus oxycodone prescriptions for Hart,FOX reported. Hart, the son of Islanders player Gerry Hart and himself a former minor league player, is accused of selling 28-year-old Boogaard the pills ahead of his death in Minneapolis on May 13, 2011. Arrest: Jordan Hart (left), a former minor league player, has been arrested for allegedly selling Rangers' player Derek Boogaard (right) the prescription drugs that killed him in May 2011 . Taken in to custody: Hart, who is from Long Island, is pictured after his arrest on Tuesday morning . It was ruled that his death, which came after years of injuries and addiction to painkillers, was caused by an overdose on oxycodone and alcohol. Boogaard had become addicted to prescription painkillers and Ambien while playing for the Minnesota Wild between 2005 and 2010, Fox reported. For the 2010-2011 season, he signed with the New York Rangers but at the end of 2011, he suffered a severe concussion in an on-ice fight that left him with debilitating migraines. He never played for the team again. Family ties: Hart is the son of NHL legend and New York Islanders player Gerry Hart, pictured in 1976 . To deal with the injury, he turned to Ambien, which was prescribed by the Rangers, and Percocet - which contains oxycodone - which had not been prescribed by the team. When he was looking for a source of the drugs, an unidentified teammate put him in touch with Hart, who began supplying him in Long Island, the indictment said. Johnson, the Utah physician's assistant, allegedly often wrote the prescriptions for him. In March 2011, Boogaard tried to return to the team but within weeks, teammates noticed that he was barely able to stand and appeared to be under the influence of something, the indictment said. He was sent to rehab in California for a few weeks before deciding to spend the summer in Minneapolis. But first, he stopped in New York to pick up belongings - and one final stash from Hart. On April 29, he met with Hart in Huntington, Long Island and spent $4,000 to purchase pills, which the player then kept at his Minnesota apartment, the indictment said. He returned to rehab and, after being given permission to leave again for a family commitment two weeks later, he flew to Minnesota, where he took one of the pills and headed out for a night of heavy drinking. He was found dead in bed in his brother's Minneapolis apartment on May 13, 2011. After his death, an examination of his brain found that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.), a degenerative brain disease that is caused by repeated blows to the head. New life: Hart, pictured with his wife Bella (also pictured right), was investigated after Boogaard's father found a check written to him for $4,000. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted . Legend: Hart is pictured with his wife Bella and family, including his hockey legend dad Gerry (center) After Boogaard's death, his father, Len, found the check for $4,000, which had led to the investigation, the New York Times reported. Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said that Hart was accused of 'feeding Boogaard's growing, debilitating addiction'. 'Ultimately, that addiction, fueled at least in part by the drugs that Johnson illegally prescribed, and Hart peddled for cash, culminated in Boogaard's tragic overdose death,' he said. Hart is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. He appeared in court on Tuesday and wiped away tears from his eyes as he entered a not-guilty plea, the New York Times reported. He was ordered released on $500,000 bond. His attorney said prosecutors would have a hard time proving the player died from pills Hart allegedly sold him. Debilitating: Boogaard is pictured fighting in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He was left with a severe concussion that forced him to quit, and he became increasingly hooked on painkillers . Missed: His family shake hands and receive a game worn jersey from Josh Harding (37) and Nick Schultz (55) of the Minnesota Wild in November 2011 - six months after the player was found dead in Minneapolis . Johnson, 59, is charged with 26 counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute oxycodone, each of which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Johnson, who allegedly sold as many as 3,000 pills to Hart, was also charged with one count of making a false statement, which carries a maximum of five years in prison. He was arrested in Salt Lake City and also appeared in court on Tuesday. Hart, who married his wife Bella in 2012, had been a prospect for the Islanders while in college but never played for them. Instead, he played minor league hockey and ended his career in 2009 with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. His father, Gerry, played for the Islanders from 1972 to 1979. Hart Sr. also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Quebec Nordiques and St. Louis Blues. | Boogaard, 28, was found dead from a painkiller and alcohol overdose after a night of heavy drinking in Minneapolis in May 2011 .
Jordan Hart, the son of Islanders player Gerry Hart, 'supplied Boogaard oxycodone from November 2010 up until two weeks before his death'
Boogaard had turned to pain killers after suffering a severe concussion in 2010 that left him unable to play and put him in rehab .
A physician's assistant in Utah, Oscar Johnson, was also arrested for 'writing bogus prescriptions and sending the drugs to Boogaard'
Hart, himself a minor league player, faces 20 years in prison if convicted . |
251,412 | d16d004f2b1a639aa5bd7af7f21da40c9cfb4d8f | By . Simon Walters and Glen Owen . PUBLISHED: . 17:47 EST, 1 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:37 EST, 1 December 2012 . Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg personally intervened to help a charity linked to his wife Miriam obtain £12 million of taxpayers’ money. Labour and Tories joined forces to call for an investigation last night after leaked emails showed one of the Lib Dem leader’s key aides lobbied for Booktrust to be given the grant, instead of competing with other charities. The organisation announced last week that it had secured £6 million for each of the next two years, while other charities will have to wait until next year – and some will get nothing. By the book? Nick and Miriam Clegg at the theatre on Saturday night as Labour and Tories joined forces to call for an investigation into leaked emails showing one of the Lib Dem leader's key aides lobbied for Booktrust - a charity linked to Miriam - to be given a grant . The charity has previously received . Department for Education funding – but the new award secures that until . 2015. According to sources in Mr Clegg’s Cabinet Office, his aide Matt . Sanders referred in conversation to the fact that Mrs Clegg – a . prominent supporter of the charity – hosted a function for them just . weeks earlier. A Whitehall insider said: ‘There was . unease at the way that it appeared Mr Clegg wanted special treatment for . Booktrust, and the fact that Miriam’s name came up.’ It is understood that emails show . that senior civil servants expressed concern at the way the bidding . process had apparently been manipulated to benefit Booktrust. When the claims were put to the Education Department last night, an official spokesman said: ‘We have no comment.’ Lavish reception: As a prominent supporter of the charity, Miriam addressed Booktrust's 20th anniversary event in October . A spokesman for Mr Clegg last night . confirmed that he had asked for Booktrust to be given the £6 . million-a-year grant without having to make a special bid for it. But he . denied Mrs Clegg’s link to the charity had been used in any way and . said there had been ‘no wrongdoing’. Mrs Clegg, who uses her professional . name Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, hosted a lavish reception for Booktrust . in October at one of London’s most grandiose venues, historic Lancaster . House. Suggestion of impropriety is 'completely wrong': The decision to fast-track the money was made by Education Secretary Michael Gove . Mr Sanders confirmed he sent emails . to the Education Department asking for the charity to get the money . directly – and that he had said Mr Clegg favoured the move. He said he . had mentioned Mrs Clegg with regard to Booktrust, but only with regards . to the event. He added: ‘I asked for a briefing from officials before . attending the Booktrust event. But I did not mention her name with . regard to funding.’ Significantly, the emails were sent . from Mr Sanders’ official Cabinet Office email address, meaning they can . be subject to future scrutiny. Mr Clegg’s spokeswoman said there was . nothing improper about Mr Clegg’s close interest in the Booktrust . grant. ‘Any suggestion of impropriety is completely wrong,’ she said. ‘Miriam has no role within the charity, beyond being supportive of its . excellent work.’ The decision to fast-track the money . was made by Education Secretary Michael Gove on the advice of officials, . she said. And a No 10 spokesman said that David Cameron also fully . backed the decision. Mr Clegg’s spokeswoman also said: ‘Miriam has no role in any decisions made by the Government.’ Mr Sanders, who also advises Lib Dem . Schools Minister David Laws, said he made it clear to officials that . both he and Mr Clegg believed Booktrust should be given the £6 million a . year without having to bid for it. He said other officials supported . this view and that the final decision was taken by Mr Gove. There is no . suggestion of any wrongdoing by Booktrust, which has given away 40 . million books to schoolchildren in the past 20 years. It has received . Government grants since 2004. Thankful: Booktrust chief executive Viv Bird said of the funding: 'I am grateful to Ministers for this vote of confidence' In 2011, the Department for Education . awarded it £13.5 million over two years; and last Thursday the charity . announced that it had secured another £6 million for both 2013/14 and . 2014/15. Chief executive Viv Bird said: ‘I am grateful to Ministers for . this vote of confidence.’ At the charity’s 20th anniversary . party in October, Spanish-born Mrs Clegg said she fell in love with . Britain through reading Enid Blyton’s stories and was keen to encourage . her three sons to read. She quoted Roald Dahl’s Oompa Loompa song, from . Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, ‘So please, oh please, we beg, we . pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A . lovely bookshelf on the wall.’ The book formed the theme for Mr Clegg’s Christmas party for Lib Dem MPs last week. On the Booktrust’s website, Mrs Clegg . is quoted praising The Gruffalo as ‘the single favourite book at home’ and last night she and her husband attended a stage production of . Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson’s Room On The Broom in London. Inquiry into how grant was made: Tory MP Peter Bone (right) says Mr Clegg will have 'serious questions to answer' on the award of public money and Labour MP John Mann (left) said MPs should not interfere on behalf of a body . Last night, Labour and Tory MPs . called for an inquiry into how the Booktrust grant was made, and for all . relevant emails to be published. Tory MP Peter Bone said: ‘If there . was undue influence over the award of this money, Mr Clegg will have . very serious questions to answer. ‘No one is questioning the good work . of this charity but I would be very concerned if communications from his . office have been used to influence the award of public money. There . should be a Cabinet Office inquiry and I will be writing to the Cabinet . Secretary about this.’ Labour MP John Mann said: ‘Any grant involving public money must be handled the right way. Ministers should not interfere on . behalf of one body. There needs to be a full inquiry and that means . publishing all relevant communications.’ As part of a savings drive, Booktrust . and other similar groups had been told that this year they would have . to compete for a share of a £60 million Government pot – submitting a . proposal before January. | Booktrust announced it had secured £6m for each of the next two years while other charities will have to wait until next year .
Labour and Tories have called for an investigation after leaked emails showed one of Nick Clegg's aides lobbied for the charity to get the grant .
Miriam Clegg hosted a function for Booktrust .
Mr Clegg's spokesman said there was nothing improper about his interest in the Booktrust grant . |
267,397 | e64d2d42fc39ebbb41030c077aa05add244924b4 | The mugshot shows a fairly clean-cut man with short hair, his head cocked, sporting a half-smile. That was Charles Mozdir in 2012, when he stood accused of molesting a then 5-year-old boy in California. But authorities didn't see much of Mozdir after that picture, after he failed to show up for his arraignment. "Our case went cold in 2012," conceded Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Steve Jurman. "He was definitely living on cash, with a good fake ID. He was off our grid." Mozdir reappeared on their radar thanks to a Florida woman who watched CNN's "The Hunt" with John Walsh, which first aired July 20. She recognized Mozdir when the show's segment about him aired, she recalled his dog and she ultimately gave authorities his cell phone number, according to a senior law enforcement official. Tip during CNN's 'The Hunt' led police to suspect . Her tip and some investigative work led police to Smoking Culture, a smoke shop in New York's West Village. Working there was a man who some knew as "Big John." He sported a bushy beard and ponytail. He may not have looked much like the man from that 2012 mugshot. But the New York police detective who went into the smoke shop recognized him nonetheless. The detective came back soon with help, only to be greeted by shots from Mozdir. This time, the suspect didn't escape. He was killed in the exchange of fire. Fled after being arrested for child assault . So who was Charles Mozdir? Where did he go and what did he do, after that 2012 accusation? To tell his story, you have to start two years ago, in Coronado, California. That's where two close friends asked Mozdir to help care for their young son, who was home ill with a high fever. The parents say the boy said Mozdir touched his private parts. The parents went to police, after which investigators searched Mozdir's house and found evidence of child pornography and bestiality on his cell phone and computers, according to U.S. Marshals Service Deputy Brian Grimes. Four days later, they arrested Mozdir. A district attorney told the Coronado boy's parents Mozdir also was accused of child assault while babysitting another boy. Mozdir posted bail. But rather than show up in court to face the accusation, he ran. Grimes said investigators think Mozdir took all his money with him, indicating in a phone call he might go to Mexico or Japan. His roommate told police Mozdir had two guns and had threatened to kill himself and kill a victim's father. This all made the Coronado boy's parents' nightmare worse, according to Walsh, who made tracking down fugitives his life's mission after the 1981 abduction and killing of his 6-year-old son, Adam. 5 things to know about fugitive hunter John Walsh . "This family was destroyed, terrified that he would come back and hurt them, because they had the courage to come forward and file charges against him," said Walsh, co-founder of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. From California to Florida to New York . Authorities searched in California, they looked in the Mexican state of Baja California. But the first indication that Mozdir went east came June 20, 2012 -- five days after his scheduled arraignment -- when his abandoned vehicle was found hidden in brush outside the coastal Georgia town of Darien. Its license plate was ripped off, an extra gas tank was inside. A bloodhound picked up Mozdir's scent near U.S. 17, which runs through Darien. Yet there was no sign of the man himself. As Jurman from the U.S. Marshals Service conceded, authorities didn't have much clue what happened. Now, they have a better idea. According to Jurman, "(Mozdir) had a history of working in smoke shops. He had a hobby of blowing glass, which would come in handy at a smoke shop." To some, he seemed friendly enough. On Yelp, one customer of the West Village shop described him as "super helpful." Another wrote: "John is the dude! He was pretty chilled and very helpful." And while his appearance and identify changed, one thing did not: Mozdir had a dog. The last time he'd been spotted -- up until this week -- he'd had his black Labrador, by the name of Lucky, with him. That's one reason authorities gave credence to the call of the Florida woman, because she mentioned the dog. "I know Mozdir," the caller said, according to Jurman. "He left here 10 months ago." It's not known if Mozdir went directly from Florida to New York, or if he stopped somewhere in between. But that's where his story ended -- with a fight. In the smoke shop, Mozdir had a .32-caliber handgun and over 20 rounds of ammunition. As police Commissioner Bill Bratton explained, "Mozdir fired upon the officers at very close range, and the officers returned fire... "During the exchange of gunfire, the detective and two marshals were wounded. Charles Mozdir was shot dead." | Charles Mozdir was accused of molesting a 5-year-old California boy .
He didn't show up for his arraignment; authorities lost track of him .
A viewer of CNN's "The Hunt" recognized Mozdir; her tip led to New York .
Mozdir died in an exchange of gunfire in a West Village smoke shop . |
275,015 | f03e21e668f0e7fe58f2c9ebb81a044f6f76ee55 | (CNN) -- By Friday, more than 70 million people had viewed "KONY 2012" or clips of it. Uganda was trending on Twitter and the blogosphere teemed with attacks and defenses of Invisible Children, the San Diego-based nonprofit group that produced the half-hour documentary about the notorious Ugandan warlord. Invisible Children aimed to make Joseph Kony a household name and drum up global support to end the murders, rapes, abuses and abductions committed by the Lord's Resistance Army. But with the popularity of the video and kudos to the filmmakers for raising awareness of an African tragedy came a flurry of questions about Invisible Children's intentions, its transparency and whether the social media frenzy was too little, too late. "It is the right message but it's 15 years too late, " said Col. Felix Kulayige, a Ugandan military spokesman. "If people cared 15 years ago, then thousands of lives would have been saved and thousands of children would have stayed at home and not been kidnapped." Evelyn Apoko, who was abducted by the LRA in 2001 and spent three harrowing years in captivity, said Kony needs to face justice and she hoped the documentary would help make that happen. But she worried that a military campaign against Kony might bring more injury to children who have suffered enough and that government forces need to adopt strict policies to ensure the safety of the abducted children. Apoko was severely disfigured in a military bombing targeting the LRA. "It hurts a lot of young innocent kids," she said. "They don't know how to protect themselves." Now a fellow for Strongheart, an international organization that provides opportunities for young people who have survived conflict, Apoko said the crisis goes beyond Kony. "They should open their eyes more on the people affected by the war," she said. "And the children -- they need to find a way to protect them. They have no hope, no way to escape." Kony has unleashed his fury in eastern Africa for two decades and is wanted for crimes against humanity by the International criminal Court. Last October, the United States sent 100 combat-equipped troops on a mission to kill or capture Kony. Invisible Children says it wants Kony's name to become so familiar that it will pressure the United States and other governments to stay on the chase. On April 20, the group plans to paper cities with Kony posters. But the media attention on Kony may actually hamper efforts to catch Kony, said Peter Pham of the Atlantic Council. "All I can say is, it couldn't have happened at a more unhelpful moment when you look at it strategically and operationally," said Pham, a civilian adviser to the military command that sent the U.S. troops. The film comes after a regional -- and covert -- military operation has been under way for several months. The attention could prompt Kony to go on the move again and seriously set back African and U.S. efforts to catch Kony once and for all. The LRA terrorized Uganda for years in a failed attempt to overthrow the government. But since 2006, when it was pushed out of northern Uganda, it has largely operated the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic. The United Nations refugee agency said this week that 3,000 people were recently displaced after fresh LRA attacks in Congo's Orientale province. The agency reported 20 new attacks since the start of the year, with one person killed and 17 abducted. The cultish rebel group stands accused of using vicious tactics to recruit and force thousands of children into taking up arms. There are reports of child soldiers brainwashed into killing their own parents. The film follows an alleged former Ugandan child soldier and calls for action against Kony. But several observers are urging caution, saying that Invisible Children has manipulated facts in the past and advised viewers to watch the documentary with that in mind. Others warned that calling for military campaigns against Kony would only bring more harm to the LRA's victims. A student blog called "Visible Children" linked to a photograph of Invisible Children's founders -- Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole, and Jason Russell -- posing with hardcore weaponry with members of the Sudan People's Liberation Army, who have battled the LRA. "The group is in favor of direct military intervention, and their money supports the Ugandan government's army and various other military forces," the Visible Children blog post said. "Both the Ugandan army and Sudan People's Liberation Army are riddled with accusations of rape and looting, but Invisible Children defends them." Bloggers debated the merit of arming one group to fight another and questioned why only about 30% of Invisible Children's budget was used to help children in Uganda. "We're an unorthodox organization," Russell told CNN. "We work outside of the traditional box of what you think about charity and nonprofit." He said a third of fund-raising dollars were spent on the film, another third on film-related advocacy and the rest on a mission to end the war and rehabilitate war-affected children. "So that's our model," he said. "That's who we are. We're not World Vision. We are not these other organizations that do amazing work on the ground. If you want to fund a cow or you want to help someone in a village in that component, you can do that. That's a third of what we do." On its website, Invisible Children said it spent 80.46% on programs in 2011; 16.24% on administration and management costs; and 3.22% on direct fundraising. Invisible Children spokeswoman Noelle Jouglet said any money generated from the film will go to Invisible Children, which builds schools in Uganda. Money will also go to support a high-frequency radio station that Invisible Children operates, which broadcasts anti-LRA messages to fighters urging them to defect. CNN is unable to immediately verify this information or any of Invisible Children's activities in African nations. Actress Mia Farrow, a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF who has visited LRA-attacked areas, commended Invisible Children for bringing "unprecedented focus" to a horrific situation but urged people to donate money to agencies like the Red Cross and UNICEF that work to help LRA victims. Ugandan government spokesman Fred Opolot said Invisible Children's campaign reflected Africa as a dark continent of incessant trouble. "Invisible Children, if it is using such images to dupe the international community into, into ensuring that they contribute financially into its works, I'm afraid to say it is a wrong approach," he said, "and indeed its activities in northern Uganda will be further questioned, in as far as the amount of money they receive vis-a-vis the actual interventions that they make in northern Uganda where he thinks he is concerned about." "KONY 2012" skyrocketed to popularity on YouTube propelled by thousands of posts on Twitter and Facebook, especially by celebrities. Invisible Children sent Twitter messages about the documentary to 20 celebrities, including Bono, Angelina Jolie, Jay Z, Ryan Seacrest and Rihanna. Many of the tweets about the film appear to be from fans who follow those celebrities. "The celebrity strategy is simply, you have a voice," Russell said. "Some people have a larger voice than others. We're not obsessed with celebrities. We're not celebrities ourselves. We're human beings. That is what this is about." Over the past decade, Invisible Children has been one of the most influential advocacy groups, putting pressure on the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, imploring the U.S. government to take a side in the fight between the LRA and the Ugandan government, according to a November 11 article in Foreign Affairs, a publication by the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations. It said Invisible Children and other advocacy groups "have manipulated facts for strategic purposes, exaggerating the scale of LRA abductions and murders and emphasizing the LRA's use of innocent children as soldiers." "They rarely refer to the Ugandan atrocities or those of Sudan's People's Liberation Army, such as attacks against civilians or looting of civilian homes and businesses, or the complicated regional politics fueling the conflict." Invisible Children addressed the criticisms on its website, saying it simplified a complex crisis. "KONY 2012 portrays, in no uncertain terms, the image of a madman who manipulates children spiritually for his own tactical gains," it said. "In our quest to garner wide public support of nuanced policy, Invisible Children has sought to explain the conflict in an easily understandable format, focusing on the core attributes of LRA leadership that infringe upon the most basic of human rights. In a 30-minute film, however, many nuances of the 26-year conflict are admittedly lost or overlooked. The film is a first entry point to this conflict for many." Richard Downie, a fellow and deputy director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, took issue with an approach he said was focused on the white Westerner's ability to parachute in and resolve a problem that Africans are unable to deal with themselves. "I think by portraying Westerners as the only people who can crack this problem of Joseph Kony -- it's simplistic, it's naive, and it's a little bit condescending as well," he said. Criticism aside, "KONY 2012" is turning out to be the fastest growing social media video campaign, according to Visible Measures, a company that tracks measures online movements. For perspective, the firm's blog compared "KONY 2012" to former video champ Susan Boyle, who has 480 million views. "It took Boyle six days to reach 70 million views. Kony is tracking a day faster. Even the Old Spice Guy can't keep up. His legendary Responses campaign generated 35 million views in its first week, but it didn't top 70 million views until Christmas 2010, five months after it launched," Visible Measures said. "Crazy," said Russell of the video going viral. He's hoping for a billion views. CNN's David McKenzie, Libby Lewis, Brian Todd and Ashley Fantz contributed to this report. | 70 million people have viewed 'KONY 2012'
But questions surface about the anti-LRA campaign and the nonprofit behind it .
A Ugandan military spokesman says the video is 15 years too late .
Invisible Children admits it simplified a complex issue . |
20,562 | 3a57e75e802d165ae5c9dec8b2e8e74b9bfa1e27 | By . Associated Press Reporter . and Daily Mail Reporter . Six climbers missing on Mount Rainier are presumed dead after . helicopters detected pings from emergency beacons buried in the snow . thousands of feet below their last known location, a national park . official said Saturday. Park Ranger Fawn Bauer said the helicopter crew also spotted camping and . climbing gear in an avalanche-prone area more than 3,000 feet below the . group's last known whereabouts. The six were at 12,800 feet at last . contact Wednesday. Scroll down for video . Amongst the six climbers missing on Mount Rainier and presumed dead are guide Matt Hegeman, left, and climber Mark Mahaney, right . Experienced climber Mark Mahaney was on his second trip up Mount Rainier in Washington state . They were scheduled to reach the summit of Mount Rainier, a dormant volcano located near Seattle, on Thursday, with a day to climb down . 'There's not a viable chance of survival,' Bauer said. Air and ground searches were suspended late Saturday afternoon. The . bodies won't be recovered Sunday because they are in an extremely . dangerous area, where snow, ice and rock fall constantly, she said. 'It would expose our rangers to pretty extreme conditions, so we are not . able to do any kind of ground searching of that area,' she said. 'And, . in all honesty, we may never be able to get on the ground there.' The missing group includes four clients of Seattle-based Alpine Ascents . International and two guides. They were due to return from the mountain . on Friday. Among those presumed dead are guide Matt Hegeman and 26-year-old climber Mark Mahaney of St. Paul. Mahaney, an experienced climber who had scaled Mount Rainier at least once before was identified to KAALTV by his uncle, Rob Mahaney. Mahaney said his brother and other nephew had flown to Seattle to await updates. When they did not return, the climbing company notified park . officials, Bauer said. Adventurers: The climb was organized by the Seattle-based Alpine Ascents International, some of whose guides are pictured here earlier this week on Mount Rainier . The search for the missing climbers (not pictured) is focusing on the Liberty Ridge area, near from where they were last heard from . 'The last contact with them was at 12,800 feet,' Bauer said. Mount . Rainier, southeast of Seattle, stands at 14,410 feet and attracts . thousands of climbers trying to reach its summit every year. The . last contact the group had with the climbing company was at 6pm . Wednesday. They were scheduled to reach the summit of Mount Rainier on . Thursday, with a day to climb down. The group was equipped with satellite and mobile phones. A . small weather front that brought snow flurries and hail to the mountain . moved in Wednesday, Bauer said. The weather has been clear since then. Alpine Ascents' director of programs, Gordon Janow, said he wasn't ready to release information about the climbers. Saturday . afternoon, rescuers spotted camping and climbing equipment at 9,500 . feet on Carbon Glacier, but there is no word at this time if the gear . belongs to the missing party. | Missing group includes four clients of Seattle-based Alpine Ascents International .
Among those presumed dead are guide Matt Hegeman and climber Mark Mahaney, 26 .
Climbers were last heard from Wednesday while they were in Liberty Ridge area at 12,800 feet . |
280,467 | f752f46f34edd632d9c63292ff5abf0c35035d7c | (CNN) -- On Sunday, a mystery photograph fluttered from the sky and landed near Leslie Hagelberg's mailbox in West Tulsa, Oklahoma. She soon discovered it had been blown from Shawnee, Oklahoma, some 90 miles away. More random items would rain from the heavens across eastern Oklahoma a day later, when the tornado that ripped through Shawnee was followed by a bigger one in nearby Moore. School pictures, personal letters, valentines and baseball cards -- all have been found in recent days many miles from their owners' homes. The items were sucked into the sky by the 200-mph winds that killed at least 24 people and left a path of destruction in their wake, then blown east across the Oklahoma plains by middle- and upper-atmospheric winds. Help tornado victims claim lost photos . Hagelberg said some items have been reported found as far as 250 miles away from where the tornadoes struck. Now, she and others are using Facebook to try to help victims of the deadly storms get at least some small pieces of their lives back. On Sunday, she created a Facebook group called "May 19th 2013 OK Tornado Doc & Picture Recovery." But when Moore was hit the next day, the group was soon overwhelmed, picking up more than 11,000 members. She and others have now made a public page, MAY 2013 Oklahoma Tornado Doc & Photo Recovery Page, where anyone can post or tag images and share them on their own pages. Theirs is one of several pages on Facebook where people are being asked to share photos of items they have found, along with contact information, for anyone who may be able to identify them. See some of the images of items found after the tornadoes . "First, thank you all for the overwhelmingly generous response to our group," Hagelberg wrote Wednesday. "The photos and documents are being posted, people are finding cherished treasures they have lost and we couldn't be more elated." Hagelberg did not immediately respond to a message sent by CNN to her Facebook page Wednesday. But she told The Huffington Post the page is her small way of trying to boost recovery efforts in Shawnee and Moore. "I'm just trying to help," she said. "I couldn't imagine losing my kids' pictures." Most of the items posted to the page are photographs: a Pee Wee league football game, prom pictures, kids playing and families posing at places like Sea World. But there are other personal belongings, too, from a teddy bear to a letterman's jacket to a pink birth-notice card from a hospital with the words "I'm a Girl" printed on top. Dozens of items had already been claimed by early this week, as residents began taking their first faltering steps toward recovery. "This is a photo of my sister's husband's dad," a woman wrote beneath a photo dated 1967. "Both (men) are now deceased. She lost her home in the Shawnee tornado. I will try to contact (her) via Facebook. God bless you for posting!" The effort is similar to another on Facebook after 2011 storms that ripped through Alabama and other Southeastern states. "I just started saying, 'There are parts of people's lives falling out of the sky,'" Patty Bullion, that group's creator, told CNN at the time. "You just know these are prized possessions to people. If they've lost everything and could just get one picture back, I know that would mean a lot to me." Hagelberg is reminding anyone who posts to the page to remember not to show Social Security numbers, phone numbers or other personally identifying information. | Winds from the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma have scattered items hundreds of miles .
Photos, cards and letters have been found after storms hit Shawnee and Moore, Oklahoma .
Facebook pages have been created for people to post items they've found . |
243,979 | c7cc3d315d47bd28153c34d4fc14f9c20888daa4 | By . Sam Greenhill . PUBLISHED: . 09:31 EST, 21 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:10 EST, 22 March 2013 . David Cameron’s official adviser on parenting and childhood yesterday became the latest of two dozen new Tory MPs whose marriages have failed since the 2010 election. Claire Perry announced she is splitting from her husband after 17 years. The MP for Devizes said her marriage had become ‘increasingly difficult’ but denied anyone else was involved. Devizes MP Claire Perry, who was only elected to the Commons in 2010, has revealed her 17-year marriage marriage to husband Clayton, right, is over . A mother of three, she is the latest . of more than 20 Conservative MPs from the 2010 intake whose long-term . relationships have broken down. When he came to power, Mr Cameron vowed that his would be the ‘most familyfriendly government we’ve ever had in this country’. He promised more help for the influx of young parents to Parliament in 2010. Mr and Mrs Perry have a son and two daughters . MPs recently voted to cut the days they were expected to stay in Parliament until late at night from two to one a week. However when Louise Mensch quit . Parliament last year, she cited needing more time for her family. An . astonishing one in six of the newer Conservative MPs has suffered . marriage breakdowns or separations, according to unofficial research by . MP Charles Walker. Ambitious Mrs Perry, 48, blamed the . ‘demanding jobs’ held by her and her New Zealand-born husband Clayton . Perry, a City fund manager. She made an announcement to her local . newspaper in Wiltshire, the Devizes Gazette and Herald, saying: ‘It is . completely amicable. ‘This is not the War of the Roses. There has been wild speculation that one or other of us is involved with . someone else, but I can assure you that is not the case.’ She added: ‘Our marriage has become increasingly difficult for several years. ‘It’s nobody’s fault, no one has behaved badly, we have just grown apart. ‘We both have extremely demanding jobs . and for some time we have been going our separate ways. But we still . live under the same roof in Wiltshire and in London.’ Last year David Cameron appointed Mrs Perry has his advisor on childhood and sexualisation of children . Despite only being elected three years ago, Mrs Perry has built a high profile in Westminster as an outspoken campaigner on internet porn and raising children . The Oxford-educated banker met her . husband in New York in 1994 when they were in the finance industry and . married there before settling in Britain. They live in a six-bedroom £3million mansion near Salisbury which dates back to the 16th century. Their children, aged 16 to ten, are . all at boarding schools. Mrs Perry said: ‘Just because you break up with . someone, you don’t stop loving them. ‘It’s hard on the children. They all know the situation and they are very sad about it. ‘Most children want mum and dad to be together, but it is just not possible.’ Mrs Perry, who worked for Chancellor . George Osborne before becoming an MP three years ago, is a parliamentary . aide to Defence Secretary Philip Hammond. She has won admiration for campaigning . to try to force internet service providers to automatically block . pornography unless an adult asks for it to be available. Last weekend, Charles Walker, the Tory . MP for Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, said 23 of the 147 newly-elected in . 2010 had been divorced, formally separated or had long-term . relationships break down since the election. Novelist Louise Mensch last year quit as MP for Corby to move to New York with her family . | Devies MP Claire Perry reveals her 17-year marriage to Clayton is over .
One in six Tory MPs first elected in 2010 have suffered relationship breakdown as pressure of politics becomes too much . |
190,668 | 82e372b530055d0d1cf3f725933f011ca1b82153 | Washington (CNN) -- A congressional investigation into the Defense Department's response to the deadly attacks in Benghazi, Libya, found that the Obama administration failed to protect the compound and recognize the severity of the deteriorating security situation. For the partisan report, the investigative arm of the Republican-led House Armed Services Committee pored over thousands of pages of classified and unclassified written material, witness testimony and classified briefings to piece together the events of September 11, 2012, that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. "This report should be considered one component of continuing comprehensive Benghazi related oversight underway in the U.S. House of Representatives," the report says. Since the attack a year and a half ago, conservatives have been skeptical about the Obama administration's account of the events and say they suspect a cover-up. Just after the attack on the U.S. compound, Obama administration officials said the violence was a result of a protest over a controversial film about Islam made by an American -- a claim that has proved to be untrue. While this investigation focused on the role of the Defense Department, it blames the Obama administration and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's State Department for failing to protect the compound that housed U.S. personnel. The report found: . • White House officials failed to comprehend or ignored the dramatically deteriorating security situation in Libya and the growing threat to U.S. interests in the region. • U.S. personnel in Benghazi were woefully vulnerable in September 2012 because there was no intelligence of a specific "imminent" threat in Libya, and the State Department, which has primary responsibility for diplomatic security, favored a reduction of Department of Defense security personnel in Libya before the attack. • Defense Department officials believed nearly from the outset of violence in Benghazi that it was a terrorist attack rather than a protest gone awry. • The U.S. military's response to the Benghazi attack was severely degraded because of the location and readiness posture of U.S. forces, and because of a lack of clarity about how the terrorist action was unfolding. • Given the uncertainty about the prospective length and scope of the attack, military commanders did not take all possible steps to prepare for a more extended operation. • There was no "stand down" order issued to U.S. military personnel in Tripoli who sought to join the fight in Benghazi. However, there was confusion about the roles and responsibilities of the personnel. • The Department of Defense is working to correct many weaknesses revealed by the Benghazi attack, but the global security situation is still deteriorating and military resources continue to decline. GOP turns new fire on Clinton after Benghazi report . | The report is "one component of continuing comprehensive Benghazi related oversight"
It looked into the Defense Department's response to the attacks in Benghazi, Libya .
House Republicans conducted the investigation . |
154,267 | 535e739f8a5f1471f06cf9afe1b49b47e9e9e5b1 | By . Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 06:18 EST, 21 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:46 EST, 21 January 2014 . The theft of personal information from more than 100million South Korean credit cards and accounts, reportedly including those of President Park Geun-hye and UN chief Ban Ki-moon, has ignited a storm of anger and litigation against credit firms. Worried Koreans on Tuesday packed into branches of one of the banks hit by the theft to ensure their money was safe, while lawyers said 130 people joined a class action suit against their credit card providers in what is expected to be the first of multiple litigations. ‘Of course I'm angry. Anyone might know when I pay my credit card bills, let alone my phone number and where I live. I might as well keep all my money in my closet,’ said one card user, Lee Young-hye, outside a bank branch. Contrite: (left to right) Son Kyung-Ik, head of NH Nonghyup Card, Lotte Card CEO Park Sang-Hoon and KB Kookmin Card CEO Shim Jae-Oh bow to make a joint public apology about the scam . Scam: The data security breach affected around 15million cardholders . The biggest breach of personal privacy ever in South Korea has further highlighted the vulnerability of credit card information after tens of millions of U.S. cardholders' details were stolen from retailer Target Corp during the holiday shopping season. South Koreans on average have more than four credit cards, something that has contributed to one of the highest levels of personal debt relative to the size of the economy in the developed world. The data security breach affected around 15million cardholders, according to official estimates, by far the largest in a series of such scams against financial firms in South Korea going back to 2011. President Park Geun-hye is said to be one of the millions of victims of the scam . Some previous attacks involved hackers believed to originate from North Korea, but this one seems to have been an inside job. Financial regulators said a contractor with the Korea Credit Bureau, a private firm that manages the credit information of millions of Koreans for financial services providers, simply loaded details of 105.8million accounts held by KB Kookmin Card Co Ltd, Lotte Card Co Ltd and NH Nonghyup Card onto a portable hard drive. The technician was allegedly working on forgery-proofing credit cards when he committed the theft in February, June and December last year, according to regulator Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), citing the prosecutor's office leading the investigation. Accused: The data thief was reportedly working for the Korea Credit Bureau (file picture) The man then sold the information to at least two people including a loan marketer and a broker, the FSS said. The contractor and at least one other person have been arrested. The first class action lawsuit was filed against the three credit card companies late on Monday, a day after the FSS revealed the full scale of the theft, according to the law firm representing them. The victims are each claiming 110million won ($103,400 or £62,000) in compensation. Lawyers said they expected more lawsuits to come, as internet chatrooms and social media seethed with complaints about the security failure. ‘We are preparing additional lawsuits regarding the case and are receiving applications from victims,’ an official at the law firm leading the litigation said. Cho Yeon-haeng, president of Korea Finance Consumer Federation, a customer rights group, said: ‘Proving actual damages will be very difficult, which means at best nominal compensation for emotional injury. ‘What is needed is stopping repercussions by re-issuing all the affected credit cards,’ he added. The stolen information included names, home addresses, and phone numbers, bank account numbers, credit card details, identification numbers, income, marriage and passport numbers. The FSS said credit card passwords were not stolen, although this was cold comfort to South Koreans for whom most credit card transactions simply require a card swipe and signature - without the need for a chip and pin process. Some outlets such as home shopping channels do not even need a signature. South Korean media reported that President Park and UN Secretary General Ban were among those whose information was stolen, although government officials and the card firms declined to comment. Park's office declined to comment, while Ban's office could not be reached to comment. Executives from KB Kookmin Card, Kookmin Bank, NH Nonghyup Card, Lotte Card and Korea Credit Bureau, which hired the contractor, offered to resign as investigators probed how such a massive data theft could have occurred so easily. Credit card spending amounted to 451trillion won ($424.01billion or £258billion) in 2012, accounting for 66 percent of the country's private consumption, according to data from the Credit Finance Association of Korea. The Nilson Report, a California trade journal that tracks the payments industry, said in its August issue that global card fraud rose to a record $11.3billion in 2012, from just under $10billion the year before. Nearly half the losses occurred in the United States, helped by the lack of the more advanced card readers. | The theft appears to be an inside job by a Korean Credit Bureau worker .
He was allegedly working on forgery-proofing credit cards at the time .
It's the biggest breach of private security ever in South Korea .
Several banking executives have offered their resignation as a result .
Stolen information included account and passport numbers . |
249,745 | cf3b78543e0f79f50b174a549189b77d0e6fd6b2 | By . Paul Thompson . Last updated at 6:30 PM on 28th September 2011 . A 15-year-old boy is facing a double murder charge after he shot dead his 'controlling' parents. Matt Liewald is alleged to have snapped after being pulled out of school and rarely allowed out of his home by his strict father. A neighbour heard his step-mother begging 'please don't do this' before several gunshots were heard. Matt Liewald, 15, has been charged with two counts of murder for allegedly killing his father, 43-year-old Christian Hans Liewald, and stepmom, 24-year-old Cassie Meghan Liewald, in their North Carolina bedroom . Christian Liewald, 43, and his wife Cassie Buckaloo, 24, were found dead in bed at their home in Pineville, North Carolina. His teenage son called police to give himself up after allegedly shooting his parents as they lay in bed. He has been charged with murder and is being held in a juvenile facility. Family members have claimed Liewald was controlling and was too strict on his teenage son. One theory being investigated by police is that Matt rebelled against his father's control. Liewald, who ran an alternative school, dangled a pair of handcuffs from his car's rear view mirror and walked around the neighbourhood with a gun. CCTV cameras were trained on the property and a 'No Trespassing' sign was tacked to the house. Police found the couple dead in their home in early Monday morning. Liewald was reportedly a controlling father who had pulled his son from school and kept 'No Trespassing' signs and CCTV on his property . Neighbors said the family kept to themselves and Matt, who rarely came out of the house, was being home schooled after being removed from public school for fighting. 'I always hear the young guy was confined to the house. He didn't have no friends. He never smiled. I think it was soon coming,' said neighbor Alfred De'nise. Several neighbors said Christian Liewald had clashed with them. 'He carried a gun, and it frightened some of us,' said one woman. Another neighbor, Amy Taylor, said, 'We backed away from Christian. He is weird. A lot of us had concerns about it.' Neighbors say the late Liewald was intimidating and carried a gun and handcuffs around the neighborhood. He reportedly rarely let his son leave the home, causing the teen to snap . Neighbor Greg Hicks said he was shot and wounded by Liewald several years ago during a dispute. Court records show Liewald was charged in June 2007 with assault with a deadly weapon, but the charges were later dropped. The shootings took place shortly after 2am. Neighbour Jesse Loosemore said he and his wife heard Buckaloo's screams. 'I think we may have heard that poor lady's last words: "Oh, please don't do this".' Police said Matt made two telephone calls to police, firstly asking police to come to his home but not giving a reason. In a second call he admitted to shooting his parents and told them he would be waiting on a street corner near their home. | Matt Liewald, 15, charged with two murders for deaths of Christian Liewald, 43, and Cassie Buckaloo, 24 .
Father ran an alternative school and 'intimidated' neighbors . |
93,575 | 0457168156c7701f943abed781e7b437dc9d6e9f | (CNN) -- Britain says it has suspended the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands and imposed direct rule after allegations of systemic corruption and "serious dishonesty". Former Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Michael Misick, shown here with his wife, LisaRaye, could be investigated. British Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant said he instructed the British governor of the island territory to suspend the ministerial government and the House of Assembly for as long as two years. Bryant said his order also suspends the constitutional right to trial by jury in the Turks and Caicos. "This is a serious constitutional step which the UK government has not taken lightly, but these measures are essential in order to restore good governance and sound financial management," Bryant said in a statement. "It remains our intentions that elections should be held by July 2011, if not sooner. It is also important that the people of Turks and Caicos Islands continue to have a voice in the interim and the order puts in place an advisory council and consultative forum to make sure this happens." The move follows allegations of corruption in the Turks and Caicos, a British Overseas Territory of eight major islands and numerous uninhabited keys, 800 kilometers (500 miles) southeast of Miami, Florida. The British government set up a commission of inquiry in July 2008 to look into possible corruption or other serious dishonesty in recent years of past and present elected members of the legislature. The commission's report, delivered May 31, found "information in abundance pointing to a high probability of systemic corruption and/or serious dishonesty" in the Turks and Caicos, the Foreign Office said. "This, together with clear signs of political amorality and immaturity and of general administrative incompetence, demonstrated a need for urgent suspension in whole or in part of the constitution and for other legislative and administrative reforms," the Foreign Office said. The report also recommends criminal investigations into former Premier Michael Misick and four of his former Cabinet ministers. "This is not a 'British takeover,'" said Gordon Wetherell, governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands. "Public services will continue to be run by people of the Turks and Caicos Islands, as indeed they should be. But I hope we can now begin to run them better." Queen Elizabeth is the head of state of the British territory, and the governor is her official representative. The governor is responsible for defense; external affairs; internal security, including the islands' police force; and the appointment of some public officials, but he is normally required to act on the advice of the Cabinet. The islands' ministerial system includes the premier and six other ministers who must act according to Cabinet policies. | Britain says it has suspended the government of the Turks and Caicos .
