Unnamed: 0
int64 0
287k
| id
stringlengths 40
40
| article
stringlengths 117
14.7k
| highlights
stringlengths 37
3.97k
|
|---|---|---|---|
91,613 | 01d897cb392db60bea70a533d8aa499547d7c608 | By . Oliver Wadeson . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 2 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:00 EST, 2 February 2013 . For almost 150 years, blue plaques have celebrated famous former residents, becoming in that time a much-loved feature of the British townscape. So the announcement by English Heritage, which runs the scheme in London, that it is suspending installation of the signs because of Government funding cuts has been greeted with mournful sighs by conservation groups. Yet for those who own a property already adorned with a plaque, it might be good news. Blue plaques add prestige and historical interest, and those already erected are likely to be cherished to an even greater extent, and may help to increase a property’s value. Mark of distinction: The five-bedroom home in London's Brook Green has an asking price of £4.5 million, in part thanks to the blue enamelled plaque . Sui Chin McKeand is one of a handful of people with a blue-plaque property on the market. Her house in Brook Green, West London, which has an asking price of £4.5 million, was once occupied by the illustrator and engraver Sir Frank Short, who died in 1945 aged 87. A plaque in his honour was erected in the Forties by London County Council and has since been approved by English Heritage. Retired lawyer Sui Chin, 59, who is from Singapore but moved to England in 1985, bought the house with her late husband James McKeand in 1991 for £625,000. James, a solicitor, died ten years ago, and with her daughter Claire, 28, spending most of her time elsewhere, Sui Chin is now looking for a smaller property. Inspired: The sitting room inside the property in Brook Green . Rising up: The plaque adds to the value of the Grade II listed five-bedroom property built in 1820 . She confesses that in 1991 the blue . plaque was hardly a consideration when she decided to buy, and she had . no knowledge of Sir Frank, who was president of the Royal Society of . Painter-Etchers. ‘I wanted a property with off-street parking and my husband liked the garden,’ she says. Since then, however, she has embraced the prestige the plaque has bestowed on her home and ‘formed a relationship’ with her house’s previous occupant. Blue Plaque: The plaque on Sui Chin McKeand's London home . ‘Out of curiosity, I did some research . on Sir Frank and learned about his career. It was through this research . that I managed to find some of his works at a gallery,’ she says, . pointing out three prints that hang on a wall in the ground-floor dining . room. The prints are now . part of the fabric of the house and Sui Chin says she will consider . offers for them from buyers of the house if they want to retain its link . to Short. Sui Chin was . also obliged to form a relationship with English Heritage over her plans . to renovate the five-storey Grade II listed house, which was built in . 1820. When she bought it, part of the property was in commercial use – a South African company used two floors as an office. Sui Chin wanted to restore it to a single dwelling but English Heritage laid down a number of restrictions regarding what she could do. She spent £260,000 on the renovations, benefiting from the VAT exemption on work restoring older homes. This exemption was scrapped last October, except in cases where derelict properties are being salvaged. ‘English Heritage was very particular about some things. It was almost as if they wanted you to live like someone in the Victorian era,’ she says. ‘For example, the house had 11 fireplaces and I was allowed to remove only one, and I wasn’t allowed to cut through any joists.’ Making his mark: Frank Short, painter and engraver, who lived in the West London property after which the blue plaque was erected in his honour . Now, with five bedrooms, three receptions, three bathrooms, a dining room and a conservatory, the house makes a fine family home. Sui Chin also points out that the basement floor, which has its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom, could be used as a separate dwelling. Jonathan Haward, of County Homesearch, a company that finds homes for prospective buyers, believes the blue plaque will add value in light of the decision to suspend the scheme. ‘It adds terrifically to the history of a house,’ he says, ‘which helps it to sell and it could help attract multiple buyers, so driving up the price. ‘With English Heritage deciding not to consider new applications for now, this will especially apply to those selling homes with existing plaques.’ James Rideout, of selling agents Hamptons International, says: ‘This house is a local landmark and has generated a host of enquiries, particularly from international buyers fascinated by British history.’ Hamptons International; 020 7717 5305, hamptons. co.uk, www.english-heritage.org.uk . | Blue plaque, five-bedroom, West London property on the market for £4.5m .
Grade II listed 19th century building was home to painter Sir Frank Short . |
182,473 | 784a3e8a177005c1c96652213e141ae14edad6fb | By . Mark Duell . A jailed rapist launched a High Court battle claiming that sharing a cell with a smoker breached his human rights in a case costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds, it was revealed today. Solomon Smith raped one prostitute and indecently assaulted another in 2000, and was jailed for nine-and-a-half years at Wolverhampton Crown Court two years later after being convicted. The 52-year-old said he was forced to breathe in second-hand smoke in the cells while serving his sentence at HMP Birmingham, which damaged his health and violated his human rights. High Court battle: Solomon Smith (left), who raped one prostitute and indecently assaulted another in 2000, claims he was forced to breathe in second-hand smoke in the cells at HMP Birmingham (right, file picture) Smith, of Hanley, Staffordshire, launched a legal battle from behind bars using taxpayers’ cash - because he could not afford his own costs - to try to claim compensation from the Government. He claimed being made to share with the smoker for one week in March 2012 was a ‘unjustified interference’ with his right to a private and family life. The publicly-funded case against prison operator G4S and the Ministry of Justice was dismissed at the High Court - but he then appealed the decision. Yesterday, this was also thrown out by three senior judges at the Court of Appeal. Mr Justice Mostyn said: ‘We do not think this appeal gets off the ground - we are not impressed.’ Location: Smith claimed being made to share with the smoker for one week in March 2012 at HMP Birmingham (pictured) was a 'unjustified interference' with his human rights and also invaded his privacy . Smith was forced to share a cell with a smoker after being moved to another part of the prison because he and other sex offenders were being bullied, the court heard. 'We do not think this appeal gets off the ground - we are not impressed' Mr Justice Mostyn . G4S official Scott Matthewson told the court: ‘This was unfortunate but could not be avoided, given the practical and safety considerations. There were limited cells available in the prison, which was overcrowded. ‘In order to protect Smith from abusive or violent conduct from other prisoners, for a short time he had to share a cell with a vulnerable prisoner who was a smoker.’ Jonathan Hall, representing Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, said Smith’s accommodation was an operational decision for the prison. Inside: Smith was forced to share a cell with a smoker at HMP Birmingham after being moved to another part of the prison because he and other sex offenders were being bullied, the court heard . He added: ‘Temporary exposure to second-hand smoke did not amount to an interference with the right to a private life.’ 'This was unfortunate but could not be avoided, given the practical and safety considerations' Scott Matthewson, G4S official . Smith had also called on the Justice Secretary to ban smoking in prison cells to ‘protect’ the country’s 85,000 prisoners, but this was also rejected. Smoking is still allowed in Britain’s prisons despite a national smoking ban in public places being in force for six years. Challenging the ruling, Smith’s barrister Hugh Southey QC said: ‘Prisoners are not in the position where they have some freedom of choice about how to protect their health. ‘If I feel strongly about smoking, I can take steps to avoid it. What this case demonstrates is that prisoners are not necessarily in that position.' Habit: The 2007 smoking ban in public places did not apply to prison cells (file picture) Some 80 per cent of the 84,300 Prison Service inmates smoke - and tobacco is a valuable currency that is traded on the wings. Some jails already ban the habit for bad behaviour - and 'well-behaved’ inmates look forward to their cigarette breaks out in the yard to help them through the boredom of their sentences. But staff have long objected to breathing in the second-hand smoke of inmates, and there are fears that the Prison Service could face compensation claims from officers who claim that they are victims of passive smoking. The 2007 smoking ban designed to protect people from the effects of second-hand smoke in public places did not apply to prison cells. Last September, it was reported that a pilot was to be launched in some prisons that would ban inmates from smoking in all parts of the jails – including exercise yards. But a Prison Service spokesman said there are no plans to ban smoking in jails at the moment. | Solomon Smith raped prostitute and indecently assaulted another in 2000 .
Claims he had to breathe in second-hand smoke in HMP Birmingham cell .
52-year-old claimed it damaged his health and violated his human rights .
Judge says: 'This appeal doesn't get off the ground - we aren't impressed' |
149,930 | 4dd6163c4a32274c386977df77b5e54d98799184 | There's one thing that even the traveler who can afford to go anywhere can't buy: time. Rest assured, if they could, our nation's wealthy would slip through history in nuclear-powered DeLoreans, splashing time-space mud upon the rest of us present-bound plebes as they zoomed past. To help them out (all of us, really), we've identified the next best thing: a roundup of destinations -- from bucolic to bourgeois -- that will make you forget what era you're in. Hotel Monteleone (New Orleans) New Orleans is like an accordion of time, with every period folded over onto itself, forming a single wild note. This sound can be heard loudest in the French Quarter. No hotel captures the rich, rhythmic history of the city like Hotel Monteleone. Built in 1886, the Beaux-Arts style high-rise transports you to the early city's heyday as soon as you enter its majestic white marble-covered lobby. Done up in elegant style, author suites are named after favorite former guests William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote. A visit to the Carousel Bar & Lounge is practically mandatory. The bar has been revolving for 64 years and specializes in the Vieux Carre Cocktail -- a mixture of Benedictine, Peychaud, Angostura bitters, rye whiskey, cognac and dry vermouth that was reportedly invented by one of the Monteleone bartenders as patrons spun around him. Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St., New Orleans; +1 504 523 3341; rooms from $170 . The Biltmore Hotel (Miami/Coral Gables) Constructed with Italian, Spanish and Moorish influences, the Biltmore in Miami-Coral Gables is a towering, opulent castle rising from South Florida's tropical terrain. During its prime, the Coral Gables Biltmore was a favorite of the Vanderbilts, the Roosevelts, mobsters, celebs and European dignitaries. While you can no longer see weekly synchronized swimming and alligator wrestling, take swimming lessons from Johnny Weissmuller (before he was Tarzan) or dance to oversized jazz orchestras, there are still plenty of old school luxuries. For instance, the Donald Ross-designed golf course, originally constructed in 1925, and afternoon tea while listening to classical guitarists. The Biltmore,1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables, Florida; +1 835 311 6903; rooms from $209 . Beverly Hills Hotel (Beverly Hills, California) Built in 1912, the Beverly Hills Hotel predates the city of Beverly Hills by two years. Early on, the Mediterranean-revival building hosted Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Will Rogers, and the star power carried on through the years. Elizabeth Taylor spent six of her eight honeymoons at the Pink Palace. From the '40s-era Formica counter and pink stools of the Fountain Coffee Room to the canopied beds to the white-and-forest-green-striped Polo Lounge, it's easy to forget which war is on. Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills, California; +1 310 276 2251; rooms from $492 . Hotel Lautner (Desert Hot Springs, California) The Desert Hot Springs Motel was a midcentury-modern oasis designed by Frank Lloyd Wright protégé John Lautner. The building was originally intended as the first of many that would constitute a new community in Desert Hot Springs -- the brainchild of film director Lucien Hubbard -- but the plan was abandoned and the motel became a destination for stars looking for a quick flutter away from the City of Angels, less than two hours west. The site soon went into disrepair, then endured a few lives of its own before an interior designer and furniture designer purchased, revitalized and renamed the motel. Now Hotel Lautner is an ode to its namesake. Every inch keeps in tune with the architect's philosophy, yet each room feels as fresh as if Lautner gave the final OK just a few months ago. Hotel Lautner, 67710 San Antonio St., Desert Hot Springs, California; +1 760 832 5288; closed July and August; rooms from $225 . Dunton Hot Springs (Dolores, Colorado) If you're hankering for a trip back in time, maybe the 1880s Wild West suits your boots. About 30 miles southwest of Telluride sits Dunton Hot Springs, a former gold and silver mining village that's been transformed into a rustic paradise with 12 cabins, a dance hall and an open-air chapel. The "town" draws guests who want to leave cell phone service behind and relax in the natural hot springs. Though visitors are surrounded by nothing but nature, they're far from roughing it -- each cabin has been restored with elegance and comfort that couldn't have been imagined by early settlers, even if they'd struck it rich. Dunton Hot Springs, 52068 Road 38, Dolores, Colorado; +1 970 882 4800; from $600 . Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island, Michigan) To get back to an age when carriages shared the roads with pedestrians and bicycles, you need to visit Mackinac Island, where you can stay at the aptly named Grand Hotel. Opened in 1887, the massive Queen Anne-style hotel has remained largely unchanged since the early years when Edison Phonograph agents held demonstrations and Mark Twain lectured in the casino. Cars were allowed for about three decades, but the citywide ban on them began in 1930. Perhaps the hotel's grandest distinction is its porch: At 660 feet it's said to be the longest in the world. Guests can walk the entire length or sit in one of dozens of white rocking chairs and look out over Lake Huron. Grand Hotel, 286 Grand Ave., Mackinac Island, Michigan; +1 800 334 7263; rooms from $139 . Plaza Hotel (New York) You can almost feel the jazz radiating from the walls of this historic F. Scott Fitzgerald haunt. The Lost Generation's most famous partier loved the Plaza so much, he made it a setting in his greatest work, "The Great Gatsby." The hotel hasn't shied away from the honor. They've even gone so far as to create a Fitzgerald Suite. If you prefer a room unburdened by photos of Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, there are other vintage options available. Whether you're staying at the hotel or not, a night in any of the hotel's dining and drinking venues might make you feel like you could run into Jay Gatsby at any moment. Plaza Hotel, 768 Fifth Ave., New York; +1 212 759 3000; rooms from $533 . Old Faithful Inn (Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming) For more than a century, nature lovers have been staying at the largest log hotel in the world, overlooking America's favorite (and most punctual) wonder. The colossal rustic lodge is just as impressive as it was when it opened in 1904, and probably just as crowded, so don't expect much intimacy or peace during peak hours. There's also the matter of a tacky tourist shop and mediocre food. But where else can you stand on a terrace with a cocktail, watching moose grazing below, as boiling water shoots 185 feet up from the earth in the distance? Old Faithful Inn, 1 Grand Loop Road, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming; +1 866 439 7375; rooms from $103 . | Elizabeth Taylor spent six of her eight honeymoons at the Beverly Hills Hotel .
Southern California's Hotel Lautner is a midcentury-modern masterpiece .
Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan, is said to have longest porch in the world: 660 feet .
New York's Plaza Hotel's art deco Fitzgerald Suite honors the writer and his era . |
86,776 | f6481dc8acad951a682b83fb42c23348c808457f | (CNN) -- After years hovering in the vapor, little more than a dream for Apple fanatics everywhere, the elusive iWatch may be days away from becoming a reality. But it will hardly be the first smartwatch to hit the market. After breaking ground with products like the iPhone and iPad, Apple finds itself playing catch-up in the wearables world. The Pebble watch was the first smartwatch to gain any kind of notoriety. In 2012, the smartwatch pulled in more than $10 million on Kickstarter. Pebble connects to an iPhone or Android phone via Bluetooth and has a growing selection of its own apps. Smartwatches have become much more feature-rich since the launch of the Pebble. Samsung leads the pack in jack-of-all-trades smartwatches. A year after releasing its first smartwatch, Samsung unveiled its third device in the line last week. The Gear S smartwatch has a curved screen and 3G connectivity, making it the first smartwatch from a major company that doesn't require a Bluetooth connection to a smartphone. There's also the LG G Watch R and Moto 360, two newish devices that are aiming to have a more fashionable design and take advantage of Google's Android Wear platform. So far, smartwatches haven't caught on widely in the way smartphones and tablets have. Whether Apple's entry into the field changes that remains to be seen. Apple was granted a patent for a smartwatch in July -- with a touch screen, an accelerometer, a GPS receiver, Bluetooth and alerts via vibration. The iWatch in the patent connects to a mobile device, displays notifications and allows users to accept or decline phone calls. Apple is expected to unveil its iWatch smartwatch on September 9. | Apple may unveil a smartwatch next week .
The company filed for a patent for the 'iWatch' in July .
Samsung released its first smartwatch a year ago .
Other competitors are also crowding the field . |
266,346 | e4fc04263ce77e34597a238e8c2680356657b4a3 | White House officials are scratching their heads over the decision by Republicans to sue President Barack Obama over his decision to delay a requirement in the health care law for businesses to provide coverage to employees. That's because, as one senior administration official pointed out on Friday, those same lawmakers voted to do the exact same thing at virtually the exact same time -- defer until 2015 the part of Obamacare known as the employer mandate. House Speaker John Boehner justified last July's vote, held days after the Obama administration action, as a repudiation of the executive decision to alter a major part of the politically-charged law just months before it was put into practice. "I get to look at the Constitution once in a while. The Constitution makes it clear that Congress writes the law, and the President takes the oath of office to faithfully discharge the laws that are on the books," Boehner said. The House voted separately to delay the Obamacare individual mandate as well, another centerpiece of the landmark 2010 law that remains in place and requires everyday Americans to have some kind of health insurance. Both the business and individual mandates required compliance to avoid possible fines. The two House votes drew significant Democratic support but the Democratic-led Senate didn't take up either. Obamacare fight continues . The reference to last year's vote by the Republican-led House signals White House confidence that Boehner's lawsuit announced on Thursday night will fail in court. House Republicans tried to use their constitutional powers to delay the mandate but failed, the White House thinking goes. Boehner consulted legal experts before announcing the action and CNN's Dana Bash and Deirdre Walsh reported that they were advised that keeping the focus of any legal challenge narrow offered the best chance to succeed in court. The suit first must be authorized by legislation before being submitted in federal court by private attorneys. The timing of a court filing is unclear. Obamacare is the signature domestic policy achievement of Obama's presidency so far. It's aimed at fulfilling his promise to make health care coverage available to millions without it. Since October, the administration says 9 million people have signed up for a range of policies through federal and state insurance markets. But it has also been a bitter partisan flashpoint since its approval in 2010 without GOP support. Republicans have made it a focus of their sharp political attacks on Obama and Democrats ahead of November's midterms with control of the Senate at stake. "In terms of politics, there is no issue that Republicans have the best chance of riling up the base than Obamacare," Bash said. The case also magnifies a toxic partisan climate that has engulfed Congress overall and come to define Obama's relations with Republicans in general. Some arch-conservatives in the party want him impeached. Pushing forward . Boehner doesn't agree with such a step, but he's plowing ahead with an unusual legal challenge built around Republican claims Obama has abused his authority at the expense of the legislative process. Obama defiantly challenged Republicans last week, saying he would continue to take steps he felt were necessary with or without the support of congressional Republicans. "So sue me," he dared them. White House spokesman Josh Earnest quickly dismissed Boehner's decision to take his case court as a "political stunt." The President "is doing his job -- lawsuit or not -- and it's time Republicans in Congress did theirs," Earnest said in a statement. Boehner argued the employer mandate delay is the best legal avenue for his case against Republican claims that Obama has overstepped his executive authority in carrying out his priorities. "In 2013, the President changed the health care law without a vote of Congress, effectively creating his own law by literally waiving the employer mandate and the penalties for failing to comply with it," Boehner said in a statement Thursday. "That's not the way our system of government was designed to work. No president should have the power to make laws on his or her own," Boehner said. House Republicans point to the support they received from constitutional scholars who testified on the Obamacare mandate delay last December. Obama overreach? At a House Judiciary Committee hearing, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, a once fierce critic of the Bush administration, suggested Obama overreached. "The President is required to faithfully execute the laws. He's not required to enforce all laws equally or commit the same resources to them," he said. "But I believe the President has crossed the constitutional line." Administration officials have repeatedly argued that alterations to the Affordable Care Act are legal. In February 2013, a Treasury Department spokeswoman told Government Executive the administration has the power to delay the employer mandate and its fines, which are in essence taxes on businesses that do not comply with the law. The taxing authority of the federal government was the legal underpinning of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the sweeping health law and its individual mandate in 2012. But other legal experts have already said any lawsuit around executive authority would face challenges. In order for it to be formally considered by the courts, House Republicans must prove that the chamber was somehow injured as an institution. Read the resolution (PDF) Boehner op-ed: Why we must now sue the President . Opinion: Dear Speaker Boehner: Do your job instead . | The White House is puzzled by the focus of a GOP lawsuit against President Obama .
The challenge centers on the Obamacare employer mandate delay .
Obama acted on his own last summer, but House Republicans also voted to defer it for a year .