Move follows allegations of systemic corruption and "serious dishonesty"
Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory of eight major islands . |
179,981 | 7508dc28f64a155b678c4d8d6a4e883147a92999 | John Cusack has unleashed an attack on the ageism and misogyny that surrounds today's Hollywood film industry, speaking out in defense of the treatment of women and a system that 'eats young actors and spits them out'. The 48-year-old actor candidly admitted that, as a man, he has '15, 20 years before they say I'm old'. But while promoting his latest film Maps To The Stars - a damning account of celebrity culture in LA - Cusack said actresses are considered 'menopausal at 26', and that the industry is constantly looking to 'open up another can of hot 22' for the sake of cinema capital. 'It's becoming almost like kiddie porn. It's f---ing weird,' he told The Guardian. 'It's a whorehouse and people go mad. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Scathing: John Cusack, 48, said Hollywood is a 'whorehouse' full of 'crazies' and 'you couldn't make it up' 'I have actress friends who are being put out to pasture at 29. They just want to open up another can of hot 22.' When he was starting out at 16 in 1982, Cusack said he was mentored and protected by industry heavyweights such as Al Pacino as he went on to star in films such as High Fidelity and Grosse Point Blank. 'People would look after you when I was a kid,' he said. 'There were good people in the business. 'Now it's different. 'The culture just eats young actors up and spits them out.' His words come days before Maps To The Stars hits US cinemas. The satirical drama, directed by David Cronenberg, gives a dark and scathing account of celebrity culture as it follows an archetypal Hollywood dynasty - two former child stars, a psychotherapist father and a pushy momager. 'Close to the truth': He stars as a fad therapist in soon-to-be-released Maps To The Stars (pictured) alongside Julianne Moore who plays a fading actress. Cusack claims the satirical drama is very close to the truth . Damning: Cusack (pictured in a shot from the movie) said he was mentored and protected by people like Al Pacino but warns young actors today to shelter from the movie capital which 'eats you up and spits you out' Cusack plays a 'life-coach' who invented a fad therapy that has become a hit with A-listers, alongside an all-star cast. Julianne Moore plays his client, an ageing and disturbed forty-something actress desperately vying for a new part, in a performance critics are hailing as a career-best. Robert Pattinson portrays a limousine driver and aspiring actor, and Mia Wazikowska plays a badly burned pyromaniac. The characters are a mess of psychological issues. A 26-year-old woman is described as 'menopausal' in the film. And Cusack claims it is not far from the true demographic of Hollywood inhabitants. He says the mega-corporation-dominated industry has turned it into an ideal rather than a place, leaving actors lost and confused. Defending his own role in the movie world, he says he make some commercial films to fund projects he cares about. Blockbuster star: Cusack is best known for his role as record shop owner Rob in the 2000 film High Fidelity . Action movie hit: Grosse Point Blank is a dark and eccentric 1997 comedy about a hit man and his love life . Star siblings: John's sister Joan Cusack (right), also an actor, has been just as vocal about her feelings of Hollywood in the past, calling it a 'terrible world' 'For women it’s brutal,' he told The Guardian. 'Bruce’s thing about if you’re 26, you’re menopausal? 'It’s only absurd because it’s a little bit further than the truth.' John's sister, two-time Oscar-nominee Joan Cusack, has spoken in similar terms in the past on her own take on Hollywood. The Working Girl star said she would never want her two sons to become actors. 'If you weren't manic depressive when you started out as an actor, there's a strong chance you'd end up that way being surrounded by all the wrong values,' she told creators.com. 'The fantasy and illusion of wanting to be a movie star is gruesome. 'It's a terrible world, a terrible business, and it takes its toll.' | The 48-year-old actor has enjoyed a 25-year career in Hollywood .
But he claims the industry is 'ripe with all these frontier crazies'
Condemns misogynistic culture and ageism .
Speaks out in defense of the treatment of women .
Words come as he promotes film Maps To The Stars, a savage look at LA's celebrity world . |
269,752 | e961ac00b63be174897474bae0ca115e2551bb8a | World Cup winning rugby star Mike Tindall turned out for an amateur rugby club in Devon on Saturday, two months after retiring from the professional game. Tindall, who was part of the backline when England famously won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, turned up at North Tawton RFC in Devon to be part of their coaching staff. Insurance company QBE ran a nationwide competition to award four amateur clubs with a 'hit squad coach', and North Tawton were one of the winners. World cup winner Mike Tindall dolls out words of wisdom to the North Tawton players . Tindall watches on from the sidelines . The England legend was taking part in a QBE initiative aiming to support the development of rugby at all levels . But little did the club, players and thrilled spectators know Tindall had brought his boots and he joined the action for the second half. Tindall said: 'Since retiring I have been biting to get back on the pitch. 'I didn't come here expecting to be involved in a playing sense but the players and coaches were keen on the idea.' North Tawton, of the Devon Tribute 2 division, beat Crediton 26-17 in a pre-season friendly. Tindall set up two of the tries and the crowd were treated to some trademark bursting runs and crunching hit. The 35-year-old first linked up with North Tawton back in February but has kept in close contact with the club. Tindall gets stuck in at a ruck . The centre sets off on one of his trademark bursts from deep . Tindall showed his new North Tawton team-mates how it's done on the pitch as well . He turned up on Saturday to manage the pre-match drills, team talk and tactical substitutions but even the players were surprised when he jogged onto the pitch halfway through proceedings. Former Gloucester centre Tindall called time on a glittering career in July, which yielded 75 England caps. North Tawton prop Alfie May said: 'Some of the boys read a tweet that Mike sent to Richard Wigglesworth saying that he was hoping to play for North Tawton but we didn't read too much into it. 'Mike has offered us so much of his time coaching on both the sidelines and on the pitch and it was just amazing seeing him play in our home kit. 'We will have the photos up in our clubhouse for the foreseeable future.' | The retired former England star turned out for amateur club North Tawton .
Coached during first half and set up two tries after entering the fray .
Part of a QBE initiative focusing on developing rugby at all levels . |
227,692 | b2d022947bc00f93551eba0f4e4b828ec2f29c6c | By . Chris Greenwood, Francesca Infante and Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 05:15 EST, 2 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:40 EST, 2 August 2013 . The brother of a model who died after she was stabbed in the chest has spoken of how it is a tragedy 'that good people die this young'. Jack Hodari spoke of his grief after Linah Keza, 29, was found with stab wounds at her home in Leyton, east London at around 4.30am on Wednesday and was pronounced dead at the scene. David Gikawa, 38, has been charged with murdering the mother-of-one and will appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court tomorrow. Murder probe: Miss Africa model Linah Keza was found stabbed to death at an address in Leyton . Tributes have been paid to the young mother, who was born in Uganda before moving to Rwanda as a teenager. She came to the UK more than 10 years ago and graduated from the University of Wolverhampton. Mr Hodari told the Evening Standard: . 'It’s so tragic that good people die this young. I am not saying this . because she was my sister, but the whole world can tell you this.' Chairman of the Rwandan Community in . London, Patrice Shema, said: 'We still can’t believe that Linah is gone. You see these things on television but when it happens to you and it’s a . close friend, that’s when the reality hits home. Model: It is understood Linah's daughter was at the address at the time of the attack, according to a family friend . 'Linah has been a very active member of our community. She was such a wonderful girl, very happy, passionate about modelling.' The community is now trying to raise money to have her body flown back to Rwanda when it is released by police. Ms Keza, who was registered with the AMC Agency, was reportedly a contestant in Miss Africa 2010. An AMC Agency spokesman said: 'She was very compassionate, amazing and a professional girl. 'May her soul rest in peace': Tributes to Linah from friends and relatives were left on a Facebook page set up soon after her death. Her three-year-old daughter is believed to have been found by her body . Scene: The block of flats in Leyton, London, where Linah was stabbed to death in one of the properties . 'Everybody that met and worked with her via the agency will miss her greatly.' Officers were called to her home at . 4.30am on Wednesday by neighbours where they discovered the pastor’s . daughter had been viciously attacked. Neighbours described Miss Keza as an ‘extremely loving mother’ and said she and her young daughter were ‘inseparable’. More than a thousand people joined a Facebook page paying tribute. It is understood that her daughter was at the address at the time of the attack, according to a family friend . On guard: A police officer looks out of a window from one of the flats . Many posted photographs of Miss Keza, who worked as a model after studying social work at the University of Wolverhampton. Make-up artist Bella Bordianu, who worked with Miss Keza, said: ‘She . was very sweet and always smiling. She had a beautiful smile. Photographer . Fabrice Rizzato said: ‘Linah was very kind, very professional, very . beautiful and very calm – I am shocked at the news, she was a dignified . and kind person.’ Investigation: Police outside the flats where Linah was allegedly murdered . Tragedy: Paramedics accompanied police to the address just before 4.30am, but Linah, a Rwandan national living in London, was pronounced dead at the scene . Gathering evidence: Police conduct door-to-door inquiries (left) as a forensic officer (right) attends the scene . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Rwandan national Linah Keza, 29, found in 'pool of blood' in block of flats .
Daughter, 3, was at the address at the time of the attack, family friend said .
Man, 38, charged with her murder and due to appear in court tomorrow .
Brother has paid tribute to the mother-of-one who was born in Uganda . |
229,379 | b503d4a561a98db3272ad75219f4ab28cb3a0b91 | By . Daniel Martin . PUBLISHED: . 17:33 EST, 27 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:55 EST, 28 December 2013 . David Cameron’s pledge to cut the cost of politics was in tatters last night after it emerged that the bill for the House of Lords has soared by £42million in the last three years. Some 103 additional peers have been created since 2010 – most of them Tories and Lib Dems – taking the total number to nearly 900. In addition, the amount that taxpayers have to fork out per unelected peer has surged by 17 per cent since the Coalition came to power. Cost: The bill for the House of Lords has soared by £42million in the last three years . Analysis by the House of Commons Library will further undermine respect for the Upper House, just weeks after it emerged that Lord Hanningfield had been ‘clocking in’ for short periods each day to claim his £300 allowance. The Tory peer said dozens of others did the same. The revelation about political waste comes on the day it emerged that the bill for the Government’s top spin doctors has risen almost four-fold in two decades. Salaries for politically-appointed special advisers now stand at £7.2million – up from £1.5million in the early 1990s. The Cameron-led Coalition had promised to save £12million a year by slashing the number of MPs from 650 to 600 but the plan was ditched following a bust-up between the two parties over House of Lords reforms . Despite election pledges to slash their number, there are now 98 so-called ‘spads’ working in Whitehall, up from 76 in 2010 under Labour. They earn an average of £73,470 each – more than a backbench MP. Details of the increased spending make a mockery of promises by both the Tories and Lib Dems to reduce the cost of politics. The Coalition had promised to save £12million a year by slashing the number of MPs from 650 to 600 but the plan was ditched following a bust-up between the two parties over House of Lords reforms. The amount of extra money spent on the Lords since 2010 is now more than three times what the Prime Minister hoped to save in the Commons. The latest figures show that the operating costs for each peer – which includes their daily allowance and staff wages – increased from £97,725 to £114,721 between 2010 and this year. Labour MP Tom Greatrex, who uncovered the data, said the Prime Minister’s commitment to reducing the cost of politics was a ‘sham’. The member for Rutherglen added: ‘David Cameron’s commitment to cutting the cost of politics is exposed as little more than a failed plan to get rid of democracy and replace it with an ever expanding unelected chumocracy of Lord Snooty’s pals.’ Jonathan Isaby of the TaxPayers’ Alliance called for reforms and said the Lords should not be ‘immune from the need to run itself cost effectively’. | 103 additional peers since 2010 – most of them Tories and Lib Dems .
Cost of unelected peers has surged 17% since the Coalition came to power . |
96,088 | 078e1c764bda98dc2fa49f76760bab875d1179d6 | By . Oliver Todd . Follow @@oliver_todd . Former Middlesbrough and Bristol City defender Luke Wilshire has joined Feyenoord on a one-year contract. The 32-year-old right back, who has won 80 caps for Australia but was cut from their 23-man squad for the World Cup in Brazil, has agreed a one-year deal with the option of a second year. Wilshire’s contract with Dynamo Moscow ended last month. He also played for Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Twente Enschede and competed at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. New adventure: Luke Wilshire is moving to Holland with Feyenoord in the latest step of his career . Feyenoord also signed a four-year deal with teenage striker Bilal Basacikoglu, who moves from Heerenveen. The former European champions were upset 2-1 at home by Besiktas in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie on Wednesday. Feyenoord have in recent weeks sold Graziano Pelle to Southampton, Bruno Martins Indi to Porto, Daryl Janmaat to Newcastle United and Stefan de Vrij to Lazio in deals Dutch media reported were worth 32 million euros ($42.83 million) for the Rotterdam club. Top class experience: Wilshire fights for the ball with Thierry Henry in a game for former club Middlesbrough . | 32-year-old was in Australia's provisional World Cup squad but missed out .
He quit Dynamo Moscow last month when his contract expires .
He has previously played in Holland with FC Twente . |
205,076 | 9577115d32f4d2475f536ce17940ec388d253409 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:28 EST, 30 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:13 EST, 30 October 2013 . A 29-year-old soldier who didn't return to his Kentucky military base after visiting his parents in Florida has been reported missing. Private First Class Daniel Dezinno was last seen leaving the Sarasota home of his mother, Madelyn Shore, on Thursday morning. Shore said her son should have been back at the Fort Knox post by Friday. Vanished: Fort Knox soldier Daniel Dezinno has been reported missing after failing to return to the Kentucky military base after visiting his parents in Florida on Thursday . Missing: Daniel Dezinno, 29, was in 'good spirits' when he left his mother's house on Thursday morning . Dezinno had taken leave to visit his father, Ben Dezinno, in Orlando, a friend in Miami and his mother. Shore said she was 'confused' by her son's disappearance. 'He was in good spirits. He never had any kind of negative remarks about being in the military,' she told Herald-Tribune. Shore said she asked her son to call her when he returned to the military base. But when she didn't hear from him by Friday, she called officials at the base who told her Dezinno was a 'no-show'. That's when . she alerted the sheriff's office. Worried: Daniel Dezinno was reported missing by his worried parents, Madelyn Shore (pictured with Daniel, left) and Ben Dezinno (right) Manatee County Sheriff's Office spokesman Dave Bristow said Dezinno's credit card was used on Friday at Disney World and a Texas gas station. His phone had also been disconnected. Detectives have subpoenaed . Dezinno's financial records, issued a be-on-the-lookout . alert for his car and plan to request surveillance footage from . businesses where his credit card is used. However Bristow said there was no evidence that Dezinno is in danger. He said this is not the first time a soldier has gone AWOL, citing a similar incident several months ago. 'For whatever reason, they just decide not to show up,' Bristow said. Police say Daniel Dezinno may be driving a 2005 silver Subaru sedan, like this one, with Kentucky tag 168PHP . Herald-Tribune reported Dezinno joined the Army about a year ago. His mother said he was in a 'slump', working as a mechanic and living with her before his career change. He completed basic military training . in Missouri, moved to a Virginia base and was recently working as a . mechanic in the motor pool at Fort Knox. Dezinno is five feet, . seven inches tall, and weighs 150 pounds. He has brown hair and brown . eyes. He was last seen wearing shorts, a T-shirt and tennis shoes. Dezinno may be driving a 2005 silver Subaru sedan with Kentucky tag 168PHP. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Stephen Ives in Florida at 747-3011, ext. 2493. | Daniel Dezinno, 29, last seen visiting his parents in Florida on Thursday .
He didn't show up at his central Kentucky military post .
His credit card was used on Friday at Disney World and a Texas gas station and his phone was disconnected .
Police said there's no evidence of foul play . |
212,340 | 9ef770549325b7b0d4ae2eeeddef1fbd629b06d3 | By . Sarah Michael For Daily Mail Australia . The Australian Defence Force has banned topless barmaids from an army club after a soldier's mother exposed photos in an attempt to prove 'double standards' in Defence's attitude to her son's bisexuality. Defence banned the barmaids from attending the Gratwick Club which is located next to the Special Air Service Regiment barracks in Swanbourne, Western Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The photos, which appeared on ninemsn, show soldiers in the company of topless women, one of whom is tattooed and blonde. A soldier's mother exposed photos of topless barmaids at Gratwick Club in Western Australia in an attempt to prove 'double standards' in Defence's attitude to her son's bisexuality . Defence has since banned the barmaids from attending the Gratwick Club . Another photo shows a brunette woman with pink nail polish holding up a peace sign in the foreground of a photo, with uniformed soldiers pictured sitting at tables in the background. The mother of a former special forces soldier, who uncovered the photos, claims her son has been mistreated over his sexuality. He's being investigated by Defence over allegations he bought illegal medicine. She says the allegations are false and only occurred after officers discovered her son was bisexual in April, and show a 'double standard' in the defence force because topless barmaids are allowed in government-owned clubs. 'The actual allegations (about the medicine) themselves have come from a person who had issues with my son's sexuality,' she told the Herald. 'He is being discriminated against because of his sexuality, about which he was open, by the same management that condones women being exploited in the manner of those photographs.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Defence for comment. This comes amid mounting calls for a royal commission into the military's handling of abuse claims and the abolition of the Australian Defence Force Academy following a number of claims over the past two decades that cadets and soldiers were assaulted and raped. Recently ABC TV's Four Corners program aired fresh stories from four former female cadets who claim to have been raped, sexually assaulted or denigrated while at ADFA in the 1990s and 2009. The women criticised the military's response to abuse claims - the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce - as inadequate. They have also been joined by former Australian Defence Force magistrate Ken Northwood, Palmer United Party senator Jacqui Lambie and lawyer Gary Rumble - who led a review into ADFA abuse allegations - in calling for a royal commission to fully uncover the extent of abuse and hold the perpetrators to account. The Defence Abuse Response Taskforce is still responding to claims. The Gratwick Club is next to the Campbell Barracks, located in Swanbourne in WA . | ADF has banned topless barmaids from attending the Gratwick Club in WA .
Photos show soldiers in the company of the topless women .
A soldier's mother exposed the photos in an attempt to prove 'double standards' in Defence's attitude to her son's bisexuality . |
84,776 | f0851e85725f62ba505a8d62f48e9a9852489acc | By . Meghan Keneally . A judge has ruled that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev can be visited by his relatives without an FBI agent present. The Boston Marathon bombing suspect had previously been watched during the visits, but his defense attorneys argued that there was no clear threat and the agent's presence prevented the family from speaking freely. 'This case is very much a story about a family and the relationships between them,' defense attorney David Bruck said in a court hearing on Wednesday. Scroll down for video . Family ties: Defense attorneys for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (right) argued that he did not need an agent present when he met with his sister in prison and they are trying to understand the relationship he had with his older, now-deceased brother Tamerlan (left) The judge agreed with the defense's point, pushing past the prosecution's suggestion that the minder was needed for security. 'I don’t think the safety, security issue looms very large,' US district judge George A. O'Toole Jr ruled. The Boston Globe reported that the decision will not be final until the US Bureau of Prisons weighs in, and that is expected to take about two weeks. The agent's presence is not only a question of security but could also have a role in the trial as it was earlier reported that during one of these visits, the agent allegedly heard Dzohkhar say something controversial in a heated exchange with his sister. 'Tsarnaev, despite the presence of an FBI agent and an employee of the federal public defender, was unable to temper his remarks and made a statement to his detriment which was overheard by the agent,' a late February court hearing stated. Under a spell: The denfense s planning on describing how Dzhokhar was under his brother's control when he participated in the dual bombing at the Boston Marathon in 2013 (pictured: then-19-year-old Dzhokhar being captured) Prosecutors later said that the remark was 'the driving force' behind Tsarnaev's defense team's decision to push for a change in the visitation procedure. The strategy also suggests that the defense team is preparing to paint Dzhokhar, who was 19 at the time of last year's bombings, as under the mental control of his 26-year-old brother Tamerlan who was killed in a shoot out with police. On Wednesday, the prosecutors also said that Tsarnaev's defense team will not have access to the growing file on a triple homicide in Waltham, Massachusetts in 2011 that Tamerlan was apparently involved in. Police were looking into the connection and interviewing a friend of Tamerlan's named Ibragim Todashev in Florida when Todashev attacked the investigating agents and was shot dead. Paying respects: The court decisions come just one day after the anniversary of the bombings (the Boylston Street finish line pictured on Tuesday during a memorial ceremony) The prosecution in Dzhokhar's case admitted that it does not appear that the suspect had any knowledge of his brother's involvement in the 2011 case so there is no reason to connect it to the Boston Marathon case. They also said that by releasing the case file on the 2011 triple slaying could be potentially detrimental to the renewed investigation into that case. This is an important week in the case, if not necessarily for the ongoing federal trial process but because Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the double bombing at the finish line that left three spectators dead and more than more than 260 injured. | Dzhokhar Tsarnaev previously had to be supervised during his visits with his sisters but a judge ruled that he should be allowed privacy .
Prosecution wanted to use something Tsarnaev said during one of those visits in the case against him since it was 'detrimental'
His defense attorneys argued that they need to understand the family's dynamics, which they say can only happen when they speak freely .
Ruling comes the day after the one year anniversary of the bombings . |
209,370 | 9b1fd6b208f6dc95b54b1940ad4ae7cacb810bcb | By . Ap Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:15 EST, 4 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:44 EST, 4 August 2013 . An American diplomat who police say was speeding, crossed the center line in his SUV and rammed into a full mini-bus, killing a father of three whose widow is six months pregnant, officials said Friday. U.S. Embassy officials in Nairobi rushed Joshua Walde and his family out of Kenya the next day, leaving the crash victims with no financial assistance to pay for a funeral and for hospital bills for the eight or so others who were seriously injured. Amongst those killed was Haji . Lukindo, who leaves behind his pregnant wife Latifah Naiman Mariki, 38, without a source of income to support her family. Latifah Naiman Mariki, the pregnant widow of a man killed in a car accident by an American diplomat that has since fled the country, poses outside of her home in Nairobi, Kenya with two of her children . Mariki, was almost evicted from her house this week after her landlord demanded rent. Mariki's deceased husband, Haji Lukindo, was the family's only source of income. She told The Associated Press that neither the American driver nor anyone at the US Embassy has contacted her, and she doesn't know how she will provide for her soon-to-be-born child and three children, ages 20, 10 and 7. 'It is difficult for me to handle this matter because my kids need to go to school. They need everything, basic needs,' Mariki said. 'And we have no place to stay because we have to pay the rent. We have no money. ... Even if my kids are sick I have no money to take them to hospital.' Naiman (second from the right) sits with her children in the home she can no longer afford after her husband was killed by American diplomat Joshua Walde's speeding SUV . Hilary Renner, a State Department spokeswoman in Washington, said the embassy extends its deepest condolences to Mariki's family and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured. She said she couldn't comment on whether the embassy employee would return to Kenya. 'The embassy is fully cooperating with the Kenyan authorities as they investigate the accident and work to aid the victims,' she said. Walde, was an information management officer at the Nairobi embassy when he got in the crash on his way home the evening of July 11. He gave a statement to police but because he has diplomatic immunity he was not detained. Latifah Naiman's (pictured here) friends and neighbors are petitioning for financial aid and accountability from Walde after he was allowed to leave the country following the crash . A police dossier on the case shown briefly to an Associated Press reporter contained sketches of how police believe the accident happened. The sketch shows the American's SUV turning at a rounded four-way intersection on the edge of Nairobi and driving into the lane of oncoming traffic. A police officer familiar with the case who insisted he not be identified by name because he is not an official spokesman said of Walde,' He was driving very fast.' Pictures in the dossier show that the SUV hit the front corner and side of the mini-bus, smashing in its frame. Kenyan mini-buses, known as matatus, also frequently drive fast and erratically. Joshua Walde was working as a information management officer in Nairobi, Kenya when he crashed his speeding SUV into a full mini-bus killing one and injuring eight more . A Facebook group of Kenyan mothers took up Mariki's case this week and are trying to raise funds for her. In dozens of comments online, many demanded accountability and expressed dismay that no financial help has been given. 'She's such a decent and honest lady you feel so bad for her. She wasn't employed,' Zahra Ashif, who started the Facebook thread, told AP. 'The point is that [Walde] is not here so he can't be arrested, but after that point did he not have any courtesy to get in touch? ... For them life has gone on, but what about these kids?' Walde is an 11-year employee of the State Department who has worked in Kazakhstan, Uruguay and Croatia. Shortly after the crash, Walde updated his work history on the networking site LinkedIn to put his time in Nairobi in the past tense, from July 2012 to July 2013. Latifah Naiman (second from right) sits with her three children and is pregnant with a fourth. Her husband was killed in a crash by an American diplomat who fled the country . After the Facebook group noticed the updated resume and pointed to that as evidence that Walde would not return to face charges or help victims, the LinkedIn account was deleted, though a cached version is still available through Google. Walde's wife circulated an email to sell a family vehicle and try to find new work locations for the family's nanny and gardener after the crash. AP sent an email to Walde's wife on Thursday asking if the family wanted to comment. No response was received. The U.S. government is concerned about the impact the accident could have on bilateral relations with Kenya, a U.S. government official said. The official noted that embassy employees are typically evacuated for medical evaluations after traumatic events but are also flown out of a country to avoid any possible retribution or attack from others involved in an accident. The crash that killed Latifah Naiman's (right) husband happened when Joshua Walde's SUV allegedly swerved into a lane of oncoming traffic at a four-way intersection . The police say the case remains under investigation. The Nairobi traffic police chief, Patrick Lumumba, said he is seeking assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to liaise with the U.S. Embassy. He said authorities didn't detain Walde because, 'we don't take diplomats into custody.' A police spokeswoman, Ziporah Mboroki, said no charges had been filed against Walde the last time she checked. 'He is a diplomat and has the privileges of a diplomat. If you're a diplomat and you commit any crime in Kenya, the case is investigated and is forwarded to your embassy,' she said. 'That's what the law says and we work per the law.' | Joshua Walde, an American diplomat stationed in Kenya, who was allegedly speeding, crashed his SUV into a full mini-bus, killing one and injuring eight more .
Walde and his family were rushed out of the country the next day by U.S. Embassy officials .
The crash victims were left destitute without any financial assistance to help pay their hospital bills .
The Kenyan man killed in the crash leaves behind a pregnant widow and three children .
Walde may not being held accountable for the accident due to his diplomatic immunity . |
138,743 | 3f6e2ab733da6f14cd85734776cd6be8cb93472d | By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 17:10 EST, 6 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:27 EST, 6 January 2014 . Nurses could face checks every three years to prove that they still care about their patients. They may be made to undergo regular assessments which would hinge on the feedback of patients and their relatives. NHS managers would collect up to 20 detailed comments from patients, family members and staff about the attitude of individual nurses and their level of compassion. The comments would be sent to the Nursing and Midwifery Council – along with assessments on overall ability – and those who fall short could be struck off. Facing checks? File picture of medical staff at Chase Farm Hospital Accident and Emergency Unit, Enfield . The watchdog is considering the checks in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire Hospital scandal where some staff were said to have become 'immune to the sound of pain'. Last summer two senior nurses working in the hospital's A&E department were struck off after being accused of conspiring to fiddle figures on waiting times. Sharon Turner, 48, and Tracey White, 52 were accused of ruling the unit 'with fear' by bullying and coercing staff to cover up poor care. The NMC was heavily criticised by an inquiry into the scandal which warned it was not doing enough to protect patients from poor nurses. There are currently very few checks on nurses. They only have to prove they have completed 450 hours of work and 35 hours of learning every three years. The new assessments – known as revalidation – would involve nurses having to collate between five and 20 pieces of feedback from colleagues, patients, relatives and carers. These would probably be gathered by nurses' managers to prevent them being selective in asking for feedback. An NHS Hospital Accident and emergency department entrance and ambulance . Over the past few years the NHS has instructed universities only to recruit nurses deemed capable of being compassionate. But there is concern that some nurses who have been working for years have become jaded and do not always make care and kindness a priority. The NMC yesterday launched a consultation on how the test will work and it is likely to announce further details later this year. Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: 'Patients deserve to know every nurse is fit to practise in a modern setting and competent for the role they are performing. 'We will be engaging with our members to inform them of the proposals as well as responding formally to the consultation. 'What we need to ensure is that nurses are properly supported to make the revalidation system work, whether through on-going post-registration training or through mentorship and supervision, as they are already experiencing very high workloads.' Last February David Cameron criticised the NMC – and doctors' watchdog the General Medical Council – for failing to protect patients. In a speech to the Commons shortly after the Mid Staffordshire inquiry, he said: 'We expect the professional regulators to strike off the doctors and nurses who seriously breach their professional code. But in Stafford [Hospital] those expectations were badly let down.' The NMC has also been criticised for taking too long to reprimand failing nurses and for being overly bureaucratic. Nurse checks would be similar to those introduced for doctors in 2012. The GMC is appraising all 260,000 GPs registered to practise in England, with the process expected to take three years. | Nursing and Midwifery Council is considering the checks .
It comes in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire Hospital scandal .
There are currently very few checks on nurses . |
134,070 | 3953ad509deb765f21f9b7a3ca8fa1ee2cfa3307 | A senior Metropolitan Police employee received a huge pay-off after leaving the force - taking her total remuneration to just under £400,000 in a single year. Ailsa Beaton, the Met’s former director of information, received £397,514 in 2012/13, nearly three times Prime Minister David Cameron’s £142,500 salary. Civilian employee Miss Beaton’s basic salary was just under £194,000, topped up with nearly £170,000 compensation for ‘loss of office’ and more than £33,000 in pension contributions. IT chief Ailsa Beaton was given a £170,000 payoff on top of her £194,000 salary from the Metropolitan Police in 2012/13 . Scotland Yard said it had a ‘contractual liability’ to give her the pay-off - despite a damning report published shortly after she left the force which said its ability to solve crime was being hampered by out-of-date technology dating back to the 1970s. The Metropolitan Police said the 56-year-old was given the settlement because she could not commit to the force for a long period while a major overhaul of computer systems takes place. According to a report by the London Assembly’s Budget and Performance Committee - published last August - the Met’s £250m IT budget is spent on ‘out-of-date, ineffective and overly-expensive’ technology. The report said: ‘The Met does not use technology as well as it could. It has built up its current provision over a number of years without a coherent strategy. Crime is higher as a result and criminals with smartphones often have better technology than London’s police officers.’ Miss Beaton’s pay package was revealed in the College of Policing’s annual report on pay and rewards. She had spent 12 years at Scotland Yard and was responsible for pushing use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook, and introducing new computer systems. Scotland Yard said it had a 'contractual liability' to give her the pay-off and says similar packages were given to 'hundreds of staff' Miss Beaton was awarded the OBE in 2010 for services to policing and, despite her pay-off, has continued working in the public sector as a non-executive member of the Information Commissioner’s Office. The College of Policing also revealed how some chief constables accepted performance-related bonuses last year. Norfolk Police’s former chief constable Phil Gormley accepted £58,038 on top of his £168,000 annual salary despite his force being one of the country’s smallest with 1,500 officers. Many other chief constables refused to take their bonuses. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘Miss Beaton received a voluntary exit payment in line with standard civil service terms. ‘This is the same package that has been, and continues to be, offered to many hundreds of Met staff as we seek to transform our organisation and reduce our service support costs. ‘Miss Beaton was eligible to depart under a voluntary exit arrangement because of a new corporate direction regarding our IT transformation and its requirement for sustained leadership over a longer period than Miss Beaton could reasonably commit to.’ | IT boss Ailsa Beaton given £170,000 payoff on top of £194,000 salary .
Massive windfall came despite damning report into outdated technology .
Her pay was nearly three times that of David Cameron, who gets £142,000 .
Metropolitan Police say they were 'contractually liable' for the huge sum . |
227,982 | b33462b9eaa47712e26a66418de9bad3b79e3b90 | By . James Nye for MailOnline . A cyclist has died after a police car struck him and backed-up over him say witnesses - before an officer exited the vehicle and placed him under arrest while he was 'spitting blood'. According to those who saw the incident on Wednesday afternoon in Quebec City, Guy Blouin, 48, was intercepted by the police cruiser going the wrong way up a one way street. The car allegedly hit Blouin, knocking him under the car and Quebec City police department issued a statement on Thursday morning to say they are fully cooperating with the investigation. Packed away: According to witnesses the officers put the cyclist's bike in their trunk after the accident, only to replace it later . 'They ran over the guy, the guy ended up under the car. For an entire 15 seconds; he was under the tire in a fetal position,' Alexandre Beaulieu told CBC News. Beaulieu told reporters that after the initial collision he saw an officer exit his car, see Blouin was under the wheels, get back into the car and roll over the 48-year-old a second time. Another witness confirmed this. This witness, who said his name was Daniel, also claimed he heard police arrest the man on the floor, while 'he was spitting blood'. Shocking: According to witnesses the cyclist was stuck under the wheels of the police car and seriously wounded . A third witness claims he saw police pick up Blouin and put him in the ambulance without letting paramedics place him on a stretcher. According to the paramedics official account, Blouin conditions worsened on the journey to hospital where he later died. Internal affairs at Quebec City police have said they are to interview witnesses and the officers involved. It was also claimed the officers picked up the bike from the scene after the incident and place it in their trunk, only to place it back at the scene at a later time. | Quebec City police officers under investigation for incident on Wednesday .
Guy Blouin , 48, died after being struck by police car in broad daylight . |
37,164 | 69594f786c934ebdcfc4af1a2db9d703db3fca3a | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 07:30 EST, 24 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:06 EST, 25 October 2012 . David Cameron faces a probe by the statistics watchdog after giving the clearest hint yet that the British economy is out of recession - before official data showed the economy grew by 1.0 per cent. An increasingly buoyant Prime Minister told MPs that after falls in inflation and unemployment 'the good news will keep on coming'. But the Prime Minister faced claims of breaking the law, because senior government figures get to see the economic growth figures 24 hours before they are made public - but must keep them secret. The UK Statistics Authority is now investigating whether the Premier broke the rules. David Cameron said drops in inflation and unemployment would be followed by more positive economic data . Mr Cameron’s remarks have been widely seen as confirmation that the longest double-dip recession since the Second World War is finally over. Economists have predicted that today’s figures will show a return to growth, but Labour accused the PM of ‘playing fast and loose’ with the official data due to be released by the Official for National Statistics at 9.30am today. A spokesman for the UK Statistics Authority said it had received a number of queries about the Prime Minister’s words, adding: 'We are going to look into it.' UKSA chairman Andrew Dilnot has previously called for pre-release access to statistics to be removed. 'I just do not understand how a reasonable person could say that was necessary.'' Yesterday Damian McBride, a former Treasury and Downing Street advisor to Gordon Brown, tweeted: 'Just to be clear, the PM received tmrw's GDP figs at 9.30am today. His "good news" slip will cause a big row with the ONS, maybe more. 'Law is clear: "No indication of their content [may be] disclosed."' Gross domestic product (GDP) - a broad measure for the total economy - grew by a higher than expected 1.0 per cent between July and . September, ending three consecutive quarters of declining output. There has been a run of good economic news for the government in recent weeks. There are now more people in work than at any point since records began in 1971, it emerged last week. The Prime Minister said every new set of good figures sent Labour 'into a complete decline' In the three months to August, . unemployment dropped by 50,000 to 2.53million. Youth unemployment fell . by 62,000 to 957,000, the lowest figure for over a year. And in inflation in September dropped to 2.2 per cent, its lowest level for three years. Labour leader Ed Miliband mocked Mr Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions for a 'disastrous week' which had seen the resignation of his chief whip and the unravelling of an energy policy. But the . PM told the Commons: ‘It's only a bad week if you think it's bad that . unemployment's coming down, it's only a bad week if you regret inflation . coming down.’ He said ‘every piece of good news’ sends Labour ‘into a complete decline’, adding: ‘I can tell him, the good news will keep on coming.’ Downing Street sought to play down the idea that he was referring to today’s GDP figures. But a spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister clearly believes the government has the right policies. The economy is healing.’ However, Labour said Mr Cameron was wrong to pre-empt the ONS. Rachel Reeves, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: 'The Prime Minister seems to have let slip what we already knew – that the Olympics will help Britain finally emerge from the longest double-dip recession since the Second World War. The question is what the underlying growth rate of the economy is when we strip out the one-off Olympics and Bank Holiday effects. 'What really matters for jobs, living standards and the deficit is whether there is a strong and sustained recovery and whether and how we can catch up all the ground we have lost over the last two years. 'Growth of one per cent would simply mean the economy is the same size as a year ago. A one-off boost from the Olympics is no substitute for a long-term strategy and should not breed yet more complacency from David Cameron and George Osborne.' However, Downing Street insisted Mr Cameron was not directly referring to the official figures. Britain emerged from recession in late 2009, but two years later the economy started shrinking again. While the end of the recession will be good news, the British economy is still struggling. Record numbers of people are now in work, according to figures last week. This graph drawn from figures from the Office for National Statistics shows how many have had jobs since 1992 (in thousands) In its latest World Economic Outlook, the Washington-based Fund said it expects the UK economy to shrink by 0.4 per cent this year - far worse than the 0.2 per cent growth forecast in July. The bounce back to growth will also be tempered by warnings about the underlying health of the economy, with the recovery likely to be driven by one-off factors like the Olympics. Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, warned any recovery was looking 'fragile, feeble and far from guaranteed'. 'Looking through the distortions to GDP in the second and third quarter, the likelihood is that the economy is eking out limited growth,' he added. The economy shrank by 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of this year, according to the ONS, which was revised up gradually from an initial estimate of a 0.7 per cent decline. | The Prime Minister said drops in unemployment and inflation would be followed by more positive economic data .
Office for National Statistics today said economy grew by 1.0 per cent .
Ministers are given 24 hours' notice but are supposed to keep them secret .
UK Statistics Authority is investigating whether the PM broke the law . |
250,584 | d04d6da60ebdbe621b592b4ed1e3eb67fb00a9dc | By . Jack Gaughan . Follow @@Jack_Gaughan . Manchester United will give supporters a glimpse of Louis van Gaal in action when they broadcast Holland's friendly against Ecuador live on their in-house channel this Saturday. The Dutch coach is expected to be unveiled as David Moyes' successor next week after the club revealed they would not announce anything immediately. MUTV are handing fans the opportunity to see exactly how Van Gaal is setting up his side ahead of the World Cup - even if they are billing the screening as Robin van Persie coming up against team-mate Antonio Valencia. Watching brief: Manchester United are screening Louis van Gaal's Holland against Ecuador on Saturday . The man to watch: Striker Robin van Persie will play for the Dutch as they prepare for this summer's World Cup . It will be shown at 7.30pm live from the Amsterdam ArenA. Van Persie is Holland's captain and talisman up front, while Valencia provides a potent threat down the right for the South Americans. There is some speculation as to how Van Gaal will operate in Brazil, which could have an impact on how United go about trying to regain their Champions League status next season. His default formation is the popular 4-3-3, but the former Barcelona boss admitted this week that he had spoken to van Persie about a potential switch to 3-5-2. 'I discussed changing the formation with Robin as I talk about these matters with my captain,' he said, while there is talk that the 30-year-old could be handed the armband at Old Trafford this summer as well. I'm here too! Antonio Valencia will maraud down the right hand side for Holland's opponents this weekend . | MUTV to show the Dutch face Antonio Valencia's Ecuador on Saturday .
Robin van Persie will play in the friendly .
Van Gaal is expected to be announced as David Moyes' successor . |
218,395 | a6bb23286d13c124fd1c32fa79efe9235631dff4 | For the man who is synonymous with the vacuum cleaner, it is his crowning glory. After making billions as Britain’s best known engineer, Sir James Dyson has become one of the biggest private landowners in England, surpassing even the Queen. His latest acquisition is the 3,000-acre Cranwell and Roxholme estate in Lincolnshire, bought from the Crown Estate. New direction? There are reports that James Dyson could look into new innovations in farming technology . Home: The entrepreneur has lived for a decade in a manor at Dodington Park, Gloucestershire (pictured) The 67-year-old inventor now owns around 25,000 acres – 5,000 more than the Monarch does in her own right with her 20,000-acre estate in Sandringham. According to Kevin Cahill, author of Who Owns Britain and Ireland, Sir James’s recent purchase has seen his vast estate dwarf those of many members of the aristocracy. He owns almost double the land of the Duke of Bedford, who has an estimated 13,000 acres in Bedfordshire and neighbouring counties, 14,000 acres more than the Duke of Marlborough’s 11,000-acre Oxfordshire estate based at Blenheim, and more than three times the Duke of Wellington’s 7,000-acre Hampshire estate. Sir James, best known for the bagless vacuum cleaner, has declined to reveal how much the land in Lincolnshire cost. Dodington Park's impressive entrance hall - the 18th century Georgian manor boasts 51 rooms in total . Extensive: The Queen's estate at Sandringham, Norfolk (pictured) is among few lands to be owned outright by her in a similar way to a private citizen, while the rest of her land is managed by the Crown Estate . Sprawling: The Sandringham estate. Together with the Balmoral estate, it is privately owned by the monarch . But his Beeswax Farming, believed to be wholly owned by him or his family, is estimated to have land, machinery and property worth £217 million. ‘I grew up in agricultural north Norfolk,’ Sir James, whose fortune is estimated at £3 billion, told The Sunday Times. ‘As a schoolboy and college student I used to spend my holidays working on local farms harvesting potatoes, sprouts, parsley and blackcurrants. 'I’m enjoying farming in Lincolnshire, which is similar to Norfolk.’ His Nocton and Carrington estates are also in Lincolnshire. Sir James’s main home for the past 11 years has been Dodington Park, an 18th century Georgian manor with 51 rooms in Gloucestershire near the headquarters of his engineering firm in Wiltshire. He helped to remodel the 300 acres of parkland and expand its formal gardens. He and his wife Deirdre Hindmarsh also have a £3 million château in France, and a town house in Chelsea. The entrepreneur, who recently announced a £1.25 billion investment drive in new products, including robots which can clean floors and do other chores while homeowners are out, says he hopes Dyson technology can also be harnessed to revolutionise farming techniques. | Incredible feat made possible because Queen owns little land outright .
Only some estates are held in her name - including Sandringham .
Billionaire inventor now owns around 25,000 acres - 5,000 more than Queen .
Sir James said he is 'enjoying farming' as it reminds him of his childhood . |
29,864 | 54f4a8ed59f16da476cb43d0d5ba7586f8b4fe39 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:35 EST, 8 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:19 EST, 8 August 2013 . A Philadelphia judge . upheld murder charges Wednesday against a fundamentalist Christian . couple in their 8-month-old son’s faith-healing death, saying things . might be different if their toddler hadn't died four years ago ‘under . strikingly similar circumstances.’ Herbert . and Catherine Schaible were still on probation after the 2009 death of . their 2-year-old son Kent, for which they were convicted of involuntary . manslaughter. In April, . Brandon Schable died of pneumonia after the couple decided to pray over . the infant rather than take him in for medical care, according to their . police statements. Their probation required them to seek immediate . medical help if another child was sick or injured. Scroll down for video... Prayed to death? A Philadelphia judge upheld murder charges Wednesday against Herbert and Catherine Schaible in the faith-healing death of their 8-month-old son . ‘They learned in the worst possible . way...exactly what these symptoms could lead to in a child, especially a . young child, if not medically cared for,’ Common Pleas Judge Benjamin . Lerner said, referring to the 2009 death of 2-year-old Kent Schaible. ‘We've been here before...under strikingly similar circumstances.’ Defense . lawyer Bobby Hoof argued that Brandon died just three days after he . came down with cold and flu symptoms and said there was no evidence of . malice, as required for third-degree murder. ‘A reasonable parent probably would wait three days to take their child to a doctor,’ said Hoof. Again? The Schaibles had previously been convicted of manslaughter in the 2009 death of their 2-year-old son under circumstances prosecutors called 'eerily similar' ‘We . tried to fight the devil, but in the end the devil won,' the couple . told homicide detectives investigating Brandon’s death, which could have . been prevented with basic medical care. Lerner seemed especially troubled that Brandon had increasingly labored breathing but still got no medical care. He . compared the current case to that of a parent who repeatedly gave a . child peanut butter despite knowing of a potentially deadly allergy to . it. ‘How many times do you . have to do that again before a child dies, and a jury can infer legal . malice?’ Lerner asked. ‘Is it a second time, or is that not enough? Is . it a third time?’ About a . dozen U.S. children die each year when parents turn to faith healing . instead of medicine, typically from highly treatable problems, according . to experts. Faith-healing: First Century Gospel Church, where the parents are members, says using medicine is a sin . Murderers? Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, announces Herbert and Catherine Schaible would be charged with murder. The judge upheld the charge Wednesday, despite strong objection from the defense . The . Schaibles are third-generation members and former teachers at the First . Century Gospel Church, a small, insular congregation in northeast . Philadelphia. ‘We believe in . divine healing, that Jesus...died on the cross to break the devil's . power,’ Herbert Schaible told homicide detectives after Brandon died. Philadelphia . District Attorney Seth Williams said the care was never given and . decided to bring murder charges against the couple. Their remaining seven children have been placed in foster care. Extreme: Pastor Nelson Clark of the First Century Gospel Church tells followers to shun 21-century medicine for the power of prayer . ‘He . is incarcerated because of his faith,’ said lawyer Bobby Hoof in May . when the couple was ordered held without bail. He described client . Herbert Schaible's mindset as resolute. ‘We . believe in divine healing, that Jesus shed blood for our healing and . that he died on the cross to break the devil's power,’ Herbert Schaible . told Philadelphia homicide detectives in April. Medicine, he said, ‘is . against our religious beliefs.’ ‘These . are people who have been brought up in these communities; their beliefs . are reinforced every day,’ said Shawn Francis Peters, a University of . Wisconsin lecturer who has studied faith-healing deaths. ‘They're not trained intellectually to question these doctrines, where . the rest of us might engage in critical inquiry, weighing the benefits . of medicine versus the benefits of prayer,’ he said. Peters . isn't sure that courts have the means to prevent the problem, since . such people don't fear legal punishment, only Judgment Day. Some believe . death ‘is a good outcome,’ given their belief in the afterlife, he . said. ‘They don't want . to harm their children. They're just in this particularly narrow - and . very, very dangerous - way misguided about the potential of medical . science,’ he said. He . believes that ‘empathetic’ intervention, through dialogue between church . and public health educators, could help some ‘get to a point where they . allow their beliefs and practices to evolve.’ But there's also a risk that could backfire, and drive these communities further underground, he said. It is estimated that around a dozen U.S. children die in faith-healing cases each year, a handful of which spawn criminal charges, according to experts. The First Century Gospel Church of Philadelphia’s teachings has clashed with authorities in the past. In 1991, eight children died in a measles outbreak. All the parents were members of either First Century Gospel Church or the nearby Faith Tabernacle of Nicetown which also preaches faith-healing. Dale and Shannon Hickman were part of a string of faith-based healing related deaths in Oregon in recent years. They were sentenced to 6 years in prison in the death of their home-born son in 2011 . In 2011, Dale and Shannon Hickman of Oregon were sentenced to 75 months in prison after turning to faith healing to say their premature newborn, which was born in a family home, died from complications that could have easily been averted with medical care. Also in Oregon, Jeff and Marci Beagley, were sentenced to 16 months in 2010 for the death of their 16-year-old son. The couple refused to use medicine for their son Neil, who was suffering from a preventable urinary tract blockage. Instead, they prayed and used anointing oils in the hope of divine intervention. 'Too many children have died unnecessarily - a graveyard full,' Judge Steven Maurer said at their sentencing. 'This has to stop.' Oregon has since banned faith healing as a defense against murder charges. | Eight-month-old Brandon Schaible died from bacterial pneumonia .
The Schaibles were on probation after their two-year-old son Kent died of pneumonia in 2009 .
Schaibles belong to fundamentalist Christian church, which teaches that it's a sin to rely on modern medicine over prayer . |
135,827 | 3bb7952064f001ecfd2542390017f2b54026de2d | Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Yemen foiled an al Qaeda plot to capture oil and gas facilities and seize two key southern ports early this week, a spokesman for the prime minister said Wednesday. However, another Yemeni government official said it did not appear that the plot was the terror threat that prompted the United States on Tuesday to urge Americans to leave the country. That official, who was not authorized to speak to the media, downplayed the report of the plot disruption, saying that "these are ongoing threats to oil and gas installations in Yemen." Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula "has neither the manpower nor the capabilities to capture ports or seize pipelines," the official said. "Security precautions are always in place regarding all oil installations and energy infrastructure in Yemen." News of the foiled plot comes after the United States, acting on intelligence information, issued a worldwide travel alert and closed a number of embassies and consulates over large areas of the Middle East and Africa this week. Rajeh Badi, a spokesman for Yemen's prime minister, said that Yemen "ended an al Qaeda plot to attack strategic locations in Mukalla and Shabwa," referring to a Yemeni port city and a southern province. "Large numbers of government forces are making sure the Yemeni coasts are safe from any al Qaeda attack. Al Qaeda sought to attack the oil pipelines, but failed and tried to attack through the coast of Mukalla but failed as well," he said. However, the state news agency Saba denied there was ever an al Qaeda plot to take over Mukalla. It cited a security source it did not name. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. Embassy there remains closed "because we believe that a threat remains." On Tuesday, two U.S. military transport aircraft landed in Yemen to evacuate American citizens. The UK Foreign Office has also withdrawn its embassy staff. A senior Yemeni Interior Ministry official told CNN that "a few" al Qaeda operatives arrived in Sanaa over the past three days, which has forced government authorities to put Yemeni forces on high alert. The official could not be named, as he is not authorized to speak to the media. "We are confident that government security forces will be able to stop any attack from taking place in Sanaa, but the militants do have a good history of operating in Sanaa," he said Tuesday. "It's not a secret that al Qaeda also has sleeper cells in Sanaa," the source said. Bergen: What's behind timing of terror threat . Evacuation troubles Yemen ministry . Psaki said Tuesday that the United States has "a close partnership" with Yemen and that Secretary of State John Kerry had spoken with President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi to thank him for his efforts. But in a sign of possible tensions with its international allies, Yemen's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the evacuation of embassies "serves the interests of the extremists" and undermined its efforts. List of U.S. embassies and consulates closed this week . "Yemen has taken all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of foreign missions in the capital Sanaa," a statement said Tuesday. "While the government of Yemen appreciates foreign governments' concern for the safety of their citizens, the evacuation of embassy staff serves the interests of the extremists and undermines the exceptional cooperation between Yemen and the international alliance against terrorism." Meanwhile, Sanaa residents told CNN of their concern about long-term security issues and fears of possible U.S. intervention in Yemen. University student Sara al-Shibani said she felt Yemen had no option but to concede to "international powers," since the country is weak and poor. She also worries that "many Yemenis will die because of ... foreign involvement in Yemeni politics." "The United States is making Yemenis feel that we are ... the next Afghanistan," said local banker Nasser al-Maqdashi. Drone strikes kill 6; helicopter shot down . Six militants in separate vehicles were killed in two drone strikes in Shabwa province Wednesday morning, according to several official sources in Yemen not authorized to be named. This was the fifth such strike in two weeks, and the second in Shabwa. A local security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNN that he does not believe any of those killed were senior al-Qaeda members. The latest strikes came a day after a pair of suspected U.S. drone strikes killed four al Qaeda militants in Yemen. Security sources told CNN about those strikes but didn't offer additional details. None of those killed Tuesday were among the 25 names on the country's most-wanted list, security officials said. It was unclear whether Tuesday's strikes were related to the security alert in place in the country since U.S. officials intercepted a message from al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to operatives in Yemen telling them to "do something." The message was sent to Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the leader of AQAP, the terror group's Yemeni affiliate. U.S. intelligence believes al-Wuhayshi has recently been appointed the overall terror organization's No. 2 leader. Security Clearance blog: What al Qaeda wants to do . Three sources told CNN that the United States has information that members of AQAP are in the final stages of planning for an unspecified attack. Recent jailbreaks in Pakistan, Iraq and Libya all have the fingerprints of al Qaeda operations. Meanwhile, a Yemeni government official not authorized to speak to media told CNN that a Yemeni military helicopter was shot down in Mareb province Tuesday. He said that the helicopter had been inspecting the country's main oil pipeline -- one that has been subject to repeated attacks -- and added Wednesday that "AQAP is now the prime suspect." At least eight people were killed, including the 107th Brigade commander, six army escorts and at least one crew member, he said. AQAP's recent attacks have included a suicide bombing on a pro-government militia in the south in March that killed 12, and an attempted suicide bombing attack on a gas pumping facility in the port city of Balhaf in June. In July, several soldiers were killed by a bomb in Sanaa after a lull in attacks in the capital. AQAP has not mounted a large-scale suicide attack on Yemen's security forces since May 2012, when more than 100 soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber as they trained for a parade in Sanaa. Many of AQAP's operatives, including its leadership, retreated into remote areas after the Yemeni military offensive last year and regrouped. The Yemeni security forces, extensively reorganized under Hadi, have over the past 18 months recaptured swathes of territory that were briefly held by AQAP, particularly in the south of the country. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom reported from Beirut and journalist Hakim Almasmari from Sanaa, while Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. CNN's Elise Labott, Barbara Starr, Tim Lister and Paul Cruickshank contributed to this report. | NEW: The state news agency denies there was a plan to take over Mukalla .
A Yemeni official says the foiled plot doesn't appear linked to the threat that concerned the U.S.
"Yemen has taken all necessary precautions" for safety, the government says .
Two drone strikes in southern Shabwa kill six militants . |
41,691 | 7594576249ad5a806470808d2a88128bd1019b02 | By . Jennifer Newton . A New York prison officer with 16 inch biceps has been crowned a champion arm wrestler while working in one of America's most notorious jails. Vinny Vetere, 46, has claimed multiple state and international arm wrestling titles while working his day job as a correctional officer at Rikers Island, home to more than 12,000 inmates. Officers at the city's Department of Correction maintain order and discipline at the facility and are in charge of the care, custody and control of inmates. Scroll down for video . Vinny Vetere, who has 16 inch biceps and has claimed numerous state and international arm wrestling titles . By day Mr Vetere works at Rikers Island, a correctional facility housing 12,000 inmates. He says he started arm wrestling as a way of keeping up his strength so he could deal with riot situations at work . Mr Vetere shows off his medals won at the various arm wrestling tournaments he has taken part in . Mr Vetere, from Long Island, New York, initially began arm wrestling competitively as a way to keep his strength up for riot situations and other disorder while he was at work. But after a superior invited him to represent the department at the New York State Police Olympics he jumped at the chance - and even went on to compete internationally. He has ruthlessly swept opponents aside scooping four New York State Police Olympic titles, one International Law Enforcement Games title and one Empire State title - the latter open to all New Yorkers instead of just law enforcement. Vinny, who is 5'8" weighs 198lbs (14 stone) and has 16 inch biceps is now gearing up to compete in the 37th Big Apple Grapple International Championships on Sunday. Mr Vetere sometimes spend a whole day training by lifting weights and working with other arm wrestlers . The correctional officer is also trained in martial arts as part of his job at one of America's most notorious jails . He said: 'I compete to win and I compete to go to work - I need to be in good shape as my life is on the line as well as my partners life being on the line. 'I have to look out for him and he has to look out for me so we can't be going in half-hearted otherwise somebody is going to get hurt. 'Each day a correction officer is given a housing area of between 50 to 100 inmates and we have to patrol that area, check the bathrooms and day rooms to make sure they are all secure and nobody is out of control. 'One day it can be really quiet and the next there might be an outbreak - so being prepared is vital. Mr Vetere competing when he was younger. He started competing competitively when he was invited to take part in the New York State Police Olympics . The prison officer is 5'8", weighs 198lbs (14 stone) but has massive 16inch biceps . 'Through work I was trained in martial arts. I was given top notch training from black belts whether it be stood up or on the ground - it was the best of the best. 'At home I still do a lot of cardio and will sometimes spend a whole day lifting weights and working with other arm wrestlers. Some days I can't even lift my arm - so I make sure I don't have to go to work that day. 'I compete to go against the strongest guy - I want to beat the best guy out there. Being in competitions against these huge guys with my heart booming and people cheering us on is such a thrill.' What started off as playground fun for Vinny - a member of the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association - soon grew into a passion. Mr Vetere smiles on his way to victory in one of his early bouts when he first started competing . He says he wants to compete to go against the strongest guy. Mr Vetere added 'I want to beat the best guy out there' The correctional officer is taking part in the Big Apple Grapple International Championships on Sunday . One of Mr Vetere's first encounters of arm wrestline came when he was invited to take on a local champion in a classic showdown under a bridge. He lost within seconds in front of crowds of school friends but was taken under the wing of his opponent who trained him up and taught him techniques so he could beat people bigger than him. He added: 'I was taught these pretty advanced techniques from a young age so I had time to practice them - I used to be smaller so trained extra hard to beat all these huge guys. 'I took a couple of years out now and then throughout my career but every time I couldn't wait to get back. I'm still unbeaten against law enforcement but I know I won't be able to go on forever - but that won't stop me trying.' | Vinny Vetere works at America's notorious Rikers Island Prison .
He took up arm wrestling to help him with riot situations at work .
Training means the 46-year-old from Long Island now has 16 inch biceps .
Has claimed multiple state and international arm wrestling titles .
Competing at the Big Apple Grapple International championship on Sunday . |
224,964 | af4acf6d048310d77a58e95105d06af2825685c3 | London, England (CNN) -- Estelle: Back To Love . Estelle is one prime example of how UK talent is taking the world by storm. When I met her at the 2004 MOBO Awards, where she won the Best Newcomer award, I felt she was going to become an international sensation. Now a three-time MOBO award winner, she seems to get better and better each time she releases new material. She recently created a free mixtape called "AOM: The Prequel," which could have easily been another record, but the song that I just love is "Back To Love." The track's message can come across a bit upsetting since it's about her ex-boyfriend moving on. But Estelle makes you think of the bigger picture and doesn't dwell on the past but looks to the future. It is the perfect message to convey. KOF: Be Like You . KOF is an artist who shows it's not just the artists from London who have a big future ahead of them. We rate the young man from Liverpool so highly that we made sure MOBO TV shot an acoustic session with him and one of the songs we were lucky enough to hear live was "Be Like You." The singer/songwriter's second single is getting huge support from the UK radio stations like 1Xtra and Choice FM, and rightly so. He is re-injecting true soul music back in the public eye and I can only support this as soul music is the first genre of music I fell in love with. It was one of the reasons why I started up the MOBO Awards in 1996. Apart from, of course, Adele, there are not enough musicians out there who can really touch your innerself like the greats, such as Aretha Franklin, could many years ago. Obviously, these artists are plying their trade in the UK, but KOF, however, is getting the recognition he deserves quicker than most. Mary J Blige: 25/8 . One of my favorite all-time artists Mary J Blige returned this year. I was so happy to see the release of her new album "My Life II ... The Journey Continues Act 1" as she seems to be back to her best. One of R&B's most important and critically-acclaimed artists, she has had many problems in her personal life, but with pain comes acceptance, then joy, and Mary is able to put them all behind her to create some of the best R&B songs to come out of America in the past 20 years. "25/8" is a track that meets all of the criteria of what Mary J Blige is all about. It's soul meets hip hop with her rough vocals complementing the track. It's safe to say nobody in the world could cover a Mary J Blige song and get the same raw and powerful emotion. A true great among us and like a fine wine, only gets better with age. Labrinth ft Tinie Tempah: Earthquake . Probably the nicest man in the music business, Labrinth has become a big name in the music business without even releasing records, but producing some of the UK scene's most successful tracks in the past couple of years. He was the mastermind behind Tinie Tempah's hits "Pass Out," "Frisky" and "Wonderman," as well as putting his mark on Ms Dynamite's comeback single "Neva Soft" and Yasmin's hit "Finish Line." After giving us a little taste of what Labrinth the artist is about last year with "Let The Sunshine," the man from Hackney brought the year to a standstill with his new track "Earthquake." Featuring the amazing Tinie Tempah, the whole song from start to finish displays a new level of excitement and constantly surprises you since it works on so many levels. When the song goes to a standstill and you hear a dark version of the chorus before the beat kicks in is a stroke of genius that only Labrinth could come up with. Not to mention, the video is surreal! 2012 will be a big year for Labrinth. Kimbra: Settle Down . Kimbra is a surprise choice of mine as about a month ago, I didn't know she existed. But our new website editor brought her to my attention as he listens to a wide range of genres and played a song by Gotye in the office called "Somebody I Used To Know," which features Kimbra. Apparently she experiments with jazz and soul music so I gave her a listen and now I can't get enough of her track "Settle Down." The young New Zealander reminds me of a young Nina Simone with a voice that doesn't suit her at all since it seems like her vocal chords have aged beyond her current time. I believe in finding new artists as you can't just live in the past when it comes to music. Music styles will change and it's important for us to keep up to date with the new sounds. I predict Kimbra is going to be around for a long time. The opinions in this piece are solely those of Kanya King. | Kanya King launched the Music of Black Origin awards in 1996 .
King chooses her five favorite current artists and one of their recent tracks .
Choices include Mary J. Blige and Estelle . |
150,654 | 4ec6109f7a2c024f1c35214cb0cf69a4c6768629 | (CNN) -- China's young golfers mixed the rough with the smooth on an historic day at the China Open on Thursday. Ye Wocheng underlined China's prodigious golfing talent as he teed off to become the youngest player in the history of the European Tour at the age of 12 years and 242 days. It was also a day to remember for another of China's young talent pool as 16-year-old Dou Zecheng signed for an impressive two-under-par 70 in Tianjin. "I was bit nervous at the start, had a bogey on the third but then came back really well with four birdies," said Dou, who was joint 11th after the first day's play in a group including compatriot Bin Yan. "This is obviously by far the biggest event I have ever entered, so I am very excited to be part of it. "This is a very long, tough course for me. On a couple of the longer par fours, I need to hit my wood from the fairway to have any chance of reaching the greens. "I hit a bit of a top off the first tee and only carried it 230 yards, but it was okay because I still got a par." Ye also made a solid start on the back nine at the Binhai Lake Golf Club, holing a birdie at the par-four 14th to cancel out his dropped shot on the 13th to card a creditable 38 at the turn. But the schoolboy from the southern manufacturing hub of Dongguan lost momentum over the front nine, dropping five bogeys for a final seven-over-par score of 79. Ye, who balances his homework with his golfing career, now faces a battle to survive the halfway cut at the $3.2 million tournament. "It's the first time I've played with a baby!" said his 35-year-old Spanish playing partner Jose Manual Lara. "I think I was playing on the computer at 12, not playing in a big tournament on the European Tour. "He's definitely got something about him. He knows how to manage himself out on the course, and I'm sure he's going to go a long way in the game. "He hits it a long way for his age and he's got a very good short game. I was impressed with him." The 15-year-old Bai Zhengkai, who earned his place in the field after winning the China Junior Match Play Championship, finished the day on 11 over. They are following in the footsteps of Guan Tianlang, who drew global focus on China's young talent with his sensational Masters debut last month. The 14-year-old made the halfway cut as the youngest player to enter the prestigious major and finished as Augusta's leading amateur. Tianlang was invited to play at the PGA Tour event in New Orleans last week, where he also made the cut but then finished 71st -- bottom of the players who made it to the weekend rounds. Back at the China Open, Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen held the first-round lead after a late birdie run took the 39-year-old to a six-under 66. Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and Australian Brett Rumford were tied for second two shots further back. Former British Open champion Paul Lawrie was still in the hunt on 69 but Europe's new Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley finished four over for the day. Woods ruling . Meanwhile, golf's governing bodies have backed the decision by officials at the Masters not to disqualify Tiger Woods from last month's tournament even though the world No. 1 was found guilty of infringing the rules. Augusta's rules committee deemed Woods had violated one of golf's ball-drop rules during the second round and handed him a two-stroke penalty. But there had been calls for Woods to be disqualified from the tournament after he incorrectly signed for a round of 71. The 14-time major winner hit a shot on the 15th hole that ricocheted off the flagstick and bounced into a pond. Woods took a drop but later conceded he had not taken the drop at the same place as the original spot -- an infringement that warrants a two-shot penalty. At the time, officials determined Woods hadn't broken any rules and so did not disqualify Woods for signing an improper scorecard because it made its "initial determination prior to the finish of the player's round." It was only under further scrutiny from the television coverage -- prompted by an inquiry from a viewer -- that Woods was retrospectively punished, but was not penalized for the incorrectly signed scorecard. The R&A and the U.S. Golf Association supported the decision made at Augusta -- but stressed it should not set a precedent for future incidents. The joint statement explained: "In returning his score card, Woods had breached Rule 6-6d by returning a score (6) for the 15th hole that was lower than his actual score (8). "The penalty for such a breach of Rule 6-6d is disqualification. Under Rule 33-7, a committee has discretion to waive that penalty in 'exceptional individual cases.' The Committee elected to invoke that discretion and waived Woods' penalty of disqualification. "The Decisions on the Rules of Golf authorize a committee to correct an incorrect decision before the competition has closed, and they establish that where a Committee incorrectly advises a competitor, before he returns his scorecard, that he has incurred no penalty, and then subsequently corrects its mistake, it is appropriate for the committee to waive the disqualification penalty. "The Woods ruling was based on exceptional facts and should not be viewed as a general precedent for relaxing or ignoring a competitor's essential obligation under the Rules to return a correct score card." | Ye Wocheng becomes youngest European Tour player in history at the China Open .
The 12-year-old finishes first round on seven over par and in danger of missing cut .
Chinese 16-year-old Dou Zecheng signs for an impressive two-under-par 70 .
Golf's global authorities back decision not to disqualify Tiger Woods at the Masters . |
207,183 | 983fc0497663d2fc2443c23b322d06b33a9fbbf8 | It's largely devoid of human life, dark and viciously cold at times and frequently subject to dangerous levels of geological volatility -- the Arctic is surely the worst possible destination for an arts festival. That hasn't put off the organizers of SALT -- an event aimed at bringing entertainment to remote regions while showcasing the bleak but beautiful landscapes to new audiences. If that doesn't sound tough enough -- the event is due to last for eight years. And it gets underway as winter approaches. "Ninety percent of festivals are in the summer when the weather is hopefully nice," says Erlend Mogard-Larsen, a veteran festival organizer who, with Norwegian curator Helga-Marie Nordby, is SALT's driving force. "We're interested in the possibilities across the year in these regions, especially when the light dwindles in December. We want to use nature to make this event." Nordby says the festival is an attempt to explore the "Arctic state of mind" using landscapes as a gateway into local lifestyles. The program features performances from the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, Norwegian DJ Are Mokkelbost, and Ensemble Ylajali, a female vocal group from Bodo, Norway. The headline act -- at least until February 2015 -- is an outdoor film installation by Chinese filmmaker and artist Yang Fudong, the first of what Nordby hopes will be numerous international contributions. Supersized sauna . Although SALT kicks off on August 29 on Sandhornoya Island, in northern Norway, just as the last warmth of summer evaporates, the festival has a steamy secret weapon up its sleeve. It'll debut "Amfi," a giant insulated amphitheater that will host film screenings, seminars and larger concerts. When the weather gets particularly rough, the facility transforms into a sauna, releasing enough sweltering heat for 120 people. SALT will spend a year on Sandhornoya before moving to destinations including Greenland, Alaska, Ireland, Scotland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland. Wooden structures have already begun to populate the island. Along a two-kilometer beach strip, colossal fish racks mirroring the region's age-old trading culture will double as a performance arenas for artists. Festival-goers will also be invited to exchange their tents with a "njalla," a tiny mobile hut kitted out with a glass roof to view the northern lights. Instead of the usual festival unhealthy fast food selection, there'll be fresh fish and ethically sourced meat. Well-equipped cabins . Nordby says one of SALT's goals is to show participants how the Arctic's peripatetic population has traditionally lived in harmony with its environment. "Nature is quite vulnerable in these regions and this was of course the knowledge that the nomads had," she says. "Their way of living was really about 'living with this' and using nature in a very sustainable and careful way." Of course, unlike festival-goers, these nomads weren't residing in cabins equipped with comfy bunks and wood-burning stoves. "The idea behind the project is to embrace the philosophy of movement here, when we are moving around to Greenland, Iceland or wherever we are going, we want make as few footprints as possible," says Nordby. "People living up here have always brought their houses and belongings with them on a constant basis -- they had to move," says Mogard-Larsen. "It's actually very hard to see the people who have been living here ... footprints are few." The roughness of the weather coupled with the scenery's beauty make for an experience that's sure to astound and revitalize bored metropolitans -- provided their huts don't get blown to pieces. Nordby says that city dwellers can learn a lot from the living conditions of Arctic territories. She says that swapping their worlds of dwindling leisure time and excessive working hours for lands where elk and deer populations far exceed humans will help them gain a new sense of perspective. "Most of us who live in big cities have this feeling of fragmentation, this loss of something to hold on to," she says. "When you reach this beach and come to this place ... there is something happening with you, you get the feeling that you're part of something so much bigger than yourself." The SALT festival comes at a particularly significant time for the Arctic. Several countries are eyeing the untapped resources that lie dormant under its mounds of ice and rocky land, while climate change is affecting the region at twice the rate of the rest of the world. Climate fluctuation . Trekking across Norway throughout 2011 and 2012, Nordby and Mogard-Larsen were astounded by the climate's fluctuations. Nordby recalls the sensitive landscapes. "When it comes to climate change and environmental challenges you can see this very clearly in the Arctic. We have these huge ice mountains that are melting, every year huge parts of these areas are gone," she says. "We also see it in the extreme weather -- northern Norway is usually quite rough in the summer season, but now, it's been 30 degrees (86F) almost all summer. It's crazy, it shouldn't be 30 degrees up here!" The pair say the planet's northern reaches act as a true barometer for global warming, and as the region is exposed to a wider audience, its changing landscape won't be so easily ignored. "The way we live today across the world means that we're shortening the future," says Nordby. "This landscape is reminding us of something that we need to be reminded of." SALT Festival will debut on the island of Sandhornoya, Norway, running from August 29, 2014 to September 6, 2015. | SALT Festival to kick off on the Norwegian island of Sandhornoya from August 29 .
Organizers hope the eight-year event will draw attention to the beauty and fragility of Arctic region .
Events will move from Norway to Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Alaska . |
179,298 | 74238a4934207c0342cbef5b23d57d6a94e957ca | By . Margot Peppers . PUBLISHED: . 17:11 EST, 26 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:56 EST, 9 September 2013 . Tommy Hilfiger has worked in the fashion industry since the tender age of 17, but it seems he is finally ready for a change of scenery. In the latest issue of Haute Living New York, the 62-year-old fashion mogul strikes a pose with his wife and muse, 46-year-old Dee, as he jokes that he's 'sick of fashion'. He says of his decades in the industry: 'I've been doing it for too long,' adding: 'My real passion is flipping houses.' Happy couple: In the latest issue of Haute Living New York, Tommy Hilfiger strikes a pose with his wife and muse, 46-year-old Dee, in their Greenwich, Connecticut home as he jokes that he's 'sick of fashion' The designer was referring to his sprawling property in Greenwich, Connecticut, which he and his wife have been renovating for the past few months. The photo shoot sees the designer getting cosy in his temporary home with his wife of five years, a former model, whom he says is also his muse. 'Every time we do a collection I think about what would look good on her, what she would wear and how she would wear it,' Mr Hilfiger explains. Dee may inspire him now, but the . designer goes on to confess that there was a time when he let trends get in the way of . his personal aesthetic, much to the chagrin of his customers. 'In the Nineties I was chasing the modern minimalist trend,' he recalls in the interview. 'So I . tried to make the line more modern and sleek.' 'Every time we do a collection I think about what would look good on Dee, how she'd wear it' But the design change backfired. 'My customers completely . pushed back,' he says. 'They really wanted to stay with preppy, colorful, cool . designs. It was hard to rebound from that. 'Luckily I made the mistake and . came back to who I really am,' added the father-of-five. Judging by the photo shoot, Mr Hilfiger and his wife are more than just an artist and his muse. Inspiration: 'Every time we do a collection I think about what would look good on her, what she would wear and how she would wear it,' Mr Hilfiger said of his wife of five years . The couple look happy and in-love as they pose on a sofa, in a sailboat and next to a vintage car together. But the chemistry wasn't always so evident between the pair; indeed, Mrs Hilfiger reveals that when she was first introduced to the designer in St Tropez in 2005, she assumed he was gay. Sparks flew shortly thereafter, however, when the pair bonded over a cause that is close to both of their hearts: autism. 'Love at second sight': The couple look happy and in-love in the images, but Mrs Hilfiger revealed that when she was first introduced to the designer in St Tropez in 2005, she assumed he was gay . 'We both have children from our prior marriages on the autism spectrum so that was one of the things we bonded over,' explained Dee, whose two teenage sons are from her first marriage to Italian tennis player Gianni Ocleppo. The couple have since collaborated on fundraisers and public service announcements, and share projects and ideas with each other. 'It was love at second sight,' jokes Dee. 'The smartest business decision I ever made was to find a niche in the market and stick to it' Though the designer sold the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation to Phillips-Van Heusen in 2010, he still maintains control over the brand's distinctive, all-American designs. 'The smartest business decision I ever made was to find a niche in the market and stick to it over a long period of time,' he told the magazine. 'The second smartest was to bring in great partners,' he said. 'It was like a band - you needed a guitarist, a drummer, a bass player and a singer.' Past mistakes: Dee may inspire him now, but the designer confessed there was a time when he let trends get in the way of his personal aesthetic, much to the chagrin of his customers . Despite his long-running success, however, Mr Hilfiger still sometimes gets mistaken for his fellow designer, Ralph Lauren. In the magazine, he recounts one time when a man came up to him in a restaurant . to tell him he had just bought 'a bunch of shirts' at his store. The man apparently told him: 'That's all I wear. I love your shirts. . . I love the horse,' referring to the animal logo on Ralph Lauren . apparel. Instead of correcting him, Mr Hilfiger - who admits he has gotten used to the comparison ever since he began letting his hair go white - says he 'smiled politely, and said, "Oh, thank you very much."' | The designer, 62, told Haute Living New York that his real passion is flipping houses . |
221,998 | ab58d0ab2bdfffbbfc85bb0bca7d9c4736f9815f | By . Tamara Abraham . PUBLISHED: . 09:13 EST, 21 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:54 EST, 21 January 2013 . The First Daughters coordinated in bright shades of purple today as they watched their father sworn in for his second term as President. Proving they have inherited the same sartorial instincts as their mother, Malia, 14, and Sasha, 11, looked elegant in bright tailored outerwear that set off their mother's navy Thom Browne dress-coat. Holding her own among the A-list guests, which included Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson, Malia chose amethyst J Crew - the same label she and her sister wore for her father's first swearing-in ceremony four years ago. Mingling with the stars: Michelle Obama is pictured with (from left) her mother Marian Robinson, and daughters Sasha, 11, and Malia, 14, in congratulating Beyonce on her performance today . Best of friends: Mrs Obama greets Beyonce after she performs the National Anthem during the public ceremonial inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol . She teamed it with an oxblood snood, . tights and ballerina flats, and navy gloves which picked out the shade . of the blue dress she wore beneath. In turn, Sasha earned style stripes of her own in a full-skirted lavender Kate Spade coat and a dress from the same label. The bright stuff: We had a first look at Malia and Sasha's coordinated outfits as they arrived at a Washington D.C. church with their parents this morning . Quality time with grandma: Sasha (center) and Malia (right) were seated with grandmother, Marian Robinson . At ease: Cheeky Sasha leans over to her mother - clad in Thom Browne - as she and her sister prepare to take their seats for today's ceremony . She also seems to have inherited . Michelle's love of the statement necklace, sporting a bejeweled number . that could well have been borrowed from her mom's jewelry box. The New York-based label was thrilled to see the youngster in its creations. Deborah . Lloyd, President and Creative Director of Kate Spade New York told . MailOnline: 'It is an honor that Sasha Obama chose to wear Kate Spade . New York. 'She epitomizes the youthful optimism and . colorful spirit of the brand. We are so proud to have been a part of . this historic moment.' Capturing the moment: Both girls clutched iPhones, complete with novelty covers, to record photos from the memorable day . iHistory: The President and the First Lady seemed as keen for Malia to capture one particular shot as she was . J Crew was equally proud, tweeting: 'So proud to be part of history today.' But though the occasion was formal - and the Obama girls certainly looked the part - it seems the atmosphere was relaxed. Sasha could be seen leaning over to talk to her mother, and sharing a joke with her big sister before the ceremony began. Color scheme: Malia wore an amethyst J Crew coat with an oxblood snood, tights and ballerina flats. Her navy leather leather gloves picked out the color of her royal blue dress, peeking from beneath the hem of her coat . Earning her style stripes: Sasha wore a lavender Kate Spade coat with a purple full-skirted dress with wide horizontal stripes. She seems to have inherited Michelle's love of the statement necklace too . Now and then: The girls' bright outfits were as much a highlight of today's inauguration (left) as they were in 2009 (right), when they were both dressed in custom J Crew . Michelle could be seen talking Malia . through the proceedings, and afterwards, the sisters were on-hand to . give their father a congratulatory hug. Both girls carried iPhones - complete . with novelty covers - and could even be seen recording their own . version of events by taking their own snaps. Proud: Malia and Sasha look on as their father, U.S. President Barack Obama takes the Oath of Office . Congratulations! The President embraces daughter Sasha after being sworn in for a second term . Mother-daughter moment: Malia and Michelle observe the crowd during the ceremony . We had a first glimpse of Michelle, Malia and Sasha's outfits this morning, when they joined the Preisdent and maternal grandmother for a . moment of quiet reflection ahead of a day filled with festivities. Keeping with her navy theme from yesterday, Michelle Obama once again stepped out in a tailored navy coat this morning by Thom Browne. According to NBC News' White House . Correspondent, Kristen Welker, Mrs Obama's Thom Browne coat was made . from fabric specifically developed to mimic the style of a man’s silk . tie. Elegant: The First Lady teamed her Thom Browne ensemble with a necklace designed by Cathy Waterman, and J Crew shoes (left). Later, she changed into boots and added a J Crew belt (right) Thom Browne is still best known as a menswear designer, and he often channels classic male style aesthetics for his womenswear line - with an outright feminine twist, like Mrs Obama's nipped-in waist and bell-shaped hem. The designer told the New York Times' Eric Wilson: 'It's one of those moments when I just can't believe that happened.' The First Lady teamed the outfit with a necklace designed by Cathy Waterman, and J Crew belt and shoes. Early glimpse: We had a first look at Malia and Sasha's coordinated outfits as they arrived at a Washington D.C. church with their parents this morning . Looking sharp: Michelle and her daughters' coats all echoed the same fitted, full-skirted silhouette . The hues of today's looks echoed the colors they wore yesterday, when Michelle wore dark blue-and-black Reed Krakoff, Malia . recycled a royal blue H&M dress, and Sasha wore a dusky pink frock . with a high-waisted gold belt. The President attended the service this morning at St. John's Episcopal Church with Vice President Joe Biden. Thousands of elated supporters have already streamed into the nation's . sunlit capital ahead of the festivities, just hours after Obama was . sworn into office in a low key ceremony on Sunday. Running theme: The Obama family's outfits today echoed the colors of their looks yesterday, when Michelle wore dark blue Reed Krakoff, Malia wore royal blue H&M, and Sasha wore a dusky pink frock with a gold belt . How they've changed: Malia and Sasha, pictured on January 20, 2009, dressed in custom J Crew . VIDEO: Malia and Sasha Obama take their place on the Capitol steps . | Malia chose J Crew, the same label she and her sister wore for her father's first swearing-in ceremony four years ago .
Sasha earned style stripes of her own in a lavender Kate Spade coat . |
59,146 | a7e207fde5dfcadff241584fe293005edb311043 | The lawyer of 7th Heaven actor Stephen Collins, who has been accused of sexually abusing young girls, says the 67-year-old's estranged wife tried to get a witness to lie in their divorce proceedings. Wife Faye Grant allegedly demanded a witness tell the judge that she saw Collins molest a girl, but the witness did not see the incident and refused to testify, his attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan told TMZ. The nation was shocked yesterday when the gossip site released recordings from a marriage therapy session between Collins and Grant, where the actor admits to exposing himself to at least three young girls between the ages of 10 and 13. It appears Collins had some advance warning that the tapes were going to be released, as he was photographed talking nervously on the phone at New York's JFK airport on Monday, in images obtained by Inside Edition. It has now been revealed that the couple are fighting over more than $14million in their bitter divorce, and Collins' lawyer claims Grant has been trying to sell the tape for years in an attempt to get more alimony. Scroll down for video . Bitter divorce: Faye Grant, estranged wife of 7th Heaven actor Stephen Collins, allegedly tried to get a witness to testify that her husband molested a young girl, but the person in question refused to appear in court because they did not witness the incident. The couple are currently in the middle of a bitter divorce and on Tuesday, audio recordings were released in which Collins admits to molesting at least three girls between the ages of 10 and 13 . Among the assets detailed in divorce papers are $5million in property, Collins' $16,000 Rolex; $40,000 in art, Collins' $100,000 vintage guitar collection. In the documents, Grant adds that she has been left unable to support herself since she spent her peak acting careers at home taking care of their daughter and that she hasn't been able to book a job. But Collins' attorney claims that Grant has been racking up $20- and $40,000 dollar a month credit card bills, and having her estranged husband foot the bill. Grant herself says she did not release the tapes, but did give them to law enforcement two years ago just after the therapy session happened. Since the tapes were released this morning, reruns of 7th Heaven have been pulled from UP TV, and Collins lost his small role in the Ted sequel . She made even more explosive claims about her soon-to-be-ex husband on Wednesday, saying he had incestuous thoughts about their unborn child while she was pregnant. She says just before giving birth, Collins told her how glad he was they were having a girl, who they named Kate, instead of a boy who he may have sexually abused. 'The comment you made just before I gave birth to our daughter when you said you hoped we didn't have a little boy, because "you just didn't know if you could keep his little penis out of your mouth" was indication enough that you were sick,' Grant wrote in the email obtained by TMZ. 'I should have followed my gut then, and then again 14 years ago, and kicked your ass to the curb,' she added. But a source close to Collins told the gossip site that the allegations are 'absolutely untrue,' that he never received that email and Grant never brought the claims up during their contentious divorce proceedings. Collins' lawyer has not returned MailOnline's requests for comment as of Wednesday. Collins is currently under investigation by the NYPD in response to the tapes. The LAPD is collaborating with New York authorities, but they initially closed their own investigation into Collins two years ago after receiving the tapes themselves and finding 'no verified victim'. In the recording, a man with Collins' distinct voice admits exposing himself to an 10-year-old relative of his first wife Marjorie Weinman, adding that he touched her as well. Collins and Weinman divorced in 1978. 'There was one moment of touching where her hand...I put her her hand on my penis,' Collins says. Collins goes on to admit exposing himself to several others girls. He says he exposed one girl 'a couple of times' when she was 11, 12 and 13. 'When you exposed yourself...did you have an erection?' Grant then asks. 'No, I mean, no. Partial, maybe, I think,' Collins responds. Collins says he exposed himself to a girl who lived in their Los Angeles neighborhood, who he tried apologizing to years later, and a New York girl who was 12 or 13 at the time. The recordings were taken during a 2012 marriage therapy session that proved unsuccessful as Collins and his wife chose to file for divorce that year. The couple met filming a 1982 pilot called Tales of A Gold Monkey. They married three years later. Grant talked about the moment they first met in an interview with People magazine in 1999. Collins starred as Rev Eric Camden on the long-running family drama about parents raising seven children. A still taken from the final episode in 2007 . Actress Jessica Biel (second left) got her start in acting on the show. She is now married to Justin Timberlake . 'I thought, either he's gay or a complete jerk, because he can't be as fabulous as he looks and be available!' Grant told People. NYPD spokesman Stephen David says a complaint against Collins was filed in 2012, accusing him of forcing a then-14-year-old-girl to perform a lewd act in 1972. Davis says the case is open, but no charges have been filed. In the hours after the tapes were released Tuesday morning, Collins' life and career started falling apart as he was fired from a small role in the Ted sequel, was axed from a part in TV show Scandal and resigned from his position on the National Board for the Screen Actors Guild. Reruns of his hit show 7th Heaven, which ran from 1996-2007, have now been taken off the schedule at network UP TV and replaced with episodes of reality show Supernanny. And last night, police were called to the 67-year-old actor's Tarzana, California home after gun shots were heard inside the house. Collins' next-door neighbor, former Baywatch star Donna D'Errico tweeted shortly after 8pm that he had shot himself, and members of the media reported hearing a loud pop. However, the reports turned out to be false and Collins wasn't even home at the time. Shots were heard Tuesday night at Collins' home (pictured) in Tarzana, California - but they ended up being a false alarm . Collins' next-door neighbor, former Baywatch star Donna D'Errico tweeted shortly after 8pm that he had shot himself, and members of the media reported hearing a loud pop. She then apologized for false alarm . Collins is best known for his role as the minister dad on 7th Heaven, a show about a religious family raising a large brood of seven children. The actor talked about how much the role had an influence on his personal life in a People magazine interview from 1999, telling the magazine that he spent one Sunday a month as a lay eucharistic minister at Los Angeles Episcopalian church . 'I guess life does imitate art!' he said. While most of the nation has swiftly come out against the actor, his 7th Heaven on-screen wife Catherine Hicks has come to his defense. She was filmed leaving a Santa Monica hospital on Tuesday, where she said there was never any indication he was a molester during more than a decade on set together - when they regularly acted with underage children. 'Stephen is a good guy in my opinion,' Hicks said. Collins' on-screen wife came to his defense on Tuesday, after the tapes were released. She said: 'Stephen is a good guy in my opinion'. Pictured at the 2001 Teen Choice Awards, above . But that's not the portrait his estranged wife Grant has been painting in their messy divorce proceedings. In bombshell divorce papers obtained by MailOnline, Grant claims her husband used his star power to trick abuse children. 'I believe that Stephen used his celebrity status to engender the trust of the families of the children he molested,' Grant wrote. 'I further believe that there have been other victims, but he has thus far only confessed to those three girls.' In the court filings Faye said she first learned of Collins' 'illness' in the presence of his therapist in January, 2012 – after 27 years of marriage. Papers: Both Collins and Grant listed their separation date as February 1, 2012 in their initial divorce filings back in May of 2012 (above) Bombshell: In November of 2013, Grant filed papers again since the divorce was taking too long to be finalized, where she revealed having learned of Collins' illness and asking that any legal liability Collins might have would not come out of her pocket . And according to the papers she spent 20 months coping with the trauma of his alleged abuse on children and worrying about her 'moral and legal responsibility'. She said: 'Obviously I am sickened by Stephen's actions. I have urged Stephen multiple times to seek proper treatment for pedophilia. 'I am particularly afraid of what may happen if he does not seek treatment, because he may be working or interacting with children in connection with his employment.' Grant has reportedly been using the taped therapy session as blackmail against Collins for years, in an attempt to get more alimony from the actor. His attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told TMZ: 'Over the course of my representation of Stephen in the divorce case, Faye has repeatedly threatened to give this audiotape to the media unless Stephen agreed to pay her millions of dollars more than that to which she was legally entitled. 'When these demands were rebuffed, Faye attempted -- without success -- to peddle the tape in numerous ways to numerous different people. It appears that she has finally found an audience for this tape -- not surprisingly, on the eve of the trial in the divorce case where, again, she is seeking millions of dollars more than that to which she is legally entitled. 'Though we would like to address the tape itself, the circumstances dictate that we must regrettably refrain from doing so at this time.' | Collins' estranged wife Faye Grant allegedly tried to get a witness to lie to a judge about witnessing the actor molesting a girl, his lawyer says .
The witness says she did not see the incident and refused to testify .
Grant also revealed today that Collins had incestuous thoughts while she was pregnant with their daughter .
Collins' lawyer says Grant has been blackmailing the actor with the incriminating tapes for years to get more money in their divorce .
The NYPD is currently investigating Collins, who admitted in a recorded marriage therapy session to exposing himself to several underage girls .
In light of the tapes, Collins has been fired from roles in Ted 2 and Scandal, and resigned from the Screen Actors Guild National Board .
Gunshots were heard at the 67-year-old's Tarzana, California home Tuesday night, but ended up being a false alarm .