So do they have a case? House Speaker John Boehner says they do, despite the House vote . |
58,815 | a6d45c80db28642f8e7580f77541307f7f9f91c8 | (CNN) -- The winter of 1609 to 1610 was treacherous for early American settlers. Some 240 of the 300 colonists at Jamestown, in Virginia, died during this period, called the "Starving Time," when they were under siege and had no way to get food. Desperate times led to desperate measures. New evidence suggests that includes eating the flesh of fellow colonists who had already died. Archaeologists revealed Wednesday their analysis of 17th century skeletal remains suggesting that settlers practiced cannibalism to survive. Researchers unearthed an incomplete human skull and tibia (shin bone) in 2012 that contain several features suggesting that this particular person had been cannibalized. The remains come from a 14-year-old girl of English origin, whom historians are calling "Jane." There are about half a dozen accounts that mention cannibalistic behaviors at that time, although the record is limited, said Douglas Owsley, division head of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian National Museum of National History. The newly analyzed remains support these accounts, providing the first forensic evidence of cannibalism in the American colonies. What we know from the bones . Jane's remains were found in a 17th-century trash deposit at the former site of James Fort. William Kelso, chief archaeologist at the Jamestown Rediscovery Project said at a briefing Wednesday that the fort was built in 1607, but has been washed away. Kelso and colleagues began digging in 1994 and have been excavating the site on Jamestown Island ever since. Owsley and colleagues can tell quite a bit about what happened to Jane when at least one starving settler in the fort apparently tried to feed off of her. If it's any consolation, it appears that she was already dead at the time. Researchers say it looks like someone had tried, but failed to open the skull with four shallow chops to the forehead. The back of the skull contains markings that could have been made by a small hatchet or cleaver striking it. The cranium cracked open from the last hit. Forensic experts say it appears the person striking the skull was right-handed. The skull's mandible contains cuts all over it and inside, which experts say reflect an attempt to take tissue off of the face and throat with a tool such as a knife. The cheek area reflects a "sawing action" of a tool going back and forth, Owsley said. There are also sharp passages of a knife. At some point in the process, the head was removed, Owsley said. The damage done to these remains indicates that whoever inflicted it was not a skilled butcher, he said. "Instead, what we see is hesitancy, trial, tentativeness and an absolute total lack of experience." The shin bone that archaeologists recovered also appeared to have been chopped, but in a way that more resembles classic butchering techniques, Owsley said. "The person doing this was clearly interested in, based on what would have been accepted cuisine in the 17th century, in cheek meat, muscles of the face -- that area -- and tongue, and also in terms of 17th century traditional cuts, would also include the brain," he said. It is possible that more than one person was involved in this, given the disparity in butchering practices seen in the head compared to the shin bone. What we know about the colonists . In the summer of 1609, the settlers experienced two significant setbacks, said James Horn, vice president of research and historical interpretation at Colonial Williamsburg. The first was that a large fleet bringing supplies and settlers to Virginia was scattered. It had been carrying 500 settlers from Plymouth along with provisions. "The fleet represented a new beginning for Jamestown, which had struggled over the previous two years," Horn said. A hurricane scattered the ships a week before they were supposed to arrive. The flagship with the leaders of this pack ended up in Bermuda. Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" takes its inspiration from this event. Six ships reached Jamestown in August 1609, with spoiled or depleted food, and many settlers in poor health. "On one of those ships was Jane," Horn said. At the same time, the relationship between the Jamestown colonists and the native Powhatan Indians had broken down. The existing settlers were already experiencing disease and a shortage of food, and the demands they made on the Powhatans strained their relations. That was the environment into which 300 additional settlers arrived at the James Fort. One of the leaders of the group, Captain John Smith -- the same one who was famously friends with Pocahontas -- returned to England in October 1609 because he was injured, Owsley said, leaving a leadership vacuum. In the fall, the Powhatans waged war against these colonists, and launched a siege against the fort. With no way to get food from the outside, the colonists resorted to eating horses, dogs, cats, rats, mice and snakes, Horn said, according to the accounts of George Percy, who was the president of Jamestown during this time. There are even accounts of people eating their shoes and any other leather that could be found. Anyone who left to try to scrounge for roots in the woods was killed by the Powhatans. Percy wrote, according to the Smithsonian, "thatt notheinge was Spared to mainteyne Lyfe and to doe those things which seame incredible, as to digge upp deade corpes outt of graves and to eate them. And some have Licked upp the Bloode which hathe fallen from their weake fellowes." In other words, cannibalism. It's not clear how many deceased colonists were cannibalized. Only 60 of 300 of the original colonists survived, described as "looking like skeletons," Horn said. In May of 1610, the settlers finally arrived who had been shipwrecked in Bermuda, effectively saving the colony. Lord Delaware brought even more colonists and enough provisions to last a year. There are still more pits at the fort to be excavated, and only 10% of Jane's body has been recovered, Owsley said. "I think there's going to be other examples," Owsley said. "Whether that will be found -- with archeology you never know what's going to be under the next shovel." A special exhibition will begin at the Smithsonian about Jamestown and Jane's story on Friday. More space and science news from CNN Light Years . | Remains of 14-year-old girl "Jane" found from 17th century .
Researchers say she was cannibalized, based on forensic analysis .
This supports the accounts that historians have that cannibalism was used for survival . |
10,940 | 1f205ba6cdd990baf1030a0d95d432e567fda39e | (CNN) -- At 23, many people around the world are still at university -- at that age, Gossy Ukanwoke had already started one. The young entrepreneur is the founder of Beni American University (BAU), Nigeria's first private online university. Launched in late 2012, the school allows students to access their classes at any time of the day with any internet-enabled device. "We are providing executive programs for graduates who are looking for employment and want to build up their resumes, or managers who want to climb up the hierarchy of their companies," says Ukanwoke, now 25. "We also have courses targeted at people who want to start their own business." 'Nigeria's Mark Zuckerberg' Ukanwoke's idea to start BAU came from his previous online venture called Students Circle, an educational social networking site he'd launched while in university that allows learners to interact and access free resources from leading schools. "When I created Students Circle in 2010," explains Ukanwoke, "I found out that ... many were looking for certificates, hoping that they could get something they could use to maybe find employment or get a promotion in the workplace. "There was a need for a new institution to be created in Nigeria," adds Ukanwoke, who was once described by Forbes as "Nigeria's Mark Zuckerberg." Now, some 18 months into his new business endeavor, Ukanwoke has hired 10 instructors and has about 200 students, with an average age of 26. But the startup's journey so far has not been without challenges -- Nigerian laws require universities to have a physical campus so last year Ukanwoke went and bought land in the country's Benue State with the goal to build a private campus that could accommodate some 10,000 students. The project is expected to launch next year, but in the meantime the web courses are up and running -- a 12 week online program can cost between $100 and $300. Among the courses offered are corporate diplomacy, global marketing, leadership and management, digital journalism, project management and entrepreneurship and innovation, which is the university's most popular class. "It's good because I have four kids," says Chinenye Madukwe, one of BAU's students. "I have opportunity to work at the same time, because I have a small interior design outfit." Oo Nwoye, another BAU student, says he enrolled "for the knowledge." "It is just helpful for my business and that is the most important thing to me," he explains. Education is key . A son of two teachers, Ukanwoke says he is driven by his passion to use technology to solve social problems. "I grew up within the framework where education was put at a very high level of importance, and entrepreneurship is something that I always wanted to do," he says. "Without education I don't think we can do any progress," he adds. "It's not just about getting a certificate -- education is about teaching people how to make a living and teaching people how to live; how to interact with others, how to lead their lives and make something out of themselves," continues Ukanwoke. "With education comes discipline and we need a lot of discipline in Nigeria as well, so education is really important." Ukanwoke relies mainly on social media to advertize but says that it's student referrals that are increasing BAU's enrollment. "We still have a long way to go, we have a lot of work to do, a lot of policy wrangling too," he admits. "But it's a work in progress and we are quite happy with where we are." | Gossy Ukanwoke has created Nigeria's first private online university .
Called Beni American University, the institution has some 200 students .
Courses offered include global marketing and leadership and management . |
238,902 | c1470ce419936e58c7cb52719ea6b67833724f63 | (CNN) -- Do a quick search on Facebook, and you're sure to find job talk. A friend who got laid off. A family member turned down for a promotion. Or an old high-school pal celebrating their dream job. On Facebook, employment status is just one more thing people feel free to share openly, not just with those they're closest to. While sharing a job loss or termination may make some cringe, Facebook data scientists say there might actually be some advantages to it. Highlights of a Facebook study, "Facebook use by job-seekers," were posted on the site's data science blog on Thursday. The study tracked several thousand people over three months with monthly check-ins. Of the 3,000 surveyed, 169 were unemployed at some point during the study. Authors Moira Burke and Robert Kraut intended to measure stress levels and support from close friends and family on Facebook during major life events. Burke is a data scientist at Facebook and Kraut is with the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. To determine how connected people were, Facebook was given permission to track participants' time spent on the social network and some of their actions, but not the content of their actions. For example, they tracked whether participants left comments on their friend's photos, but not what was said. In short, everyone who engaged directly, and a slightly more than average amount, with close family and friends experienced more support and were more motivated. They were also less stressed and were generally able to expand their networks. The study also found that people who regularly engaged on Facebook found jobs much faster than those who didn't, although researchers said they did not have enough information to know where they found out about these jobs or if anyone in their networks played a direct role. But the study also found that for a small subset of job seekers, stress levels increased when close friends or family members would repeatedly ask, "So how's the job search going?" Stress also increased when participants received unwanted advice or pushed the job seeker to "try harder." "I feel worse about my job when using Facebook," one participant wrote. "I find it really hard to connect with people who care about me/my life. I get a lot of pity comments on Facebook." Although social networks can be ideal places for support during a crisis, participants found there are limits to online compassion. One study participant said she felt worse during her unemployment, especially when reading News Feed updates about celebrations. "No one really shares sad or depressing stuff," the study quotes the participant as saying. "They must have some concerns but most of my contacts act as if they do not. So in comparison, I feel worse." There's a lot of debate about whether the Internet is "good" or "bad" for us; this study shows that the effects really depend on whom you're talking to and what's happening in your life," said Burke in an email. "In this way, the online world is much like the offline. For the job-seekers out there, recognize that this is a stressful period, but you're not alone and your close friends may be able to help." | Facebook surveyed 3,000 people about major life events .
Study found Facebook friends provide much-needed emotional support .