Reruns of 7th Heaven have also been pulled from TV . |
71,888 | cbce525fff8406f3a6fcd3f3f39b2df938f3026d | They have educated and delighted countless children with their colourful renditions of history’s most disgusting moments. But now after more than 60 books in his Horrible Histories series, author Terry Deary has said he has written the final volume. He said yesterday he believed he had reached ‘saturation point’ and his latest instalment – Deadly Days in History – will be his last. Terry Deary is bringing the Horrible Histories series to an end after 20 years, a television series and stage show . Mr Deary wrote his first ‘history’ 20 years ago and the books have been so successful, they have been turned into a TV series and even a stage show. He said: ‘It has naturally come to an end, the way things do. It has had a good run, it’s had a better run than most children’s series. 'Things do have a saturation point after which they become taken for granted. It would a shame if that happened.’ He added that although nothing certain had been decided between him and his publishers Scholastic, ‘there is a general feeling there will be no more’. Over the past two decades Mr Deary has tackled everything from the Savage Stone Age to the Blitzed Brits in an effort to make history accessible. His output has been prolific and at one point he was writing 14 books a year. After more than 60 books in his Horrible Histories series including the Awesome Egyptians and Barmy British Empire, the children's favourite has said he has written the final volume . Mr Deary wrote his first ‘history’ 20 . years ago and the books have been so successful, they have been turned . into a TV series and even a stage show . Famous for their alliterative titles, the series has been an enormous success ever since The Rotten Romans and The Awesome Egyptians. Although Deary, 67, would 'never say never' to a Horrible comeback, he said he wanted the series to be more 'Fawlty Towers than Last of the Summer Wine'. Mr Deary has sold more than 25million books in 40 countries. He . has already signed up to write a four-part history series for adults on . the Roman Empire, the Elizabethans, the Vikings and the Victorians. While he said Horrible Histories had done 'really well', he would not miss writing it. The very first Horrible Histories were published in 1993, and it soon became clear that history books for children would never be the same again. Unlike their predecessors, the series recognised the appeal for children of all the gruesome, wicked and weird detail from history that writers had hitherto spared them. After huge success the series has gone on to become a BAFTA award-winning CBBC show and stage show. Mr Deary . has tackled everything from the Savage Stone Age to the Blitzed Brits in . an effort to make history accessible. His output has been prolific and at one point he was writing 14 books a year. Famous for their alliterative titles, . the series has been an enormous success ever since The Rotten Romans . and The Awesome Egyptians. The book writing process for Horrible, he . said, tended to see his publishers call to ask if he knew anything . about a period or people from history, for example the Georgians, The . Times reports. If he said no, they would ask him if he could write a book in a 'few months' and he would 'immerse himself' in research and 'hope there's something horrible to write about,' he said, before adding: 'There usually is.' Surprisingly, at school Mr Deary - who got a C in O-level history and an E at A level - said he learnt to loathe history because lessons were so boring and so badly taught. He said school history books had 'every Bit of humanity sucked from them'. The Horrible Histories, and their focus on what is interesting as well as important, had been his 'revenge'. Despite being taken to the hearts and shelves of a generation of teachers and school librarians, battling to get children to engage with history, he said it was never his intention to be adopted by the Establishment. Instead, all he wanted was to write stories that children loved, an aim which has seen him consistently top the charts as the most borrowed non-fiction author year after year. | Terry Deary says Deadly Days in History will be the last book in the series .
He has written more than 60 Horrible Histories books in 20 years .
Now the 67-year-old will concentrate on a four-part series for adults . |
163,770 | 5fcdf3ca5ba780abc62064b7f0a099b996f850b0 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama's vice presidential search team on Tuesday shared with a Democratic senator the names of about 20 people under consideration to be the presumptive Democratic nominee's running mate. Sen. Barack Obama has a broad spectrum of candidates as potential running mates. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota, said that some of those considered are "top officials now," others are "former lawmakers" and others are "former top military leaders." He said many of the names already have been "bandied about" in the media, but others were "outside the box." He declined to give examples. Conrad said the team wanted his impressions about the people considered, the "respect" others hold for them and their "standing with their colleagues." The list may not have included everyone under consideration. Two of the three members of the search team, Jim Johnson and Eric Holder, came to Conrad's Capitol Hill office Tuesday morning for a "wide-ranging" and "free-form" meeting that lasted about 40 minutes, Conrad said. The third member of the team, Caroline Kennedy, was not there. Johnson and Holder arrived on Capitol Hill on Monday for several days of meetings with top Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Watch panelists weigh in on possible VP picks » . They spent about 30 minutes with Reid on Monday before heading over to speak with House leaders, a senior Democratic aide said. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he had a "good, long discussion" with Johnson and Holder and added, "They mentioned a lot of names." Obama brushed aside the notion Tuesday that Johnson, who heads the vice presidential search committee, contradicts the campaign's message because he has received favorable loans from Countrywide Financial, one of the companies at the center of the nation's mortgage crisis. "I am not vetting my VP search committees for their mortgages," Obama said in St. Louis, Missouri. "This is a game that can be played -- everybody, you know, who is anybody who is tangentially related to our campaign, I think, is going to have a whole host of relationships." The comments come two days after The Wall Street Journal reported that Johnson was the recipient of more than $7 million worth of home loans from Countrywide, made available through a program for friends of the company's chief executive officer. Ticker: Obama beats back criticism over head of VP search . Obama said last week that he would not respond to pressure from others about his choice of a running mate. "We have a committee that's made up of wonderful people. They are going to go through the procedure and vet and get recommendations. I will meet with a range of a people, and I will ultimately make a decision. iReport.com: Who should Obama, McCain pick? "I am a big believer in making decisions well, not making them fast and not responding to pressure," he said. Although Obama's campaign has not released the names of any front-runners for the VP spot, there's been a lot of speculation about who he will pick. Sen. Hillary Clinton, whose tenacious refusal to surrender the nomination contest turned the Democratic race into one of the most nail-biting in modern U.S. political history, has indicated that she would be willing to sign up on a joint ticket. Other possible front-runners include former presidential hopefuls Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson and John Edwards. Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who has often been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick, said Tuesday that if asked, he would "absolutely not" join the party's presidential ticket this fall. Strickland, who backed Clinton during the primary season, told National Public Radio's Michele Norris that he was taking himself out of the running. "Absolutely not. If drafted, I will not run; nominated, I will not accept; and if elected, I will not serve," he said in an interview scheduled to air Tuesday night. "So, I don't know how more crystal clear I can be." Obama lost the Ohio primary to Clinton. The swing state governor, who has endorsed Obama, dismissed the idea that all potential running mates deny interest in the job. "No, I don't think they all say that. I've heard people say, 'you know, if I was asked, it would certainly be something I would have to consider.' That does not mean that I am any less committed to helping Barack Obama become the next president." Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who has served on both armed services and intelligence committees in the Senate, has been mentioned as a possible contender. And ever since New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ruled out his own independent bid for the presidency, he's been seen as a potential running mate for both Obama and John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. Wesley Clark, a former NATO commander who failed in his bid for the 2004 presidential nomination, could be in the running, along with a slew of current politicians including Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia. CNN's Kathleen Koch, Alexander Mooney, Rebecca Sinderbrand and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report. | Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland takes himself out of the running for VP .
Sen. Kent Conrad met with Obama's vice presidential vetting team Tuesday .
Obama's VP search team includes Caroline Kennedy, Eric Holder, Jim Johnson .
Conrad says top officials, former lawmakers, former top military leaders on list . |
120,390 | 2798321b5fbddf3c6951e58f7d829b3edbac75ce | By . Lizzie Edmonds . The 'cowardly' sons of one of Britain’s richest men who randomly attacked two off-duty policemen on a night out walked free from court today. George, 26, and Costas Panayiotou, 24, whose father Greek-Cypriot property tycoon Andreas Panayiotou is believed to be worth £400 million, attacked the off-duty officers in London's Soho on November 30 last year. The duo, who were out with brothers Yiannaki, 30, and Christoper . Stavrou, 28, at the time repeatedly punched and kicked the policemen even after they had been floored, the court was told. George Panayiotou (centre) and Costas Panayiotou (right) sons of property tycoon Andreas (left) randomly attacked two off-duty police officers while on a night out last year . The court heard how the men, who are sons of property tycoon Andreas (centre right), approached the officers - raining down punches on them even when they were on the floor in the violent attack in Soho, London . One of the officers they attacked needed titanium plates in his cheek and eye socket following the unprovoked attack, Southwark Crown Court heard. In court today, Recorder Christopher . Heheir said: 'The facts of the case to which each of you should be . really ashamed are offences all too common to the courts. 'There is one way to describe this attack - cowardly. All of you behaved in a thoroughly cowardly way.' Costas Panayiotou was given a 15-month . sentence suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty to affray. His brother George received six months suspended for 18 months after also pleading guilty. Stavrou received six months suspended for 18 months and his brother Christopher got nine months suspended for 18 months. All wearing smart suits and . ties, the gang smiled and glanced at . family and friends when their sentences were read out. The five off-duty officers were leaving their Christmas party at the Strawberry Moon club Soho when they came across both the Panayiotou and Stavrou brothers. When one of the officers yelled ‘Oi, purple baseball cap!’ at George Panayiotou, the group ran across the road and began raining blows on the officers. Costas, left, who was sentenced to 15 months suspended for 18, and his brother George, who was sentenced to six months sentenced for 18, outside court today . Yiannaki Stavrou, left, received six months suspended for 18 months while brother Christopher Stavrou, right, was sentenced to nine months suspended for 18 . The court heard how the gang rounded on the officers while Costas punched another random man returning home from a nightclub with his girlfriend. Michael Hall, prosecuting, described the violence, saying: 'Then he [Costas] punches the off duty officer Gavin Collins, knocking him to the ground and either the punch or his impact with the ground causes an impacted fracture of his cheek and eye socket that requires surgery and the fixing of titanium plates and screws.' Yiannakis Stavros then ran across the road and punched another officer, Matthew Holland, from behind. He was then joined by the other two - who also punched Mr Holland as he retreated backwards. The Panayiotou brothers outside court with family and friends. All four men were also imposed a curfew between 9pm and 6am by the judge . Mr Hall added: 'Matthew Holland is then set upon by all four defendants, punching and kicking him, at one point finding himself on the ground, where they continued to punch and kick him.' He continued: 'Mr Holland describes 15 blows down Regent’s Street and another 15 blows when first put on the ground at the junction of Cuckoo Club and Swallow Street.' They only stopped when door staff from nearby clubs stepped in, the court heard. Costas had three previous convictions for similar offences of common assault in 2010 and 2012, it was revealed in court. During mitigation, it was said that all four defendants feel 'real shame and remorse' following the random attack. Property tycoon Andreas Panayiotou - who is thought to be worth £400million - stands outside court . Sentencing them, Recorder . Heheir said: 'The facts of the case to which each of you should be . really ashamed are offences all too common to the courts. 'It didn’t seem like much alcohol had been consumed by anyone which makes what happened even more unfortunate. 'Your . paths crossed...I say your paths crossed, but you were on the opposite . side of Regent’s Street which is where you should have stayed. 'You . George Panayiotou called your companions and all four of you crossed . Regent’s Street and all demonstrated that you were more than ready to . engage in violence. 'You . Costas Panayiotou started off by punching in the face an entirely . uninvolved member of the public who was walking with his partner. 'That didn’t deter you, you didn’t give a thought to who he was. 'Another police officer, Gavin Collins, tried to stop and your response was to punch him in the face. 'He . sustained severe fractures to his face which ultimately required . surgery. Although the surgery was successful, he is still suffering the . effects of what you did. 'As . if that wasn’t bad enough with two people already punched all four of . you joined in the attack on Matt Holland - he was repeatedly punched and . kicked including when he was on the ground. 'There is one way to describe this attack - cowardly. All of you behaved in a thoroughly cowardly ways. 'This was demonstrated by the fact when bigger and stronger people came - bouncers from the club - you stopped.' As well as their suspended sentences, they . will all serve 200 hours of unpaid work and have a curfew between 9pm . and 6am, while Costas will pay £3,000 compensation, £100 surcharge and . £750 costs. Christoper will pay £750 costs and £100 surcharge, while George and Yiannaki will pay the same costs but £80 surcharge. Andreas Panayiotou is CEO of The Ability Group - a company he founded in the mid-Nineties . Heath Hall - one of the properties bought by the property tycoon. He put it up for sale for £65million last year . | George, 26, and Costas Panayiotou, 24, are sons of property tycoon Andreas - who is thought to be worth £400million .
Randomly attacked two off-duty officers in London's Soho last year .
Left one needing titanium plates in his cheek and eye socket .
Judge called the men 'cowards' and said they should be 'ashamed'
Men and two others involved in attack walked free from court today . |
1,491 | 044fcb7c0009980ec77c33cab3d1bb6e12f12658 | Washington (CNN) -- He was talking about health care, but President Obama could have just as easily been summing up his entire first year when he made some blunt comments in a closed-door meeting with House Democrats last week. Democratic sources who were in the room say Obama, pressed by liberals angry about the reform package getting watered down, decided to quote Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who said recently: "What we're building here is not a mansion, it's a starter home. It's a starter home, but it's got a great foundation for expanding health care coverage to 31 million Americans." Obama's point was that he believes the health bill -- if it can pass (and that's in real doubt now) -- would be a dramatic step forward but is just the first draft. He hopes to come back later in his presidency to pass a second reform package that finishes the job. The same goes for other big Obama promises like energy reform to deal with climate change and financial regulatory reform to clean up Wall Street -- "mansions" that have not been built yet, even though a strong "foundation" has been put down to meet these promises in the future. But Republican Scott Brown's stunning victory in Massachusetts on Tuesday suggests Obama may not even get the first draft of health care reform through Congress, because of a huge split in his own party: Angry liberals in the House are signaling they will not rush through what they consider to be the Senate's weak version of reform before Brown gets seated in the Senate, while skittish conservative Democrats in the Senate, like Ben Nelson of Nebraska, may no longer be on board with any kind of reform, out of a fear of becoming the next Martha Coakley. The broader problem Obama has been facing, even before Massachusetts, is that securing a mere "starter home" on health care or any other major issue is a far cry from the sky-high expectations he set for his supporters one year ago, when they were shouting "Yes We Can!" after a campaign in which he laid out plans for dramatic change. To be fair, the president warned in his inaugural address, one year ago Wednesday, that all of the nation's problems would not be solved so quickly. "They are serious, and they are many," he said then. "They will not be met easily or in a short span of time." Nevertheless, most Americans skipped past that section of the speech, and focused instead on Obama's promise to end the bitter partisan divide in Washington on the way to shaking up the system. That goodwill from the early days evaporated quickly, and the president's approval ratings have dipped as disappointment has grown among the very independent voters who helped elect him in 2008. That's why he very deliberately tried to recalibrate expectations at a Washington church this Sunday as he delivered remarks celebrating the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "There was a hope shared by many that life would be better from the moment that I swore that oath," Obama said. "Of course, as we meet here today, one year later, we know the promise of that moment has not yet been fully fulfilled. Because of an era of greed and irresponsibility that sowed the seeds of its own demise, because of persistent economic troubles unaddressed through the generations, because of a banking crisis that brought the financial system to the brink of catastrophe, we are being tested -- in our own lives and as a nation -- as few have been tested before." Poll: 51 percent approve of Obama after first year . Channeling the outrage that fueled Brown's upset victory in Massachusetts, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia said the reason for the disconnect is that the president dropped the talk of unity too quickly and instead "forged ahead with a narrow ideological agenda that has compromised his ability to create sustainable jobs and thereby fix our nation's most pressing problems." In an op-ed on the new conservative Web site Daily Caller, Cantor charged his party has offered to work with the president but he has "paid our proposals mere lip service when the cameras are on, only to rebuff our ideas in their entirety once the meeting ends. As a result, the history books may well look back on the beginning of the Obama presidency as the era of squandered opportunities." White House press secretary Robert Gibbs insists Republicans have not made serious overtures to meet the president halfway, perhaps hoping instead that Obama's struggles will help the GOP in the November midterm elections. And Gibbs says the real reason for Obama's problems stems from the fact that he made some tough decisions on unpopular -- but necessary -- government interventions to save the economy. "Ensuring that the banks didn't collapse was not a popular decision," Gibbs said. "The president strongly believes it was the right one. Ensuring that two domestic auto companies didn't go out of business -- not popular. Again, the president believed it was the right decision to make." Obama also frequently reminds the public that in addition to inheriting that financial crisis, he was also handed two unpopular wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a continuing threat from al Qaeda, that have tested his mettle as commander in chief. All of that has weighed on Obama's approval rating, especially the difficult decision to send more than 50,000 additional U.S. troops to escalate the war in Afghanistan. The terror incident on Christmas Day was a fresh reminder that national security is a wild card for any president. As each day in office passes, it will become harder and harder for Obama to continue pointing the finger of blame at former President George W. Bush for all of the "inherited" problems. And in a strange way, Tuesday's election loss could help Obama refocus his agenda at the start of year two. A top Democratic strategist close to the White House said that it's a lot better for the White House to take its lumps now and readjust priorities in the weeks ahead to avoid much larger losses in the midterm election -- rather than coasting along now and then getting hit with an awful surprise in November. But will Obama and his top aides dig in and refuse to move to the middle a bit? Or will they acknowledge that Massachusetts is a wake-up call, as Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and other moderate Democrats have suggested, and make some adjustments? Then-President Clinton was briefly humiliated by the 1994 midterm election debacle caused in large part by his overreaching health care effort, but he quickly picked himself up off the canvas and started focusing on bite-sized initiatives that won Republican support and positioned him for an easy re-election victory in 1996. Ron Pollack, head of the liberal health group Families USA, is pushing Obama to finish off health reform quickly before Democrats lose their 60-vote supermajority in the Senate. But Pollack also said he thinks on some of the other big issues after health reform, like climate change and Wall Street regulatory reform, "they will have to get some Republican" lawmakers on board, and the new political reality may force some compromise on both sides. But Pollack added that it's "way premature" to suggest the Massachusetts race will bring a major shift to the political climate. He's still confident that as the unemployment picture improves down the road, "people will see the good in Obama's policies" on health and other matters, and his standing will improve. Of course, there's also the possibility the public mood continues to sour on the economy and Obama's other key initiatives like health care. Brown seemed to be warning in his victory speech Tuesday night that the anti-incumbent anger Obama rode into office could wind up blowing up in his face in November. "What happened here in Massachusetts can happen all over America," Brown said to cheers. In fact, when Brown talked about scrapping the health reform effort and starting over because "we can do better," the Republican crowd started a chant that had to send a tiny shiver down the spine of even the most confident White House staffer. "Yes we can!" Brown's supporters shouted. "Yes we can!" | Obama stresses building foundation for future steps toward his agenda .
Republican win in Massachusetts could create split among Democrats .
Obama also faces gap between high hopes at his inauguration and reality now .
One expert says it's better for White House to take its lumps now, before midterm elections . |
154,197 | 534a93d10416f2330bdb5365e18329156008535b | By . MailOnline Reporter . For a while, standing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013 was the worst thing that happened to survivor James Costello, but it quickly became the best. Costello was blown up in the terrifying attack but the resulting agony saw him meet the love of his life, the nurse who cared for him in hospital, and the couple tied the knot this past weekend. The 31-year-old wed Krista D'Agostino in a ceremony and reception donated by local business. In front of some 150 family and friends at Boston's Hyatt Regency, the couple said 'I do.' Happy day: For a while, standing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013 was the worst thing that happened to survivor James Costello, pictured, but it quickly became the best . The location was donated, as were services including wedding planning, video and cocktails, according to the New York Daily News. The beautiful photography of the event was donated by Prudente Photography. The couple became close as Costello struggled through months of surgery and painful rehabilitation following the April 2013 bombing. Though he didn't lose a limb like many others, he was left with painful wounds throughout his body. A now-iconic image shows Costello staggering down Boylston Street in the aftermath of the blast with his clothes in tatters. Vows: Costello was blown up in the terrifying attack but the resulting agony saw him meet the love of his life, the nurse who cared for him in hospital, and the couple tied the knot this past weekend . Joy: Costello previously said he was so happy he'd been blown up because he got to meet D'Agostino . Loving: D'Agostino, a nurse at the Spaulding Rehabilition Hospital, nursed Costello through his operations . The bombing left three dead and more than 260 injured. D'Agostino, who worked at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, nursed him through grueling skin graft operations and exhaustive physical therapy. 'She hates when I say this, but I'm actually glad I got blown up ...I got her,' the survivor said on the 'Today' show in December. Hyatt's marketing director Emily Sharp described the ceremony as 'amazing,' to the Daily News. 'They're the nicest, most deserving people.' The newlyweds are now heading to Hawaii for a relaxing honeymoon. The nuptials come a few months after another Boston bombing survivor - Costello's friend Marc Fucarile who lost his right leg - wed his high school sweetheart, and achieved his goal of walking down the aisle. Aftermath: This now-iconic image shows Costello staggering down Boylston Street in the aftermath of the blast with his clothes in tatters. He was at the event with a group of school friends who were also injured . Fucarile and his fiancée Jen Regan tied the knot at Fenway Park in April, a year after the roofer lost his right leg, broke his left, suffered severe burns and was peppered with shrapnel. The 35-year-old, who was the last bombing victim to leave hospital after undergoing a staggering 49 surgical procedures, had wanted to reclaim the week and create happy memories. He grinned as he left the stadium, using a cane to help him walk on his new prosthetic and the support of his new wife's hand. The couple, who have a six-year-old son, enjoyed a day themed with the colors of 'Boston Strong' - blue and yellow - from bridesmaid dresses to the Duck Tour buses used to ferry guests. Fucarile, who had been planning his wedding when the bombs exploded and put the plans on hold, added that he knew right away that Fenway was the perfect venue for the wedding. Stunning: The couple were married in front of 150 friends and loved ones at Boston's Hyatt Regency . Celebration: The location of the wedding was donated, as well as the wedding planning and cocktails . Happy ending: The joyous day came after months of grueling physical therapy for Costello . 'We were going to get married on an island, a beach or Fenway Park,' Fucarile told Boston.com. 'Once we found out [the reception] would be at the Hotel Commonwealth, I told Jen, "We're getting married at Fenway Park somehow".' Fucarile was watching a friend take part in the marathon with four boyhood buddies from Stoneham, Massachusetts when the bombs went off. After the first bomb detonated, brothers Paul and J.P. Norden huddled with Jarrod Clowery, James 'Bim' Costello and Fucarale, not realizing they were inches away from the second device. When it exploded, both brothers and Fucarile lost a leg, while Clowery suffered burns and shrapnel wounds and Costello was hospitalized with serious injuries. | James Costello was blown up in the April 2013 attack but the resulting agony saw him meet the love of his life, the nurse who cared for him .
The 31-year-old wed Krista D'Agostino this past weekend in a ceremony and reception donated by local business .
In front of some 150 family and friends at Boston's Hyatt Regency, the couple said 'I do' |
117,502 | 23bd6641976eef89db6736ed662a629904eb31c3 | By . Jennifer Smith . PUBLISHED: . 05:58 EST, 31 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:44 EST, 1 September 2013 . The age-old saying 'waste not want not' has been heard around dinner tables for generations. And one man is hoping to prove just how waste can be put to good use, after coming up with a recipe for badger casserole in response to the government's plans to cull the animals. Arthur Boyt, from Davidstow, Cornwall, has been eating roadkill for over 50 years, and sees no reason why culled badgers should be taken off the menu. Arthur Boyt has been eating discarded roadkill since he was 13. One of his favourite snacks is a badger sandwich . He said: 'I'm against the cull - but it would be ridiculous not to use the dead badgers. Badger makes a pretty good meal.' 'I don't agree with the killing of badgers, unless scientists can prove without a shadow of a doubt that they cause harm to cattle. 'But I was left wondering, what are they going to do with the tonnes of fully edible badger meat from perfectly healthy animals they have shot? 'I've eaten badger for 55 years and I certainly haven't got tuberculosis. As with all meat you just make sure you cook it long and hot enough to kill any bugs. 'Badgers are fully edible, and their meat could be used to feed the hungry rather than being chucked in a furnace, I can't see any point in that.' Mr Boyt from Davidstow, Cornwall, doesn't agree with the shooting of badgers but sees no point in their meat going to waste . Though Mr Boyt sees no issue in eating dead animals, he does not kill them himself but rather picks them up from the side of the road after they have been run over on roads around his home in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. His long-suffering wide, Sue Boyt, 59, does not share his taste in meat however as she is a vegetarian. Mr Boyt collects the animals with a shovel, skins them and cuts the meat into joints, often making them into a stew or sandwich. His diet regularly includes fox, hare, sparrow, deer, pigeon and even a porcupine he brought back from a holiday in Canada. The unusual way of dining isn't fattening either, as despite eating three meals a day Mr Boyt weighs just over nine stone. He said: 'People are happy to eat an apple which has fallen out of the tree - so what's the difference? Just because it hasn't got a label on doesn't mean it's not edible.' Mr Boyt's eating habits began when he was 13, after he discovered a dead pheasant in a park. 'I took it home and asked mum to cook it and it was delicious.' Stop the cull: Protestors in the Somerset village of Monksilver patrol fields in a bid to prevent culling . Since 1992 it has been illegal to kill badgers in Britain, but there is no law which deems it illegal to eat them once they are already dead. The badger cull has divided opinion in Somerset where shooting began on Monday. It is expected that 5,000 of the species will be killed in the cull. Plans for a second shoot in Gloucestershire have been put on hold. Protestors have been monitoring setts and patrolling their communities at nightfall to prevent the cull which is intended to stop badgers infecting cattle with tuberculosis. Liz Gaffer, a spokeswoman for Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting said: 'These are not animal rights extremists, they are just normal people who are concerned about how humane this cull is.' Ingredients . Two badger hams, potatoes, broccoli, a big onion, sliced carrot, cooking oil, parsnip, flour, salt, pepper, spices, tomatoes . Mr Boyt's recipe involves skinning a badger and cooking its body parts with tomatoes, carrots and wine among other things . 'Skin the badger in the garage as this stops the fleas getting all round the house. 'Take off the hind legs with as much back muscle as possible and this will give you two good hams weighing around 3lbs. 'The hams will have a good covering of fat and this will serve to baste the meat during cooking. If you are having a big crowd to dinner, add the forelegs, shoulder and, if need be, the neck as well. 'Dredge the hams in seasoned flour, put a little oil into a casserole dish and lightly fry the meat on both sides. Remove the meat and fry the onion until it is golden. 'Slice the spuds and parsnip, put them on the onion and chuck in the tomatoes. 'Put the meat on top and pour on a cup of cider/wine/stock with the remains of the seasoned flour. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for five minutes. 'Place in a hot oven for an hour to an hour and a half. Alternatively you can put it in a slow oven or in the bottom of the AGA for 3hrs and go out for a good walk to work up an appetite. 'Add the chopped up carrots and put it back in the oven for half an hour. 'Boil a pan of broccoli (or greens of your choice) for five minutes.' Spoon off any fat or oil from the casserole and serve the meat on the bone with the sauce. | Arthur Boyt, 73, has been eating roadkill for over 50 years .
The former civil servant has also eaten weasels, crows, squirrels and even a Labrador .
His vegetarian wife, Sue, doesn't share his taste for roadside meat . |
52,128 | 93a1bc04a8742eefcc0160751155820ed34e9f2b | England bowler Stuart Broad is to undergo surgery on his right knee on September 4, the England and Wales Cricket Board has announced. The ECB revealed earlier this month that the 28-year-old paceman, who suffered a broken nose in England's innings and 54-run fourth Test victory over India, was to have surgery to address a long-standing patella tendonitis problem and a date has now been confirmed for the procedure. Broad tweeted: 'I've seen the surgeon 2day (sic) and now def having surgery on my troublesome knee 4th Sep I've been due for a while so can't wait to get sorted.' On the mend: Stuart Broad is to undergo surgery on his right knee on September 4 . Happy: Broad parades the series trophy after winning the fifith Investec Test match between England and India . A statement issued by the ECB on Wednesday said: 'The ECB medical team confirmed that England pace bowler Stuart Broad is to have surgery on his right knee on Thursday 4 September. 'A rehabilitation and recovery programme will be determined following the operation.' Broad has been troubled by the condition in his right knee for well over a year but has consistently put off going under the knife until now with a relatively quiet winter period coming up. His rehabilitation time will be up to 14 weeks, but his participation in next year's World Cup is not currently in doubt. The ECB had already confirmed that Broad would miss the five one-day internationals against India, which get under way at Bristol on Monday, as a result of the surgery. In the wars: Broad suffered a broken nose during day three of the fourth Test against India . 'It's been confirmed I'm going to have an op,' the 74-Test veteran said after taking six for 25 against India on day one of the fourth Investec Test. 'The timing is not confirmed but the fella is flying over from Sweden after the Oval Test to have a look. 'It will either be after that Test or after the one-day series, depending on what he suggests. Timing: Broad has been troubled by the condition in his right knee for well over a year but has put off surgery . 'At any stage in the last 18 months I could have had the op and it's at the stage where it needs to be done. 'I should be fine (for the World Cup)...it's about three, three and a half months.' He added: 'It's actually a really good opportunity for me to get the knee sorted and to use it as a strength and conditioning period.' VIDEO Cook always believed . | Stuart Broad to undergo knee surgery on September 4 .
England bowler has long-standing patella tendonitis problem .
ECB confirm Broad will have surgery on his right knee . |
161,718 | 5d1d1ca2cf2d63f48f56be2d4ed6f0d5e447611f | The CEO of cash-strapped telecom start-up LightSquared has resigned amid controversy over his links to the Obama administration. Telecommunications industry veteran Sanjay Ahuja's departure was announced by the company on Tuesday. It comes after emails revealed his company's close contact with Obama officials as the firm was going under regulatory review. Just two weeks ago, the Federal . Communications Commission dealt the LightSquared a major blow by saying . it would bar it from building a wireless network that would interfere . with other satellite services. Resigned: Sanjiv Ahuja, pictured delivering a keynote in Orlando on March 23, has stepped down as CEO of LightSquared . Last week LightSquared said it would lay off nearly half of its staff of 330 to save money. This came days after it had failed to pay a $56.25million payment due to Inmarsat, a UK satellite company with which it has a spectrum-sharing agreement. While some industry analysts have speculated that bankruptcy might be on the cards, Falcone - whose Harbinger Capital Partners is the single biggest investor in LightSquared - ruled out that option. He said on Tuesday that the company is taking a more aggressive approach to its finances. Ahuja, who has served as CEO since 2010, will remain as chairman. LightSquared declined to elaborate on why he quit the top job. The company expects to complete its search for a new CEO 'in the near future,' according to a statement, which did not say who would stand in in the meantime. New addition: Hedge fund manager Philip Falcone has joined the board of the cash-strapped company backed by his firm Harbinger Capital Partners . LightSquared representatives declined to comment further. The company already has a shortlist of candidates with experience in the telecommunications industry and dealing with Washington politics, and hopes to decide on a new CEO in about a month, according to one person familiar with the executive search process who asked not to be named. After a bruising year of back and forth with lawmakers in Washington, Falcone shows no signs of backing down in his quest to gain approval to build a network. LightSquared will take 'an aggressive approach to its finances to ensure that it has adequate financial runway' while it continues to look for a way to build the network, Falcone said in a statement that gave no further details on his plans. The company has already hired investment bank Moelis & Co as a restructuring advisor, according to sources. Falcone invested more than 60 per cent of Harbinger's $4billion assets in LightSquared and his fund is the biggest equity owner. Last year Harbinger lost 47 per cent of its value after Falcone marked down the value of LightSquared in the portfolio. Falcone spent billions of dollars to buy spectrum licenses and pursue plans to build a high-speed wireless network on which LightSquared would offer wholesale services to other operators which are facing a scarcity of spectrum. But the bet turned sour when tests showed that the network LightSquared wanted to build would interfere with Global Positioning Systems that are used by everybody from airlines and the military to construction companies and farmers. LightSquared said that Chief Network Officer Doug Smith and Chief Financial Officer Marc Montagner will serve as interim co-chief operating officers. | Ahuja to stay as chairman of LightSquared .
LightSquared eyeing execs with telecom/Washington experience-source .
Falcone says to take 'aggressive approach' to finances . |
248,124 | cd133b6d01a91f0fedb8a4b38569d924d4c16073 | No show: Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson did not show up for court proceedings in the drug bust that earned him a police medal on Monday . The drug bust that earned Darren Wilson a police commendation may be thrown out since the officer who shot dead unarmed teen Michael Brown has been unable to testify while in hiding. When Wilson didn't show up in court on Monday, a judge approved the request by county prosecutors Monday to postpone the case of 28-year-old Christopher Brooks, who was arrested by Wilson in February 2013 on drug charges. Brooks' attorney wants the marijuana distribution charge dismissed because he doesn't expect Wilson to show up in court to testify. 'Wilson is compromised as a witness,' said defense attorney Nick Zotos, who opposed the request by Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch's office to shift the drug case to a panel that meets behind closed doors. The case is now going to a grand jury, but Zotos says he has talked with Wilson's attorneys who allegedly say he wouldn't attend either a preliminary hearing or grand jury hearing on the matter. Ed Magee, spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert P. McCulloch, told St Louis Today that Brook's case could not go to trial without Wilson as a witness. Wilson, 28, received a Ferguson City Council commendation for his role in Christopher Brooks' arrest. But Zotos said Brooks was 'roughed up' by Wilson after he refused to hand over the keys to a locked car parked in his grandmother's driveway, where Ferguson police say they found drug paraphernalia and several ounces of marijuana. Zotos also questioned whether Wilson's actions merited special recognition by the city. 'We give trophies every day for just showing up,' he said after the brief hearing. 'If you play on the team, you get a trophy.' Scroll down for video . Up in the air: Wilson has been identified as the police officer who shot dead unarmed teen Michael Brown (left) earlier this summer. He was previously awarded a police commendation for arresting 28-year-old Christopher Brooks (pictured on Monday, right) in February 2013 on drug charges. Brooks' case remains in limbo while Wilson is unable to testify from hiding . And Zotos believes the case could be thrown out since Wilson was the main officer who made the arrest, with other officers only responding later and therefore ineffective witnesses for a court case. Brooks was pictured outside of court on Monday but he gave no comment. However he has spoken out on Facebook about the possibility the case may be dropped. Brooks has also claimed that Wilson 'beat my a** in my front yard while I was handcuffed then gave me 6 felonies.' The same grand jury also is reviewing evidence in the early August death of Michael Brown to determine whether Wilson should face criminal charges in a shooting that led to violent protests, hundreds of arrests, the summoning of the Missouri National Guard for security and international attention. McCulloch has said he expects the grand jury to complete its work on the Brown shooting by mid-October or early November, though its term has been extended until January. The assistant prosecutor, who did not publicly identify himself in court, did not indicate during Brooks' hearing why the county wants to shift the case to the grand jury. A McCulloch spokesman said later that he was not familiar with the case. Marching: Browns' death sparked protests in the city of Ferguson, where locals were outraged by the act of police brutality. A protest on August 22 pictured above . | Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson won an award for arrested 28-year-old Christopher Brooks on drug charges in February 2013 .
Wilson was later revealed to be the officer behind the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown .
The criminal case involving Brooks has been put on hold since Wilson is unable to testify in court from hiding . |
9,204 | 1a1148eceafdbf496a0b77aaadec0ac47ff68795 | A Spanish nurse who treated an Ebola victim in Madrid has become the first person in the world to contract the deadly virus outside of Africa. The 44-year-old is said to have spent the last 15 years working at Madrid's Carlos III Hospital, where the two Spanish missionaries infected with Ebola died. The woman, who is married, was part of the team that treated Spanish priest Manuel Garcia Viejo, who was brought back from Africa last month so that he could be treated for the deadly virus. Scroll down for video . The Spanish nurse has become the first person in the world to contract Ebola outside of Africa after treating a patient with the deadly virus at Madrid's Carlos III Hospital. Pictured: Police escort an ambulance with the nurse . The medical workers donned full protective clothing as they transported the nurse between Spanish hospitals . The 44-year-old Spanish woman was moved between the hospitals in a special fully-incubated stretcher . Medical staff could be seen removing the woman on an enclosed stretcher out of the ambulance last night . The woman has moved from Alcorcon Hospital to Madrid's Carlos III Hospital by those in full protective suits . A medical worker in protective gear stands next to a special stretcher carrying the infected Spanish nurse . Two separate tests confirmed that the woman, who has yet to be named, had contracted the disease. Colleagues tonight expressed their surprise at news that the nurse, from Galicia in northwest Spain, had caught the virus, saying that there had been 'extreme' measures in place to protect staff. One told Spanish daily El Pais that nurses were equipped with two protective overalls, two pairs of gloves and glasses. All medics had to use a special card to access the hospital's sixth floor - where the two men were treated. The Carlos III Hospital was evacuated before the arrival of the first missionary, Miguel Pajares, who contracted the disease in Liberia, but not for Mr Viejo as the sixth floor had already been hermetically sealed. Mr Pajares, the first person in Europe to be treated for Ebola, died at Madrid's Carlos III Hospital in August despite receiving experimental drug ZMapp after he returned. The Spanish nurse was part of the team that treated Spanish priest Manuel Garcia Viejo, who was brought back from Africa last month so that he could be treated for the deadly virus pictured. He died on September 26 . Mr Viejo was a member of the Hospital Order of San Juan de Dios who worked in the Western city of Lunsar . Mr Viejo died at the hospital the following month after contracting the virus in Sierra Leone. Ebola spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has the virus and the only way to stop an outbreak is to isolate those who are infected. The current outbreak in west Africa, the worst ever, has infected nearly 7,500 people and caused more than 3,400 deaths. The Spanish nurse is understood to have tested positive for Ebola in a first analysis after going to hospital in Alcorcon near Madrid with a high fever early this morning. Doctors isolated the emergency treatment room. A Ministry of Health source told respected daily El Mundo: 'She arrived at the University Hospital Alcorcon Foundation with fever and has undergone tests. The first test has come back positive.' Spain's Health Ministry today held a crisis meeting as they awaited for the results to be confirmed. British nurse William Pooley, 29, who was infected with the virus while working in Sierra Leone, recovered last month after being flown back to London for treatment. He later jetted to the US to give blood to an American battling the disease. Thomas Duncan, the first person diagnosed in the west with the disease, contracted Ebola last month in Liberia and is now 'fighting for his life' at a hospital in Dallas after flying to the US to visit his fiancee. Spanish nurse, Manuel Garcia Viejo, is pictured being flown home from Sierra Leone in a plastic isolation chamber. It is understood that the female Spanish nurse was part of the team that treated him . The researchers at Northeastern University, in Boston, calculated the countries most at risk in the short term, are: . Leading charity Save the Children warned recently Ebola is spreading at a 'terrifying rate' with the number of recorded cases doubling every week. Speaking at a conference in London co-hosted with Sierra Leone last week, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called for more financial aid, doctors and nurses. Scientists have warned that the deadly virus could spread across the world infecting people from the U.S. to China within three weeks. There is a 50 per cent chance a traveller carrying the disease could touch down in the UK by October 24, a team of U.S. researchers have predicted. Using Ebola spread patterns and airline traffic data they have calculated the odds of the virus spreading across the world. They estimate there is a 75 per cent chance Ebola will reach French shores by October 24. And Belgium has a 40 per cent chance of seeing the disease arrive on its territory, while Spain and Switzerland have lower risks of 14 per cent each. A team of scientists at Northeastern University in Boston have used air travel information to predict where the deadly Ebola virus could reach in the next three weeks . Professor Alessandro Vespignani of Northeastern University in Boston, who led the research, said: 'This is not a deterministic list, it's about probabilities – but those probabilities are growing for everyone. 'It's just a matter of who gets lucky and who gets unlucky. 'Air traffic is the driver. 'But there are also differences in connections with the affected countries (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone), as well as different numbers of cases in these three countries - so depending on that, the probability numbers change.' | Unnamed nurse believed to be part of team that treated Manuel Garcia Viejo .
First test on the woman has come back positive after going to hospital today .
Spanish missionary was brought back from Africa last month for treatment .
He died on 26 September at Madrid's Carlos III Hospital from deadly virus . |
76,387 | d8a4c481cba5aa28781488b9eff1e0ee4cba7e04 | By . Bianca London . She's the car dealer turned fashion designer who's helped transform the plus-size retail market and Gemma Collins is getting recognised for her efforts. Romford's finest fashionista has just won the 'Editor's Choice' award at the Reveal Magazine Online Fashion Awards, where she was hailed a 'role model' for the industry. Gemma, 32, is most certainly making waves in the fashion industry after scooping her second award in less than a year for her plus-size fashion collection - the bubbly blonde was named plus-size designer of the year, too. Beach babe: Gemma Collins has two reasons to celebrate this week; she's just unveiled her fifth summer range and won a prestigious fashion award . Speaking about her win, Gemma said: ‘I’m so happy; it’s such an honour to be recognised for my collection. 'I designed the range to allow curvy girls to look gorgeous and show their individuality, plus-size doesn’t need to mean hiding under baggy or dark clothes! 'I tried to make the range so it had something in it for everyone’. Summer's coming: As the weather improves, Gemma has taken it upon herself to model her stylish new range of kaftans and beach cover-ups . Mouthpiece: Gemma, 32, who was hailed a 'role model' for the plus-size fashion industry has created a flattering range of summer dresses . As she models some key pieces from her fifth collection, Gemma shared . her top tips for flattering your figure on holiday. She said: . 'Three-quarter length sleeves will flatter your figure more than long or . short ones. 'They . have the effect of making the body, as well as the arms, appear . slimmer. Why? Because they stop at the slimmest part of the arm. 'As . for dresses, wear wrap dresses or those with ruched detail. It will . focus the attention to the centre of your body and create a more defined . waist line,' she said. Honoured: Gemma says she designed the range to allow curvy girls to look gorgeous and show their individuality and she couldn't be happier with her latest award . Big plans: Gemma, who models some casual pieces from her new range, says she wants her own flagship store on Oxford Street . Pretty in pink: Gemma has included on-trend pastels into her range of maxi dresses, kaftans and more glamorous evening gowns . Speaking . about her contribution to the fashion industry, she said: 'I've changed fashion. Women can get beautiful plus-size clothes thanks to me and I've opened a . lot of doors for the industry. That's why I'll be here for my 120th . collection.' 'It's . crazy to think I was once a car dealer from Romford and now I've got . this fashion empire. I have proven there's a massive market for . plus-size women and my new range sort of says "Come on, girls! You're . going to look amazing this summer",' she said. Gemma, . whose friends say all she ever talks about is her range, believes that . she has the skills and knowledge required to create a fashion empire. 'You have to be big to design for plus-size women, you have to know what it feels like. 'In . the next few years, I see myself having a flagship store on Oxford . Street next to Topshop and there will be a Gemma Collins store in every . town. 'I get so many people emailing me requesting me to open up in their town.' Glamour girl: Gemma, pictured out with her buddy Sam . Faiers recently, says she has changed the fashion industry . Watch your back, VB! Victoria Beckham, who has previously won a Designer Of The Year award, better watch out because Gemma Collins has big plans . | Gemma won Editor's Choice' award at the Reveal Fashion Awards .
Says it's an 'honour' to be recognised for her collection .
Is her second fashion award this year .
Has unveiled and modelled range of summer dresses to celebrate . |
262,464 | dffd408a2b55570c1b5e497f5c2b9971856e84af | (CNN) -- 1. Everpurse: A handbag that charges your phone . Nothing kills a productive day like a dead cell phone battery. Lucky for us, that's what inspired frustrated social worker Liz Salcedo to create Everpurse. The inventive solution allows you to charge your mobile device simply by placing it inside your handbag. Salcedo and her husband/business partner designed a bag with a built-in pocket that automatically connects to the charger via gravity. Using the same wireless technology as some Nokia products, each bag is equipped with a receiver and battery inside its lining, pulling off a crafty nontechnical look. The couple took their prototype to the crowd funding website Kickstarter.com, where they found more than 900 backers and raised over $150,000 in support of their project. The future of wireless charging not only looks promising, but stylish as well! 2. Facedeals: Reading your face to give you better deals . When you hear the words "facial recognition technology," do they creep you out? A Tennessee-based ad agency called Redpepperland thinks that using the technology to give shoppers customized in-store deals may get them past their apprehension. The concept, called "Facedeals," is an automated check-in system that uses passive facial recognition to send customized in-store deals right to your smart phone. Here's how it works: A Facedeals camera installed at a store entrance scans and recognizes your face as you walk in the door. Don't worry if you don't like the idea -- you have to opt in to participate by creating an account through their Facebook profile. Once you're checked in, the types of deals you are offered depends on your history of Facebook likes. Although the project is not yet directly affiliated with Facebook, the idea is to get businesses to realize that Facebook check-ins are a powerful tool to provide discounts to loyal customers. Another inventive use of facial recognition comes from a new service called Plum Perfect, which offers makeup palette suggestions based on a photo of your face. 3. Smart Carpet: Carpet sensors that can tell when you fall . It looks like we finally have a real-life magic carpet -- only it won't fly you to your favorite vacation destination. Researchers at the University of Manchester in the UK have designed a "smart carpet" that can tell when a person has fallen. Sensors embedded in the carpet allow it to detect and map walking patterns in real time by acting as a pressure map. Once the signals are recorded by computer, the carpet can also sense any deterioration in walking behavior. If this occurs, it analyzes the force of a fall against a footstep and can be rigged to call for help. Right now, the goal is to implement smart carpets in care homes and hospitals as a safety measure to decrease the number of emergency admissions due to falls for the 65+ age group. 4. Lockitron: Lock your house with your smartphone . We've all done it before: You're running late, grab everything you can remember and run out the door trying to beat the clock. It's not until you've almost reached your destination that the nagging "Did-I-lock-the-door?" question rears its head. Lockitron is offering a solution to this common worry by turning your smartphone into a house key. What makes Lockitron different from other "digital house key" apps like Unikey is that it is installed onto existing deadbolts and connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi, which allows you to access it from anywhere. The device is powered by AA batteries and runs Bluetooth or NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, depending on which device you use. "Knock sensors" can even be installed to send you a notification when someone is at the door. 5. Wallbrights: Customizable wall décor . If you're looking to add a little pizzazz to your household with some wall décor, this one is definitely an eye catcher. Wallbrights combines simple wall decals with LED lights that are remotely controlled by -- what else? -- a mobile app. The decals, which come in both hexagons and lines, are equipped with an adhesive backing so you can change the pattern and stick them just about anywhere in your home. Using a smartphone app, you can not only turn the lights off and on, but also control the color scheme. So whether you are looking for colors that suit your mood or just add style to your walls, this lighting innovation is sure to spark conversation. | Start the new year with some tools and trends that could make life easier .
Everpurse is a handbag with a built-in receiver and battery to charge your phone on the go .
Facedeals uses facial recognition to send customized deals to your smartphone . |
51,621 | 922669ea769fabddf03c53c009247da910d7f0e4 | A policewoman who used the force database 'like Google' to leak information about the manhunt for police killer Dale Cregan to her sister has been jailed. PC Katie Murray wept as she was jailed for almost three years after accessing confidential information about the pursuit to trade as 'gossip.' The 29-year-old even sent her sister, Lindsey, the name and picture of one of the two women police officers shot dead by the one-eyed killer, three hours before they were formally identified at a news conference. In a WhatsApp message between the pair, Lindsey said: 'Oh my God, I can't believe this s***, you better come here after work and fill me in' only for Murray to reply: 'I don't really know anything. He he'. Police constable Katie Murray, 29, (pictured left) was jailed for nearly three years for leaking confidential information about the manhunt for police killer Dale Cregan to her gossip loving sister, Lindsey (pictured right). Lindsey Murray, 33, was jailed for six months . Dale Cregan is serving a whole life sentence for the gun and grenade killings of PCs Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, in 2012, and a gangland double murder . The officer, who had been with Greater Manchester Police since 2004, later filmed Cregan as he arrived at Newton Heath Police Station for interview. In the clip she could be heard repeating 'Oh my God, oh my god,' as the killer was being transferred after handing himself in. Cregan is currently serving a whole life sentence for the gun and grenade killings of PCs Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, in 2012, and a gangland double murder . Hospital worker Lindsey, said to be a habitual gossiper, was said to have passed on the sensitive material given to her by her sister. Eight days after the serial killer carried out his second of four murders, she told a friend: ''Talking to Kate last night, I know the full story about Cregan x' She was said to have provided details of the case and future police tactics concluding: 'keep it to yourself though. They are all targets our Kate said.' At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, the sisters, both of Droylsden, were both convicted misconduct in a public office after a trial. Katie was jailed for two years nine months and Lindsay was jailed for six months. Passing sentence Judge Jonathan Foster QC told the women: 'Katie and Lindsay Murray, until this event you had both done well with your lives, both had responsible jobs and many people spoke well of you. But as sisters you have one thing in common. You both failed to recognise or respect the boundaries between right and wrong. 'Katie Murray you have fallen from grace and you have compromised the confidence of the public in the integrity of the police force. You have affected the reputation of the vast majority of serving police offices and made it less likely members of the public with cooperate with them. 'You knew your sister was a habitual gossiper and was likely to pass on information to others outside confidence. You used the police computer as if you were accessing Google.' The court heard the WPC had once been in a relationship with cannabis dealer Jason Lloyd, 44, and also used the force database to get confidential information to him about police investigations into his criminality over a 20 month period. But Nick Clarke QC prosecuting said: 'She also misused police systems to gain and provide information to friends and family members without any lawful policing purposes. 'Lindsey has requested Katie to check police systems and provide information to her regarding other individuals and incidents known to her. 'There was no proper policing purpose for such inquiries and no legitimate basis for the dissemination of the information.' Leaks by Katie included details of the investigations into the murders by Cregan of Mark Short, 28, who was shot dead at The Cotton Tree Pub in Ashton-under-Lyne on May 25 2012 and father David Short, 46, who was killed in a gun and grenade attack at his home on August 10 2012. When Cregan and another suspect were initially arrested and questioned and bailed on their return from Thailand on June 12 2012, Katie reviewed the arrests and looked at their custody records. PC Katie Murray also shared information with her ex-boyfriend Jason Lloyd . The QC added: 'Lindsey is also very interested in the information that can be obtained from Katie. 'Examination of call data, text and 'What App' messages between Katie, Lindsey and associates has established that Katie divulged to her sister information regarding the murder investigations including the hunt for Dale Cregan and his associates, their arrest and custody process. 'Lindsey was aware that Jason Lloyd was in contact with the Cregan family..' Mr Clarke said when the two policewomen were killed on September 18 2012, Katie was not assigned to the investigation team - yet sent a picture of WPC Nicola at 12.53pm three hours ahead of the Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy naming the dead office during a news conference. The prosecutor said: 'Not only did she constantly monitor the incident logs and activity as shown on the police computers, she was also contacting her sister, then almost immediately afterwards Lloyd. 'Katie Murray calls Mr Lloyd at the time the news is breaking so she can talk to him about developments. Lindsey Murray is clearly very interested in what's going on. 'In a WhatsApp message she said 'Oh my God, I can't believe this s***, you better come here after work and fill me in'. Clearly, Lindsey knows Katie has inside information and Lindsey is not interested in news bulletins but a greater degree of interest in private information. 'Katie replied: 'I don't really know anything. He he'. We suggest the impression of that is that she did, because she has been monitoring the police systems all day. 'She even released a picture of one of the murdered officers before that unfortunate officer had been publicly named by police. 'We are sure that you will be aware how sensitively and carefully controlled the release of such information has to be, to ensure that families are first told through appropriate official channels, other than reading about it on Twitter or through some other gossip based system of information leak - which is what was instigated by Katie that day.' 'Katie went on to video the arrival of Cregan at her police station and to immediately publish that to her sister ad the continued to relay the progress of the investigation and whereabouts of members of the Cregan family..' Police constable Fiona Bone,32, (pictured left) and police constable Nicola Hughes, 23, (pictured right) were both killed by Dale Cregan on a routine call . Murray was found out when police seized Lloyd's mobile phone following the Cregan murders and texts on his mobile phone was examined. 'When police raided Katie's home, they found an envelope of letters written to her from Lloyd which she kept in the drawer of her bedside cabinet. In mitigation Murray's defence counsel Rick Holland said: 'Despite the fact she was a police officer for ten years, nothing can prepare her for the rigours of the custodial regime that awaits her. 'She was profoundly upset when those two officers died as were all the officers. She didn't take the images from the internal computers, the information was obtained and she shared their details from Facebook. 'There was a language used that was contemptuous of Cregan and others. She described the day she was arrested as the worst in her life. She is utterly ruined now.' James Harrison, representing Lindsay Murray said: 'She was receiving information from police computers out of curiosity. It was a sustained course of misguided curiosity. She says she was like a member of neighbourhood watch.' Lloyd, from Droyslden was jailed for 15 years after being convicted of misconduct, drugs and firearms offences. | PC Katie Murray was found guilty of misconduct in a public office by jury .
Her sister Lindsey, 33, was also convicted at Minshull Street Crown Court .
The WPC leaked information about the manhunt of Dale Cregan to sibling .
Katie was jailed for nearly three years and her sister for six months . |
112,777 | 1d84280faf66b56eba58c987ec263685c78b6c48 | By . Rosie Taylor . PUBLISHED: . 19:14 EST, 17 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:51 EST, 18 September 2012 . ‘Internet troll’ and ‘Facebook hacking’ are terms few had heard of until recently. But now online abuse and identify theft have become so common that social media users are being sold specialist insurance to help protect their reputation in case of an attack. Hacking of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media accounts - where another user logs in and posts derogatory or offensive messages - can cause huge damage to an individual or business’s image. Protection: Hacking of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media accounts can cause huge damage to an individual or business's image . A UK-based information privacy company has launched the country’s first social media insurance to specifically protect against reputational damage, account jacking and ID theft. Justin Basini, CEO of the company providing the service, ALLOW, said that insurance ‘perhaps wouldn’t have been needed a few years ago.’ He added: ‘That’s all changed now. Every internet user faces a certain level of risk that one day a digital criminal will target them or that they will suffer damage to their reputation.’ The cover - at a cost of £3.99 a month - will pay for legal advice and support if someone suffers an online attack and seeks some form of redress. It includes the cost of disabling accounts, suppressing offensive material and stopping any legal action triggered by hacking, for example if a hacker posts illegal material under a victim’s name. Mother-of-one Nicola Brookes was hounded for nine months by anonymous bullies who set up a Facebook profile in her name and set explicit messages to children, after she wrote an innocent message of support for an X Factor contestant online. Social networks: Online abuse and identify theft are so common that social media users are being sold specialist insurance to help protect their reputation . The fake profile, which featured her picture and email address, falsely described her as a drug dealer, prostitute and child abuser. Her email address was also hacked and her home address was published by internet trolls. 'My name is my brand. If someone were to impersonate me online then it would cause damage to my business. It would really help to have experts on call in that sort of situation, because you’d just want the damage repaired ASAP' Ian Giles, marketing consultant . Miss Brookes, 45, won a landmark legal case to compel Facebook to release the bullies’ details in June and hopes to bring private prosecutions against them. Her legal action would have cost her £5,000 but her solicitors Bains Cohen agreed to represent her for free because of her horrific ordeal. As the number of similar cases rises and the likelihood of solicitors taking on more work pro bono diminishes, more people may be tempted to pay for insurance. Ian Giles, a marketing consultant from Surrey, has signed up to the insurance. He runs his business under his name and is concerned that it could be ruined if his social media accounts were hacked. ‘My name is my brand,’ he said. ‘If someone were to impersonate me online then it would cause damage to my business. It would really help to have experts on call in that sort of situation, because you’d just want the damage repaired ASAP.’ The insurance is available via the ALLOW Protect service, which also allows users to monitor how their personal data is used online. | Hacking can cause huge damage to individual's image .
Insurance against reputational damage and ID theft .
Cover costs £3.99 per month and pays for legal advice . |
297 | 00e8a1c6e038a833ed30d92f911267a2f8f238be | (CNN) -- The women's lives have taken different paths since the days they were born. Brenda Vazquez is a 29-year-old elementary school teacher in Matamoros, Mexico. Laura Castro lives across the border in Brownsville, Texas. She is a 32-year-old housewife who helps her husband manage several stores. They share one thing in common: Both say they were delivered by midwives in south Texas, but pressured by U.S. Border Patrol agents to deny their U.S. citizenship. Their problems began, according to attorney Jaime Diez, when a group of midwives along the U.S.-Mexico border were found guilty of selling birth certificates to people who were not born in the United States. "Now all the midwives in the area are suspected of committing fraud," said Diez, who said his office regularly sees cases of people delivered by midwives in Texas. Some of them are struggling to get passports because officials question the validity of their birth certificates, he said. Others have been deported and had their identification documents confiscated at the border, he said. Vazquez, who Diez is representing in a federal lawsuit filed last week, said she was intimidated into signing a document swearing she was not a U.S. citizen at a border crossing in Brownsville, Texas, last year. "He said, 'You'd better cooperate with me, because if you don't, you're going to jail. I had to lie and say that I was not a citizen. ... I was quite scared. I was crying," the second-grade teacher said. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman said he could not comment about Vazquez's case or other such cases "due to pending legal action." Border patrol agents are "obligated to ensure that documentation presented to establish citizenship is proper and correct and was issued to the person presenting the documents," spokesman Bill Brooks said in a statement. A 2012 report from the Texas Office of the Inspector General said a fraud investigation had been "substantiated" and Vazquez's birth record had been flagged, noting Vazquez's signed confession and the fact that officials found birth certificates for Vazquez in both the United States and Mexico. The report said the case would not be prosecuted because it was beyond the statute of limitations. Vazquez said her parents obtained the Mexican birth certificate so she could study in Mexico. Vazquez said she has never lived in the United States, but wants to fight to regain her citizenship. "With crime as it is in Mexico, something might happen, and as a citizen I would go live there," she said. Laura Castro said she faced a similar situation with her mother and sister at the same border crossing in 2009. "My sister got desperate and signed the paper," Castro said. A border patrol agent told her that her mother had admitted to buying false identification documents for the family. "He kept asking me the same thing, and I replied the same thing, that I was a citizen. ... I said I was not going to sign because I did nothing wrong, and they let me go. ... They sent me back to Mexico," she said. Nearly a year later, authorities returned Castro her U.S. passport after she filed a lawsuit, she said. But Castro said she remains frustrated. "We were very humiliated. We were treated like criminals," she said. The issue has come up before. In 2008, the ACLU sued the federal government on behalf of nine people, arguing that authorities were unfairly discriminating against passport applicants. "For countless Latinos who were delivered by midwives in the Southwest ... trying to obtain a passport has become an exercise in futility," the ACLU said in a statement at the time. "Although midwifery has been a common practice for more than a century, particularly in rural and other traditionally underserved communities, the U.S. government has imposed unsurpassable hurdles on midwife-delivered Latinos to prove their citizenship and eligibility for U.S. passports -- even when their citizenship has already been established in the past." In a 2009 settlement, the State Department agreed to a new set of procedures for such passport applications. But the settlement said the department denied the ACLU's accusations, and noted that "there has been significant fraud by midwives and other birth attendants certifying births as occurring in the United States when they have not occurred in the United States." Diez said U.S. authorities need to do more to address the problem. "If they doubt that a person was born here and they can't criminally charge them, then give them a process in which they can send their documents to be investigated, give them a chance to be before a judge with a lawyer, and in which there could be a process in which they make things right. That's how it should be when we are talking about the citizenship of someone," he said. | Suspicion of midwives has caused immigration problems for many, an attorney says .
One woman says she was forced to deny her U.S. citizenship .
Another says her passport was taken and returned a year later after a lawsuit .
The border patrol says its agents must verify that citizenship documents are valid . |
138,525 | 3f244e5a420792ac5718a593e7a2361f08cdc4a9 | By . Neil Sears . PUBLISHED: . 18:56 EST, 1 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:43 EST, 1 June 2012 . A patient who complained about the treatment she and a frail blind woman received at the hands of a poorly-trained nurse was branded a racist. Sandra Hynes, 50, had only gone into hospital for a simple operation to relieve her acid reflux, but following complications was left with a punctured right lung. She had to stay in for an extra two weeks and was put on morphine and oxygen to cope with her pain. Accusations: Sandra Hynes (right) complained about the treatment at Chelsea and Westminster hospital only to be told she was a racist by staff nurse Maureen Nwadike . But further problems arose when her morphine drip and oxygen needed replenishing over a weekend. Astonishingly, the staff on duty had not been trained in how to insert a ‘cannula’ needle into her hand, and struggled to provide new oxygen, leaving her in excruciating pain. When she was given morphine orally instead, and began hallucinating and crying, a member of staff told her off. Her patience finally snapped when a nurse fed hot soup to a blind patient in the bed next to her, leaving her blistered and screaming. Mrs Hynes told the junior nurse – who happened to be black – that she should have tested the temperature of the soup before serving it. Moments later the nurse’s superior, Staff Nurse Maureen Nwadike – who is also black – arrived in the ward, and told horrified Mrs Hynes: ‘You’re racist.’ Despite being in great pain, the patient grabbed a Zimmer frame and tried to leave the hospital. Now, following a complaint, the Chelsea and Westminster hospital in West London has apologised for her appalling treatment. Sandra Hynes, 50, had only gone into hospital for a simple operation to relieve her acid reflux, but following complications was left with a punctured right lung . Last night Mrs Hynes, of Grays in Essex, said: ‘I was called a racist for complaining about a lady getting scalded, and because no one was able to fix my morphine over the whole weekend. It was a horrific experience. ‘I was in terrible pain, and because it was over the weekend no one could do anything about it. ‘I was scared to be on the ward, and about what might happen while I was asleep. ‘At one stage I even took a Zimmer frame and tried to get out so I could call for help on the street. ‘I never want to go there again, however ill I am.’ Following her complaint, Senior Nurse Sian Davies admitted in a long letter: . ‘It is recognised that there are indeed less doctors working at the weekend, which unfortunately resulted in a severe delay in reviewing your pain relief, which is not acceptable. ‘You also described how Nurse Hannah did not know how to change the oxygen. She was relatively new to the ward, not very confident, and has learnt from the experience. ‘And you described how Nurse Maureen Nwadike accused you of being racist. 'The behaviour you described will not be tolerated and is not acceptable. I will be monitoring her communication skills.’ Contacted at her home in Thamesmead, South-East London, Mrs Nwadike, whose husband Anthony, 54, is a director of a private nursing business, refused to comment. | Sandra Hynes, 50, went in for acid reflux treatment but following complications was left with a punctured lung .
Nurse fed hot soup to a blind patient leaving her blistered and screaming . |
191,073 | 8371a844da2da74b5d4c97921ff241c2899b93e7 | A woman with a collection of eerily life-like dolls was stopped while boarding a plane - as staff requested a ticket for one of her 'babies'. Grace Thornton has taken her brood of dolls - including baby Mason - to various attractions in her home town of Independence, Kansas, USA. She has even flown Mason to Miami but was greeted by staff convinced he was real - fortunately she was able to explain he was a doll and board the flight. Grace Thornton has taken her brood of dolls - including baby Mason (pictured) - to various attractions in her home town of Independence, Kansas, including Plaza Art Fair, the Kansas City Zoo and Union Station . Mason is one of 10 in Grace's collection of dolls. They are made of vinyl transformed - or 'reborn' - with paint and faux hair to resemble real babies as much as possible. with paint and fake hair to look as much like real babies as possible. She bought her first doll more than three years ago and has spent more than $1,500 on her collection. Speaking to the Kansas City Star, Grace said: 'I've taken a couple of them down to Branson [Missouri] - senior citizen heaven. 'The women down there went nuts over them because I take them to the shows and everything.'I've always marched to the beat of my own drum.' Mason is one of 10 in Grace's collection. They are made of vinyl transformed with paint and faux hair to resemble real babies as much as possible. with paint and fake hair to look as much like real babies as possible . The craze for 'reborn' dolls has taken off in America over the past decade, with collectors sharing photos on Facebook and Pinterest, and swapping ideas in forums . Grace has taken Mason to the Plaza Art Fair, the Kansas City Zoo, Liberty (War) Memorial, Union Station, Powell Gardens, performances at the Kauffman Center and Midland theater. The craze for 'reborn' dolls has taken off in America over the past decade, with collectors sharing photos on Facebook and Pinterest, and swapping ideas in forums. Ronda Cox is a Reborner owns Heavenly Touch Reborn Nursery in Independence, where shes makes dolls to sell with prices starting at $225. The mother of five real children has made more than 500 Reborn dolls over the last decade, sending them as far as Ireland and Iceland. Ronda Cox uses a special tool to weave hair into the head of a doll while making Reborn Dolls in her store . 'My clientele ranges from 18 months all the way up to age 99,' she said. Ronda claims that the great thing about a Reborn is that when you're tired of it, you can just put it away. 'It's not going to come screaming, 'I'm hungry!' she told the Kansas City Star. Ronda starts making the babies with a kit, containing a head, two arms and two legs. In between each layer of paint she bakes the parts in an oven to set the paint. A couple of creations by Ronda Cox at Heavenly Touch Reborn Nursery in Independence, Kansas . Finally she installs acrylic eyes, preferring their glossy appearance over the matte look of painted eyeballs. 'That's what makes the eyes sparkle,' Ronda said. 'And that's what you'd see with a real baby. When they open their eyes, they are kind of sparkly.' The hair is even more complicated, involving a process called rooting in which she pushes each strand of hair, one at a time, into the vinyl scalp with a barbed needle. 'I love it. It's very relaxing for me,' she said. Ronda Cox applying paint to the lips of a doll. She paints on custom flesh tones and highlights features to make the doll life-like including fat rolls, eye crinkles, folds around the wrists and ankles . One of Ronda's favorite sculptors is Emily Jameson, 24, from Leawood, Kansas, who features her dolls on Facebook and sells them as Babies by Emily. 'I remember the first one I saw,' she told the paper. 'It was smiling, it had red hair, and I thought it looked really realistic. I guess that's what drew me to it - because no other doll I had looked that realistic.' Ronda says that she sometimes comes across people who are not quite so enamored with their life-like appearance. 'People are pretty rude with the comments,' she said. 'We don't even address them. We just say, ' Everybody has different taste, and everybody is entitled to their own opinion.' ' Emily Jameson, 24, is one of Ronda Cox's favorite sculptors. She features her dolls on Facebook . | Grace Thornton takes her brood of dolls to various attractions in Kansas .
Reborns are life-like dolls transformed with paint and hair to resemble babies .
Ms Thornton has spent more than $1,500 on her collection of Reborn dolls .
The craze for Reborns has taken off in the US with collectors sharing photos of their 'babies' on Facebook and Pinterest and swapping ideas in forums . |
185,237 | 7bf1aa14e776b12ca1462fcfbf82383e399c071f | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Nicolas Cage brought about his own financial ruin with a spending spree that included two castles, 15 palatial homes, a flotilla of yachts and a squadron of Rolls Royces, his former business manager said. Samuel Levin, responding to a lawsuit Cage filed against him, said he warned the Oscar-winning actor that he could face bankruptcy unless he scaled back his lavish lifestyle. Cage, one of Hollywood's highest-paid movie stars, sued Levin in October, charging that he "lined his pockets with several million dollars in business management fees while sending Cage down a path toward financial ruin." "Cage discovered that he is now forced to sell major assets and investments at a significant loss and is faced with huge tax liabilities because of Levin's incompetence, misrepresentations and recklessness," Cage's lawsuit said. He asked the Los Angeles Superior Court for $20 million in damages from Levin. Levin filed a counter-complaint this week demanding $129,000 owed to him by Cage for recent work on his tax returns. The filing also argued that Cage was "deeply in debt" when he started working for him in 2001 because Cage had "already squandered tens of millions of dollars he had earned as a movie star." Levin said he warned Cage, whose given name is Nicolas Coppola, that he needed to earn $30 million a year "just to maintain his lavish lifestyle." He urged Cage to save "a cash cushion" of at least $10 million "to alleviate the financial pressure to take film roles that might be detrimental to his career," Levin's response said. Several of Cage's recent movie roles have been seen by critics as "paycheck gigs" taken only because of his pressing debt. Levin's filing claimed that starting in 2005 and then "with increasing urgency" over the next two years, he "implored Coppola to stop buying real estate and urged him to reduce his real estate holdings, warning Coppola that the financial press was filled with references to a 'real estate bubble.' " He countered Cage's claim that the actor was left in the dark about his finances. "Levin repeatedly warned Coppola that he was living beyond his means, urged him to spend less, and warned him that financial disaster loomed if he continued to spend uncontrollably," Levin's filing said. "Levin described the folly of several other well-known entertainers who compulsively overspent their way into bankruptcy, and warned Coppola 'it could happen to you,' " the filing said. Cage should have known about his debt because "he signed every check for every monetary transaction throughout the relationship," Levin said. "Instead of listening to Levin, cross-defendant Coppola spent most of his free time shopping for high ticket purchases, and wound up with 15 personal residences, most of which were bought against Levin's advice," Levin's complaint said. "Likewise, Levin advised Coppola against buying a Gulfstream jet, against buying and owning a flotilla of yachts, against buying and owning a squadron of Rolls Royces, against buying millions of dollars in jewelry and art." Cage's four yachts included one each for the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Newport Beach, California, and Rhode Island, Levin said. In 2007 alone, Cage's "shopping spree entailed the purchase of three additional residences at a total cost of more than $33 million; the purchase of 22 automobiles (including 9 Rolls Royces); 12 purchases of expensive jewelry; and 47 purchases of artwork and exotic items," Levin's filing said. "Coppola also spent huge sums taking his sizable entourage on costly vacations and threw enormous, Gatsby-style parties at his residences," it said. Levin's warnings that Cage was living beyond his means were not just ignored, but "at times Levin was rebuked for trying to restrain the outflow of cash," he said. "The pinnacle" of Cage's spending spree was the purchase of two castles -- in England and Germany -- which Levin warned "were decrepit and needed huge expenditures," he said. Cage's financial collapse came in 2008 when real estate values plunged and most of his residences turned "upside down, just as the global credit crunch made it impossible to cover Coppola's endless cash calls by borrowing more money," Levin said. The case of Nicolas Cage versus Samuel Levin is set for a hearing in a Beverly Hills, California, courtroom on February 3, 2010, according to court records. | Samuel Levin responds to a lawsuit actor Nicolas Cage filed against him .
Cage bought 2 castles, 15 homes, yachts, Rolls Royces, against advice, Levin says .
Cage should have known about his debt because he signed the checks, Levin says . |
172,851 | 6bb578d7d6fd038f5e5bd4bcf6ebc85665a733c7 | An Australian man whose young twin children were conceived through a surrogate mother in Thailand has been charged with 10 counts of sexually abusing his children. The man, aged in his 50s, has also been charged with the possession of 53 child pornography images. He was revealed to have been separated from his wife, who became the children's sole carer despite having no biological connection to them, when the sexual abuse occurred. Scroll down for video . An Australian man in his 50's (left) has been charged with sexually abusing his children who were born via surrogate mother, Siriwan Nitichad (right), in Thailand . The children were born via a surrogate mother named Siriwan Nitichad and known as Aon from the Petchabun province, who claims she was paid $5,500 for her role in the birth . Police told Channel Nine's A Current Affair that the man 'seemed not to cope with fatherhood' once he'd returned to Australia after his children's birth. Court documents describe the man as having a vicious temper according to the ABC, and becoming unemployed before the marriage came to an end. However his ex-wife was forced to ask the man to take care of their children, who were aged either four or five at the time, while she was in hospital. During this time, he allegedly encouraged one of his children to touch him inappropriately as the other looked on. The children were offered stickers and lollies and threatened that if they did not follow his commands, they would be hit. Aon was 23-years-old at the time and provided her own egg before carrying the twins, as the man and his former wife struggled to conceive on their own and did not qualify for adoption. Mrs Nitichad was made aware of the allegations against the biological father in June 2013 and told the ABC 'I felt terrible, I felt very bad, I don't know how to describe it' They were born via a surrogate mother named Siriwan Nitichad and known as Aon from the Petchabun province, who claims she was paid $5,500 for her role in the birth, according to the ABC. Aon was 23-years-old at the time and provided her own egg before carrying the twins, as the man and his former wife struggled to conceive on their own and did not qualify for adoption. She told the ABC that when the couple had come to Thailand to meet her, they begged her to be their surrogate. 'She said her husband wanted to have a baby so much, please help them, please help them,' Aon said of the man's wife. As the twin's biological mother, Mrs Nitichad said she and her husband would be happy to take them back into their care . The man, who has denied all of the allegations, is out on bail but will face court in December . The now 30-year-old woman described the twins as 'lovely' and admitted that she 'didn't want to let them go' after giving birth, claiming she would have given the couple their money back and kept the children herself if they had allowed it. She was made aware of the allegations against the biological father in June 2013 and told the ABC 'I felt terrible, I felt very bad, I don't know how to describe it'. Although Australian child welfare authorities are looking into the option of securing the children long-term care with their biological mother in Thailand, the situation has been recognised as complicated due to the children having no knowledge of their Thai background. Aon and her husband told the ABC that they would be happy to take the twins into their care. The man, who has denied all of the allegations, is out on bail but will face court in December. Surrogacy arrangements in Thailand have come under scrutiny recently because of the case of baby Gammy, a surrogate-born boy with Down syndrome whose Australian parents left him behind. The Thai government is considering new legislation to ban the practice. Thailand and Australia are working out a transition process for an expected 150 Australian couples and Thai surrogate mothers expected to give birth over the next year. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | The man has been charged with 10 counts of sexually abusing his children and the possession of 53 images of child pornography .
He and his wife separated soon after they returned to Australia as he couldn't 'cope with fatherhood'
The man allegedly encouraged one of his children to touch him inappropriately while the other child looked on .
Their biological mother is aware of the allegations and told Thai authorities she would care for the twins if problems arose .
He has denied all allegations and will face court in December . |
34,881 | 631eb2a815fa28f44826ae4020750ce3961dde57 | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . How many people would humanity need to send on an interstellar voyager to ensure the survival of a colony beyond the solar system? According to one expert the answer is a staggering 20,000 to 40,000 people. A study suggests that, in order to ensure significant genetic diversity, such large numbers will be needed if any space colony is to survive a trip lasting 150 years. Dr Smith from Portland State University says a future interstellar mission would only work if a large human colony was taken along for the trip on a large starship (illustration of a 'stanford torus', a proposed design for a space habitat made in the 1970s, pictured). The ideal number would be a population of 40,000 . Dr Cameron Smith is an anthropologist and prehistorian at Portland State University in Oregon, and is also involved with Icarus Interstellar, an organisation dedicated to advancing interstellar starship research and development. At Icarus he is working on Project Hyperion, a study of the various factors at play for a future deep space mission - including the number of humans to take. The 100-year Starship Project is a joint endeavour run by Darpa, Nasa, Icarus Interstellar and the Foundation for Enterprise Development. Announced in January 2012, the project has an overall goal of achieving manned interstellar travel by 2112. To do so it is evaluating a number of different techonolgies, including ‘warping’ space time to travel great distances in short time frames at faster-than-light speeds. The project is also considering building ‘generation ships’ that move slowly but have a self-sustainable long-term population. To date Nasa has contributed $100,000 (£60,000) to the project and Darpa $1 million (£600,000). And in a paper published Acta Astronautica he describes how taking less than 20,000 people on an interstellar voyage would be ‘risky’ over multiple generations. ‘Designing interstellar starships for human migration to exoplanets requires establishing the starship population, which factors into many variables including closed-ecosystem design, architecture, mass and propulsion,’ Dr Smith writes. He continues: ‘I find that previously proposed such populations, on the order of a few hundred individuals, are significantly too low to consider based on current understanding of vertebrate (including human) genetics and population dynamics.’ He says that having an ‘Interstellar Migrant Population’ of 40,000, 23,400 of which are ‘reproductive males and females,’ would be a good figure to ensure the health of a colony travelling for 150 years, or five generations. Such a number of people is necessary to avoid interbreeding among the relatively small human population according to Dr Smith. The study considered a hypothetical 150-year mission to a neighbouring star. Increasing spacecraft speeds by a factor of 1,000 would make a mission to a star such as Proxima Centuari (shown with date the distance was calculated) possible, which is 4.24 light years away . Pictured is an illustration of the IXS Enterprise, an interstellar ship envisaged by Nasa's Dr Harold White that could use warp technology to travel 'faster than light'. It could be an accurate representation of what the first mission beyond the solar system will look like . During a talk for Nasa’s Future In-Space Operations, Dr Smith elaborated that no natural populations of vertebrates on Earth dip below five to 7,000, reports space.com. ‘And when they do go below this, sometimes they survive, but many times they go into what’s called a demographic or extinction vortex,’ he explains. The best way to ensure the survival of a colony on a long-duration journey to a distant alien planet would be to have a ship large enough to house a population of a town. Another less preferred option, however, would be to send frozen sperm and eggs from Earth-bound people. Dr Smith also explains how his study would be applicable for colonisation of worlds inside out solar system such as Mars. For interstellar colonisation, however, he admits that it will require significant advances in technology before any such missions is possible. But if spacecraft speeds can be increased by 1,000, then a mission to our closest neighbouring star Proxima Centauri lasting 140 years is feasible, says Dr Smith. | Dr Smith from Portland State University says a future interstellar mission would only work if a large human colony was taken along for the trip .
He says a population of at least 20,000 is needed to prevent inbreeding .
The ideal number would be 40,000, with over half being male and females of a reproductive age .
Study considered a hypothetical 150-year mission to a neighbouring star .
Increasing spacecraft speeds by a factor of 1,000 would make a mission to a star such as Proxima Centuari possible, which is 4.24 light years away .
But Dr Smith does not discuss the technology that might make this endeavour feasible . |
24,140 | 447e6662caef1e88abbc2ace586b0272792dfefb | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Not content with the tight security in place at many of the nations airports, the TSA is now funding the roll-out of exit pods at major airport terminals across the country. The pods temporarily detain passengers before they are allowed to leave. Travelers are forced through the pods as the leave the airport terminal before a robotic voice gives instructions to wait inside the pod until a green light is shown and the door opens. Scroll down for video... Beam me up! These new exit 'pods' have been put in place for passengers to pass through as they leave the baggage claim at Syracuse airport . Detention: Passengers enter the pods and have to wait for a green light before they can be released . Savings: The introduction of pods mean that there is no need for the presence of TSA security guards or police any longer and will save the government agency money . Once travelers exit the pods, they are unable to re-enter the terminal. The pods have already been installed at Syracuse International Airport as part of a $60 million dollar renovation. There are plans for the pods to be installed at other major airports soon. 'We need to be vigilant and maintain high security protocol at all times. These portals were designed and approved by TSA which is important,' said Syracuse Airport Commissioner Christina Callahan. to CNY Central News. Narrow: Sometimes the pods close on passengers who are wheeling through luggage . The pods allow for a reduction in police or security guards to be stationed at the airport. Usually, there would be a person standing at the exit. The move to introduce the glass exit pods may ultimately delay passengers' exits from the airport but it will also save the TSA money. Critics: Some bloggers have declared the pods to be 'detention' pods . | Pods have been brought in to replace the roles previously fulfilled by TSA security guards .
The pods temporarily detain passengers before the doors open up allowing them to proceed . |
790 | 024a83a72a7102c5c81fe6ad8aa40c4963f7d324 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:28 EST, 30 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:24 EST, 1 December 2013 . Martha Ann Lillard's crippling illness has made her a prisoner in her own home for the last 60 years. Paralyzed by polio at age five, the Oklahoma woman has spent most of her life encased in a 1940s respirator which breathes for her. But the 65-year-old couldn't imagine life any other way. Martha Ann Lillard, 65, has lived inside an iron lung like this one since she was five-years-old . 'Some people have said I’d rather die than leave my iron lung, and it . makes it sound like I’m not trying to be modern, and it’s not like that . at all,' she told NBC News. 'It . feels wonderful, actually, if you’re not breathing well. When I was first put into it, it was such a relief. It makes all the . difference when you’re not breathing.' Lillard has learned to live with her disease. She taught herself to walk again. While she can leave the 800-pound respirator, she prefers not to. Lillard lies on a goose down comforter inside a long metal cylinder in which she’s enclosed with an . airtight seal. Her neck and head sticks out of a foam . collar. There are switches inside to allow her to roll a tray-like cot in and out. She lives with her three beagles, and a housemate who helps care for her. She stays in touch with friends by phone and internet. Lillard owns her iron lung, which runs on a fan belt motor that friends help patch . together with car parts when it breaks. She said it's a better option than portable positive pressure ventilators which most polio survivors . use. They force air into the lungs, often through a tube in the . throat. 'If . I use the positive pressure vent, I’m not as well rested,' she said. Martha told MailOnline about her experience. 'I was paralyzed all over except my face.I was unconscious & turning blue when they put me in the lung. I was in it for six month in hospital, during which time I learned to breathe for 30 seconds and longer on my own. It was terrifying.W hen you can't breathe much, you can't talk, cry or make a sound. Doctors said I wouldn't ever be out of the lung or walk. I was determined to do both!' She says that after the time she spent in hospital she regained 25% of her breathing and after a year of work she learned to walk. 'I would love to not need any vent & would like not to have the weakening that comes with Post-Poilo Syndrome. I can't use other types of ventilators because of inflammation that comes with Polio. I could be more rested if I stayed in the lung full time. But I choose to be up as much as possible.Get the vaccine!' This undated photo shows a woman lying inside an iron lung . Lillard . considers herself an anomaly in a U.S. society that barely remembers . the scourge of polio - a viral infection of the spinal cord that mainly affected young children. But with reports polio has reared its ugly head in Syria and Cameroon, Lillard wants . to make sure that people never forget. 'I think the word is to get your child vaccinated. Why would we let somebody have to go back through that again?' she said. 'If my mother would have had the . opportunity to give me the vaccine, she would have done that.' Lillard was a kindergartner in 1953 when she woke up with a sore . throat that quickly progressed to poliovirus. The virus is transmitted through contaminated food and water. 'The night before I was paralyzed, the neighbor children ate out of the same bowl of pancake batter that I did,' Lillard said. 'They just had to pray that nobody got it.' The first known outbreak of polio in the U.S. was in 1894 in Vermont. In 1952, a record 57,628 cases of polio were reported in the U.S. | Martha Ann Lillard, 65, was paralyzed by polio at age five .
The Oklahoma resident has spent most of her life inside an 800-pound iron lung that helps her breathe .
The respirator, built in the 1940s, increases and decreases the air pressure to expand and contract Lillard's lungs .
She is a staunch advocate of vaccinations . |
210,974 | 9d3cd1a5e3143f5b473aac08b9b960bab887f511 | Iain Duncan Smith’s officials have attacked a Church-backed campaign that claims his benefit changes are forcing people to go to food banks. In a striking billboard advert that says ‘Britain Isn’t Eating’, the charity Church Action on Poverty uses the famous image from the Conservatives’ 1979 election poster, ‘Labour Isn’t Working’. The highly political charity poster features the same long line of people used to illustrate dole queues under Jim Callaghan’s ailing government, but this time places them outside a food bank. Provocative: A Church advertising campaign blames benefits changes for more people visiting food banks . Copycat: The Church handout echoes the Tory election poster famously designed by Saatchi and Saatchi . It reads: ‘Thousands are going hungry because of benefit changes. Call for urgent action.’ But a spokesman for Mr Duncan Smith’s Department for Work and Pensions said there was ‘no robust evidence’ welfare reforms are linked to increased use of food banks. The charity, supported by the Church of England and other churches, says on its website that half a million people used aid from food banks this year. Iain Duncan Smith's department has said there is no evidence that welfare changes are behind increased use of food banks . It claims ‘the single most common reason for people to need food aid is that their benefits have been changed, delayed or stopped’. The figures appear to come from the Trussell Trust, which runs 400 food banks in Britain. Its chairman, Chris Mould, has been accused by Mr Duncan Smith of ‘scaremongering’ and ‘political messaging’ by claiming the use of them is linked to welfare reforms. In a letter leaked yesterday the Work and Pensions Secretary rejected the idea, writing: ‘I strongly refute this claim and would politely ask you to stop scaremongering in this way. ‘I understand that a feature of your business model must require you to continuously achieve publicity, but I’m concerned that you are now seeking to do this by making your political opposition to welfare reform overtly clear.’ He told Mr Mould that the DWP’s record in processing welfare claims had improved under the Coalition and would do further when Universal Credit – the merging of six benefits into one payment – is up and running. The DWP says 92 per cent of benefits are processed on time, compared with 86 per cent in 2009-10 under the last government. Labour MPs have repeatedly used increases in the number of food banks as evidence of a ‘cost of living crisis’. But a DWP spokesman said that if three new food banks are opening every week, as the Trussell Trust says, then ‘it’s not surprising more people are using them’. He added: ‘Our welfare reforms will improve the lives of some of the poorest families in our communities with Universal Credit making three million households better off – the majority of these from the bottom two fifths of the income scale.’ Charity Church Action on Poverty claims that the single biggest reason given by people for visiting food banks is that their benefits have either been cut or stopped . Tory MP Mark Pritchard wrote on Twitter last night: ‘If some parts of the Church of England preached a little more gospel and a little less politics – perhaps [the] Church would be in a better place.’ For the launch of the Britain Isn’t Eating campaign, Church Action on Poverty said on its website: ‘The explosion in food poverty and the use of food banks is a national disgrace. It undermines the UK’s commitment to ensuring all its citizens have access to food – one of the most basic human rights.’ A Church of England spokesman said the charity was independent but shared some personnel, adding: ‘There are more than 400 food banks up and down the country … many supported or run by local churches … Supporting those in need is a core gospel value for Christians.’ Mr Mould denied that his organisation was politically motivated and said Mr Duncan Smith has refused to meet him to discuss the issue. Sir Tony Baldry, Tory MP for Banbury, said a survey this year found 62 per cent of food bank users did so because of low income, 42 per cent because of benefit changes and 35 per cent as a result of benefit delays. | Charity Church Action on Poverty has created the billboard .
Features the design of Saatchi an Saatchi's famous Tory election poster .
Slogan Labour Isn't Working replaced with Britain Isn't Eating .
Advert blames benefit reforms for more people using food banks .
Iain Duncan Smith has labelled the campaign 'scaremongering' |
37,429 | 6a006bcca69608c3ca7b11b8af2e32952dab1005 | The shocking moment that thugs used a home-made battering ram to smash their way into a family home was captured on CCTV. The three burglars threatened the occupants with knives before breaking into the garage and stealing an Audi A5 and a BMW motorbike. The men, dressed in dark clothing and wearing balaclavas, were caught on an outside security camera as they raided the property in Blackley, Greater Manchester last Thursday. Scroll down for video . The first thug is caught on camera as he walks towards the property, past the car that was later stolen . Two of the men are seen carrying a homemade battering ram towards the front door of the family home . Their faces covered with balaclavas, the men lift up the battering ram - ready to break down the door . They used a makeshift battering ram to break through the locked front door shortly after 10.30pm, police said. Once inside, the three men split up, with one holding a 7in kitchen knife to the first victim’s throat while one of the other men went upstairs and threatened the second victim with a knife. Keys to the victims' Audi A5 and BMW motorcycle were taken, along with a motorcycle helmet and leathers. The thieves drove away from the raid in the vehicles. The thugs are described as white men, all wearing dark clothing and full face balaclavas. They all spoke with local accents. Holding the bar between them, the men break into the property, where they threatened victims with knives . After stealing the keys from inside the home, the men come back outside to start the engine of the Audi . They are also seen manoeuvring the BMW motorcycle, above, which was later driven away from the house . The Audi car was found abandoned a short time later in Blackley but the BMW motorcycle is still missing. Detective Constable Peter Murphy said: 'This was a terrifying experience for the victims, who not only suffered the shock of seeing their front door smashed open but were also terrorised by men brandishing knives. 'The thieves seemed to know exactly what they were doing and knew what they were after, so it appears as though this robbery was planned in advance. 'The CCTV does not offer much in terms of identification of these thugs, but I urge people to watch the video and contact police if they believe they recognise any of the three robbers pictured.' The Audi is seen parked at the end of the drive (in background) as two of the men turn the motorbike around . The thieves escaped with the vehicles. The Audi has since been found, but police are still looking for the bike . | Three men wearing balaclavas broke into the family home last Thursday .
One burglar threatened one of the victims with a 7in kitchen knife .