Some users felt pressured by close ties to find jobs . |
144,345 | 46ab2e41f81ef8217c477aeb04758fb8a753aa63 | Philippine government prosecutors charged a U.S. Marine with murder Monday in the killing of a Filipino, saying the suspect acknowledged attacking the victim after he found out she was a transgender woman. Prosecutor Emilie de los Santos said there was 'probable cause' that Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton, who has been detained since shortly after the October incident, killed Jennifer Laude, whose former name was Jeffrey, in the motel room where the victim's body was found in Olongapo city, northwest of Manila. She had apparently been strangled and drowned in a toilet bowl. Scroll down for video . Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton is charged with killing Jennifer Laude, whose former name was Jeffrey, in the motel room where the victim's body was found in Olongapo city, northwest of Manila after discovering she was transgender . 'It's murder,' de los Santos told reporters after filing the charge against the 19-year-old Pemberton before a regional court. 'It was aggravated by treachery, abuse of superior strength and cruelty.' Among the evidence submitted by de los Santos and other prosecutors were statements by Pemberton's three Marine colleagues who went bar-hopping with him on Oct. 11 in Olongapo, a former liberty town when the U.S. Navy was at the vast Subic Naval base, now a bustling commercial Freeport and recreation hub. Pemberton and some of his colleagues later picked up women at a disco bar and separately checked in at nearby motels, then returned to their ship after midnight. Witnesses saw Pemberton check in with Laude at a motel room, where he was seen leaving shortly before the discovery of the killing, prosecutors said in their statement to the court. Marine accused of 'strangling a transgender Filipina in a hotel toilet after finding out she was not born a woman' is transferred to Philippine jail for trial . Marine Lance Corporal Jairn Michael Rose, who went out with Pemberton that night, acknowledged that the suspect later confided back at their ship that he attacked the woman he was with by choking her after discovering that she was a transgender when she undressed, according to the prosecutors. 'I think I killed a he/she,' Pemberton was quoted as having told Rose. Pemberton, a skilled boxer, allegedly said he choked her from behind with his arm 'for a couple of minutes' until she stopped moving then dragged her into the bathroom, according to the prosecutors. The new details are likely to spark renewed condemnation by left-wing and transgender groups, which have labeled the attack a hate crime. The case comes after the Philippines and the United States strengthened ties with the recent signing of a defense accord that allows greater U.S. access to Philippine military camps. The case comes after the Philippines and the United States strengthened ties with the recent signing of a defense accord that allows greater U.S. access to Philippine military camps . The accord will help Washington's bid to reassert its presence in Asia, and enable Manila to deter what it calls China's aggressive moves to reinforce its claims in disputed South China Sea territories. The case reignited a debate over custody of American military personnel accused of crimes. But the looming irritant between the treaty allies over Pemberton's custody was eased after Washington agreed to move him from a U.S. warship to the Philippine military's main camp in metropolitan Manila, where he remained under American custody with an outer ring of Filipino guards. The Philippine government said in a statement issued by its foreign affairs department that it looks 'forward to the full cooperation of the U.S. government in ensuring that justice is secured for Laude.' Harry Roque, the lawyer of Laude's family, welcomed the prosecutors' ruling and angrily demanded that Pemberton be thrown into an ordinary jail. | Prosecutor Emilie de los Santos said there was 'probable cause' that Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton killed Jennifer Laude .
Witnesses saw Pemberton check in with Laude at a motel room, where he was seen leaving shortly before the discovery of the killing .
'I think I killed a he/she,' Pemberton was quoted as having told a fellow Marine . |
119,528 | 2666c8447d6890b6cc2568604a9ad4c6cfb0dd62 | England boss Stuart Lancaster will be taking a huge selection gamble if he opts to fill his problem centre-pairing with Bath’s Kyle Eastmond for the forthcoming autumn internationals, admits World Cup winner Lewis Moody. While the majority of his starting XV all but picks itself, Lancaster continues to roll the dice at 12 and 13, with a combination of injuries and erratic form seeing a number of options fill the England centre roles. In the last 12 months Lancaster has handed starts to Eastmond, Billy Twelvetrees, Joel Tomkins, Brad Barritt, Luther Burrell and Manu Tuilagi and still he seems uncertain of his premier midfield combination. England head coach Stuart Lanacaster (centre) issues instructions to his players during training . England backs coach Andy Farrell (centre) is surrounded by a huddle as he talks to the squad . Bath's Kyle Eastmond (front) celebrates scoring a try against Saracens earlier this month . A groin injury will see Leicester Tiger Tuilagi miss the autumn Tests, while Northampton Saint Burrell is also struggling with injury, meaning Eastmond is now in pole position to stake his claim. The Bath man has started the season in impressive form but during the summer tour to New Zealand his defensive work was questioned, particularly in the third Test against the All Blacks that saw him hauled off at half-time. There’s no doubting Eastmond’s class with ball in hand or his ability to make yards in attack but Moody admits there are serious questions marks that need erasing from his defensive game. 'One of Stuart Lancaster’s main worries is around that centre pairing because obviously his potential first-choice centre partnership (Tuilagi and Burrell) is banged up,' said Moody, speaking at the launch of this year’s LV= Cup at Northampton’s Franklins Gardens. 'Does he go with Eastmond who can be absolutely devastating in attack but who was fundamentally found out in defence on the summer tour? Henry Slade (centre) runs with the ball during the England training session at Pennyhill Park on Wednesday . England's Marland Yarde (left) and Semesa Rokoduguni (second left) arrive for training . 'I’ve seen him play at Bath and it’s an area of his game that he has worked on. He was more disappointed than anyone else over the summer and it’s about fitting into the team and getting used to playing at the highest level. 'Kyle is a Jason Robinson-style player, so I think he should be paired with someone like Billy Twelvetrees who is solid and steady or Brad Barritt who is even more solid and steady. 'It’s a tricky one for Stuart and there is also someone like Jonathan Joseph pushing for game-time, but there are some good conundrums for him.' England World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward has called on Saracens’ playmaker Owen Farrell – Lancaster’s current first choice fly-half – to be given an extended run in the No.12 jersey. It seems unlikely Lancaster will move Farrell though this autumn, meaning one of Barritt or Twelvetrees will likely start in the autumn. Moody admits he can see the sense in opting for a tried and trusted approach of Barritt or Twelvetrees in midfield but insists neither are the long-term solution to Lancaster’s centre conundrum. He added: 'Billy really controls a game well and he’s taken his chances in an England shirt, so I think he deserves to be in the squad. England's Owen Farrell catches the ball as the squad prepare for the autumn internationals . England World Cup winner Lewis Moody pictured at the launch of the 2014-15 LV=Cup in Guildford . 'But he’s not the future going forward for England – I think he’s a short-term solution. However, Stuart knows that Billy will do a job for him if he’s needed and there’s value to that. 'It’s a similar situation to Brad Barritt – neither of them are the answer but they are secure, solid players who can do a job and that’s maybe what Stuart needs in this first game against the best team in the world. 'New Zealand will be coming up against them and not holding back so perhaps safety first is not a bad approach.' Be part of the rugby family at the LV= Cup Final at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton on Sunday 22 March. Visit www.northamptonsaints.co.uk for tickets . | World Cup winner Lewis Moody reckons it would be a gamble for Stuart Lancaster to fill his problem centre-pairing with Bath's Kyle Eastmond .
A groin injury will see Manu Tuilagi miss the autumn Tests .
England take on New Zealand at Twickenham on November 8 . |
124,333 | 2cbc8b38f25897503720d5d42d53d0bd1c8e1a65 | Risk: The new study suggests drinking more than a couple of glasses of wine early in pregnancy can harm a child's brain . Just one night out during pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on the child’s behaviour, a study suggests. Youngsters exposed to one or two binges of alcohol in the womb were more likely to have short attention spans and be badly behaved at the age of seven, it said. A binge was classified as two-and-a-half large glasses of wine or more. This could concern many women who enjoy drinks with friends before realising they are pregnant. The Danish study tracked the health of more than 30,000 babies born to women who had been asked about drinking in pregnancy. A binge was defined as downing at least 7.5 units of alcohol in one session, with a large wine containing three units. When the children were seven, the mothers filled in a another questionnaire about their behaviour. The results revealed the lasting influence of binge drinking in pregnancy. The impact was much bigger on children whose mothers drank in late pregnancy but subtle differences occurred in those exposed to binges early on. Worryingly, most of the women had only indulged once or twice in the first 16 weeks of expecting. Researcher Janni Niclasen said: ‘If you expose your child to one or two binges in early pregnancy, the brain will be less flexible. When that child grows up and is put in a difficult situation, it might make a difference to the way that child will cope.’ She added: ‘Women really shouldn’t panic. They should think about what they eat and drink for the rest of their pregnancy.’ Dr Niclasen, of Copenhagen University, also warned that binge drinking early in pregnancy is known to raise the risk of miscarriages, stillbirths and birth defects. Worrying: The results of the 30,000-strong survey suggest that binge drinking has a lasting effect in pregnancy . In a second study, she suggested that baby boys appear to be particularly vulnerable, perhaps because male and female brains develop slightly differently. The doctor, whose research is published in the European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry journal, advised mothers-to-be not to drink alcohol at all. Patrick O’Brien, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said a foetus exposed to binge drinking in the first week or two of pregnancy will, in general, be miscarried or survive unscathed. Linda Geddes, author of Bumpology, said other studies hint that babies are particularly sensitive to alcohol in weeks seven to 12, by which time many more women know they are pregnant. | Danish study tracked the health of 30,000 pregnant women .
Then they were asked more questions when their children were seven .