The thugs drove away with the victims' Audi A5 and BMW motorbike . |
281,038 | f80fe9ab4da7b20693bf4b047d16e300c0909a44 | By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 11:59 EST, 11 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:01 EST, 11 December 2012 . Snared: Roki Aprisdianto escaped jail in a burka but was caught after taking veil off in front of bus of police . A convicted terrorist who escaped from prison wearing a body-covering Islamic burka was immediately arrested on a bus when he took the veil off – because many of the other passengers happened to be anti-terrorist police. Roki Aprisdianto was serving six years in jail on the Indonesian island of Java when he made his get-away after a group of burka-clad women came to visit their husbands. Under the flowing robes, he walked out of the prison with the women, undetected by officers, and laid low for a few weeks in the east Java town of Madiun. According to police, when the heat . died down he put the burka back on and made his way to the local bus . station where he purchased a ticket to travel to the town of Solo. Once . seated on the bus, and certain that his escape plot had been a total . success, he removed the headgear part of the gown, revealing his male . features. Unfortunately . for Aprisdianto, a large number of Indonesia’s anti-terror squad were . travelling on the bus – and the escaper was immediately arrested. ‘He made what you might call a big . mistake,’ said national police spokesman Major General Suhardi Alius. ‘He took his veil off because he thought he was safe and it was his bad . luck that police were travelling on the same bus.’ It is not known what happened to the . woman who passed the burka to Aprisdianto, but police believe she was . probably wearing a second burka, which she slipped off before leaving . the jail with the other women who were similarly dressed. Caught out: The convicted terrorist was immediately arrested on a bus when he took the veil off - because many of the other passengers happened to be anti-terrorist police (file photo) Aprisdianto was sentenced to six years behind bars in 2011 for masterminding a series of bombings. Two other militants believed to be part of his group were captured in Solo town a short time after his re-arrest. A third, believed to be the group’s fundraiser, was arrested a day later. The three told police they had helped Aprisdianto prepare a bomb that was planted at a police station after he had escaped from prison - the device failed to explode. Aprisdianto is now facing many more years in prison – wearing custom-made shorts and a T-shirt. | Roki Aprisdianto was serving six years in jail for a series of bombings .
He escaped from prison when group of women came to visit their husbands . |
40,381 | 71f32a49ee723db9ec45786f0eac52892e801a16 | By . Matt Lawless . Follow @@mattylawless . For Tony Jacklin, becoming the first British winner of the US Open in 46 years was just one of the great outcomes from his stunning seven-shot success back in 1970. The second was the friendship that blossomed with the man who presided over his bag for those four golden days at Hazeltine Golf Club. ‘One of the sweetest things of it all was the $3,000 that I gave my caddie, Tom Murphy’, said Jacklin. Backing: Golf legend Tony Jacklin has backed Justin Rose to defend his US Open title . Victor: Rose won his first major at Merion last year . Throwback: He was the first Englishman to do so since Jacklin himself in 1970 . ‘Yes, I did leave my cheque in my trousers and it went off to the dry cleaners. ‘But they sent me a new one and I gave Tom 10 per cent of my $30,000 winnings. It put him through college. ‘He was 19 at the time. He went on to become a multi-millionaire who owned golf courses and sports bars and all sorts. And even at 63, he remembered every shot I hit. ‘So, apart from winning the US Open, the nicest thing is that Tom made a fantastic success of his life too.’ Sadly, Murphy passed away during his sleep at his American home at the end of last month. This year’s edition at Pinehurst will no doubt prove an emotional time for legend Jacklin, Europe’s most-celebrated European Ryder Cup captain of all-time, with reminders of his sensational triumph and the man who was there alongside him. ‘He’ll be missed by a lot of people,’ the 1969 Open champion recently told Reuters in a telephone interview, just two weeks after speaking exclusively to Sportsmail at the OnlineGolf.co.uk golf day at Thorndon Park in Essex. ‘Tom touched a lot of lives and was a sweetheart of a guy.’ Hordes: Jacklin is mobbed by fans after victory over the USA in the Ryder Cup at Muirfield Village, Ohio, USA, in 1987. Having won two majors and three Ryder Cups, Jacklin is royalty in British golfing terms. And he was delighted to see Justin Rose end a long, 43-year wait and add his name to the coveted list of winners when he triumphed so spectacularly at Merion 12 months ago. ‘I was thrilled for Justin. I contacted him immediately. I know the feeling and it had been a long time (since an English player won it). ‘It was a long time before I won it and a long time after, so it was really great. He’s a great guy and I was delighted for him. He held it together beautifully.’ So does Jacklin believe Rose, 33, will go one better than he managed and successfully defend his title come Sunday evening? ‘It’s a tough championship to defend,’ he said. ‘There’s expectation and everyone’s monitoring how you’re doing. There’s a lot of pressure going into it. ‘And a lot of it is down to whether the course suits you. ‘I defended at Merion where Justin won his, ironically. Unfortunately, I didn’t do a very good job of it. The course was very narrow and I never got to grips with the way to play it really. ‘But in Justin’s case, he has established himself as a world star now in the top 10 and playing steady golf, so there’s no reason why he can’t do a good job this year. ‘It’s a tall order. People wonder why there was a such a gap from when I won it to Justin’s success last year. And he certainly has a chance.’ Pointer: Rose points to the sky after his final putt of the US Open last year . Silhouette: Rose raises his proudly deserved trophy to the sky . Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will be among the British contingent hoping to stake their claim in North Carolina this week. The Northern Irishmen took the honours in 2011 and, the latter, a year beforehand in 2010. But Jacklin, who led from start to finish when he celebrated glory in Minnesota over four decades ago, believes the opening round will be the key to the eventual winner on a tough Pinehurst track. ‘Who knows who will win it?’ said the 69-year-old, who now resides in Florida. ‘All of these predications we try to make is a lot of hot air. Until you get through the first round, a lot of people underestimate the importance of it. You can’t win it after the first round but you can lose it. ‘More important for the great players, if they get a good first round on the board, If they are in the first three, they get mentally engaged and they know that they are of that pedigree that they can win. ‘Sometimes though we tend to forget that, at this level, it’s a mind game. Purely, and simply. Without Tiger Woods, who remains sidelined by a back injury to miss his second major tournament of the year after his absence at Augusta, Jacklin believes there is a real opportunity for the rest of the field. ‘There will be some shocks,’ he said. ‘There always is. Surprise characters crop up in majors and sometimes they can take the lead early on. ‘Everyone wants Tiger to get better. He’ll be missed by the fans. There’s no question over his impact on the game over the last 15 years or so. But he’s still just one player. Contender: Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy is one of the favourites in the field going into the tournament . Knocking about: As is fellow countryman Graeme McDowell, who will be hoping to repeat his win of 2010 . Whoever does go on to emulate his US Open feat, Jacklin insists they will face the most stringent of examinations from what is arguably the most difficult major to land. ‘I honestly think the US Open is the supreme test,’ he said. ‘It’s the supreme examination because it allows the USGA to set the course up on the edge. ‘At The Open you can’t do much - weather-wise you’ve got to keep the greens and pin placements reasonable. But at the US Open they can take it to the limit with pin positions and green speeds. So, it’s not just a test of golf, it’s a test of patience and a lot of things. ‘There’ll be guys this year who will hit shots at Pinehurst that deserve birdies. But they might come off with bogeys or worse sometimes. It’s swallowing that and moving on that the US Open is as much about than anything. ‘It’s no good going in thinking, “That’s not fair”. It’s just how it is. So, whoever comes out winning will have dealt with all the necessary obstacles. ‘Pinehurst with the false fronts, lots of undulation and pin placement that goads guys into going for them. The ball can run off and you might end up 40 yards away after hitting what appeared to be a good ball. ‘Of course, winning The Open was the one I always wanted to win because it’s my home country’s major and it is the oldest. But there’s no doubt in my mind that the US Open is the hardest. They take it to courses that they can set on the edge. They like to watch the guys suffer!’ Tony Jacklin CBE was a special guest at the OnlineGolf.co.uk Golf Day, authorised retailer of all major golf brands including TaylorMade and Lyle & Scott . | Rose ended 43-year wait for English winner at Merion last year .
Jacklin was the last one to win the US Open back in 1970 .
69-year-old is the most celebrated Ryder Cup captain in European history .
Says the US Open is the toughest major of the four to triumph in . |
194,787 | 8825eed4c4a595d11657168ff89f029d553e25f7 | (CNN) -- Police say 40 ball pythons were confiscated from a single motel room on Thursday in Brantford, Ontario, about 65 miles southwest of Toronto. The room was occupied at the time by four people -- two of them children. The incident comes just weeks after two young brothers were strangled to death by a large, exotic python as they slept at a friend's house in Campbellton, New Brunswick. The Children's Aid Society of Brant is investigating the welfare of those children, Brantford Police Sgt. Cheney Venn told CNN. Though it's against the law to own a python in Brantford, no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed; nor have any names have been released by authorities. The pythons ranged in size from 1 foot to 4½ feet, and they were stored in several plastic storage bins. "It appeared as though they were being kept for breeding purposes" Sgt. Venn told CNN. "(They) were not being suitably cared for and were in distress." They were seized from the Bell City Motel by the county's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, according to executive director Robin Kuchma. She said in an e-mail they have since been sent "off to a rescue where those who are experienced can care for them." An exasperated employee who answered the phone at the Bell City Motel pleaded to be left alone before hanging up when reached by CNN Friday night. Venn says the couple and two children checked in a few days ago, after being evicted from their prior residence. He did not know whether the snakes played a role in their eviction. Venn said the Bell City Motel has a "no pets" policy. | The snakes were in a single motel room in Brantford, Ontario .
Two of the four people occupying the room were children .
SPCA official: Pythons "were not being suitably cared for and were in distress"
No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed . |
236,992 | bebeb86d103989e20c64505dd42dbee8d3ac7db7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 8:45 PM on 25th January 2012 . Barry Bowe, 54, was found dead in his home Monday . A principal who described himself as a ‘Renaissance Man’ was found dead in his home Monday night. Barry Bowe, 54, was fearful that he would be dismissed from his job amid an ongoing investigation from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district over a security incident at a school dance in December. Only days before, parents at Northwest School of the Arts had launched a collective effort for him to be able to keep his post. The news of his death shocked students of the Charleston, North Carolina school, who said he was genuinely concerned with their educations and futures. Dr Bowe had requested a personal day Friday, but was supposed to be at work by Monday morning. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg school employee went to his house to check on him, calling the police after Dr Bowe didn't answer his door. A neighbour, who was given a spare key, let police into Dr Bowe’s home, where they discovered his body in the garage. Huntersville Police told WBTV that they believe the principal committed suicide by using carbon monoxide fumes from his car. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Tragic loss: Dr Bowe was found dead in the garage of his home; police believe he died of carbon monoxide poisoning . Cherished educator: Dr Bowe wrote: 'I love my talented "kids." I love that arts an am blessed to have help support good hard working students for many years' An automated phone message was sent out to faculty and students Monday night alerting them of his death. CMS Interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh said the death of Dr Bowe was a ‘tragic loss.’ He said in a statement Tuesday: ‘Mr Bowe had been at Northwest School of the Arts since 2008 and was cherished by the students, staff and families at the school.’ Around 70 grief counsellors were at the school, assisting students and staff to cope with the tragedy. A stricken community: Students and staff of Northwest School of the Arts said Dr Bowe was a genuine and caring educator . In memoriam: Students and staff painted a rock outside the school black . According to school officials, Dr Bowe was under investigation for the way he handled an incident at a school dance in last month. A gun was reportedly found at event, which reportedly only had three faculty members serving as security. WCNC reports that Dr Bowe was supposed to show up for a meeting with the administration over the December 17 incident. But he never showed up. That's when CMS workers discovered that he was dead. One angry parent said the principal was given an ultimatum by the school board: either resign or be fired. Others were demanding answers about Dr Bowe’s ‘forced resignation, though CMS said the investigation was on-going and no punishment had yet been administered. Many parents, however, thought the incident was a way to oust Dr Bowe, WBTV reports. Students painted a large rock outside the school’s campus black in memory of their beloved principal. A fighter for the arts: The obituary in the Charlotte Observer described Dr Bowe as a journalist and artist . Another parent reflected on the positive influence Dr Bowe brought to the school. ‘He was such a wonderful educator and a wonderful man and he did wonders for this school,’ parent Lisa Muller told the station. One angry parent said the principal was given an ultimatum: either resign or be fired. In 2010, Dr Bowe wrote on his Facebook page how much he enjoyed his job at the North Carolina school. He said: 'Northwest School of the Arts is the perfect job match for me. 'We have a great photography program as well as theater, dance, music, and all of the visual arts. 'I love my talented "kids." I love that arts an am blessed to have help support good hard working students for many years.' While the district hasn’t disclosed much information regarding Dr Bowe’s employment, they said that he was not being forced to resign. Dr Bowe founded an arts festival in West Virginia, and was a ‘perfect fit’ for the West Virginia arts school, one CMS administrator said. Bowe began teaching in 1979 at East Bank High School in West Virginia. In 2000, he won Principal of the Year award. His obituary in the Charlotte Observer said: ‘He was a computer geek, a journalist, and he enjoyed working with special needs students. But at heart, he was an artist.’ | Dr Barry Bowe, 54, was afraid for his job after a gun was reportedly found at a dance, parents said .
Was beloved by students and staff alike for being genuine educator .
Parent said Bowe was given ultimatum by school board: resign or be fired . |
62,815 | b2727b3f0431e77de5121aea882b50ec134b3bec | Siem de Jong stepped up his recovery from a knee injury with a 45-minute run out for Newcastle United's reserves in their behind-closed-doors friendly win against Carlisle on Tuesday. The Dutchman has been restricted to just three appearances for the Magpies since his £6million summer switch from Ajax after getting crocked at the beginning of September. However, the 25-year-old is closing in on a return to the first-team fold after coming through the game unscathed. Siem de Jong in action for Newcastle's reserves in a friendly against Carlisle United on Tuesday . De Jong came through 45 minutes unscathed and was on target in the 3-1 win at the club's training ground . The Dutchman drives forward as he steps up his recovery from a long-term knee problem . De Jong was on target in the 3-1 win, while Lubomir Satka and Jonathyn Quinn were also on the scoresheet in the fixture at the club's training ground. The forward tweeted: “Played 45 minutes today in a friendly game! #almostthere.” Gabriel Obertan and Jonas Gutierrez also featured ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash at Hull City. Gabriel Obertan takes a shot at goal during the game on Tuesday afternoon . Newcastle development boss Peter Beardsley watches on from the sidelines . Jonas Gutierrez was also in action during the behind-closed-doors friendly fixture . | Siem de Jong came through 45 minutes unscathed in friendly fixture .
The Dutchman has featured just three time since summer switch from Ajax .
De Jong has been hampered by a knee injury for the past four months . |
177,063 | 7132031b51b20d0d225b16ecd06e366c3ba26000 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Women cyclists should have slow lanes to ‘pootle along’ in to stop them being intimidated by lycra-clad men tearing through towns and cities, a former Labour minister has claimed. Meg Hillier said women do not want the ‘muck sweat’ of cycling and fear they will fall off their bike when other cyclists are ‘whizzing past you’. Each year women cycle around 20 miles each, compared to 80 miles for men, latest figures show. Scroll down the video . Women struggle to know what to wear when cycling to work and are put off by people lycra speeding past them, Labour MP Meg Hillier suggested . Ms Hillier, a Home Office minister in Gordon Brown’s government, called for roads to be redesigned to encourage more women to cycle. She suggested there should be ‘a fast and a slow lane’ to separate the hardcore speed freaks from those who find the extreme pace ‘quite scary’. The MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch also called for ‘cycling friendly fashion’. New cycling data from the Department for Transport show marked differences between the sexes. Women in their twenties are most likely to cycle, covering 53miles every year, but still well behind the 84 miles covered by men of the same age. The MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch also called for ‘cycling friendly fashion’ Forty-something men cyclist most, racking up 161miles compared to just 24miles for women aged 40-49. Ms Hillier told the Telegraph: ‘One of the big things is also that women don’t want the “muck sweat” of cycling. There are some fashion designers around Hackney and east London now which are designing cycling friendly fashion, but not enough yet. ‘Men arrive at work in flat shoes and a suit if you are going to an office job and so it is easier to turn up on a bike – for a women there is the worry of wearing a skirt, or a dress, maybe high heels, then you have to think about something else to wear on your bike, how to carry your work clothes. Although there are plenty of women who hop on and go.’ She said cycle planners had to consider how to mark cycling ‘a normal thing’. ‘I think Hackney has tried to pioneer that where you can cycle down a normal road, and you are not forced down rat runs and with the lycra-clad mad cyclists. ‘It can be quite scary with all these people whizzing past you and you are afraid you are going to fall over. ‘When cycling is planned ideally, you have a fast and a slow lane, so those that want to pootle along at a normal pace can do so.’ In the last decade the number of miles cycled by men has soared from 57 to 80miles, a 40 per cent rise. But among women it has risen from 18 to 20, an increase of only 11 per cent. Among the under-60s, women walk further than men. Overall, men of all ages walk 80 miles a year to women’s 193miles. | Meg Hillier says women do not want the 'muck sweat' of cycling to work .
Calls for planners to design a fast land and slow lane to separate cyclists .
Says women fear they will fall off when other cyclists are ‘whizzing past you’ |
178,412 | 72fed6d2d6d776b4589f739414cb982159c72dd1 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 08:58 EST, 6 March 2012 . A former Rutgers University student accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate's intimate encounter with another man told his friends he was hosting a 'viewing party' with beer and rum to watch the dorm room liaison. The revelation came in testimony from Michelle Huang, a Cornell University student who says Dharun Ravi told her about it in a text message on September 21, 2010. Ravi, 20, is on trial for 15 criminal counts, including invasion of privacy, bias intimidation and several charges accusing him of trying to cover his tracks. Glance: Dharun Ravi looked at spectators during his trial at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick, yesterday. He is accused of spying on his roommate . Bias intimidation is a hate crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The roommate, Tyler Clementi, jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge between New York and the state of New Jersey on September 22, 2010- the day after Ravi supposedly sent the explosive text. Prosecutors are trying to prove that Ravi intentionally tried to humiliate Mr Clementi. Ms Huang testified that Ravi urged her to video chat him so she could see the webcam footage. 'Do it for real,' Ravi wrote in a text that was shown to jurors. 'I have it pointed at his bed.' People were planning a 'viewing party with a bottle of Bacardi and beer' to watch the web stream that night, Ms Huang said. Ms Huang knew more about the situation than just the party, as she had texted with Ravi repeatedly before learning about his plans for when Mr Clementi’s romantic interest returned to the room. 'Did you really see him make out with some guy lmao?' Ms Huang asked following Ravi's first time using the webcam. 'He was older and creepy and def from the internet,' Ravi responded referring to the man with Mr Clementi who is only identified as M.B. 'That's so nastyyy,' Ms Huang responded. 'Ew watch out he might come for you when you're sleeping.' Tragic end: Rutgers student Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge in 2010 after webcam footage showing he and another man kissing circulated the internet . Residence hall: Clementi and Ravi lived in Room 30 of Davidson Hall . Before telling her about the planned viewing party, Ravi responded by texting: 'I got so creeped out after Sunday'. 'Keep the gays away,' he continued. It was the first mention of a planned party in the trial, which started its seventh day of testimony on Monday. Ms Huang later testified that after Clementi had killed himself, Ravi texted her that the talk of a viewing party was a joke. Witnesses have said the webcam wasn't working that night. Ravi isn't charged in Mr Clementi's death, and the judge has been cautious about how the suicide would come into the trial. Prosecutors are precluded from linking the spying allegations to the suicide as defense lawyers cannot make the case that Clementi killed himself for other reasons. When prospective jurors were brought . into the courtroom last month for the first time, the judge told them . that it was the case involving Mr Clementi and that Mr Clementi had . killed himself. The issue . came up today when Ms Huang testified about hearing from Ravi that his . roommate had committed suicide. The university sent counselors to his . room and suggested he take several days off, he said, describing Rutgers . officials in a text as very helpful. Overseeing: Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman addressed the courtroom during the trial of Dharun Ravi today . Mystery witness: A man who identifies himself only as M.B. told the court today that he noticed the webcam in Clementi and Ravi's room and that he and Clementi met on a gay dating website . After that testimony, which emerged during cross-examination by Ravi's lawyer, Assistant Prosecutor Julia McClure told the judge that she might recall some earlier witnesses to ask them about conversations with Ravi about the suicide. Judge Glenn Berman said he had allowed the questioning of Ms Huang to continue because jurors might not have understood the texts without that context. But he was apprehensive about delving further into the death because Ravi isn't charged with it. 'My preference is we don't talk about it,' he said. Before Monday, it had mostly come up in passing. In her testimony last week, Rutgers student Alissa Agarwal was asked what day she spoke with investigators. She matter-of-factly said it was the day after Mr Clementi committed suicide. On Friday, the man witnesses said was seen in the web stream kissing Mr Clementi took the stand. The man, who was identified in court only by the initials M.B., was asked about how late he intended to stay in Mr Clementi's room when they met there on September 21. He answered: 'There was every reason to believe that I was going to see him again.' He wasn't asked more and didn't say more. Grief: Stone-faced Joseph and Jane Clementi sit in the courtroom before the start of Friday's trial . Harrowing: Tyler Clementi's brothers James and Brian sat with their parents and other family members in the front row in the courtroom yesterday . The lack of testimony about Mr Clementi's death has created some gaps in the story's timeline. It has been widely reported that Mr Clementi left a final Facebook status on the night of his death: 'Jumping off the gw bridge, sorry.' A Rutgers police officer testified that about an hour after the message appeared, he was dispatched to Mr Clementi's room to try to determine his whereabouts. But the officer didn't say why he was dispatched to check on the student. There is one constant reminder in the courtroom of the death: Mr Clementi's parents and other relatives — including, at times, both of his older brothers — sat through each of the first six days of the trial. The family has set up a foundation to honor Mr Clementi, and one of its main goals is suicide prevention. In interviews with The Associated Press, his parents, Joe and Jane Clementi, and his brother, James, say they don't know why he killed himself — a question the trial won't seek to answer. 'I'm not sure that knowing why it happened makes it any better or makes it any easier,' James Clementi said in an interview last month. 'Someone I love so much isn't here.' August 2010: Soon-to-be Rutgers freshman Dharun Ravi looks up his future roommate Tyler Clementi on the internet . August 25, 2010: Three days before classes start, Clementi comes out to his parents . August 28, 2010: Ravi and Clementi move into Room 30 of Davidson Hall . September 16, 2010: . Clementi, who has been speaking with a man in his 20s on a gay social . networking site, invites the man – known only as ‘M.B.’ - over to his . dorm . September 19, 2010: Clementi expects M.B. to visit again and requests the room to himself . 9:00pm Ravi enters the room, apparently unaware that Clementi wanted the room for the entire evening . 9:13pm Ravi goes across the hall to fellow student Molly Wei’s room, and uses her computer to access iChat on his own laptop . 9:17pm . Ravi posts to Twitter: ‘Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I . went into molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out . with a dude. Yay.’ Wei texts her boyfriend: ‘He’s NICE but he’s kissing a . guy right now / like THEY WERE GROPING EACH OTHER EWW.’ September 21, 2010: Clementi . posts on a gay discussion forum: ‘I feel like the only thing the school . might do is find me another roommate, probably with me moving out…and . I’d probably just end up with somebody worse than him.’ He requests a . room change. M.B. comes over later that evening. Meanwhile, Ravi told a former high . school friend to connect to his computer through iChat saying: ‘People . are having a viewing party.’ September 22, 2010: After sending a formal letter to Rutger’s resident advisor, Clementi boards a bus bound for New York City. 8:42pm Clementi posts to Facebook: ‘Jumping off the gw bridge sorry.’ 8:47pm Ravi . texts Clementi: ‘I’m sorry if you heard something distorted and . disturbing but I assure you all my actions were good natured.’ Followed . through with text that said: ‘I don’t want your freshman year to be . ruined by a petty misunderstanding, it’s adding to my guilt.’ September 28, 2010: Ravi and Wei are charged with invasion of privacy for September 19 webcam viewing, and Ravi alone for the 21st . September 29, 2010: Clementi’s body recovered from the Hudson River . His suicide is a major catalyst of . the 'It Gets Better' campaign, a series of YouTube videos started by Dan . Savage and partner Terry Miller telling LBGT teens that there is hope . from bullying. April 20, 2011: Ravi indicted on charges of bias intimidation, invasion of privacy, witness tampering, and evidence tampering . May 6, 2011: . Molly Wei accepts plea deal in which she must serve 300 hours of . community service. It also means she will have to testify against Ravi. October 20, 2011: Ravi turns down plea deal for three to five years in prison. December 9, 2011: Ravi turns down second plea deal, which called for 600 hours of community service and no jail time . February 21, 2012: After a lengthy jury selection, the trial begins in New Brunswick, New Jersey. If convicted, Ravi faces ten years in jail. If you or a loved one needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or visit their website. | Roommate Dharun Ravi is fighting bias charges that could put him in jail for up to 10 years but friend tells court of damaging texts on Monday . |
9,076 | 19b76d297143d8a08a70c54e4204c49e75325f3c | New York Giants' cornerback Prince Amukamara is enjoying his best season yet - and defensive back Antrel Rolle thinks he knows why. Rolle told NJ.com that it's no coincidence that Amukamara, a devout Catholic who previously said he would abstain from sex until marriage, is playing so well just months after getting hitched. 'He's married, so he's (enjoying some things that he wasn't experiencing before he's married),' he said. 'For a man, that could definitely help him out... He walks around with a little more swagger, which is something that we need, which is something that we love.' Scroll down for video . Wedded bliss: Prince Amukamara, a devout Christian who said he wanted to abstain from sex until marriage, wed wife Pilar earlier this year and since, he has been playing better than ever . Whatever the cause, it's paying off. In four games, Amukamara, who was picked in the first round of the 2011 draft, has already set a career high with two interceptions, as well as 25 tackles. 'When he goes out there playing, you definitely see him being more aggressive, capitalizing on his opportunities and he's accepting challenges. He's winning those challenges,' Rolle said. His coaches said that the 25-year-old has shown steady improvement in his four-year career. 'Prince is a young man who's improved year in and year out,' coach Tom Coughlin said last week. 'And he's improved this past year to this point.' He would not say outright that having sex was responsible for his latest boost. Success: Amukamara breaks up a pass against Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans on September 21 . New man: The couple, who met three years ago, married in Phoenix, Arizona a week after the Super Bowl . Together: They met at a Manhattan nightclub and he initially did not tell Pilar that he was a footballer player . 'He's just developing more as a man and accepting challenges and being the dominant player that we need him to be that we know he's capable of,' Coughlin said. Amukamara, who hails from Nigeria, has always been open about waiting for marriage before having sex. He also does not drink alcohol. In an interview with Muscle & Fitness last year, he revealed that his clean lifestyle led some of his teammates to call him 'the black Tim Tebow' after his fellow Christian NFL player. He met his now-wife Pilar in a Manhattan nightclub three years ago. In the interview, he said that even though his friends were encouraging him to talk to her, he wasn't sure what to say. Later on, she walked past and he stated talking with her. 'I asked her for her e-mail address because when someone asks for your number, it might be too personal and you might not want to give it,' he said. 'But if you ask for their e-mail address, they'll give it. I was right.' Beautiful: Amukamara, who hails from Nigeria, said he was immediately drawn to Pilar when he saw her . Happy: The couple, seen at the Spider Man premiere, married in Phoenix, Arizona a week after the Super Bowl . But he admitted that he initially hid his job from her. He told the magazine that he has pretended to be a construction worker or a manager at Gap when meeting people in the past - and one teammate has even claimed to be an astronaut. He added that he realized he had to tell Davis the truth when the Giants went to San Francisco for the conference championship. He knew he would have to come clean if he wanted her to visit him. 'So two days later, I said "Hey, I play for the Giants",' he recalled. 'She thought I meant San Francisco Giants. That's when I thought she might be a keeper.' He proposed to her on stage at a Jabbawockeez show at Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on July 19 last year and they married in Phoenix, Arizona in February. See below for video . Pilar + Prince from Serendipity Cinematography on Vimeo. | Prince Amukamara, who had previously been open about abstaining from sex until he was married, wed girlfriend Pilar earlier this year .
Teammate Antrel Rolle said it's not a coincidence that the cornerback has had a standout season after tying the knot .
Coach Tom Coughlin said getting married and having a stronger season were just part of him 'developing more as a man' |
226,480 | b14260614b1b2b4251dda70360c359c04017b3b4 | Ever since they were discovered in 1873, scientists have been trying to find out the origin of the millions of potato-sized metal balls that carpet the world's oceans. Known as manganese nodules, these lumps contain valuable metals that scientists someday hope to harvest from the sea floor. Now German scientists could be closer to solving the mystery of their origin after stumbling on the largest patch of manganese nodules ever found in the Atlantic. Ever since they were discovered in 1873, scientists have been trying to find out the origin of potato-sized metal balls that carpet the world's oceans. Now German scientists could be closer to solving that mystery after stumbling on the largest patch of manganese nodules ever found in the Atlantic . The R/V Sonne, a research ship, was several hundred miles east of Barbados when a net meant to capture marine life instead captured manganese ore nodules. A remote camera later revealed that the seafloor was littered with these metal rocks ranging in size from golf balls to bowling balls. With growth rates of between one to five millimetres in a million years, some of the nodules could be 10 million years old, the researchers said. 'I was surprised, because this is generally not the place you think of for manganese nodules,' said Colin Devey, chief scientist for the expedition at the Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research told LiveScience. With growth rates of between one to five millimetres in a million years, some of the nodules could be 10 million years old, the researchers said. Pictured is a stock image of a manganese nodule . These metal balls consist of the manganese, iron and other coveted metals such as copper, cobalt or zinc . Manganese nodules have been found in every ocean, but are most common in the Pacific Ocean. Manganese nodules have been found in every ocean, but are most common in the Pacific Ocean. These particular nodules were found in waters roughly 16,400ft and 18,000ft (5,000 and 5,500 metres) deep. One theory as to how they came to be is that they were formed by chemical reactions in seawater that were boosted by microbes. Another suggests the nodules to form from precipitation of metals from seawater, especially from volcanic thermal vents. They consist of the manganese and contain iron and other coveted metals such as copper, cobalt or zinc. Manganese nodules are scientifically of great interest since they can be used as climate and environmental archives. With growth rates of between one to five millimetres in a million years, some of the nodules in this particular set could be 10 million years old. These particular nodules were discovered in waters roughly 16,400ft and 18,000ft (5,000 and 5,500 metres) deep. One theory as to how they formed is through chemical reactions in seawater that were boosted by microbes. Another suggests the nodules were created by precipitation of metals from seawater, especially from volcanic thermal vents. These metal balls consist of the manganese and contain iron and other coveted metals such as copper, cobalt or zinc. Since the 1970s, they have been considered a possible source of raw materials. But due to the large water depths and the associated technical complexity and potential environmental damages, no commercial exploitation is currently in sight. At the same time, manganese nodules are scientifically of great interest since they can be used as climate and environmental archives. Manganese nodules grow like a pearl shell around a nucleus and as a result record information on the prevailing environmental conditions. Since the nodules grow very slowly, they provide a record of the world's early climate history. Scientists are now hoping to analyse the nodules in greater detail to understand exactly how they formed. They say greater analysis could also unlock the secrets to our planet's changing climate. Manganese nodules have been found in every ocean, but are most common in the Pacific Ocean. One theory as to how they came to be is that they were formed by chemical reactions in seawater boosted by microbes . The R/V Sonne, a German research ship, was a couple of hundred miles east of Barbados when a net designed to capture a variety of marine life instead caught ancient balls of manganese ore . | Known as manganese nodules, the large lumps contain valuable metal .
Scientists have been attempting to explain their origin since the 1870s .
Researchers have now found largest patch of manganese in the Atlantic .
One theory is they formed from chemical reactions and bacteria in water .
Another suggests nodules were created by metals from volcanic vents .
Analysis could also unlock the secrets to our planet's changing climate . |
74,780 | d3f7cfa24281edc1b6ad3592fa3745d4b95ba7ba | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:42 EST, 4 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:24 EST, 4 April 2013 . A millionaire who allegedly ran over the foot of an NYPD officer in his Ferrari has had the criminal case against him dropped. Julien Chabbott, a 29-year-old social media entrepreneur and ex-boyfriend of Hills reality star Stephanie Pratt, was told at Manhattan criminal court on Thursday that prosecutors had dropped his misdemeanor assault case. However Chabbott faces a civil trial over the alleged injury which happened in Manhattan's trendy Soho district last August. Scroll down for video . Gets away with it: Julien Chabbott, a 29-year-old millionaire, was told at Manhattan criminal court on Thursday that prosecutors had dropped his misdemeanor assault case after he allegedly ran over this NYPD cop's foot in his Ferrari . A judge at Manhattan Criminal Court judge said the charges will be dismissed because the police officer did not suffer long-term injury. Chabbott has been ordered to complete five days of community service. A video posted on YouTube at the time . shows the moment Chabbott returned to his $257,000 red Ferrari 458 to . find the officer issuing a parking ticket outside the Mercer Hotel. He . refused to listen to why the officer was issuing the ticket and instead . jumped behind the wheel and attempted to drive off, in the process . allegedly running over the officer's foot. Pratt, who was dating the millionaire . at the time, looked on as her boyfriend was hauled out of the car, . thrown to the ground and handcuffed. Sources close to Chabbott told TMZ . that he was furious about his treatment, claiming the officer 'faked' an . injury, and that his car had been left in the no parking zone by a . valet. Watch out: During their verbal altercation the driver allegedly drove over the officer's foot last August . Pinned down: The enraged officer immediately hauled Chabbott out the car and cuffed him in front of girlfriend Stephanie Pratt . Chabbott's lawyer reiterated that claim outside court in Manhattan today. Defense lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told the New York Post: 'The police officer claimed the car ran over his foot, but you can see it in the video - the car lurches an inch or two forward, and grazes the pant leg of the officer.' A lawyer for the NYPD officer said that he would filed a civil suit within 30 days. Damian Mory, a passer-by, caught the whole incident on camera and posted it on YouTube in August 2012. The video shows Chabbott climbing into . his red Ferrari as the officer stand in front of the car in an effort . to stop the man driving away. As the men continue to shout at one . another, the driver pulls forward slightly. Split: Blonde reality star Stephanie Pratt, pictured front this week, was not in court as her ex-boyfriend had his criminal misdemeanor charge dropped . Seconds later, the officer . then slams his fist into the car’s window yelling that his foot has been . run over. ‘You run down my ******* foot’, the officer screamed. The cop opens the car door and drags the driver out as . other officers gather round to help pin the man to the ground. Witnesses . at the scene allege that the car was legally parked in a hotel’s valet . zone and the hotel had approved the Ferrari to be parked there. Chabbott invented the app LineSnob and currently lives in Chelsea. Watch video here . | Julien Chabbott, a 29-year-old social media entrepreneur, caught on camera during heated exchange with police officer .
Millionaire was dating Hills reality star Stephanie Pratt at the time - couple are reportedly no longer together . |
28,967 | 523a23a89e4e1df2f5ff25c85a81cb48de0c6e16 | By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:56 EST, 8 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:50 EST, 8 December 2013 . President Barack Obama said Saturday he believed the chances for a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran are 50-50 or worse, yet defended diplomacy as the best way to prevent Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons. During a question-and-answer session with a pro-Israel audience, Mr Obama said he wasn't naive about the odds for a successful final agreement between world powers and Iran next year, building on the recent six-month interim deal. 'If you ask me what is the likelihood that we're able to arrive at the end state ... I wouldn't say that it's more than 50-50,' Mr Obama said. 'But we have to try.' Candid: President Barack Obama spoke openly about his skepticism that Iran will keep its word . The president's remark was somewhat startling. Obama has tried to allay the fears of many Israelis and some Americans that his administration last month promised to ease economic pressure too much in return for too few Iranian concessions. The comment nevertheless pointed to the difficult talks that await as the U.S. and its negotiating partners - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia - work toward a final pact next year. The goal is to eliminate the possibility of Iran assembling a nuclear arsenal, even if any deal might let Iran continue enriching uranium at lower levels not easily convertible into weapons-grade material. Mr Obama said the six-month interim agreement halts and rolls back central elements of Iran's nuclear program, compelling Tehran to eliminate higher-enriched uranium stockpiles, stop adding new centrifuges and cease work at a heavy water reactor that potentially could produce plutonium. It also provides time to see if the crisis can be averted through negotiation. 'If at the end of six months it turns out we can't make a deal,' Mr Obama said, 'we are no worse off.' Sanctions against Iran will be fully reinstated and even tightened if Iran doesn't make a final agreement, he pledged. Mr Obama's appearance at the Brookings Institution forum appeared directed as much at an Israeli audience as an American one. The discussion was broadcast live on Israeli television, with analysts there viewing it as an effort to patch over Mr s public differences with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Unhappy with the deal: Israel's Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets in Jerusalem earlier this week with US Secretary of State John Kerry . Mr Netanyahu, who was scheduled to address the same forum Sunday, has called the nuclear agreement in Geneva the 'deal of the century' for Iran. In an appearance Friday, his foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, repeated Israel's objections. Mr Obama acknowledged some 'significant tactical disagreements' with Mr Netanyahu, but said U.S. and Israeli bottom-line goals were the same. Secretary of State John Kerry promised close consultation on next steps with the Jewish state, which includes a visit to Washington this coming week by Yossi Cohen, Mr Netanyahu's national security adviser. 'We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon - period - not now, not ever,' Mr Kerry said. 'I am convinced that we have taken a strong first step that has made the world and Israel safer.' Beyond Israel, Sunni Arab countries have expressed concerns about what America's Iran engagement might mean for the balance of power in the region with Shiite-dominate Iran. Saudi Arabian officials even have talked about their own potential nuclear ambitions. Echoing Mr Obama's effort to reach out to concerned allies, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel renewed a U.S. push for the sale of missile defense technology and other weapons systems to U.S.-friendly Gulf nations to counter the threat of Iranian ballistic missiles. Seems so long ago: Mr Kerry between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabiu during the Iran nuclear deal announcement just last month . In a speech Saturday in Bahrain, Mr Hagel made clear that any final deal on Iran's nuclear program wouldn't end the threat posed by a country the U.S. considers the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. On Mideast peace hopes, Mr Obama echoed an optimistic assessment provided by Mr Kerry during a trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories this past week. The president said his administration had spent much time working with Mr Netanyahu to understand Israel's security needs as part of any two-state solution. Over the next several months to arrive at a framework that does not address every single detail but gets us to the point where everybody recognizes it's better to move forward than move backward," Obama said. Still, he said tough decisions await both sides, including the Palestinians' understanding a transition period will be necessary so no situation arises similar to Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip after Israel's 2005 military pullout. 'The Israeli people cannot expect a replica of Gaza in the West Bank,' Mr Obama said. 'That is unacceptable.' | Despite the negative tone, President Barack Obama still defended diplomacy as the best course of action .
The president made the remarks during a Saturday appearance at the Brookings Institution .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu derided the deal during his talk at Brookings just after Mr Obama . |
142,601 | 446be9416c67eb330e496cfc8a618fa26c3037bf | By . Associated Press . House Republicans on Thursday rammed through a measure opening a new investigation of the deadly assault in Benghazi, Libya, vowing to dig deeper in a search for truth. Democrats declared it merely a political ploy to raise campaign cash and motivate voters. A bitterly divided House voted 232-186 to establish the panel that Speaker John Boehner insisted would answer questions that linger almost 20 months after the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission. Seven Democrats, many facing tough re-election campaigns, broke ranks and joined Republicans in supporting the probe. The panel's investigation will be the eighth on Benghazi and will examine the entirety of the attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Independent, bipartisan and GOP-led probes have faulted the State Department for inadequate security at the outpost, leading to four demotions. No attacker has yet been brought to justice. Speaker of the House John Boehner is asked about the special select committee he has formed to investigate the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya on Thursday . Republicans say they're unsatisfied with explanations so far, and they have leveled a range of accusations against President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other senior administration officials. Chief among them: that the administration misled the American people about the nature of the attack during a presidential election campaign and stonewalled congressional investigators. 'We will not take any shortcuts to the truth, accountability or justice,' Boehner said during House debate. Democrats remain divided over whether to boycott the select committee. They are concerned that their participation would grant legitimacy to what they believe will be a partisan forum. But they also worry that if they avoid it they won't have the chance to counter GOP claims and defend potential witnesses — including Clinton, a possible 2016 presidential candidate. Party leaders will meet with their rank and file Friday morning to decide on the next step. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., leaves a closed-door Republican strategy meeting at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday. Speaker of the House John Boehner has tapped Gowdy to chair a special select committee to investigate the attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya . Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of . Florida criticized the 'song and dance' she said came from Clinton when . House members wanted to question her about Benghazi a few months after . the attack. Clinton's testimony before the House Foreign Affairs . Committee was delayed when she missed a month of work toward the end of . her tenure after suffering a virus, then a fall and a concussion, and . then brief hospitalization for a blood clot near her brain. Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., said no evidence uncovered in any of the . investigations thus far suggests wrongdoing by the administration. Republican claims have descended into 'the crass and unbelievable,' she . said. Rep. Adam Schiff, . D-Calif., said the questions 'have been asked and answered time and time . and time again,' and he added: 'Let's end the political circus.' Benghazi . has produced 13 public hearings, the release of 25,000 pages of . documents and 50 separate briefings. The select committee won't be the . only inquiry, as other GOP-led congressional panels continue their . probes, including a House Oversight investigation which just last week . took the extraordinary step of subpoenaing a Cabinet member. Secretary . of State John Kerry hasn't said when he might testify. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., followed by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., leaves a closed-door Republican strategy meeting in Washington on Wednesday . Democrats . deride the effort as a conservative campaign designed to energize . Republican voters in typically low-turnout midterm elections. Boehner's . legislation creates a select House committee through the end of the . year. It will have to be reapproved when a new Congress begins in . January or go out of existence. The select committee has no explicit . financial constraints. The . Obama administration says officials tried to provide the public with the . best information available after the attack at a time when U.S. embassies, consulates and other facilities were facing angry . demonstrations across the Muslim world over a YouTube video mocking . Islam's Prophet Muhammad. The administration originally attributed . Benghazi to a similar protest that extremists hijacked, but retracted . that account amid severe criticism. House . Democrats have issued several demands if they are to participate in the . select committee. Boehner already has rejected their call for equal . representation on the panel, deciding instead to fill it with seven . Republicans and five Democrats. The Democrats also seek guarantees . they'll have equal access to documents, say on subpoenas and right to . question witnesses. Negotiations continue. | House votes 232-186 largely along party lines to establish a select commitee to further investigate the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in the Libyan city .
The investigation will be the eighth into the attack the killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans .
Republicans say they continue to be frustrated from a lack of answers from the Obama Administration on the incident . |
227,244 | b23fb0007769d31b2255134aeb9825bdede7d562 | By . Gerri Peev, Political Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 08:48 EST, 25 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:10 EST, 26 October 2012 . Waiting for decision: Some foster parents are cannot make a decision on whether their child goes on a school trip or stay at a friend's house . Children in foster care are being prevented from having haircuts and going on school trips because of excessive council red tape, a study has found. Thousands of foster children suffer because carers have to check with social workers before making basic decisions about their lives. Research by the Fostering Network found that one carer in five was not allowed to take a child to get their hair cut without seeking permission. A third were not allowed to give permission for a child to stay over with a friend. And 17 per cent, or almost one in five, could not allow a child to go on a school trip. Others described how they could not even get permision to take foster children on family holidays with them. One parent was banned from allowing her foster daughter to go on a school trip because she could come into contact with animals. She said: ‘My foster daughter Jane had to miss a school trip to a local farm because the local authority wouldn’t sign the consent form because there would be animals there. 'This meant that Jane had to stay at school on her own because all the other children in the class got permission.’ Another carer revealed how red tape had led to his child being bullied. ‘She came home from school crying because she didn’t know whether she would be able to go on a school trip when all of her friends could. ‘It is hard enough being in care without being made to feel different from your friends,’ he said. Another foster carer described how her child had lost friends because the council asked for police vetting before they would allow a sleepover. Missing out: Foster children often miss out and are bullied because of the delay for local authorities to make a decision on whether to give permission for them to attend outings, a study has found . Needs to change: Robert Tapsfield, chief executive at The Fostering Network says there 'needs to be a change in culture within the system' She said: ‘The local authority wanted . to run police checks on the family of our foster daughter’s friend who . she wanted to have a sleepover with. ‘This meant that her whole family . found out that our foster child was in care and they decided they . didn’t want her to see their daughter any more.’ The Fostering Network quizzed more than 1,000 carers for its ‘Like Everyone Else’ report. Despite government pledges to tear up . red tape, 59 per cent of foster carers said it had stayed the same or . got worse since 2010. Robert Tapsfield, chief executive at . the Fostering Network, said: ‘We hear far too many examples of children . missing out on the essential experiences of childhood because their . foster carers are not allowed to make basic decisions. ‘One girl wanted to go on a school . trip, but because it took 16 weeks for the local authority to give . permission she couldn’t go. That is ridiculous and the system has to . change.’ He added: ‘The system trusts foster . carers to provide some very vulnerable children with a safe and stable . home, but it doesn’t trust them to get their hair cut. ‘Foster carers make these types of . decisions for their own children all the time and they feel undervalued . and undermined when they can’t do the same for fostered children.’ A Department for Education spokesman . said: ‘The Government is currently consulting on proposals that make it . clear that foster carers should be given the power to take day-to-day . decisions about the children in their care.’ There are more than 59,000 children . living with 45,000 foster families across the UK. But a further 8,750 . children are in need of a foster home. | The study by The Fostering Network highlights the difficulties for foster carers in making day-to-day decisions .
Foster carers must ask local authorities for permission for various outings for their children, often leading to unnecessary delay . |
51,379 | 917a3d406a1f90156ee5d60a8b4df0639ce49de9 | A prenuptial agreement, a Snowy owl named Hedwig, an unworn Vera Wang wedding dress worth £5,000 and a . suitcase full of Prince George memorabilia are among the most peculiar items left behind in hotel rooms all over the country in 2013. Also forgotten in the rush to check out were a pet tarantula called Hercules in his own bespoke travelling box, a six-foot piece of snake skin, a six-foot wooden cross, the deeds to a £2m house, a set of 24-carat gold Indian gods, and an unopened Vertu mobile phone worth £10,000. A suitcase full of Geisha outfits, a set of trial yoghurt flavours from a major supermarket chain that have not yet been launched and a life-size cutout of TOWIE's Joey Essex also did time in the lost and found office for budget hotel chain Travelodge. A suitcase full of Prince George memorabilia was one of the oddest things found in a Travelodge hotel room . A Snowy owl named Hedwig and an unworn Vera Wang wedding dress worth £5,000 were found in hotel rooms . A prenuptial agreement was found in a Brighton hotel room . The company has today announced the most bizarre belongings left behind by some of the 16 million people who stayed in their 500 hotels over the past year. Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge spokesman, said: 'Each year our lost and found inventory report provides plenty of revelations. 'From deeds to a £2 million house, a set of 24 carat gold Indian Gods and a Vertu mobile phone right through to a pet tarantula and even exclusive yoghurt flavours which have not even been launched to the public, it's evident what a cross section of people stay in our 500 hotels.' She continued: 'Our 2013 left behind register also reveals how much smart technology has become a part of our everyday lives, as we have had nearly 10,000 tablets and smartphones left behind in our hotels in the last 12 months. This is a significant increase from previous years. 'What is becoming evident after speaking to our customers is that the pace of life has become so fast and we are so eager to get from A to B that valuable posessions are easily being forgotten.' All items left behind in Travelodge hotels which have not been claimed within three months, are donated to local charity shops. Travelodge . has also reported that during the last 12 months, 22,648 books have . been left behind in 38,000 of its hotel rooms. The most popular book . left behind was the third in the Fifty Shades trilogy, Fifty Shades . Freed. The deeds to a £2 million house were left in the hotel's Guildford branch, beside a photo album of a large house in the country . A six-foot snakeskin and a six-foot wooden crucifix were left behind in hotel rooms by people in a hurry to leave . A three-foot Buddha statue was left in a hotel in Southampton . Brighton A . premarital agreement from a wealthy man who lived in Cheshire which . listed an extensive spousal maintenance package if the marriage didn’t . work out. Frimley A guest who left their pet owl called Hedwig after visiting a Country Show where it was being exhibited. Leicester Central A set of 24 carat Indian Gods (Ganesha, Shiva, Hanuman, Durga and Lakshmi). Colwyn Bay A pet tarantula called Hercules. Fort William A 6ft long piece of snake skin from a rattlesnake. London Marylebone An . exclusive range of new yoghurt flavours from a test team from a very . well known supermarket. These flavours are not in production. Torquay An . unworn Vera Wang wedding dress as worn by Kim Kardashain, value . approx £5,000. Unfortunately, we could not track the customer down. The . hotel manager wrote to the customers via letter which was returned as unknown address. They contacted the wedding dress shop to see if customer . left any details. Still no claimant. Tewkesbury A 6ft wooden cross that was used in a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. London Marylebone A suitcase of memorabilia to mark the birth of Prince George left by a foreign visitor. Aylesbury Central A pantomime script for Sleeping Beauty. London Bank A Vertu mobile worth £10K which was still in its packaging. A box of Geisha outfits was found in a room in London Covent Garden . Southampton Central A . 3ft jewel encrusted Buddha that was a family heirloom. The family were . moving house and stayed over in the Travelodge to break up their journey . and left the Buddha behind by mistake. He was collected the following . day by the haulage company. Cardiff Atlantic Wharf A . wooden foot which was wearing an old orange sock. (The foot was a lucky . charm for a method actor who took it to all of his performances so help . bring him good luck). Ashford A folder of Tax returns for the last 20 years. Guildford Deeds to a £2 million house which were left beside a photo album of a large house in the country . London Covent Garden: A suitcase of Geisha outfits for a wedding. Chelmsford A suitcase containing a collection of Beatles records.A life size cardboard cut out of Joey Essex from the Only Way is Essex. Ringwood A . bus pass from the Netherlands – The owner collected the bus pass 10 . months later but called the hotel every month to ensure they still had . it. Interestingly the expiry date expired within the 10 month window. Blyth An . antique family heirloom ring which dated back to the 19th Century. The . owner booked a car from Edinburgh to come to Blyth Travelodge to pick up . the ring when she discovered that she had left it behind. Chichester A diamond encrusted ring. London Covent Garden An . iPad 3 - the couple who left the tablet flew back from Italy to pick it . up. (This was left on the day the iPad 3 was launched to the public and . the couple had come to the Apple store in Covent Garden to purchase . it). Cambridge Newmarket Road A pair of rowing boat oars. A life-size cutout of Joey Essex was found in Chelmsford . Dorking A disabled walker aid - the customer left without it. Edinburgh Airport A . box of Viagra tablets. (The gentleman travelled back from Fife to . collect the tablets as soon as he discovered that he had left them . behind.) Edinburgh Queen Street A . diamond sapphire ring which was used for a marriage proposal. The . proposal was accepted and the pair are due to marry in 2015. Manchester Central A . life size grizzly cuddly bear (A special courier was sent to pick up . the bear as the bear belonged to a party planning company. The bear was . in the city to make a special appearance at a party). Macclesfield A battery operated Ferrari car, which had been especially painted with a bespoke design for a little boys 5th birthday. Portsmouth A wedding cake made from 12 cheeses which was shipped over from France by the bridal party. Birmingham Airport A collection of four mannequins which were left by a designer after the Clothes Show. Newcastle Central A . lady left behind a bag of four bespoke lipsticks. She sent a 24 hour . courier to collect them and arranged for them to be sent via air mail to . USA so that they arrived at the same time as she did. Reading M4 East A framed bespoke Mother’s Day poem from a daughter to her mother. London Euston A collection of sculptures made from towels replicating London’s top landmarks. Blackpool South Shore A gentleman left a collection of women's wigs. Also a castle made from Blackpool Rock. Warrington Gemini Park A . customer travelled from London to pick up a green dragon cuddly toy as . it was very important to her little boy and he would not go to sleep . without him. Bodmin Roche A Cornishman Digital Hornby Train Set worth £250 still in its packaging. Birmingham Bull Ring A life size chocolate man. London Marylebone A collection of ladies clothes made from balloons which were used for a carnival procession. Someone left behind a tarantula named Hercules, who came in his own special travelling case . • Chargers . • Mobile phones . • Books . • Laptops / tablets / kindles . • Pyjamas / clothing . • Toiletry bags . • Teddy bears . • Electric toothbrushes . • Bags / suitcases . • Sat navs . 1 Fifty Shades Freed E.L. James . 2 Bared To You Sylvia Day . 3 The Marriage Bargain Jennifer Probst . 4 Gone Girl Gillian Flynn . 5 The Casual Vacancy J.K. Rowling . 6 Fifty Shades Of Grey E.L. James . 7 Reflected In You Sylvia Day . 8 My Time Bradley Wiggins . 9 Entwined With You Sylvia Day . 10 Fifty Shades Darker E.L. James . Teddy bears, laptops, books, pyjamas and make-up bags are the items most commonly left in hotel rooms . | Also forgotten were a tarantula named Hercules and a set of Geisha robes .
As well as a life-size cutout of TOWIE's Joey Essex .
Belongings were all left behind in Travelodge hotel rooms in 2013 .
Most commonly left things were teddy bears, laptops and pyjamas .
The book most frequently left behind was EL James' Fifty Shades Freed . |
45,145 | 7f450c43e23bb7adec9e6b776106b86a5d5c791f | By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 09:30 EST, 16 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:22 EST, 16 November 2012 . Lingerie has always been a popular Christmas gift for a man to give his girlfriend or wife. But that doesn't mean he ever gets it right. Over £100m-worth of 'lingerie let-downs' lie gathering dust under beds and in the bottom of drawers thanks to bad choices made by men when it comes to purchasing underwear gifts for the women in their lives, according to new research. You're pants: Men splash out an average of £42 per underwear set for their wives or girlfriends, but one in five women never wear them . The nationwide study reveled that two-thirds of British women have received lingerie as a present from their partner, with men splashing . out an average of £42 per set. Yet, one in five women have never worn . the gift, and 23 percent said they’d worn it only once. 1. Crotchless knickers - 58% . 2. Leather PVC knickers - 58% . 3. Edible underwear - 44% . 4. Fishnets - 42% . The poll of 1,600 British women by designer lingerie destination Fox & Rose also found that the underwear women most dread receiving are crotchless underpants, followed by leather lingerie and edible smalls. Amanda Lorenzani, co-founder of Fox & Rose said: 'For many men, . lingerie is a confusing and intimidating world, but it's crucial they . make the right choices if they want smiles rather than slaps on . Christmas day. 'Men should ask themselves, is my partner a fashion . trendsetter or a classic dresser? What's her personality type - wild and . dominating or demure and dainty? And of course, the all important . sneaky peak in her lingerie draw to find out her correct size!' The study also showed that older doesn’t necessarily mean wiser when it comes to lingerie - 40 per cent of . women aged 45 to 54 have never worn their gift of lingerie, double the national average. A helping hand: To help men choose lingerie gifts that really hit the spot, Fox & . Rose has launched its free Gentlemen's Lingerie Lifelines advice site . Regionally, women from Edinburgh are most satisfied with their lingerie gifts, . with all respondents in the Scottish city having worn their lingerie at least . once. Perhaps this is because women in Edinburgh are showered with the . most expensive lingerie - £55 on average. Women from Edinburgh are most satisfied with their lingerie gifts, which are, at £55, the most expensive in the country . Welsh women are least likely to be satisfied, with over 40 per cent never wearing the lingerie gift purchased by their partner . Meanwhile, Welsh women are least . likely to be satisfied, with over 40 per cent never wearing the lingerie . gift purchased by their partner. To help men choose lingerie gifts that really hit the spot, Fox & . Rose has launched its free Gentlemen's Lingerie Lifelines advice site, . offering tips on everything from size and style to a glossary of . lingerie terms. Ms Lorenzani continued: 'Fifty Shades of Grey has certainly generated . demand for more adventurous lingerie sets, but the line between sexy and . sordid is very fine. 'Every woman wants to feel great about herself and . receiving the right lingerie set can do that. Men need to be asking . themselves just a few simple questions to ensure their partner feels . like Brigitte Bardot as opposed to Jenna Jameson in their lingerie . gift.' The poll also asked women which types of lingerie styles they most . dreaded receiving, with crotch- less knickers (60%), Leather/PVC (58%), . Edible (44%) and fishnets (42%) ranked as the most unpopular gifts. A brouhaha over bras: Play it safe and choose something your partner is likely to wear . 1 Know her sizeCheck her underwear drawer to get the right sizes. It's sneaky but works wonders. Look at the labels to find out what bra size and knicker size she wears. If that's not possible and she has protected all her clothing with deadlocks, choose a beautiful silk robe.2 Be taste sensitiveThis will bring you serious brownie points. What style of knicker does she normally wear? Does she like little thongs, short style knickers or a classic lace knicker? If she's not a fan of red suspenders, don't try and tempt her out of her comfort zone. If she is feminine, go for one of the stunning nude or pale lingerie sets and show her you pay attention. If she's a seductress opt for a more sultry look in classic black. At Fox & Rose we've made this easier for you. Just Shop By Fox if she is a vamp or Shop By Rose if she is elegantly feminine. And don't forget most women are both!3 Make it specialDesigner lingerie is a treat. We find that men either veer towards safe options or opt for ill-fitting and (usually) unwanted crotchless knickers! Most women enjoy receiving beautiful underwear they wouldn’t necessarily buy themselves. Be bold, go for something versatile and different. Try a flowing yet sexy negligee (often referred to as a babydoll dress) paired with a minimal thong for a luxuriously sensual look, for example. If you're stuck, opt for the Fox & Rose ethos and buy her something bold and edgy as well as something classic and feminine and cover both looks. Questions to ask: What style of knicker does she normally wear? Does she like little thongs, short style knickers or a classic lace knicker? If she's not a fan of red suspenders, don't try and tempt her out of her comfort zone . 4 Stay on trendVintage . is classic, yet sexy. Go for a vintage inspired look with high waisted . knickers or corset style bra to accentuate your lover's assets. Or opt . for a limited edition print. Some labels such as Stella McCartney . Lingerie, La Perla and Ell & Cee are fashion-inspired and you'll . demonstrate some serious style knowledge if you manage to channel this . season's key trends into her designer lingerie collection. Damaris is an . excellent choice for a truly special gift, whereas Mimi Holliday never . fails to delight and Maison Close is perfect for a sensuous touch. 5 Be practicalAsk for help - whether you're buying on or offline. You can email one of our designer lingerie gurus at Fox & Rose if you have any questions. Most retailers enjoy helping out their male customers so don't feel embarrassed: they are there to help you pick the perfect gift! And don' forget to opt for the gift wrapping…stunning packaging is essential and you won't have the chore of making it look beautiful either. | One in five women NEVER wear the lingerie their partner gives them .
Women most dread receiving crotchless underpants and leather knickers .
Men in Edinburgh spend most on lingerie sets for women: £55 compared to national average of £42 .
Welsh women most likely to hate lingerie gifted by their partner .
Top tips for men for gifting underwear by Fox & Rose . |
198,299 | 8cb103d382b96edb5e5a842467e610f7560eba85 | Michael Martin has been known to his high school friends as a star goalie, a gifted swimmer and an avid nature lover, but there was one thing he had been keeping them in the dark about: he was gay. All that changed during a school dance earlier this year when the Musselman High School senior invited another young man to a slow dance. As Taylor Swift's song Love Story came over the speakers, a nervous Martin and the homecoming king held hands and swayed to the melody in front of the whole school. Big moment: Michael Martin (left), 18, a senior at Musselman High School in West Virginia, came out as gay in the fall by dancing with the homecoming king (right) Star athlete: Martin is an all-state goalie on his school soccer team and also plays on the football and tennis teams . Living in the shadows: Martin (center bottom row) wrote in a personal essay that growing up in rural West Virginia, he could never imagine telling anyone he was gay . Last week, the all-state soccer goalie wrote a poignant personal essay about his inspiring coming out story for SB Nation's Outsports website. 'It was something I thought I'd never do -- dance a slow dance with the homecoming king at his high school,' the young athlete wrote. Martin explained that growing up in rural West Virginia, he was afraid to be mocked by his friends and ostracized by his family and neighbors for being openly gay. Yet on the night of the homecoming dance in October, for the first time in his life Martin was dancing with another man. 'It was a weird feeling for me, since I had just barely started coming out,' the 18-year-old confided. 'I was nervous yet excited.' After the party, Martin asked his date - a boy from another school named Jem - to be his boyfriend. 'I posed the question by writing it on the dry erase board on his wall. He quickly said yes,’ Martin revealed in writing. Fateful night: Two weeks after the slow dance with the homecoming king, Martin (bottom left) invited the boy, Jem. as his date to the Musselman High School homecoming dance . Split opinion: Martin, pictured with female cheerleaders, said most people at hs school have accepted him, but there also have been some negative remarks about his coming out, especially from the jocks . Two weeks later, it was homecoming dance at Martin's high school, and the star goalie and member of the Musselman High School football, tennis and swimming teams decided to use the opportunity to reveal his true identity as a gay man to his own classmates. The 18-year-old and his new boyfriend danced the night away in the school cafeteria, and whenever someone would come up to Martin and ask him if he and Jem were together, he would say, 'yes.' But as word about his sexuality spread around the school in the days following the party, Martin discovered that not everyone was ready to accept him for who he was. '"He is a f***** now," I was told some people said,' wrote Martin. The senior explained that from a very young age, he knew that he was attracted to boys, but he could not fathom sharing his feelings with his ultra-conservative and devout family, or with anyone else in their isolated mountainous community. Even as a freshman in high school, Martin said on the most part he kept mum about his sexuality for fear of becoming a pariah at school, where some of his teammates have been known to casually throw around gay slurs. Inspiring figure: Martin's essay, published last Tuesday, has since gone viral drawing the courageous teenagers much praise from the LGBT community . Bright future: After graduating high school next spring, Martin is hoping to continue playing soccer on the college level . It wasn't until his junior year that Martin finally mastered the courage to come out to his best friend on the soccer team, but even then he waited until the season was over, just to be on the safe side. To his relief, the teammate reassured Martin that his being gay will not change their friendship. Now feeling more confident about himself, Martin began laying the groundwork for a public reveal, which came on the day of the homecoming dance in Jem's school in a neighboring county, followed by the dance at his own school. Martin wrote in his touching essay that it was the coming out story of Los Angeles Galaxy player Robbie Roberts that ultimately inspired him to cast aside his anxiety and emerge from the shadows. While some people have been critical of the openly gay teen, he has made many new friends . ‘I didn't want to hide how I really was any more,’ he stated. ‘I didn't want to live every day with a secret hanging over my head. I told my team before my own parents.’ When players on Martin's soccer team learned he was gay, some of them could not believe it at first, telling him he 'always acted so straight.' Martin wrote he has made many new friends since coming out, and most of his teammates have accepted him. Looking beyond his high school experience, which will come to an end next spring, Martin says he has been in talks with college soccer coaches about playing for their schools. ‘That will be a whole new level, a whole new school, group of friends, and new teammates,’ he wrote. ‘But I won't be afraid of being myself since I am proud to play as an athlete who happens to be gay.’ Martin's essay, published last Tuesday, has since gone viral, drawing much praise from the LGBT community, including the source of his inspiration, Robbie Roberts, who even sent him a signed copy of his new autobiography with a personal inscription. 'I would have never have thought that my story would reach so many people... ,’ Martin summed up on his Instragram page. | All-state goalie Michael Martin, 18, grew up in rural West Virginia in a conservative family .
Came out for the first time in October during homecoming dance at a high school in another county .
Martin revealed truth about his sexuality to his fellow students at Musselman High School two weeks later .
Openly gay Los Angeles Galaxy star Robbie Roberts inspired Martin to live his life in the open .
Wrote personal essay about his experience for Outsports on December 16 . |
167,238 | 64491f825c50a7d4edb7f89d7122d1f3eea7aab1 | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 08:40 EST, 17 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:20 EST, 17 July 2012 . The mother of a man charged with shooting and killing his stepfather before turning on her with a knife has said her son 'deserves the death penalty'. Jennifer Cloninger said it would be 'hard to forgive' her 21-year-old son Matthew Safrit, who attacked her and her husband Nathan Cloninger near Shelby, North Carolina, U.S., on Friday. Mrs Cloninger told U.S. news channel WSOCTV that Safrit shot his stepfather 'several times' after an argument over a borrowed car, before attacking him with a knife outside Safrit's girlfriend's house in Shelby. Charged: Matthew Safrit is escorted into the Sheriff's office after allegedly shooting dead his step-father when they argued over a car . Attack: Safrit's mother was stabbed during the attack and says that she wants him executed . When Safrit's mother tried to hold her son back he stabbed her in the arm and 'pistol whipped' her, she said. The 21-year-old student, of Cramerton, North Carolina, fled into the woods surrounding his girlfriend's mobile home but was arrested after reportedly being tracked down by a police sniffer dog. 'He deserves the death penalty for what he has done,' his mother told WSOC. Mrs Cloninger, 40, said her son had borrowed his grandmother's car to visit his girlfriend Natalie Champion in Shelby on Friday afternoon. When she and her husband Nathan, 41, arrived to take the car back she said Safrit was drunk and angry. Mr Cloninger and Safrit got into a shouting match after the younger man thew the car keys in his mother's face and slammed the door, Mrs Cloninger told the news channel. Matthew Safrit, 21, is charged with the murder of his stepfather Nathan Cloninger, right, and with stabbing his mother Jennifer Cloninger, left, in North Carolina, U.S. Jennifer Cloninger, the wife of murdered Nathan Cloninger, told news channel WSOC it would be 'hard to forgive' her son Matthew Safrit . 'Nathan came to the door and banged on the door and said: "Matt your stuff is going out of the house tonight,"' she said. But Mrs Cloninger said that as she and her husband were getting into the car Safrit came 'charging' out of the house with a gun and shot his stepfather 'several times'. She said Safrit then went back into his girlfriend's family's mobile home before re-emerging with a knife and stabbing his stepfather in the chest and the stomach. When Mrs Cloninger tried to intervene Safrit stabbed her in the arm and 'pistol whipped' her, she said. Matthew Safrit, 21, is said to have struggled with depression in recent months . Safrit, who is understood to have been studying mechanics and business at North Carolina's Piedmont Community College, appeared in court on Monday facing charges including murder and assault with a deadly weapon. 'You can't take a life and apologise and think that everything is going to be okay, because it's not,' Mrs Cloninger said. 'He is my son and I love him, but it's going to be hard forgiving him.' Safrit's girlfriend Natalie Champion said the 21-year-old had struggled with depression in recent months. Champion, 26, who was in court for Safrit's appearance on Monday, told the Gaston Gazette he was a 'really good person' who had hoped to start his own business in the future. She . told the Gaston Gazette Safrit had recently posted a video on his . Facebook page that showed him destroying a car he had been working on . with his biological father. 'That car was his pride and joy,' she said. 'He beat that car to death. That's when they should have known.' Safrit is due back in court next month. | Police say Matthew Safrit shot and killed stepfather Nathan Cloninger before stabbing his mother during a heated argument in North Carolina, U.S.
Safrit tells judge he had been drinking and using drugs at the time of the incident .
Mother says her son 'deserves the death penalty' |
81,421 | e6b143f4f79d80eaec16a39f7910920750215eb6 | A man in Florida reportedly killed his mother before going after his two young nieces Thursday morning in a brutal attack. Jason Rios from New Port Richey, a paranoid schizophrenic who was on drugs at the time according to one family member, is suspected of killing his mother Angela, an amputee with no legs, in their home, attacking two of his nieces with a blunt weapon and was in the process of attacking a third child when his father Ernesto came upon him, dragging the boy outside as police were called. The girls are at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa where 9-year-old Jenica Randazzo is in serious condition and 7-year-old La'nyla Heater is in stable condition. Scroll down for video . Jason Rios (left) is suspected of killing his mother Angela (right) Thursday morning in their Florida home and then attacking his two neices . After the attack he barricaded himself in his uncle's home next door, which led to a three hour standoff with a SWAT team (above) While Rios, 23, was being held by his father, he managed to run into a nearby house belonging to an uncle and barricade himself inside according to ABC Tampa. This led to a three hour standoff, as a SWAT team was called in and tried to convince Rios to come outside, unsure if there were individuals in the house being held hostage. During this time authorities also evacuated other houses in the area to ensure the safety of residents, and got the children out of the Rios home, where Mrs. Rios was pronounced dead on the scene. When reasoning with Rios proved to be ineffective, a BearCat was used to take out one of the walls in the home and deploy tear gas and flash bang devices, at which point Rios stumbled out with one hand in his pocket. Officers believe he may have done so in hopes of being shot dead, but not one member of the SWAT team even fired at the troubled young man. As he was making his way out he ran into one of the SWAT vehicles and ended up knocking himself out, and was taken from the scene on a stretcher. Rios (above) finally fled the home after tear gas was released inside and is now in custody . Rios was taken away on a stretcher following the standoff (above) Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco called it 'a horrific situation.' There were two other young boys, ages 13 and 4, at the home that morning, who were unharmed. Ernesto, the grandfather to the two girls, was about to take them to school for the day. Rios also had cuts on his neck, stomach and head that were likely self-inflected, and which cops believe he did using a drill bit. Meanwhile, the scene back at the home where the brutal attack took place was so bad, Nocco had crisis counseling on site for everyone. One of Rios' nephews, who was in the house during the attack, wrote on Facebook Thursday afternoon; 'I love you grandma. I hope everythings good in heaven ik Jason didnt mean he was on drugs its not his fault i just wanna say i love you grandma and let just hope that the girls make it i love you all i love you to jason ik you didnt mean it ima miss you all i love you guys.' Rios' condition is not clear at this time, and he is in police custody. 'If our community can rally prayers for these young girls and their families, they need them,' said Nocco. Meanwhile, friends of Rios are shocked with what happened Thursday. That's not what Jason would've done,' childhood friend Josh Melching told the Tampa Bay Times. 'He's always had my brother's and my back. He was a caring person. He was Jason. I don't know how to explain other than that. He was Jason.' Rios faces one charge of murder and two counts of attempted murder, the sheriff’s office said. | Jason Rios of New Port Richey, Florida murdered his mother and attacked his nieces, ages 7 and 9, with a blunt weapon Thursday morning .
His father caught him as he was about to attack a third child and dragged him outside as authorities rushed to the house .
Rios managed to escape from his father and then barricaded himself in a nearby house, starting a three hour standoff with a SWAT team .
The finally got the young man, a paranoid schizophrenic who was on drugs at the time according to one family member, out using tear gas .
The two young girls are in serious condition at a Tampa Hospital .
Rios is at a different hospital after trying to take his life with a drill bit during the standoff . |
49,947 | 8d3bb51d711ce00e3fff53625a70923985573834 | Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli may have missed Saturday's win over Aston Villa through illness, but the maverick Italian battled back to meet up with friends on Sunday night. Balotelli headed to Manchester's San Carlo restaurant in the city centre, posing for a photo at the table which he later posted to Instagram... complete with a glass of coke in front of him. After a poor start to life on Merseyside, the 24-year-old this week stated his intentions of proving his worth at Anfield, rubbishing speculation that he is heading for the exit door. Mario Balotelli (centre) posted a picture on Instagram of him and friends in Manchester's San Carlo restaurant . Balotelli smiled as he arrived at the restaurant popular with North West footballers to meet his friends . 'He does want to stay,' manager Brendan Rodgers told the media. 'I think that is the case with him. 'He does care about doing well for Liverpool and wants to do well, but it just hasn't gone as he would have wanted. 'He's a good guy. He's not scored the goals he would have wanted, but we are determined to help him find a solution.' Balotelli (right) and his friends stopped at San Carlo for a bite to eat on Sunday evening . Balotelli made a second-half cameo appearance for Liverpool at Sunderland last weekend . Balotelli, dressed in black, smiled for photographers as he arrived at the restaurant popular with the area's footballers. On the pitch, he has made 18 appearances for the Reds this season; 12 of which in the Premier League. With Liverpool unbeaten in the league since December 14, things are looking up at Anfield, and Balotelli will hope that he can play a major role in a successful second half to the season. | Liverpool beat Aston Villa at Villa Park, but Mario Balotelli was not involved .
The Italian striker was ruled out of Saturday's game through illness .
On Sunday, he went out for dinner with friends at Manchester's San Carlo .
He posted a picture on Instagram of him at his restaurant table . |
136,473 | 3c8b2d85c72ccf9683c8f2036b5ede7d6089d298 | A filmmaker has created a nailbiting video of a group of daredevils attempting to tightrope walk between two hot-air balloons. Filmmaker Sébastien Montaz-Rosset shot the exploits of a group of French adventurers who call themselves Skyliners as they attempted the death-defying feat. The group strung up a line between two hot-air balloons then launched them high into the skies before attempting to walk across the tightrope. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Motley crew: The Skyliners prepare for their latest adventure . Lift-off: The two balloons, joined by a tightrope, begin to rise . Basket case: The French daredevils take the balloons higher and higher . None of the walkers managed to make it all the way across the line before falling. Many were wearing small cameras on their heads to capture first-person footage of the exhilarating stunt. None of the footage shows the tightrope walkers drifting to the ground on parachutes, but presumably that's what the tiny packs on their backs contain. Three's a crowd: A third balloon of observers watches the two joined ones . High rise: The first tightroper edges out into the open air . Fine line: The rope looks slack and the walker has difficulty keeping his balance as he is buffeted by the wind . Skyliners describe themselves as 'a group of flying Frenchies,' whose passions are 'highlining, basejumping, mountaineering and much more.'Montaz-Rosset, whose childhood in the French Alps fueled his passion for the outdoors and sports, has been following and filming the group for several years and recently released a film about them.Entitled, I Believe I Can Fly (Flight of the Frenchies) is about Skyliners Tancrède and Julien who pioneered 'highlining,' a vertiginous combination of climbing, slackline and tightrope walking. The fall: The walker loses his balance, holding the rope briefly before falling to the ground . Vertigo: A camera on this walker's head shows exactly what he can see . Wobbly: It's incredible the Skyliners can take any steps at all . Free falling: The walker loses his balance and falls to the cheers of his team . While none of the Skyliners were successful in their first hot-air balloon tightroping bid, the crew intend to make another attempt within days.THe hot-air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. The very first untethered balloon was launched from Paris in 1783 by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes. | A group of French daredevils tightrope walked between two hot-air balloons .
The group call themselves Skyliners and describe themselves as a group of flying Frenchies .
None managed to get the entire way across before falling - but were presumably wearing parachutes .
They plan to attempt the feat again soon . |
185,209 | 7bea72330d5b67aa0b0ef51cd46060a06ed5604b | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 14:38 EST, 16 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:17 EST, 16 August 2013 . Frailty is starting to creep up on Vivian Haas, but her strong will has yet to fade. The 83-year-old woman is driven by a simple desire to see justice done for her son and daughter-in-law after a string of tragedies in the family. Her son and his wife were killed and their bodies burned by carjacking fugitives in 2010 on the desolate wind-swept plains of New Mexico. Vivian Haas, left, and her daughter, Linda Rook, hold a memorial pamphlet for the slain Oklahoma couple Gary and Linda Haas during an interview in Albuquerque, N.M, in 2011 . The next year, a tornado flattened Haas' neighborhood in Joplin, Missouri. Earlier this year, her granddaughter was found shot to death in her home. On Monday, the last of the three people charged with killing her son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Linda Haas of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, goes to trial. Haas will be there. She says wants him to be held accountable for forever changing her life and the lives of her family members. She wants the tragedies to end. 'We're not quitters,' she said of her family's pursuit of justice. 'We've just got to do it. This has to be taken care of. The couple, 61-year-old high school sweethearts and recent retirees from General Motors, were headed to Colorado for an annual camping trip when they decided to take a break at a rest stop near the New Mexico-Texas border in August 2010. Gary and Linda Haas (pictured) of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, were murdered while traveling through eastern New Mexico in 2010 . This photo shows a glove near what was left of the slain Oklahoma couple's burned-out travel trailer after the crime scene was cleaned up on a remote ranch near Santa Rosa, N.M in 2010 . They had traveled the same route for . the past 11 summers. This year, they were spotted by the fugitives, who . prosecutors say were eying their truck and travel trailer. At . gunpoint, prosecutors say, the couple was forced to drive west along . Interstate 40 before pulling off onto a lonely two-lane road. They were . then ordered into their trailer, and gunshots rang out. The Haases were dead, their bodies found later in the charred rubble of their trailer. Their truck, money and guns were gone, but two of their small dogs were found nearby, both sunburned and one with burns on her back and paws. Their deaths sent the family into a tailspin. What followed has been a roller coaster of emotion – and more tragedy. Vivian Haas' neighborhood was among those in the path of the tornado that devastated much of Joplin in 2011. The old-growth trees in her yard and her vehicle were long gone after the storm, but she survived. John McCluskey (left) and Tracey Province (right) escaped from a medium security prison in Arizona in 2010 and are on trial for murder . She continues to believe it was for a reason – to see the case through. Earlier . this year, Gary and Linda Haas' only daughter was found shot to death . inside her home in Oklahoma. Her husband has been charged with murder. Now without parents or grandparents, their two-year-old son is being . raised by relatives. Whether things would have turned out differently had Gary and Linda Haas been alive is almost too painful for the family to contemplate. The two were the family organizers, the glue that kept everyone together. 'Every absence is a hole,' said Linda Rook, Gary Haas' younger sister. 'Unfortunately, we've had a lot of absences in the last few years that have been due to tragedy. It's hard.' 'Just counting them up, that's a big loss,' Vivian Haas said. 'We've been through a lot.' Daniel Renwick (pictured) was the third inmate to escape in Arizona and faces murder charges . Haas and Rook have traveled thousands of miles over the last two years, braving blizzards and other inclement weather to attend numerous hearings and trials prompted by the escapes in Arizona and the killings in New Mexico. And it could take several more months to conclude what they hope is the final chapter. Attorneys in the case have warned the jury of nine women and three men that the trial could last four months. And if John McCluskey is convicted, they will then have to decide whether he should face life in prison or death. McCluskey was one of three inmates who broke out of a medium-security prison near Kingman, Arizona, with the help of Casslyn Welch, his cousin and fiancee. Welch acknowledged throwing cutting tools onto the prison grounds. McCluskey, Tracy Province and Daniel Renwick used the tools to break through a perimeter fence and flee into the desert. Welch had also supplied the men with guns and money and Renwick with a get-away vehicle. Renwick was captured a day later after a shootout in Colorado. McCluskey, Province and Welch . eventually found themselves in New Mexico. Prosecutors said that's when . the group decided to target the Haases for their truck and trailer. Province . and Welch pleaded guilty last year in connection with the slayings and . face life sentences. They're expected to testify in McCluskey's trial. McCluskey is facing 20 counts in connection with the slayings. According to the indictment, he told federal agents after his arrest that he shot Gary Haas once and Linda Haas three times. But defense attorney Gary Mitchell told a panel of prospective jurors that his client did not kill the couple nor did he intend for them to be killed. Vivian Haas doesn't believe him. 'He cannot imagine the hurt he has brought on this family,' she said of McCluskey. | Vivian Haas' son and his wife were killed and bodies burned by carjacking fugitives in 2010 in New Mexico .
In 2011 a tornado flattened Haas' neighborhood in Joplin, Missouri .
in 2013 her granddaughter was shot dead in her home in Oklahoma .
On Monday the three charged with her son's murder go on trial . |
199,273 | 8df6cbbc20ae313435382e3f2d5845c29f81998b | Celebrating your 18th birthday is a momentous occasion for anyone, but for tiny Jyoti Amge the milestone is even bigger news. The 2ft teenager is already a mini celebrity in her hometown of Nagpur, India, but is now set for a huge record when she is officially declared the world's smallest woman. And despite her miniature stature, 61.95cm-tall Jyoti hopes to celebrate being crowned the world's shortest woman by launching a Bollywood movie career. Scroll down for video . Big news: Jyoti is measured at 61.95cm on her 18th birthday by Guinness . World Record officials, making her the world's shortest woman . The 18-year-old sits at home in Nagpur, India, in front of a pink teddy bear which looms over her tiny frame . She took the Guinness World Record from 2ft 3in American Bridgette Jordan, and celebrated her birthday with a teddy bear which loomed over her tiny 24.4in frame. She measured 7 centimeters (2.76 inches) shorter than the 22-year-old American Bridgette Jordan, who had held the title since September. A teary-eyed Jyoti, dressed in one of her finest saris, called the honor an 'extra birthday present' and said she felt grateful for being small, as it had brought her recognition. She also blew out candles on a birthday cake which was comfortably bigger than her. Even the Guinness World Records book at the ceremony came up to Jyoti's waist. Jyoti weighs just 12lbs (5.5kg) - only 9lbs more than she did at birth - and has a form of dwarfism call achondroplasia, which stopped her growing after her first birthday. She has brittle bones and is likely to need care for the rest of her life, but that has not stopped her tall ambitions of cracking the movie industry. Acting dreams: Jyoti is set to feature in two Bollywood films next year . Jyoti has many utensils and pieces of furniture specially-made to fit her miniature frame . Pint-sized: Jyoti weighs just 12lbs, only 9lbs more than she did when she was born . Standing tall: Jyoti's dwarfism condition means she is likely to stay the same size for the rest of her life . Budding actress Jyoti, who is set to appear in two Bollywood films next year, told The Sun: 'I want to make people happy.' As a teenager at school in Nagpur, Jyoti had her own small desk and chair, but said the other students didn't treat her any differently. She also has to sleep in a specially-made bed and uses utensils that are smaller than average. This was not Amge's first Guinness record. Until Friday she was considered the world's shortest teenager, but in turning 18 qualified for the new title. She has grown less than 1cm (0.4in) in the last two years, Guinness said in a statement, and will grow no more due to a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia. Her teenage title brought the chance for multiple Guinness-sponsored trips to Japan and Italy for tours and meetings with other record holders, she said. The title of shortest woman in history continues to be held by Pauline Musters, who lived in the Netherlands from 1876 to 1895 and stood 61 centimeters (24 inches) tall. Jyoti holds the hand of her sister's five-year-old son Vishatej, as she prepares herself for the Guinness World Records ceremony . Enlarge . Jyoti, pictured in 2009, attended school . with her classmates, who she says didn't treat her any differently . Enlarge . Jyoti with a family friend two years ago - who, at 13 months, is already bigger than she is . Baby of the family: With sister Rupali, 18, Archana, 23, mother Ranjana Amge, 45,, father Kishan, 52, and brother Satish, 22 in 2009 . Jyoti insists in being treated like a normal young woman, and likes nothing more than doing her make-up, going clothes shopping with friends or enjoying DVDs. As she celebrated turning 18, Jyoti said: 'It's been my dream to be recognised as the world's smallest woman for many years. I'm now a woman so I hope I don't have to wait much longer!' She was officially crowned the world's shortest woman at a Guinness World Records ceremony in Nagpur with her mother Ranjana. | Jyoti Amge crowned world shortest woman at just 62cm tall .
She weighs only 12lbs - just 9lbs more than she did at birth . |
8,581 | 1834ad6f7326c1e7edde3026c9d2fe755c7bb149 | Liverpool are in talks with AC Milan about offloading Suso on a season-long loan deal. Milan's offer for the Spaniard includes the view to a permanent transfer the following summer. The Spanish midfielder officially arrived from Cadiz CF in the summer of 2010 but has only made 20 appearances in total since making his debut in a Europa League victory over Swiss side Young Boys in 2012. VIDEO Scroll down for Great dribble by Liverpool's Suso vs. Southampton at St. Mary's . On the move? AC Milan are in talks with Liverpool to take Suso on a season-long loan . The 20-year-old spent last term on loan at Spanish side Almeria and is likely to find regular first team football hard to come by at Anfield this campaign. Suso scored three goals in 33 league appearances for the La Liga outfit as they finished 17th - one point above safety last season. If the Spaniard were to move to Italy, it would be the second transfer to happen between the clubs following Mario Balotelli's £16million move to Liverpool earlier in August. Slim chance: Suso has only made 20 appearances for Liverpool since making in 2012 . | AC Milan in talks to sign Liverpool midfielder Suso on a season-long loan .
Milan's offer includes a view to a permanent transfer next summer .
20-year-old has made just 20 appearances since his Anfield debut in 2012 . |
158,788 | 594d728e7f1bbe629249d0687c38086211960eff | Miss Cain said she is furious after he ex-boyfriend Peter Atkinson was released from prison four months into a 40 week sentence for harassing her . A woman stalked by her ex-boyfriend during a five month campaign of harassment today said she is 'furious' he has been released from prison after just four months. Rebecca Cain, 24, said she doesn't believe the 40 week sentence given to her former partner Peter Atkinson was long enough what he subjected her to. Atkinson bombarded Miss Cain,with up to 200 messages a day after she split up with him and also posted naked pictures of her online in revenge. He also managed to cancel Miss Cain's place at university without her knowledge, leaving her without a spot on her course. The 21-year-old has just been released from prison after being jailed for 40 weeks for harassment in July. Miss Cain, a healthcare assistant, said at one stage she was so terrified she could not look out of the window as Atkinson continued to stalk her. She said: 'Peter's sentence wasn't long enough - I couldn't be more disappointed. 'The time he spent in jail is less than the time he spent harassing me. I'm furious.' The judge at the time described the case as 'among the worst I have ever seen.' Miss Cain and Atkinson met on dating website Plenty of Fish in February 2013 and started dating in July. Atkinson, 21, moved 200 miles from his home in Cannock, Staffordshire to live with Miss Cain at her family home in Devon. But the relationship started to go sour after he got possessive and started checking her phone everyday. The healthcare assistant said: 'The seven-month relationship ended in January when I discovered he had been lying to me about having a driving licence, even though he had been borrowing my car.' However Atkinson did not accept the break-up and bombarded Miss Cain with up to 200 texts and phone calls a day, begging her to take him back. He also organised for a female friend to impersonate Miss Cain and telephone admissions at Plymouth University - to cancel her application to study paramedic science. By the time Miss Cain realised, it was too late and places had been filled. Atkinson initially moved out of Miss Cain's home in Devon and returned to the Midlands. But he then continued to harass her, sending her pictures of her car to prove he was watching her and had returned. He followed her to the homes of her patients and also turned up at her brother's home. On one occasion Atkinson got into the passenger side of her car and stole her mobile phone and shoes. Atkinson and Miss Cain met on dating website Plenty of Fish but split up after Atkinson became possessive . Atkinson bombarded his former girlfriend with up to 200 messages a day begging that she take him back . He rang her to demand she met him to get the items back and Miss Cain arranged to meet Atkinson at her home, and arranged for police to be there. However this also failed as when she secretly dialled 999 Atkinson fled upstairs and jumped from the window - breaking both his legs and one arm. Police arrested Atkinson and took him to Torbay Hospital so his injuries could be treated. This still did not stop Atkinson who threatened to kill Miss Cain's parents if she did not visit him in prison. He also used spyware he had installed on her phone when he stole it to arrive at her brother's home when she was there. Miss Cain said: He took over my life. I became reclusive because I was too scared to leave the house alone and I didn't see my friends for weeks. Miss Cain said she has been forced to change her name, job and move house because of the harassment she endured at the hands of Atkinson . 'I couldn't even look out of the window and I refused to answer my phone. 'Throughout my ordeal, I changed my number 10 times and yet he tracked me down every time. 'One day, I left a patient's house to find my work shoes - the same pair Peter had taken - waiting for me on top of my car. I felt physically sick from fear, and took the next day off work.' Miss Cain changed jobs to work in a hospital so she would not have to work in patients' homes alone. After she spotted Atkinson driving in her home town Miss Cain contacted police who banned him from entering Devon but released him again. The 21-year-old then acted out more revenge on his former partner, creating an account while she was on holiday with a friend, and posting naked pictures to it. Miss Cain said: 'Peter had made a Facebook account called 'Becky's nude pics' which was full of my private pictures - and he'd even added my friends and work colleagues to the account. 'I was so distraught and humiliated. 'I trusted Peter and never imagined he'd betray me in that way.' He also attempted to mow her friend down after believing he was her new boyfriend. In July Atkinson pleaded guilty to harassment, dangerous driving and handling a stolen car at Exeter Crown Court. At the hearing Judge Gilbert QC said: 'It seems to me the offences of harassment are among the worst I have ever seen. It went on for ages. He bombarded the poor girl with texts and went to her address.' Miss Cain has changed her name by deed poll and moved house in a bid to avoid any more harassment at the hands of Atkinson. Rachel Griffin, director of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, the charity that runs the National Stalking Helpline said: 'The perpetrators of this crime are often people that have an obsessive fixation on their victim. 'Sentences need to be long enough to allow enough time for treatment of the obsessive fixation that drives stalking behaviour; in many cases it is unrealistic to expect this behaviour simply to stop without specialist intervention.' | Peter Atkinson was jailed for 40 weeks in July for harassing ex-girlfriend .