Researchers found a link between 'binges' and bad behaviour . |
139,620 | 408c815764a227360294ec8a667a713370662455 | By . Nick Enoch . PUBLISHED: . 08:51 EST, 23 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:09 EST, 24 October 2013 . From Tony 'Scarface' Montana's 'little friend' - the M16 rifle - to Dirty Harry's Magnum ('the most powerful handgun in the world'), guns and glamour have often gone hand in hand on the big screen. But now the firearms have been cast in a new light, as these X-ray images show. The intimate workings of some of cinema’s most iconic weapons, including James Bond's Walther PPK, have been revealed by British artist Nick Veasey in an attempt to 'deglamorise' guns - by reducing them to the status of scientific specimens. These X-rays were made by British artist Nick Veasey in an attempt to 'deglamorise' guns - by reducing them to the status of scientific specimens. Above, the M16 entered the United States Army service in 1963 and featured in the film Scarface . 'Say hello to my little friend'... A memorable line uttered by Al Pacino, as . Tony Montana (left), in 1983's Scarface. Right, Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry . with his Magnum in Magnum Force (see below) A .44 Magnum, famously used by Clint Eastwood in the film Dirty Harry. Veasey was unable to guarantee that the weapons X-rayed for the series were the exact models used in the films since many of the guns have been handled so widely, but they are in all cases the correct model . The 51-year-old used his signature X-ray . technique (combining photography and radiology) on firearms ranging from the tiny Derringer used to . assassinate Abraham Lincoln to the M60 wielded by John Rambo in the . film First Blood. 'If you’re at your most . impressionable age and you’re in with the wrong crowd, what gets you . into serious trouble?,' the artist said. 'If . you get into a punch-up, you can usually walk away from that, whereas . if you use a gun, it’s likely to affect the rest of your life, one way . or another. 'That’s the cycle we’re trying to break. They’re not glamorous, they’re machines for killing people.' The . most famous gun in the series is undoubtedly James Bond’s Walther PPK, . given a clear 'personality' when 007 turns, looks and fires the gun in . the opening sequence of the films. Above, James Bond's iconic Walther PPK, which featured in 007 films including From Russia With Love and Goldfinger . Sean Connery as James Bond, with the Walther PPK. Right, Sylvester Stallone in the film Rambo lets rip some serious firepower . An M60, as used in the Rambo film First Blood. 'If you get into a punch-up, you can usually walk away from that, whereas if you use a gun, it's likely to affect the rest of your life, one way or another,' Veasey said . Yet this is the same gun Hitler used to commit suicide with in the Fuhrerbunker - gifted to him as a present by Carl Walther himself as a thank-you for allowing him to arm the German army. The series features other famous cinematic guns including the Magnum 45, as used by Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, Terminator’s Spas 12 and the M16 model brandished by actor Al Pacino as he utters the famous line: 'Say hello to my little friend!' in Scarface. The weapons were sourced from an armorer who provides guns to the cinema industry and were delivered to Veasey’s studio in Maidstone, Kent, by two handlers in an armoured van. Veasey was unable to guarantee that the weapons X-rayed for the series were the exact models used in the films since many of the guns have been handled so widely, but they are in all cases the correct model. The SPAS 12 was used in the first two Terminator films . Arnold Schwarzenegger (with Edward Furlong) in Terminator 2 Judgement Day (1991). Right, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007) A Wogdon flintlock dueling pistol, first produced by Robert Wogdon in the 1760s, was used in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies . The Thompson (better known by its nickname 'Tommy Gun') featured in films including Bonnie And Clyde, Public Enemies, and The Untouchables . Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in a publicity still from 1967's Bonnie And Clyde. Right, Martin Lawrence (above) starred in Bad Boys II with Will Smith . A Heckler & Koch UMP .45 was used in the film Bad Boys II (2003) 'For the film, they take away the . gun’s ability to fire a bullet, but it does fire a blank, so when you . pull the trigger it goes bang and a flash of light and puff of smoke . comes out the end,' Veasey said. 'What we’ve done to make them look authentic is reactivated them digitally. 'What they do is weld up the barrel, so we take that away and return the firing pin and we used live ammo. The M1 Garand featured in the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan. About 4million were produced in World War Two, with General Patton calling the gun 'the greatest battle implement ever devised' A scene from the WWII drama Saving Private Ryan. The Garand is used by the majority of soldiers in the film . A Mauser C96 (left), as used in Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows (2011) starring Robert Downey Jr. Right, a Double Derringer, as featured in the film Django. The single-barrelled version appears in the films Wild Wild West and Back to the Future Part 3, and was most famously used in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln . The Anschutz hunting rifle was used by Eric Borel, a French high-school student who, at the age of 16, murdered his family in Toulon in 1995. He later shot dead 12 others and injured four in the village of Cuers . 'We asked them how they deactivate the guns and then they’ve guided us through the process of retouching them as they would be live.' Asked which of the guns is his favourite, Veasey nominates the assault rifles, which he says are 'beautiful things to behold, but scary in the implications of what they can do.' A close friend of Veasey lost her teenage son to a gun and the artist is hoping that his images encourage teenagers to steer clear of firearms. 'We’re trying to make them look like scientific specimens, almost like a slab on the morgue,' Veasey added. 'Hopefully people will actually look at how they work and think, "If I pick it up and pull the trigger, bullets come out of it", rather than, "If I pick it up, I’m going to be like Rambo or a character from Call of Duty".' Among the artist's previous work is the world's largest X-ray of a life-sized Boeing 777 jet (created in 2003), which currently resides at Logan Airport in Boston. The M14 EBR was introduced to the United States Service in 2004 and is frequently used by the Navy Seals and Delta Force . Tears Of The Sun (2003) starring Bruce Willis as a Navy Seal. Right, a scene from British movie Snatch (2000) A Desert Eagle .50 was used in Guy Ritchie's film Snatch . The MG42 was a 7.9mm general purpose machine gun that was developed in Nazi Germany and entered service in 1942 . | British artist Nick Veasey X-rayed firearms - from Rambo's M60 to Derringer used to assassinate Abraham Lincoln .
Veasey unable to guarantee that weapons were exact models used in films as many have been handled so widely but they are all correct model .
Guns delivered to Veasey’s studio in Maidstone, Kent, by two handlers in an armoured van . |
91,690 | 01f26a78927a16e61a68f511639dfec7dbc90e9e | By . Paul Donnelley . Not installing anti-virus and security software on new devices such as laptops and mobiles means that almost half of us are at risk from cyber attacks. That is the view of the National Crime Agency (NCA), which is launching a new campaign to increase awareness of the dangers of not protecting yourself online. The campaign is calling for internet users to be 'cyber streetwise' and take steps to better protect themselves. The initiative is being led by the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU) in partnership with a Government campaign. Scroll down for video . The campaign is calling for internet users to be 'cyber streetwise' and take steps to better protect themselves . According to the Office of National Statistics, there were more than 10,000 victims of computer viruses in the UK last year, with most being preventable had adequate security software been in place. The new campaign wants to improve cyber common sense and cut down on the amount of security breaches that occur from opening malicious emails or using infected USB sticks - both of which are cited as common issues among web users. Jamie Saunders, the director of the NCCU, said: 'The internet is a great place to explore the world and do business, and the majority of people won't experience any problems. But for the minority who leave themselves unprotected, not downloading and updating their security software can be very costly. 'It's tricky to put exact figures on the cost of cyber crime to the UK and the number of people who don't protect themselves, but what we do know is that far too many people continue to put themselves and others at risk online. 'However, the cost to individuals not only hits their pockets but also their personal and family life, which is why it's important that everyone takes steps to protect their computer, tablet and mobile.' The NCA is offering four key tips to users in order to improve web security; encouraging users to install security software, not open emails from unknown sources, take caution with USB sticks and CDs, and buy software from legitimate sources only. The year 2014 has seen a series of high-profile cyber security issues, including the Heartbleed bug that affected the encryption and protection of personal data online, as well as the hacking of eBay's servers that saw passwords and user names compromised. These incidents have increased the focus on web security, particularly when paired with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden's continued calls for users to do more to protect data from government snooping, as well as hackers. According to statistics, almost 40 per cent of adults rarely install or update the security software on new devices, leaving them at risk. It is these sort of statistics that have prompted this initiative, say the Government. According to statistics, almost 40 per cent of adults rarely install or update the security software on new devices, leaving them at risk . Organised crime minister Karen Bradley said: 'The internet has radically changed the way we work and socialise, but cyber crime now poses a serious threat to the UK, and the Government has taken action to transform the way we respond. 'Through the National Cyber Security Programme, we have dedicated £860million over five years to make the UK one of the most secure places in the world to go online. The NCA works with police forces to pursue those involved in criminal activity. 'This campaign, which draws on the NCA's experiences in fighting cyber crime, sheds light on some of the ways in which malware can operate. But it also shows there are a few simple steps that we can all take to reduce the chances of falling victim to cyber crime and ensure we can keep enjoying the benefits of the internet.' However, Professor Ross Anderson of Cambridge University Computer Laboratory is highly critical of the security industry that has grown up around so-called cybercrime. Prof Anderson believes that attempts to regulate the internet are doomed to fail and are a waste of time and money. In 2011 a report was issued claiming that the UK was losing £27billion a year to cybercrime. Prof Anderson and his colleagues decided to carry out an investigation into the real cost of cybercrime to the state, businesses and citizens. Their report completely demolished the official figures and found out that the cost of fighting cybercrime was greater than the cost of the crimes themselves. Prof Anderson said that true cost of cybercrime to each citizen is about £1 a year while the cost of fighting crime is more than £10 each a year. 'Almost all the cost of cybercrime is the cost of anticipation,' he added. Apache web-server guru Ben Laurie, the pioneer of SSL – the 'secure sockets layer' that keeps web transactions secure, decries the use of anti-virus software, which he says 'doesn't really work, It has a high false negative rate .' | National Crime Agency is launching new campaign to increase awareness of the dangers of not protecting yourself online .
Office of National Statistics reports 10,000 victims of computer viruses in UK in 2013 .
Government spending £860million over five years to make UK safe online .
Inventor of technology to keep web transaction secure claims that anti-virus software does not work .
Cambridge University professor says cybercrime cost vastly overestimated . |
114,808 | 2028d1083a9682193084bc4b453c17d70047f2e3 | A quick-thinking Texas police officer ended up saving countless lives after he managed to bring a driver who was heading the wrong way down the interstate to a halt. Shenandoah police Seargent Gary Sharpen began zig-zagging across the four lane road in an attempt to alert an allegedly 'drugged-up' driver who was approaching speeds close to 100 mph. Sgt. Sharpen positioned his patrol vehicle against the traffic on Friday night, and incredibly, his plan worked. Scroll down for video... A quick-thinking, local police officer protected a string of drivers from a car going the wrong way on the highway . Shenandoah police Sgt. Gary Sharpen started zig-zagging back and fourth on Interstate 45 northbound when deputies called saying there was a driver headed the wrong way against traffic . Caught: Jose Luis Alejo-Zavalija, 25,was later stopped and arrested. Police said he was believed to be under the influence of drugs . In the line of fire: Sharpen positioned his patrol SUV between the stopped traffic and the PT Cruiser that was reaching speeds of 100 mph . As the PT Cruiser that was being driven by 25-year-old Jose Luis Alejo-Zavalija approached him, the man slammed on the brakes. Sharpen positioned his patrol SUV between the traffic which had been halted and the PT Cruiser. 'I knew he was coming at me and I knew there was no shoulder on the freeway,' Sharpen said. 'I knew that the traffic behind me, those people in those cars, their lives were at risk. I had to do something to protect them. I kind of put my vehicle in the lane that he was going to be at and accelerated and came to a stop at about a 45 degree angle. And I heard the car and the tires squeal from him braking.' Hero: Shenandoah police Sgt. Gary Sharpen saved drivers from a car coming the wrong way . The driver stopped just feet from Sharpen's patrol SUV, then made a U-turn and headed in the opposite direction where he continued to evade officers and deputies . As the driver came to a stop feet from Sharpen's patrol SUV, he then made a U-turn to head in the opposite direction where he continued to attempt to evade officers and deputies. Alejo-Zavalija, 25, was later caught and arrested. Police say the believe he was under the influence of drugs and has been charged with five felonies. After being stopped, deputies found an infant and a toddler in the vehicle, although they were not hurt. 'I'm not a hero. I'm just doing what I had to do. I don't think of myself as a hero. Any one of these guys would have done the exact same thing,' Sharpen said to NBC 2. | Shenandoah police Sgt. Gary Sharpen placed his car directly in the path of speeding on-coming driver .
Jose Luis Alejo-Zavalija, 25, was caught by cops after leading them on a chase along the freeway and a parking lot . |
84,326 | ef30ef45ce35fb1c9005257bc636732c85379d6b | COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, flashing a broad smile, declared victory Tuesday in the country's 25-year civil war against the Tamil Tiger rebels. A crowd beside a portrait of Sri Lanka's president celebrate the country's military victory on May 18. "We are celebrating the defeat of terrorism," he said in a nationally televised speech before parliament. "We have won and restored democracy in the country." Rajapaksa announced that Wednesday would be a national holiday, to celebrate the war's end and begin a new phase in the country's history. It is time for Sri Lanka to build "a new country ... a new nation," he said, calling "the defeat of Tamil terrorism ... a victory for the Tamil people." "What have they given the Tamil people?" Rajapaksa asked, suggesting that the war had cost them far more than they had gained. With the war over, he said, Sri Lanka would begin to restore government services to Tamil areas. The United Nations, meanwhile, urged the government to provide more for the 65,000 people who had fled the last fighting in the past few days. It said there were now 265,000 displaced people in the country. A short time after the presidential address, the military announced that it had recovered the body of Tamil Tiger founder and leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. A local television station aired video it said showed his body. The "psychopathic leader of the world's most barbaric terrorist outfit ... has been found," confirmed Gen. Sarath Fonseka, commander of the Sri Lankan army, according to the Ministry of Defense Web site. "Troops ... have found the bullet ridden body of the terrorist leader lying on the bank of the Nanthikadal lagoon," the ministry reported. Watch more on aftermath of fighting » . But earlier in the day, the pro-rebel Web site Tamilnet.com reported that the Tigers' leader was "alive and safe," countering previous military claims. The defense ministry said Prabhakaran and 18 other senior rebel leaders were among the bodies found in mop-up operations, after government troops routed the Tigers -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The leaders included Prabhakaran's eldest son, Charles Anthony, as well as Pottu Amman, the Tigers' intelligence leader, according to the ministry. "Our beloved leader Velupillai is alive and safe," rebel spokesman Selvarasa Pathmanathan said, according to Tamilnet.com. "He will continue to lead the quest for dignity and freedom for the Tamil people." CNN has been unable to independently confirm the accounts because of access and safety reasons. News of Prabhakaran's death was greeted with pro-Tamil marches elsewhere in the world, with around 2,000 gathering outside parliament in London and others protesting in front of the White House in Washington. Prabhakaran founded the rebel group, which has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries. It pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks and, according to the FBI, invented the explosive suicide belt. It was also behind the assassination of two world leaders -- the only terrorist organization to do so. Prabhakaran is accused of masterminding the killing of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 in the Tamil-dominated Indian state of Tami Nadu as he campaigned for a second term. Sri Lankan authorities allege that Prabhakaran was avenging Gandhi's decision to send Indian peacekeepers to Sri Lanka. Two years later a Tigers suicide bomber, allegedly acting under Prabhakaran's orders, detonated explosives that killed Sri Lanka's then-president, Ranasinghe Premadasa, during a rally. Over the weekend, the militants offered to "silence" their guns after an intense military offensive decimated their ranks, pushed them from their stronghold in the north and east of the country, and cornered the remaining rebels on a small stretch of land. Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka » . Prabhakaran's supporters considered him a hero with a single-minded focus -- to fight for the rights of his people. The Sri Lankan government deemed him a war criminal with a disregard for civilian casualties. He was wanted by Interpol on charges including terrorism and organized crime. In the past it has been reported he wore a cyanide capsule around his neck -- to swallow and kill himself rather than risk capture. And he reportedly expected the same dedication from his troops. As a result, few Tigers have been captured alive. The rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983. An estimated 70,000 to 80,000 people have died during the quarter century of fighting. Journalist Iqbal Athas contributed to this report. | NEW: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa declares victory in civil war .
Tamil leader Velupillai Prabhakaran still alive, rebel Web site claims .
Sri Lankan government says Prabhakaran is dead .
Rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils since 1983 . |
211,360 | 9db185a8bae1a2444a745b91153829a2be4a9da7 | By . Sarah Dean . and Emily Crane . The government has ordered a national inquiry into claims of horrific abuse in the sheep shearing industry after undercover animal rights investigators filmed shearers punching, kicking and throwing sheep as they shear them. Animal rights group the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA) released the vision on Thursday, which they claim was taken in shearing sheds across NSW, Victoria and South Australia between August 2013 and March 2014. The shearers were captured stamping on the heads and necks of sheep when the animals appeared to panic and also shown throwing the sheep around and slamming their heads and bodies against hard wooden floors. One shearer was even filmed hitting a sheep in the head with a hammer. A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture told MailOnline that they are 'confident that this matter will be investigated appropriately'. Scroll down for video . Farmers were captured throwing sheep around and slamming their heads and bodies against hard wooden floors in shearing sheds across NSW, Victoria and South Australia . They were captured on video violently punching sheep in the face in 19 shearing stations across the country . 'We understand PETA has submitted the footage to the relevant state authorities for investigation, including the RSPCA,' they said. The investigation comes as Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce questioned the ethics of PETA investigators who obtained footage. Mr Joyce told the ABC: 'One of the questions I ask is with the up close shot of the man hitting the sheep, which is obviously exceptional and cruel and in many instances would be immediate dismissal, where exactly was the camera? 'Did the person know that they were filmed? Were they actually part of process? There are lots of questions that need to be asked.' But PETA hit back at Mr Joyce's comments, explaining that some of the shearers committing the abuse knew that they were being filmed. Claire Fryer, from PETA Australia, told MailOnline on Friday: 'Some of the footage was filmed openly and many of the shearers were aware they were being filmed.' Three PETA US investigators went undercover in 19 shearing sheds across the country and claim to have witnessed attacks by 70 workers, which often left the animals bleeding from their eyes, noses and mouths. Shearers were captured stamping on the heads and necks of sheep when the animals appeared to panic . The attacks often left the animals bleeding from their eyes, noses and mouths, according to animal rights activists . Ms Fryer said PETA US managed to obtain the footage when investigators got jobs at the shearing sheds through farmers or contractors. 'The investigators got jobs at the sheds but for their safety we are unable to go into what jobs they were,' she said. 'The concern should be that of all the 19 sheds seen by investigators, they all showed examples of cruelty.' Greens NSW senator Lee Rhiannon has also slammed Mr Joyce's comments and called for a police investigation into the footage. 'Mr Joyce as the Agriculture Minister doesn't do justice to the farming communities who share concerns of cruelty to animals,' she told MailOnline. Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has claimed questions 'need to be asked' about how PETA obtained the footage . 'He should take a more responsible position and speak up for farming communities about the abuse,' she reasoned. Ms Rhiannon said the RSPCA and the police should look into the cruelty and 'laws should be enacted'. 'These incidents of cruelty clearly need to be investigated,' she said. The Department of Agriculture spokesperson explained: 'We do not condone the mistreatment of animals. The department believes that the wool industry would also not condone the mistreatment of animals. 'The wool industry, through the industry services body, Australian Wool Innovation, invests significant funding to help promote good animal welfare outcomes. This includes good wool handling and shearing practices.' Shocking footage was released in 2011 by Animals Australia showing the sever mistreatment of animals being exported to Indonesia . Following its release live exports were banned for nearly a month by the Australian government . Wool Producers Australia (WPA) president Geoff Fisken said the actions of shearers in the video was 'unacceptable and unsupportable', according to Stock & Land. Mr Fisken added the footage showed isolated incidents by a few shearers. 'We’re sure it doesn’t portray the 99.9 per cent majority of wool shearers and those shearers would be appalled by it as well,' he said. 'Woolgrowers condemn this treatment of animals; we’re not in the business of treating animals like that and nor are shearers. 'We want that type of behaviour to be removed from shearing sheds in Australia.' The RSPCA said the allegations made public by PETA were serious. 'The allegations are serious and will be investigated by RSPCA Inspectors as information comes to hand for potential breaches of the relevant state animal welfare legislation,' a spokeswoman said. Outcry has also come in the US over the footage which shows the same treatment of animals in American ranches. Despite not having seen the footage, a representative of the main U.S. wool industry trade group, the American Wool Council, told NBC News the behavior described by PETA was 'unacceptable.' 'We do not condone or support the actions of anyone that results in the abuse of sheep either intentionally or unintentionally,' Rita Samuelson told the website. 'Rough handling of animals that might result in the injury of a sheep is an unacceptable maneuver during the shearing process or anytime when sheep are handled.' The shearers were captured violently beating sheep and jabbing them in the head with sharp metal clippers and even a hammer . The animals were given no painkillers before shearers used needles to sew gaping, bloody wounds caused by the shearing . In 2011 animal cruelty in the live export industry was put under the microscope after footage released by Animals Australia showed cattle being inhumanely slaughtered in Australian centres in Indonesia. This prompted a national and international outcry, and live exports to Indonesia were suspended for just under a month, from June 7 to July 6 2011. Following this, the Australian government were forced to put in place stronger safeguards to ensure the well being of all animals leaving Australia, but animal rights groups argue the situation has not improved. Following the more recent footage released on Thursday, The PETA investigators claim farmers put tight rings on some lambs' scrotums with anaesthetics to castrate them, but when that failed shearers would just cut off their testicles with shears. The animals were also deprived of food and water before being sheared so they were too weak to fight, they claim. Footage shows the shearers violently beating sheep and jabbing them in the head with sharp metal clippers and even a hammer. Activists claim no painkillers were administered to the sheep before shearers used needles to sew gaping, bloody wounds caused by the shearing. 'Sheep are very gentle animals. Most of the sheep weren’t resisting in any way so it would have been especially frightening for them,' Ms Fryer said. 'I think it’s extremely shocking. Sheep are very gentle animals. They show fear if they’re on their own. 'It’s devastating and no compassionate person could watch that footage and not be horrified.' The footage was released by PETA in a new campaign targeting the Australian wool industry. Mr Fisken said $2.8 million had been spent by WPA in the last year to train shearers to prevent injury or cruelty. 'There will be a fair bit of attention focused on the industry now and we’re disappointed because we’ve come a long way in the last 10 years with animal welfare standards and we’re continuing to put a lot of resources into that area of our business; it’s a high priority,' he said. He added that WPA would never make PETA happy because the activists wanted them to stop farming all together. 'But we have standards and they're the same as they are for how people treat their family pet,' he said. Overnight, the RSPCA received cruelty complaints from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) regarding the alleged ill treatment of sheep during shearing in New South Wales and South Australia between August 2013 and March 2014. The allegations relate to workers beating, kicking and stomping on sheep, and stitching wounds without anaesthetic. The vision made publicly available by PETA overnight shows sheep being beaten with shearing hand pieces and thrown down a chute. Sheep that had been injured during shearing are roughly stitched up. RSPCA notes that shearing is stressful for sheep and it should be carried out by trained and competent workers. The allegations are serious and will be investigated by RSPCA Inspectors as information comes to hand for potential breaches of the relevant state animal welfare legislation. | Animal rights group PETA claim the footage was shot at 19 shearing stations across NSW, Victoria and South Australia .
Shearers were filmed stamping on the heads and necks of the sheep .
Three PETA investigators captured the vision when they obtained jobs at the stations and claim 70 workers abused animals .
The RSPCA said the allegations were serious and will be investigated .
Department of Agriculture confirmed it will be investigated 'appropriately' by authorities in NSW and South Australia .