The 21-year-old bombarded her with 200 messages a day after they split up .
Healthcare assistant is furious Atkinson has been released after 4 months .
He also cancelled her university course and posted naked pictures of her .
Miss Cain said she was too scared to look out of the window or go outside .
Atkinson also attempted to run friend down he thought was a new partner .
She moved house, changed jobs and name by deed poll in bid to escape . |
99,966 | 0cd06f54039ce84942264f961e98762c5ef41f8c | By . Melissa Hills For Daily Mail Australia . West Australian Labor politician Mick Murray has admitted he is "shattered" by his daughter's ongoing struggle with drugs after she appeared in court on serious charges. Police allegedly found $150,000 worth of drugs at the home Bree Murray in East Bunbury, WA yesterday. They said they found approximately 101 grams of methylamphetamine, 125 grams of MDMA, 20 grams of cannabis and $1,700 in cash. WA Labor MP Mick Murray says his family are 'shattered' by the allegations . Ms Murray, 35, appeared at Bunbury Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with possessing methylamphetamine with intent to sell and supply, possession of MDMA with intent to sell and supply, and possession of stolen property. Mr Murray, said his daughter had been fighting a drug addiction for 15 years. "We will continue to stand by her to give her the love and support she needs," he said in a statement. "Like many other families, we have been touched by the terrible scourge of drugs. "My wife Anna and I and my other daughters are uniting and regrouping to do all we can to help." Murray was remanded in custody to appear in Bunbury Magistrates Court again on September 9 for a bail application hearing . Mr Murray requested privacy during the "very difficult" time. Murray was arrested and charged after police executed a search warrant at a home in East Bunbury on Tuesday. It is alleged that police found about 101 grams of methylamphetamine, 125 grams of MDMA, 20 grams of cannabis and $1700 in cash. Murray was remanded in custody to appear in Bunbury Magistrates Court again on September 9 for a bail application hearing. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Daughter of West Australian politician Mick Murray up on serious drugs charges .
Police allegedly found the haul at the home Bree Murray in East Bunbury, WA .
Mr Murray asked for privacy during the 'difficult time' as the family try to deal with the situation . |
201,278 | 909bb3a223942ef8644a62b8d7ca97e2b312b8d8 | A "big f***ing deal" has become an equally big fight, with Republicans relentlessly attacking President Barack Obama's signature health care reforms over the new reality they are bringing to the health insurance market. One reason is the GOP's ideological opposition to big government, as manifested by the health care overhaul intended to hold down rising costs that threaten U.S. fiscal stability. Another is the long-term political benefit to Obama and Democrats from the sweeping changes intended to give people previously unable to afford health insurance or deemed ineligible the chance to obtain coverage. Coupled with Obama's stated second-term priority -- proposed immigration reform that would remove the "illegal" label for millions of undocumented aliens -- the legislative power play could provide an electoral boost for Democrats certain to last a generation or longer. The combination of Obamacare -- as the 2010 Affordable Care Act is known -- and immigration reform "would be a huge boon to the Democratic Party," said Darrell West, the Brookings Institution's vice president and director of governance studies. "It would provide insurance to millions who don't currently have it, and it brings aboard undocumented people who are very likely to be Democratic supporters," he told CNN. Wendy Schiller, a political science professor at Brown University, said such an outcome is the goal of all presidents and their congressional allies who seek to "enact policies that will hold their base and attract new voters in successive election cycles." Republicans know that, which explains their fierce opposition to Obamacare dating back to well before Vice President Joe Biden's off-color description whispered too loudly to Obama as the President prepared to sign the law in 2010. Now a confluence of factors -- including the overall impact of the reforms as well as major problems in their implementation and continued GOP efforts to derail them -- have further hardened already entrenched partisan positions on the issue. What's up with Obamacare and my health care? Effects of Obamacare . It has taken more than three years since the Affordable Care Act became law to begin to understand its effects. The concept leans heavily on a conservative Republican idea adopted for the Massachusetts state health care program that creates large markets to hold down prices. To work, the program must include less-expensive young people to offset the higher costs of older people, who generally need more health care. Such a system would provoke competition between insurers for lucrative markets, meaning lower premiums and a minimum standard of benefits to provide security against financial ruin over a major illness or bad accident. However, an analysis by CNN found that consumer options vary significantly from state to state, and many Americans are discovering they have few options. For example, West Virginia and New Hampshire have one insurance company offering coverage, meaning no choice between providers, while eight other states -- Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, Vermont and Wyoming -- have two. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 12 million people live in counties with only one insurer, compared with 117 million in counties with more than five insurers. The foundation's Cynthia Cox found that in counties with more than five insurers, the average premium was about $20 a month less than in areas with only one insurer. In addition, CNN's Tom Foreman reported Thursday that in some cases, the same company will charge more for a policy in a rural area, compared with a big city. The differences generally reflect the smaller pool of consumers in less populous rural areas, compared with more densely populated urban and suburban areas. Such disparities also tend to follow a political fault line in many places, with Democrats more prevalent in big cities and suburbs, while Republicans generally get more support in rural areas. While definitive correlations would be overly simplistic and premature, increased options in urban areas versus rural areas indicate that on a broad level, more Democrats than Republicans are realizing benefits from Obamacare so far in terms of choice and cost. To Jonathan Gruber, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who helped design the Massachusetts and federal health care laws, it is too early to understand the full effects of Obamacare. "It's not like Obamacare's chasing insurers out" of rural areas, Gruber told CNN on Thursday. "These are just markets that didn't have many insurers to choose from before, and there hasn't been a lot of entry in the recent times since the law has passed." In Massachusetts, he said, a major new provider entered the market two years after the reforms took effect. "You don't need 16 choices. You don't need 12 choices," Gruber said. "It's nice to have that many, but having one or two new entrants, which will happen over time -- it did in Massachusetts -- can really shake up the market in lower prices." GOP on insurance cancellations: 'We told you so' Botched website rollout . Conservative critics long warned that Obamacare amounted to a government takeover of health care that would be too big to manage effectively and deny people the ability to choose their own doctor or coverage. So far, some of the predictions have proved true. While initial stages of implementation proved relatively uneventful, the biggest single step -- the October 1 launch of exchanges to give people the chance to buy required health coverage -- was badly botched when the government website proved dysfunctional. The administration scrambled to try to get it working, announcing a "tech surge" with outside experts deployed to bolster the joint government-private sector team that created HealthCare.gov. In addition, insurers recently began informing some of the relatively small percentage of people who buy their own health coverage, instead of getting it through their employer or government-run Medicare and Medicaid, that their policies were being discontinued or changed because they failed to comply with Obamacare requirements. The shift undermined Obama's mantra-like pledge in selling the reforms that no one would be forced to change policies or doctors they liked. Obama "has broken many promises about Obamacare," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in a prepared statement Friday that solicited stories from people about how they were hurt by Obamacare. On Monday, the RNC announced it was launching a campaign of robocalls and targeted Facebook posts to encourage people to ask why their elected representatives supported what it called "Obama's lie that people could keep their healthcare plans under ObamaCare." At the White House on Friday, spokesman Jay Carney emphasized that the individual policies being discontinued or changed represented a fraction of the overall U.S. population. He reiterated the administration line that consumers would get a better deal under Obamacare -- more benefits at what likely will be a lower price than they pay now if they qualify for federal subsidies available under the reforms. For many, Obama's promise of health care choice does not ring true . Early figures . The latest battle line between the parties is about early enrollment figures. Republicans are pushing the administration to release numbers for how many signed up in the first month of the new exchanges, but Carney and others say complete and reliable information will only be available by mid-November. Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan, the GOP chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has threatened to subpoena information on enrollment figures as soon as this week. Carney and other officials have said they expect the initial figures to be low, because of the website problems and a cautious approach by consumers in the early days of such programs. He and others note that the Massachusetts health care plan had most people sign up in the final days before the enrollment deadline, and they expect the same thing to happen with the federal program. That deadline is March 31. Gruber of MIT called the focus on the early figures premature. "According to the Congressional Budget Office, it will be about a three-year ramp-up period until Obamacare is fully effective at its full level of functioning," he said. '"That's what we saw in Massachusetts as well. So we need to just calm down and stop worrying about days and weeks and focus instead on months and years." However, Gruber warned that the HealthCare.gov website must be fully operational by the end of November to ensure that people being forced to change policies have time to enroll by January 1, when their current coverage ends. The Republican goal in demanding the figures is to depict Obamacare as an immediate failure in order to try to generate public momentum for delaying or dismantling the law. Some Democrats facing tough re-election battles next year also have proposed a delay to allow people more time to sign up and avoid the fine, but the Obama administration opposes such a step because it would undermine the immediate creation of large new markets needed to keep costs down. 5 things we learned from Sebelius Obamacare hearing . The immigration connection . Even if Obamacare works as planned, Gruber told CNN, about 40% of people currently uninsured would remain without coverage. As many as a half of that group -- 10 million or so -- would be undocumented immigrants living illegally in the country, he said. "Today, these undocumented immigrants end up in the emergency room. Next year, they'll end up in the emergency room again," he said. "That may be something we want to take on eventually as a society, but we don't seem prepared to do so now." To West of the Brookings Institute, the Obamacare and immigration issues "do intersect in interesting ways." He noted the Affordable Care Act specifically excludes undocumented immigrants from getting health insurance under the reforms. A Senate-passed immigration reform proposal would give temporary legal status to the undocumented, but make them wait 10 years before they could seek citizenship. It is unclear if the plan will get a vote in the Republican-led House. The decade of waiting to seek citizenship should ease the fears of Republicans over an immediate impact on elections, as only U.S. citizens can vote, West said. However, any undocumented immigrants who eventually become citizens would probably be Democrats, because "they've seen Democrats have been the people pushing for immigration reform while Republicans have been resistant," he added. Schiller, the Brown University political science professor, said the issue of Obamacare eligibility could be a sticking point in the immigration reform debate, adding: "Republicans will absolutely insist that (undocumented immigrants) are not eligible for Obamacare during that 10-year-period" before they can seek citizenship. | Obamacare and immigration reform could boost Democrats for a generation or more .
Parties in power always try to use policy to secure future voter support .
Ideology aside, Republicans know health care, immigration reforms help Democrats .
GOP attacks focus on the health care law, not just website woes . |
217,466 | a58aaf184cb91027ac436ffc0518169e0421a5d6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:32 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:52 EST, 10 March 2014 . New York's Metro-North Railroad says one of its employees was struck and killed by a train while working on tracks in Manhattan. The nation's second-busiest railroad says it happened at 12:54 a.m. Monday at Park Avenue and East 106th Street. The employee was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. His identity wasn't released. Dead: A Metro-North employee was struck and killed by a train in Manhattan while doing work on the tracks Monday morning, MTA officials confirmed . About 50 passengers were aboard the train, the 12:47 a.m. from Grand Central Terminal bound for Poughkeepsie. Service was suspended while emergency crews worked, and the 50 passengers on the train that hit the worker were transferred to another train resuming their trip at 2:17 a.m. The death is being investigated by Metro-North and MTA police. Service was restored before the morning rush. Timeline: The Hudson Line train departed Grand Central Terminal at 12:47 a.m. en route to Poughkeepsie. Approximately 50 passengers on the train were safely moved to another train and resumed their trip at 2:17 a.m. Metro-North serves 281,000 riders a day in New York and Connecticut. It has experienced a spate of problems in the last year, including a derailment in the Bronx that killed four passengers and injured 71. Last May, a derailment in Bridgeport, Connecticut, injured 76. In the same month, track foreman Robert Luden, 52, . was killed in Connecticut after a student rail controller put the track . where Luden was working back into service without approval. Last nights death comes after Metro-North's new president, Joseph Giulietti, vowed to improve safety on the 31-year-old railroad. | The employee was struck by the Hudson line train en-route to Poughkeepsie just before 1 a.m.
Worker was on the tracks at Park Avenue and East 106th Street in East Harlem .
Man was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was later pronounced dead . |
40,500 | 724dfc062227b47fd3a9eced54ad98c00de3a30d | (CNN) -- Keep giving Pat Sajak answers involving a horse, and he is bound to say neigh. The "Wheel of Fortune" host couldn't take it anymore when some contestants answered a puzzle wrong using the word "horse." And it was hilarious. The action happened during Monday night's Best Friends Week episode, which was filmed in Hawaii. The category was "What are you doing," and with only the letter "N" turned up in the four-word phrase, one of the contestants yelled out, "riding a brown horse!" "That's amazing, and it's wrong," Sajak, 68, responded. Pat Sajak catches heat for global warming tweet . Another contestant correctly guessed that the puzzle included the letter "G" but incorrectly guessed the phrase to be "riding a white horse." Sajak shook his head and walked off the set, much to the amusement of the audience and contestant. He quickly returned before yelling, "Who said anything about a horse?!?!" After more than 30 years hosting the popular game show, Sajak has seen many people tripped up by pronunciation (remember the student who had the entire puzzle solved and mispronounced "Achilles"?) and those who were just slightly off (like the contestant who went with "elevator train platform" instead of "elevated train platform"). We wouldn't blame him if he wanted to head out to pasture. 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant blows 'Surf City' puzzle . | Two contestants gave wrong answers Monday night .
They both involved horses, for some reason .
Sajak yelled, "Who said anything about a horse?" and wandered off . |
142,400 | 442680afc2e7119e6724898cdddce9c4ea72136b | A mall Santa and his elf have been fired after they turned away a seven-year-old girl with autism because she was there with her service dog, Pup-Cake. Abcde Santos, whose name is pronounced 'Ab-Suh-Dee', her family and the dog waited in line for 30 minutes to see Santa at The Shops in Mission Viejo, California on Sunday. But as she neared St Nick, he turned her away. 'To her dismay, Santa was afraid of her service dog,' family friend Julie Miller wrote in a statement on the dog's Facebook page. Turned away: Abcde Santos and Pup-Cake (pictured at Halloween) were turned away by Santa, who was scared of the dog, her family said. After they explained he was a service dog, he claimed he had allergies . Miller explained that they believe Pup-Cake, who is a pit bull, was turned away because of 'what we can only assume is the influence of BSL (breed specific legislation)'. 'Those dogs eat people,' the Santa said, according to the family. The family offered to remove Pup-Cake from the building so that Abcde could speak to him or even wave at him from afar, but Santa refused. They explained that Pup-Cake was a trained service dog and was lawfully allowed to be there. Santa then claimed that he had allergies and turned them away, Miller explained on the Facebook page. Heartbroken: The family shared this image showing Abcde sobbing after not being allowed to meet Santa . Best friends: As her service dog, Pup-Cake recognizes when Abcde is becoming distressed . Together: Pup-Cake joined the family in 2009 and they have seen a marked difference in Abcde since . 'For an autistic child to wait in line for 30 minutes, that's an accomplishment in itself,' Miller said. 'Santa still refused to see the child; sending her away heartbroken leaving a family to comfort a child instead of celebrating her accomplishments.' She added that Pup-Cake is a small pit bull who has received Canine Good Citizen training as well as socialization, obedience and public access training. The Santa, whose real name is unknown, and his elf were hired by the mall through an outside agency, The Noerr Programs. Following uproar online, the mall said they would be replacing the Santa 'with one that is more compassionate to our guests' needs.' They were fired on Monday. Scene: They were turned away from the Santa at The Shops at Mission Viejo in Southern California (pictured) but the mall has now fired Santa and his elf and has apologized to the family . 'We look forward to welcoming back the Santos family and Pup-Cake for a special Santa experience,' the mall added. The family, who are declining interviews, wants people to know about the Americans with Disabilities Act, which bans discrimination against people with service dogs, Miller told the OC Register. 'They want people to get educated not about autism or pit bulls, but about the disabilities act so that little girls like Abcde won't go and see Santa and end up crying,' Miller said. | Abcde Santos, Pup-Cake and her family waited in line for 30 minutes to meet Santa at a mall in Mission Viejo, California on Sunday .
But Santa was scared of Pup-Cake, a pit bull, and refused to meet the girl and would not even allow her to see him on her own .
When the family explained the dog was a service dog and lawfully allowed to be there, Santa claimed he had allergies .
The mall has since apologized and fired Santa and his elf . |
214,652 | a1ee26a716c4c1609a01754139580db4123c0b0b | Hashim Amla and Rilee Roussow scored centuries in a mammoth third-wicket stand as South Africa wrapped up their one-day series with West Indies with a convincing 131-run win. Amla made 133 and Roussow 132 with the pair combining to put on 247 for the third wicket, a record for South Africa in one-day internationals. Despite only having 42 overs following a rain delay, South Africa made 361 for five, a target which proved way out of reach for West Indies who made 230 all out; the tone of their innings set when Chris Gayle went first ball. Hashim Amla (left) and Rilee Roussow (right) both scored centuries as South Africa beat the West Indies . Denesh Ramdin (left) of the Windies looks on as Roussow helped South Africa to post 361 for five . They plodded on, but when Wayne Parnell took four wickets in two overs, they were blown apart. Consequently, South Africa take the series 3-1 and head to the World Cup in good heart. After a rain delay that cost a little over two hours of play and eight overs a side, West Indies won the toss and put South Africa into bat, hoping for some difficult batting conditions early on. It appeared they had got their wish as they picked up early wickets thanks to some extra bounce. Quinton de Kock went in only the second over, caught at point off Jason Holder for just four, and South Africa were at 59 for two when Faf du Plessis went to another short ball, caught by Sheldon Cottrell at deep fine leg off Andre Russell. But that brought Roussow and Amla together, and they punished the West Indian attack repeatedly with some huge shots. Roussow's 132 - his second international century after his 128 in Johannesburg 10 days ago - included eight sixes and came off just 98 balls while Amla had six maximums in his 133, which came off 105 balls. Windies' captain Darren Sammy (left) shakes Amla's hand after his side were bowled out for 260 runs . The partnership was finally ended in the 39th over as Roussow pulled a short ball to deep midwicket where Jonathan Carter snared the catch to give Russell a second wicket. Two overs later, Russell got Amla too as the Proteas opener dragged the ball on to his stump. David Miller made a quick 23 off 16 balls - including two sixes - before edging Holder behind while JP Duminy contributed an unbeaten 18 and Farhann Behardien five before the 42 overs were up. Faced with a huge target, West Indies were going to need a big hand from Gayle - but instead saw their hopes effectively ended when he was out to the opening delivery from Kyle Abbott. The ball was initially ruled a wide but South Africa reviewed it, finding the delivery to be legitimate and Gayle to have got an edge. Without him, the West Indies were struggling to keep up with the required run rate. Quinton de Kock (left) of South Africa looks on as Narsingh Deonarine plays a shot during the ODI . South Africa believed they had Narsingh Deonarine out in the 12th over when he ducked under a short ball from Parnell and reviewed the decision, but replays showed it struck the elbow guard and not the glove. They had a wicket to celebrate soon enough however, with Dwayne Smith out in the next over, lbw to Aaron Phangiso for 31. Deonarine then lost his wicket to a horrible run out, going for 42 with West Indies on 81 for three. Marlon Samuels got a huge inside edge but though it missed the stumps, Deonarine was wildly optimistic in calling for a single and paid with his wicket when sent back by Samuels. Samuels at least made amends as he hung around for a stand of 91 with Denesh Ramdin, their partnership ending when he was cleaned up by Abbott for 50. South Africa batsman Francois du Plessis plays a shot into the open field during the match . Ramdin followed four runs later, giving Parnell the first of his four for 42, with the same bowler removing Jonathan Carter - caught at third man - for a duck in the same over. The wheels were coming off now and Russell nicked Parnell behind for 24, with the bowler's hot streak then wrapped up by his snaring of Holder. Darren Sammy - dropped on his first ball - at least clubbed a late 27 to take the score to what it was, but after Carlos Braithwaite edged De Lange behind and Sammy was bowled by Farhaan Behardien, the game was up. Chris Gayle (centre) of the West Indies walks off as South African players celebrate dismissing him for a duck . | South Africa beat the West Indies by 131 runs on Wednesday .
Record South African third-wicket stand of 247 led hosts to victory .
Hashim Amla scored 133 and Rilee Roussow 132 during huge win .
Victory gives South Africa a 3-1 victory ahead of World Cup in Australasia .
Hosts scored 361 for five but Windies were bowled out for just 230 . |
108,528 | 17ef032983a6d58653940b202a5a9fb7880ffa7f | Gaza (CNN) -- Israel late Saturday authorized an extension of the humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza for another 24 hours at the request of the United Nations, Israeli officials told CNN. But Hamas rejected a cease-fire extension, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said. "Any humanitarian cease-fire that does not include the withdrawal of the occupation soldiers from Gaza borders and allowing citizens to return to their homes and evacuate casualties is unacceptable," he said. Prior to Hamas' rejection, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat also expressed concerns about occupation. "I'm very, very worried," Erakat told CNN. "We are witnessing the gradual reoccupation of Gaza." The developments came as a tenuous cease-fire both parties agreed to earlier appeared to be shattered, with at least eight militant rockets again hurtling toward Israel as diplomats pushed for a longer truce in a conflict that has killed more than 1,000 people -- mostly civilians. The Israeli Security Cabinet late Saturday agreed to extend the cease-fire, starting at 5 p.m. ET, on the condition that Israel Defense Forces continues dismantling and destroying militant tunnels from Gaza into Israel, according to senior Israeli officials. Lt. Col Peter Lerner, an IDF spokesman, told CNN that dozens of tunnels provided militants "easy infiltration" to carry out attacks against Israelis. "We will do what it takes in order to stop this threat," he said. "We have to take this threat off of the table." Senior Israeli officials said IDF would "act against any violations of the cease-fire" during this period. The Cabinet was to reconvene Sunday to discuss the continuation of the military operation, the officials said. Israel had earlier agreed to extend the truce for four hours, but Hamas spokesman Abu Zuhri said there would be no extension. The original cease-fire started at 8 a.m. Saturday (1 a.m. ET). The temporary truce enabled Palestinians to move medical supplies into Gaza, families to emerge from shelters and people to dig the dead from piles of rubble. The prospect of an extension faded quickly as the IDF accused militants of exploiting the humanitarian window by firing at Israel for the second time, with three rockets hitting the Sha'ar HaNegev regional council. Earlier Saturday, moments after the cease-fire officially ended, another three mortars were fired from Gaza and hit Israel in the Eshkol regional council. No casualties or damage were reported. At about 4 p.m. ET, IDF said four rockets had been fired in the last hour: two were intercepted above Ashkelon, one was intercepted above the Shfela region and another came down in the Hof Ashkelon regional council. Residents back in harm's way? The IDF said many Gaza residents were returning to previously evacuated areas despite repeated warnings, placing themselves at risk. It said operations against the tunnel threat continued and defensive positions were being maintained. Israeli government officials told CNN that the United Nations has asked for a 24-hour humanitarian cease-fire extension. "We owe to the people of both Israel and Gaza our renewed effort to consolidate this pause in fighting into a more sustainable ceasefire," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in statement, reiterating his call for seven-day humanitarian cease-fire. Palestinians found more than 100 bodies in areas that have been too dangerous to enter in recent days because of Israeli bombardment, Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra from the Gaza Ministry of Health told CNN. Nearly 1,050 Palestinians have been killed and about 6,000 wounded since the start of an Israeli operation, al-Qedra said. The IDF reported that two Israeli soldiers wounded in Gaza in the past week died on Saturday, bringing to 42 the number of Israeli troops killed in the current operation. The possibility of a longer truce seems to have passed, according to comments from the Hamas camp. "There won't been any talks about extending the cease-fire as long as there aren't talks about breaking the siege," said Israa Al-Mudalal of the Gaza Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She accused Israel of "escalating the situation" in the so-called buffer zone and of not letting medical workers remove bodies in certain areas. "We can't stop the firing (of rockets) until we have a real solution to this problem," she said. "There will be no peace as long as the siege continues." Two senior Hamas officials, Izzat Risheq and Jamal Nazal, told CNN that the truce negotiations were tense and difficult. In Paris on Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and other diplomats pushed for an extended truce. He met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. The passions of the conflict, meanwhile, echoed across the world. About 40 protesters were arrested in Paris on Saturday when a banned pro-Palestinian demonstration turned violent, authorities said. Police brandished shields as they faced off with protesters in a cloud of tear gas at Place de la République, a busy pedestrian square in central Paris. Angry protesters hurled glass shards and rocks at police, set a small fire and smashed a bus shelter. 'There is no Eid' A CNN team visiting the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza where many of the newly-discovered bodies were discovered saw entire blocks of buildings reduced to rubble. "I wish this cease-fire had never happened," one man in Beit Hanoun told CNN, "And I would have never found out my home is destroyed." Another woman in Beit Hanoun meets a neighbor as she navigates her way through mounds of rubble and metal. "Did you see my home?" "It's gone. Nothing is left," the neighbor responds. Families took advantage of the cease-fire to stock up on provisions. "There are more people in the streets," said a mother of five in Khan Younis, who did not want to be named. "People who were afraid before, go out now out of necessity. People with sick kids go to the hospital today. Buy Pampers today. Buy food today. I went to get bread for my family today." She added, "When my husband goes to the mosque to pray, I pray that he comes back. ... If someone killed a cat in America, people make a bigger deal about it than children dying in Gaza." As the Muslim world prepared to celebrate the Eid holiday in two days, Gaza residents buried the dead. "There is no Eid," the woman in Khan Younis said. "In the Gaza Strip, it would be absurd for anyone to bake cookies." Israel Defense Forces have accused militants of hiding weapons in shelters and schools and firing rockets at civilians. The IDF said it will keep working to "locate and neutralize tunnels" being used by militants during the cease-fire and will respond with force if militants target Israeli civilians or soldiers. Doctor: 'We are preparing ourselves for death' The bloodshed is pushing hospitals in Gaza to the limit. At South Gaza's European Hospital, the flood of bloodied children and adults has overwhelmed doctors. "We sometimes work 20 hours continuous," Dr. Jamal Abu Hilal said. Doctors here say they're sick of stitching up bodies mutilated by shrapnel. "We feel exhausted. We feel anxious. We feel depressed," Hilal's colleague Dr. Shadi said. In one room, surgeons worked on a child mangled by shrapnel. The rest of the boy's family was killed. "Not even one square meter is safe in Gaza strip," Dr. Hassen al-Masri said. He, too, is afraid of dying in the conflict. The doctor carries his identification papers with him all the time, even while treating patients -- just in case. "We are preparing ourselves for death." Casualties mount in West Bank . The violence has also expanded to the West Bank. At least four Palestinians were killed in outbreaks of violence in several parts of the West Bank, according to medical sources. A 23-year-old man was shot near Huwara village outside Nablus by Jewish settlers, a doctor at the Rafidia Hospital said. The circumstances of his death are unclear, but it led to clashes between protesters and the Israeli military in which another man was killed, medical sources said. Two more men were killed during clashes with Israeli troops at a checkpoint north of Hebron in Beir Ummar in the West Bank, according to Palestinian medical sources. The violent protests came after the U.N. shelter in Gaza was hit, killing 16 people and wounding a couple hundred more -- most of them women and children. Video from the school showed chaos amid pools of blood. There were so many victims than many gurneys included two wounded children. The bloodshed left the U.N. Secretary-General exasperated. "I am telling to the parties -- both Israelis and Hamas, Palestinians -- that it is morally wrong to kill your own people," Ban said. The "whole world has been watching, is watching with great concern. You must stop fighting and enter into dialogue." Americans fighting for Israel . Is Hamas using human shields in Gaza? What is Hamas' endgame in Gaza? What is Israel's endgame in Gaza? Map: Tension felt around the world . U.S. ends ban on flights in Ben Gurion . CNN's Karl Penhaul reported from Gaza; Ray Sanchez wrote from New York and Chelsea J. Carter reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Yousuf Basil, Salma Abdelaziz, Ben Wedeman, Elise Labott, Richard Roth, Ian Lee,Tal Heinrich, Tim Lister and Samira Said contributed to this report. | NEW: Hamas: A cease-fire that doesn't include troop withdrawal is unacceptable .
Israel authorizes extension of cease-fire for 24 more hours .
More 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, at least 40 Israeli soldiers have died .
More than 100 bodies found in Gaza areas too dangerous to enter in recent days . |
79,708 | e207000cc02ea6705b3368acef43f0c9b6f17e21 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:05 EST, 30 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:22 EST, 30 June 2012 . Violent evening storms following a day of triple-digit temperatures wiped out power to as many as 3million people and caused at least fifteen fatalities across the country. Widespread power outages were reported from Indiana to New Jersey, with the bulk of the service interruptions concentrated on Washington, D.C., and the surrounding areas. Now, three states - Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia - have declared states of emergency, as temperatures again rise to dangerous levels. Hot and hazy: People crowd at the beach at Coney Island in Brooklyn today; about 3.9 million homes and businesses were without power on Saturday amid a record heat wave in the eastern United States after deadly thunderstorms downed power lines . Sardines: People crowd at the beach at Coney Island to escape near triple-digit temperatures . In addition to the heat, officials say cell phone coverage is spotty. Many residents were asked to conserve water because sewage stations had been without power for a time. And authorities cautioned people to drive carefully because tree limbs littered roads and hundreds of traffic signals were out. No power also meant no way to charge cellphones and laptops, and no Internet access in many areas. Earlier Friday, the nation's capital . reached 104 degrees - topping a record of 101 set in 1934. Temperatures . also soared to 118 degrees in Norton Dam, Kansas, an all-time high. The storms in D.C. also knocked out Amazon’s Cloud service in Northern Virginia, leaving those in the area without services like Netflix, Instagram, and Pinterest. More than 20 elderly residents at an apartment home in Indianapolis were displaced when the facility lost power due to a downed tree. A capitol mess: Storm-damaged trees litter the east lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington June 30 after wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph . Surveying damage: Debris and downed trees are cluttering the streets in Northwest Virginia after massive storms blew through Washington DC . Crumbled: Resident David Fetchko surveys the damage done to the apartment of his girlfriend in Richmond, Virgina today . Long day ahead: Workers cut up a fallen tree, so that power lines can be repaired, on June 30 in Huntington, Maryland . Most were bused to a Red Cross facility to spend the night, and others who depend on oxygen assistance were given other accommodations, the fire department said. The storms, sometimes packing 70 mph winds, toppled three tractor trailers on Interstate 75 near Findlay, Ohio. Fallen trees were blamed on both deaths in Springfield, Virginia. Besides the 90-year-old woman, who authorities didn't identify pending notification of kin, a man driving his car was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities identified him as Khiet Nguyen, 27, of Burke, Virginia. In addition, a park police officer . was injured by an uprooted tree in the northern Virginia County, and an . 18-year-old man was struck by a power line, Jennings said. He was in . stable condition after receiving CPR, she said. Dark and stormy: Clouds roll over Lisle, lllinois, as a storm moves into the Chicago area today . No escape: A woman uses a shirt to shield herself from the sun while passing in front of the White House in Washington on Friday; meteorologists are predicting another scorcher across the country today . Not fair: A passing storm brought a halt to rides at the Italian-American Festival in Canton, Ohio. A wave of violent storms sweeping the country has left more than 2million without power . Scorcher: A group of children beat the heat in the water at the Scull Island water park at Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta . Beat the heat: Swimmers keep cool in near 100 degree temperatures at Red Oaks Waterpark in, Michigan . West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin . declared a state of emergency after more than 500,000 customers in 27 . counties were left without electricity. The National Weather Service warned temperatures could climb near or above 100 degrees on Saturday in many areas that already were without electricity. Thousands were without electricity in their homes and were seeking refuge in movie theaters, shopping malls, restaurants and official cooling centers. Forecasters warned that another round of storms was possible in the afternoon, which could complicate cleanup efforts. At least four utility poles fell on a . road in Columbus, Ohio, making it too dangerous for people in four cars . to get out, police said. One person was taken to a hospital. As of 1 a.m. Saturday, Pepco was . reporting 406,000 outages in the District of Columbia and Montgomery and . Prince George's counties, Maryland. Amtrak suspended its service from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia due to the storms, at least until mid-morning. In the Washington, D.C., area, the Metrorail subway trains were returned to their endpoints due to the storms and related damage, officials said. 'It has had a widespread effect on the region,' Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said early Saturday. He said about 17 train stations were operating on backup power due to local power outages, but that he didn't anticipate service being disrupted on Saturday. Two young brothers, aged 3 and 5, in eastern Tennessee, had been playing outside on Thursday. The younger boy died later that day and his brother died on Friday afternoon, according to Eric Blach, administrator for the Bradley County Medical Examiner's Office. Earlier in the week, a 39-year-old construction worker died at the University of Arkansas. Cool off: Kids enjoy the cool water at Crown Fountain in Chicago . Hard work: Construction workers Santiago Gomez, Jorge Moreno, Abel Lozano take a break from the extreme heat in Chicago . Fountains: Children cool off at a waterfront park in Louisville, Kentucky . In Kansas City, Missouri, city health officials were investigating the deaths of three residents, including a baby boy, to determine if they were heat-related and in Queens, New York, an 81-year-old man died from heat exposure. The fierce heat had spread east from the central U.S., where temperatures continued to rewrite record books. Many areas of the country have suffered days of high temperatures and little rain, which have contributed to deadly and destructive fires in Colorado. The weather is expected to stay hot through the weekend in the same areas of the country, according to Mr Dlugoenski. 'The areas of high pressure are going to break down just a little bit as we head into the first part of next week,' he said. 'It will still be hot, but I think the record warmth will be more erratic.' The temperature in Nashville on Friday reached 109 degrees, smashing a record high for the city of 107 degrees reached on July 27 and July 28, 1952. Shade: Tourists to the nation's capital use umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun as the mercury rises . Fun: Charnice Hoegnifioh, 10, of Round Lake Beach, Illinois, gets water squirted in her face to cool down . Water: People refresh themselves at the WWII memorial in Washington . Splash: Caylee Pierce, 14, enjoys the waterslides at Morey's Ocean Oasis water park, in North Wildwood, New Jersey on Friday . The entire state of Arkansas is in a drought, and many fireworks displays had been canceled for the week of the July 4 for fear of fire. Agriculture experts said cattle, fish and chickens through the state have died as a result of the heat. In Indiana, where temperatures topped 100 this week, state health officials logged 46 heat-related complaints on Thursday, according to USA Today. The state averages 62 heat-related hospital visits per week in late June and early July. 'We encourage people who don't have air conditioning to retreat to public areas, libraries, shopping malls, swimming pools or other areas that are cool to allow them to protect themselves,' Indiana State Health Commissioner Gregory Larkin told the newspaper. Doctors in Jackson, Mississippi, have seen the number of patients presenting with heat-related symptoms double since temperatures soared to 100 degrees on Friday. Scorcher: Saturday's temperatures are forecast to stay high . Sunday: Meteorologists say the heat wave will continue over the weekend . | Fifteen dead across the country as crippling heat and storms sweep nation .
Multiple cities topped June highs, with mercury in Norton Dam, Kansas climbing to 117; was 104 degrees in Washington, D.C.
West Virginia, Virginia, and Ohio declared states of emergency .
Massive D.C. storm also swept out Amazon's Cloud, leaving thousands without internet services like Netflix, Pinterest, and Instagram .
Storms also delayed Amtrak travel along Eastern Seaboard . |
45,443 | 8011e25fa44d3c13b7a9ee00f2104f9519e75d65 | The parents of a a Muslim fanatic who died in Syria after bragging about his ‘5-star jihad’ have been released on bail after being arrested over Syria-related terrorism offences. Enu Miah, 57, and Hena Choudhury, 48, the parents of 23-year-old Ifthekar Jaman, were arrested yesterday in a dawn raid at their home in Southsea, Portsmouth. Their son - who became known for his online advice to fellow British Muslims seeking to go to Syria - was killed in December after travelling to the war-torn country to fight government troops. The parents of jihadist Ifthekhar Jaman, 23, (left) have been released on bail after their home in Portsmouth was raided on terrorism charges. His sister Tamannah Shaharin (right) was arrested after a raid in Greenwich . After the raid, Mr Miah was arrested on suspicion of failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism; engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts and arranging availability of money and property for use in terrorism. He was also arrested for engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts and raising cash and property for the Syrian fighters who flocked to follow his son. Ms Choudhury was detained on suspicion of failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism. Both Mr Miah and Ms Choudhury have now been released on bail, police said. Three other members of Jaman's family who were also arrested yesterday remain in custody, Thames Valley Police said. These include Mr Jaman's brother Tuhin, 26, and Mustakim, 23, both from Portsmouth, and their 29-year-old sister Tamannah Shaharin, who was arrested in Greenwich, south east London. They were arrested by the south east counter terrorism unit yesterday and are being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. Police stood guard outside the terrace house in Southsea, where the door window was smashed during the dawn raid . Police were also seen at this house in Greenwich, thought to be where Jaman's sister Tamannah lives . A 23-year-old woman from Farnborough, Hampshire, was also arrested over the same alleged offences. A Thames Valley Police spokesman confirmed the arrests were related to the conflict in Syria. He said: 'Officers would like to reassure residents that the police activity... is in relation to conflicts overseas and is not linked to any immediate threat to local communities or anywhere else in the UK.' A Thames Valley Police spokesman confirmed the arrests - which led to the front door being smashed - were related to the conflict in Syria . After the raid, police were seen standing guard outside the terraced house in Hudson Road, Portsmouth, where Jaman used to live. The same property - which now has a smashed front door and is surrounded by police tape - was previously targeted by police in April. The family’s business, Masala Takeaway in Portsmouth, was also raided. Detectives also swooped on Shaharin's semi-detached home where she lives with her husband Muhib Ud Deen Mohammed Khan, 33, and his parents. A dozen policemen searched the property and vehicles in the driveway. Shaharin’s husband, son and parents-in-law were seen arriving home under police guard and picked up some belongings before leaving. Jaman became known for his online advice and encouragement to fellow British Muslims seeking to go to Syria, including women, whom he urged to marry men back from the front lines. The 23-year-old became one of the most infamous British extremists when he boasted on BBC Newsnight that the ‘holy war’ in Syria was like ‘5-star jihad’ because of its ‘relaxing’ nature. He also claimed it was ‘cool’ to hold a gun. The former Sky call centre worker left the UK last year after telling his parents he was going to study in Turkey. On May 14, he slipped across the border to Syria. In a series of calls back to England, Jaman managed to persuade five of his friends from Portsmouth and another three from Manchester to go out and fight alongside him. Speaking on BBC Newsnight, Jaman had described fighting in Syria as ‘5-star jihad’ because of its ‘relaxing’ nature . Jaman (right) with his friend, former Primark supervisor Muhammad Hamidur Rahman, 25, (left) who was also from Portsmouth and was shot dead in July . Separately, police investigating possible terrorism offences have also been given more time to hold a number of other suspects. Counter-terror officers said they had disrupted what is believed to be the early stages of what could have turned into a 'significant plot' following the raids in central and west London last Tuesday. Officers from the Metropolitan Police's counter terrorism command (SO15) have been given until October 21 to hold three of the men arrested that day. The suspects, a 21-year-old man and two aged 20, were arrested in London on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Jaman, was who born in Portsmouth and attended local schools, pictured as a young child . Two other men arrested on the same date for the same offences were released from custody on Monday. Counter-terrorism officers have also been granted more time to hold a 24-year-old man arrested on Monday on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Scotland Yard said it had applied for and been granted a further extension until Sunday. Two other men - aged 21 and 25 - who were arrested on Monday for the same offences remain in custody. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Enu Miah, 57, and Hena Choudhury, 48, arrested in raid at Portsmouth home .
They are parents of Muslim fanatic Ifthekar Jaman who was killed in Syria .
Sister Tamannah, 29 and brothers Tuhin, 26, and Mustakim, 23, also arrested .
The three siblings and a woman, 23, from Farnborough, remain in custody . |
114,980 | 2063c7398e89eaef85d70056f4323c9b8aa72499 | Sound of music: Actor Billy 22, can now hear 'the smallest noises' after implant . A revolutionary magnetic implant has restored the hearing of a young actor who went deaf in one ear at the age of 17 – and gives new hope to the thousands of Britons who cannot benefit from traditional hearing aids. Aspiring TV and theatre star Billy Coughlin, 22, from Hall Green, Birmingham, had the groundbreaking procedure at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, in March and says: ‘I can now hear the smallest noises, like footsteps. ‘It sounds silly but these are things I’ve not been able to hear for five or six years. I finally feel I’m my normal self again.’ The new device is the bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) Attract, and it replaces the older version of the BAHA. While the traditional implant uses a metal screw that is embedded in the patient’s head and channels vibrations to the inner ear, the Attract involves a small magnetic disc being inserted beneath the skin behind the ear. This allows an electronic sound processor – the size of the bluetooth hands-free mobile phone earpiece – to be attached or removed as needed. When the receiver is not worn, the implant is completely invisible. Billy lost most of the hearing in his left ear after developing an infection of the inner ear bones called mastoiditis. He has full hearing in his right ear. After struggling with his hearing, he was referred to surgeon Matthew Trotter at the hospital’s ENT clinic earlier this year. Billy trialled the device using a headband to attach it behind the ear. Then, a month after surgery to implant the magnetic disc, a sound receiver was fitted, giving him full hearing again. Mr Trotter explains: ‘How we treat hearing loss depends on the physical cause of the problem. ‘BAHAs are suitable for patients who have problems with the outer and middle parts of the ear, usually due to infections or previous surgery. In these people, using a normal hearing aid in the ear canal won’t help because the transmitted sounds won’t reach the inner ear. ‘It’s important to note these are not cochlear implants, which are for yet another group of patients – those with hearing loss due to problem in the inner ear. ‘BAHAs basically involve a titanium alloy peg being screwed into the skull behind the ear, so part of it pokes through the skin. In a similar way to a dental implant, the surrounding bone integrates with the screw, making it very secure and not removable. ‘The screw transmits sounds picked up by the receiver directly into the inner ear, bypassing the outer parts. But patients are left with a metal screw sticking out of the head behind the ear, which is visible when the receiver is removed – to swim, for instance. ‘This alone puts many off, but it also takes a lot of care and special cleaning on a daily basis to avoid infection. ‘The great thing about this new implant is there is no screw poking out. The receiver attaches to a small magnet under the skin so when it’s removed, the head looks completely normal.’ The implant is attached during a 40-minute procedure under general anaesthetic. The surgeon cuts a 2in semi-circular flap behind the ear and the implant is drilled about half an inch into the bone beneath. The magnet is attached to the screw and the flap is the stitched back into place. Mr Trotter adds: ‘The skin heals in a fortnight, and the bone knits with the screw within a month. At this point it is stable, and we give the patient their receiver.’ Approximately 1,500 patients with hearing loss who will potentially benefit from a bone-anchored hearing aid are diagnosed each year in the UK. Up to half of these could benefit from the Attract device. Mr Trotter hopes the Attract will be adopted throughout the NHS. He says: ‘Not every case is suitable due to the subtle differences in the causes of hearing loss, but it’s worth discussing the option of the Attract with your consultant should you be referred for a BAHA.’ Billy, who has had roles in Doctors on BBC1 and ITVs Peak Practice, had been offered an old-style BAHA but turned it down as he felt a visible screw would affect his chances of success at auditions. He says: ‘After the operation there was a bit of pain but I only needed a couple of paracetamol. ‘The moment they switched it on was a shock. Being able to hear everything perfectly was distracting at first. But now when I take it off, it’s as if someone has stuck cotton wool in my ear. Having it on feels normal.’ | Billy Coughlin has had his hearing restored thanks to implant .
The 22-year-old aspiring actor has been deaf in one ear since 17 .
The new bone anchored magnetic implant is inserted beneath skin .
An electronic sound processor can then be be attached when needed . |
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