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has claimed questions 'need to be asked' about how PETA obtained the footage . |
195,188 | 88aaca026d49ee182462be86e628671abf057df3 | Google is throwing its money, brain power and technology at the humble spoon. But these spoons are a bit more than your basic utensil: Using hundreds of algorithms, they allow people with essential tremors and Parkinson's disease to eat without spilling. The technology senses how a hand is shaking and makes instant adjustments to stay balanced. In clinical trials, the Liftware spoons reduced shaking of the spoon bowl by an average of 76 percent. Scroll down for video . The technology senses how a hand is shaking and makes instant adjustments to stay balanced. In clinical trials, the Liftware spoons reduced shaking of the spoon bowl by an average of 76 percent. 'We want to help people in their daily lives today and hopefully increase understanding of disease in the long run,' Google spokesperson Katelin Jabbari said. Other adaptive devices have been developed to help people with tremors — rocker knives, weighted utensils, pen grips. But until now, experts say, technology has not been used in this way. 'It's totally novel,' said UC San Francisco Medical Center neurologist Dr. Jill Ostrem, who specializes in movement disorders like Parkinson's disease and essential tremors. She helped advise the inventors and says the device, which has a fork attachment, has been a remarkable asset for some of her patients. 'I have some patients who couldn't eat independently, they had to be fed, and now they can eat on their own,' she said. 'It doesn't cure the disease — they still have tremor — but it's a very positive change.' Google got into the no-shake utensil business in September, acquiring a small, National of Institutes of Health-funded startup called Lift Labs for an undisclosed sum. The technology senses how a hand is shaking and makes instant adjustments to stay balanced. In clinical trials, the Liftware spoons reduced shaking of the spoon bowl by an average of 76 percent. 'The idea is to use active cancellation (which is currently in noise cancelling headphones) to stabilize larger scale motion,' said Anupam Pathak, it's inventor. 'At the University of Michigan, I was doing my PhD on new materials that can be used for active cancellation in the military. 'I figured out how to make the hardware for active cancellation of human tremor very small, and realized that this would be the perfect application for active cancellation technology.' In his studies, Pathak noticed little technology has been developed to help people with essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. 'People have tried making contraptions that force a person's tremor to cease, but these looked like robotic arms that I would hate to use in public. 'I thought that the concept of active cancellation would be of huge help here.' More than 10 million people worldwide, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin's mother, have essential tremors or Parkinson's disease. Brin has said he also has a mutation associated with higher rates of Parkinson's and has donated more than $50 million to research for a cure. But the Lift Labs acquisition was not related, Jabbari said. Anupam Pathak, a senior hardware engineer at Google, shows off the prototype of the Liftware Spoon he developed that helps people eat without spilling in Mountain View, Calif. Lift Lab founder Anupam Pathak said moving from a small, four-person startup in San Francisco to the vast Google campus in Mountain View has freed him up to be more creative as he explores how to apply the technology even more broadly. His team works at the search giant's division called Google(x) Life Sciences, which is also developing a smart contact lens that measures glucose levels in tears for diabetics and is researching how nanoparticles in blood might help detect diseases. Joining Google has been motivating, said Pathak, but his focus remains on people who are now able to eat independently with his device. 'If you build something with your hands and it has that sort of an impact, it's the greatest feeling ever,' he said. 'As an engineer who likes to build things, that's the most validating thing that can happen.' Pathak said they also hope to add sensors to the spoons to help medical researchers and providers better understand, measure and alleviate tremors. Shirin Vala, 65, who is an essential tremor patient, uses a Liftware Spoon to eat without spilling at her home in Oakland, Calif. Not surprisingly, the company that has brought the driverless car and Internet glasses is bringing a unique improvement to the utensils. Built with hundreds of algorithms, these specially designed spoons make it much easier for people with tremors and Parkinson's Disease to eat without spilling. Shirin Vala, 65, of Oakland, has had an essential tremor for about a decade. She was at her monthly Essential Tremor group at a San Ramon medical clinic earlier this year when researchers developing the device introduced the idea and asked if anyone was interested in helping them. As it was refined, she tried it out and gave them feedback. And when they hit the market at $295 apiece, she bought one. Without the spoon, Vala said eating was really a challenge because her hands trembled so hard food fell off the utensils before she could eat it. 'I was shaking and I had a hard time to keep the food on a spoon, especially soup or something like an olive or tomatoes or something. It is very embarrassing. It's very frustrating,' she said. The spoon definitely improved her situation. 'I was surprised that I held the food in there so much better. It makes eating much easier, especially if I'm out at a restaurant,' she said. The Liftware Spoon, that helps people with eat without spilling, in its packaging at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. | Allow people with tremors and Parkinson's disease to eat without spilling .
Liftware spoons reducee shaking by an average of 76 percent . |
245,608 | c9e7ee1b4680231c7aca42ccf2931c3addfe974c | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 14:49 EST, 5 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:49 EST, 6 September 2012 . A Navy warship might seem an unlikely place for a ballerina to practice her pirouettes and plies. But that is exactly what happened on board HMS Ocean after Officer of the Watch - and talented dancer - Lieutenant Anna Sanocki won a place at a prestigious U.S. ballet school. The 30-year-old naval officer's superiors granted her special permission to attend a two week summer programme at Boston Ballet School - and she used an impromptu dance studio set up on Britain's biggest warship to prepare for her 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'. Talented: Officer of the Watch Anna Sanocki was one of only 25 people picked for the summer programme at the prestigious Boston Ballet School in the U.S. Lt Sanocki, from Plymouth in Devon, has served around the world on board the assault ship, but she kept up her dancing at the same time after falling in love with ballet at university. She was one of only 25 dancers picked for the school's summer programme on the back of her ten years experience as an amateur ballerina. 'There are a lot more ballet schools in America than there are in the UK, and it's much more common for adults to do ballet over there,' said the naval officer, who trained under some of the world's best instructors during her sojourn at the Boston Ballet School. 'Boston has always been on my list of places to visit, so I got to kill two birds with one stone.' Unlikely setting: Amateur ballerina and naval officer Anna is pictured practising her moves on the deck of HMS Ocean . Lt Sanocki said she had been hesitant . about applying for the scheme at first, because it clashed with the . London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. HMS Ocean is currently moored . on the River Thames at Greenwich as part of the security operation . surrounding the event. But the ship's commanding officer, Captain Andrew Betton, encouraged her application. 'Initially I was a bit nervous about . bringing it up, because I knew about our tasking for the Olympics and . Paralympics and how busy we were likely to be. 'But when I spoke to him about it, the captain was really supportive of the idea. 'He told me I had to go, that it was a . once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that he was sure they could get . around my absence somehow.' Lt Sanocki's crew mates even helped her by turning a spare compartment on the ship into an impromptu dance studio. 'Some of the crew bring bikes and golf clubs on board. I just bring a barre instead,' she explained. 'Lots of people think ballet is easy, that it . isn’t exercise, but it is,' the officer said. 'It’s . a very different kind of fitness and it’s all about making it look easy . and graceful when you’re actually working really hard. 'It’s a pretty weird hobby for a naval officer to have. 'But . it makes me happy so I don’t mind. When you’re focusing so intently on . every movement, the rest of the world just disappears into the . background. It’s very cathartic.' Lt . Sanocki has returned from Boston and is now working as professional . crew on board a P2000, a small fast training boat which provides . university Royal Navy units with their own sea going training vessels. | Lieutenant Anna Sanocki was one of only 25 people to win a place on the summer programme at the prestigious Boston Ballet School .
The naval officer practised her ballet on the warship HMS Ocean before her sojourn in the U.S. |
251,642 | d1b97933ce9e0bbaf57b86903749eefc7298cfed | A new study has found that men who treat their sleep apnoea experience a better sex life. The study involved 61 men from Melbourne and Sydney who suffered from sleeping disorder and erectile difficulties and found that both conditions improved with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. Kerri Melehan, the leader of the study from Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, told Daily Mail Australia that the treatment improved the 'overall sexual satisfaction' of the men involved as the two conditions often come hand in hand. The study involved 61 men from Melbourne and Sydney who suffered from both sleep apnoea and erectile difficulties . 'What normally happens during sleep is that men have erections during REM sleep around about every 90 minutes and when they wake up with erection that's because they woke up in the middle of REM,' Dr Melehan said. 'But, if you have sleep apnoea, that can interrupt your sleep and in particular it interrupts REM sleep and also the erections that's should be happening, so it doesn't get that practice overnight that's needed.' Dr Melehan said her study, which took place between 2010 and 2013, tested men who had never bene treated for sleep apnoea. Out of the 61 men, 30 received CPAP treatment and 31 received a placebo treatment. A different selection of 31 men were also given an erectile dysfunction drug while the remaining 30 received a placebo. 'Some guys got both, some got none and the rest got one,' Dr Melehan explained. 'Over the three months we asked them about their sexual activity and how their erections were going and we also measured their erections during their sleep and we found CPAP increased the number of those. 'We can report that if you are a man with sleep apnoea and erectile dysfunction you're better of being treated for sleep apnoea than using drugs to treat the erectile dysfunction, but for some men it doesn't necessarily work. Men receiving CPAP reported an improvement in their 'overall sexual satisfaction' and more erections during their sleep . The study's leader said men receiving CPAP reported an improvement in their 'overall sexual satisfaction' and more erections during their sleep . 'That's because there a lot of things that can be attributed to erectile dysfunction and for those guys, drugs do work. But even so, there are advantages in treating the sleep apnoea.' Dr Melehan said that she hopes the results of her study, which will be revealed at the 26th annual Australasian Sleep Conference in Perth this week, will encourage and motivate men to treat their sleeping disorders. The scientific conference will open at the Perth Convention Centre on Thursday, October 9 and wrap up on Saturday, October 11. Sleeping disorders and erectile difficulties can both be improved with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. | The study involved 61 men from Melbourne and Sydney who suffered from both sleep apnoea and erectile difficulties .
Half of the men received continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment while the other half received a placebo treatment .
A different selection of half the men were also given an erectile dysfunction drug while the remaining participants received a placebo .
The study's leader said men receiving CPAP reported an improvement in their 'overall sexual satisfaction' and more erections during their sleep . |
168,027 | 654eedc9d65f25819031875574f872f96483d1f7 | Flying economy getting you down? The good news is that getting bumped up to Business Class just got more affordable. Last month, Iberia became the latest carrier to roll out an online auction scheme that allows customers to bid for seating upgrades. "Everyone knows that if no one is sitting in seat 2a when the plane takes off from London to New York, it's a loss for the airline. But everyone in economy wants that seat," explains Ken Harris, the founder and CEO of Plusgrade, the software company that developed the system. "The idea was to help correct that, and do it intelligently." The setup works differently for each airline, depending on their specifications. Some carriers offer upgrades to First Class as well. Who is allowed to participate in the bidding process also varies. Often, the selection process is determined by the route and the number of leftover premium seats. On occasion, a customer's frequent flyer status might also come into play. Furthermore, bidding is blind; customers enter how much they're willing to pay, and if that number exceeds other bids (and the airlines keep that information top secret), they win. The cost of an upgrade is extremely variable, depending on the airline, season and route. Carriers are shy to reveal how much is necessary in securing a winning bid, though it's fair to say the price is less than a full-fare, Business Class ticket. The concept has gained traction with the airline community. A dozen carriers have already introduced upgrade auctions to their websites with the help of Plusgrade and he expects to double that number before the year is out. Still, one can't help but wonder if the airlines risk eating into their premium revenues. Jamie Baker, an airline analyst at JP Morgan, says it's a possibility. Read more: Baggage drop goes DIY . "If airlines make it too easy to pay for an upgrade, it might dilute what the traveler would initially be willing to pay for that ticket," he notes. "As a result, airlines tend to control the capacity of award seats. There's a certain amount of experimentation in the process that is required." Harris, however, seems confident the bidding system will not impact premium-seating sales. "There's no guarantee that simply because you've requested an upgrade, you'll receive it," he says. "If you want to sit in Business Class and your budget allows you to do so, you should buy that seat. It's the only guarantee you won't be sitting in the back of the plane on your next trip across the ocean." Austrian Airlines has one of the more democratic approaches to the process. Everyone, regardless of frequent flyer status, can bid on an upgrade, assuming any are available on the flight in question. The airline isn't worried about hurting their profits, because they view the full-fare seats and auction upgrades as two different products, even though passengers who win an upgrade receive the exact same benefits as someone who paid up front, including access to premium lounges and extra baggage allowances. Read more: Your own private luxury jet . "This product is for a completely different type of group," explains Stephanie Kunath, Austrian's director of revenue management and business development. "It's not for the business traveler who really wants to fly Business Class and needs a 100% guarantee that he can. It's for the passenger that just wants to treat himself for a little extra, and can live with the uncertainty." While bidding for seats might not hurt an airline's bottom line, the advent of these auctions will likely eat away at the number of free upgrades awarded passengers. "It probably will erode the complimentary upgrade process to a certain degree, and airlines do run the risk of offending their elite traveler, who has become accustomed to complimentary upgrades," says Baker. Harris, however, argues that free bump-ups are the stuff of fantasy. "Free upgrades are really only given by necessity in operational situations or given to frequent flyers," he says. "The idea that you can simply smile at a ticket agent and get gifted a free upgrade is a romantic notion. It simply doesn't happen." | Many airlines offer passenger chance to 'blind bid' for an upgrade .
Iberia is the latest airline to offer customers the chance via an online auction.
Plusgrade, the company that developed the software, has already signed on a dozen carriers. |
81,051 | e5b04affecd58669d4caaedfb1427e3754ca4bc6 | The teenager whose photo went viral after he was caught on camera getting help from a Target employee before a job interview just received some very good news - he got the job. Yasir Moore, 15, was helped to tie a tie by Dennis Roberts, an employee at the Target in Raleigh, North Carolina and was given a pep talk for his job interview at a Chick-Fil-A fast-food restaurant. And it looks like the employee's act of kindness worked because the fast food chain officially hired him on Friday. You're hired! Moore successfully completed a three interview hiring process with Chic-Fil-A and was hired on Friday . Heartwarming: A shopper at a Raleigh, North Carolina Target took this picture last week of employee Dennis Roberts helping a young man learn to tie a tie for a job interview at a nearby Chick Fil-A . Moore successfully completed a three interview hiring process with Chic-Fil-A and news of his job was posted to Twitter on the company's page. The teenager now plans to show his appreciation to those who helped him by spending part of his first paycheck on a gift to express his thanks. The photo of the ambitious teenager was posted online and quickly gained a lot of attention for the simple act of kindness that was on display. The picture went viral but he later found out about it at school. 'After I heard it went viral, I was in shock, I was amazed,' he told ABC11. 'It's one of the best things that ever happened to me.' Moore even returned to the store to thank the employees for their extraordinary customer service. Good kid: He now plans to show his appreciation to those who helped him by spending part of his first paycheck on a gift to express his thanks . Thank you! Yasir Moore, who became a viral sensation after a photo caught showed a Target employee helping him tie his tie before his first job interview returned to the store to thank the employees . He got the job: His mother, left, is equally grateful to the strangers who showed her son kindness . His mother was equally grateful to the strangers who showed her son kindness. 'They could have just sold my son a tie,' said Najirah Parrish. 'But they took the time, helped him tie the tie and talked to him. They treated my son with dignity, respect.' They also gave him real world advice to help him get a job. 'I did step-by-step what he told me,' Moore said. Life coach! The folks at Target say they do this kind of thing every day. It's just that this time someone got a picture of it . Roberts' coworker Cathy Scott was the first to greet the customer on Wednesday when he came in looking for a clip-on tie for his interview. Since the store was out of the clip-on ties, she directed him to the regular ties but he didn't know how to tie it. After checking out, Scott brought the boy back to her co-worker Roberts. 'Cathy says, 'Can you tie a tie?' I said, 'Yes,'' Roberts told WTVD. 'We took the wrapping off it, and I tied it on my neck, and fit it over head adjusted it and tightened it...fixed all his collar buttons and he was set to go.' Roberts then went on to help the young man prepare for his job interview by asking him the typical questions a hiring manager would ask. 'We said, 'Make sure you look him in the eye.' I'm saying make sure you give him a firm handshake, and she showed him... he tucked his shirt in,' said Roberts. Scene: Above, the Raleigh, North Carolina Super Target where the kind act happened last Wednesday . It was when he was giving the young man advice that Mark snapped her now-viral photo. 'It was a very quiet simple moment, but it was very profound honestly kindness... from strangers... in a Super Target,' Mark, a mother of three, said. 'He leaves and all these Target employees are screaming 'Bye! Good luck! Tell us how it went.'' The young man left the store as Roberts and the other employees wished him good luck and asked him to come back and tell them how it went. 'We were just here to help a young man get a job and forward his future,' Roberts said. 'When he told me all this advice, I got my confidence back,' said Moore. 'And so when I went for my interview I was calm, cool, and collected.' 'You usually see friends or family help you do that kind of stuff, not just strangers you've never met before,' he said. | Yasir Moore has successfully completed the hiring process with Chic-Fil-A .
He was hired on Friday and intends to buy the Target employees a gift .
Moore went to Target to buy a clip-on tie for a job interview .
Since they were all out of clip-on ties, he bought a regular tie .
Store employee Dennis Roberts offered to help him learn to tie it .
He was also given a pep talk for his job interview and it clearly worked . |
43,599 | 7af5c8dc27dc1c8c430f3a1ae1bca64df3445e76 | By . Ruth Sutherland . PUBLISHED: . 17:17 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:21 EST, 19 June 2013 . Disgraced: Sir Fred Goodwin, chairman of the Princes Trust Scotland at a charity clay pigeon shoot event near Dundee, 2003 . The bosses of failed banks should face jail or lose the right to claim bonuses for up to ten years for 'reckless misconduct', a report recommends today. The new criminal offence would make sure that top executives paid for their 'shocking and widespread malpractice', the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards said. Not a single British banker has been sent to prison since the financial crash began in 2007, but the proposed legislation would make sure they would be 'on the hook' in future, it added. As well as prison terms, errant . bankers would face heavy fines and bans from the financial services . industry, as well as curbs on bonuses and the threat of pensions being . cancelled. Commission chairman Andrew Tyrie MP . said: 'Under our recommendations, senior bankers who seriously damage . their banks or put taxpayers' money at risk can expect to be fined, . banned from the industry, or, in the worst cases, go to jail. That has . not been the case up to now. 'This deals with some of the senior people who many feel got off lightly last time and for whose mistakes we are still paying.' In its 527-page report, the commission . found that 'deep lapses in standards have been commonplace'. 'It is not . just bankers that need to change. The actions of regulators and . governments have contributed to the decline in standards,' said Tory MP . Mr Tyrie. The commission of MPs and peers calls . for a sweeping overhaul of top pay, with City regulators given new . powers to cancel pension rights and payoffs for the bosses of bailed-out . banks. It also wants watchdogs to be able to . force banks to defer bonus payments for up to a decade, in order to . prevent bosses reaping large rewards for risky, short-term strategies . that subsequently lead to losses. 'The rewards for fleeting, often . illusory success have been huge, while the penalties for failure have . been much smaller, or non-existent,' Mr Tyrie said. However, John Cridland, director . general of the CBI, said: 'There are tough criminal sanctions in the UK . for those who engage in fraudulent behaviour. Enforcing those must come . before the introduction of new sanctions.' The findings of the commission, set up . last summer in the wake of the Libor scandal, are not binding, but the . Government is being urged to implement its recommendations 'in full'. The proposals will now be handed to ministers. The reforms will aim to . prevent a repeat of the bailouts and scandals such as Libor . rate-rigging, where bosses have walked away with large payoffs and . pensions. But bankers will not be targeted . retrospectively. Fred Goodwin, who left RBS in ruins but is still . receiving a pension of £342,000 a year for life, will be unaffected. Nor will any legislation ensnare . former HBOS boss James Crosby, who will collect £406,000 of his . £580,000-a-year retirement deal. Under current rules, senior bankers . have been able to evade punishment by claiming they were not personally . responsible for collapses and that they had not committed deliberate . fraud, with the onus on financial authorities to prove wrongdoing. But in the new proposed regime, top . managers would be held individually accountable and would have to show . they took 'all reasonable steps' to avoid a failure. 'A . lack of personal responsibility has been commonplace throughout the . industry,' Mr Tyrie added. 'Senior figures have continued to shelter . behind an accountability firewall.' The . commission also wants a new licensing system to stop traders involved . in setting Libor rates and prevent area managers who oversee the sale of . financial products from slipping through the net. They will have to abide by a new set of conduct rules or lose their licence. The . report also recommends that City watchdogs should be able to force . badly-behaved banks to sign a formal agreement to improve their culture . and standards. The . commission – whose members include the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin . Welby and former Chancellor Lord Lawson – also demands the dismantling . of UK Financial Investments (UKFI), the body that is supposed to manage . taxpayers' holdings in RBS and Lloyds at arms' length from ministers. It said the Government, which denies . forcing the resignation of RBS boss Stephen Hester, has interfered in . the running of the two banks and that UKFI is seen as a 'fig leaf' for . 'the reality of direct government control'. Ministers must also make an immediate . commitment to analyse whether RBS should be split up into a 'good bank', . that could lend more to small firms and personal customers, and a 'bad . bank' to dump its toxic assets, the commission said. A . study of high street lenders by competition watchdogs and an . independent panel of experts to look at measures to help bank customers . were also part of the recommendations. Lord . Oakeshott, a former LibDem Treasury spokesman, said: 'Why are there no . banged-up bankers? That is what most people want to know after the last . five years of scandals and shame and moral and financial bankruptcy.' He . added: 'We must stop the subterfuge of UKFI and put the Treasury on the . spot to make the banks we own lend. 'RBS, our biggest business bank, has . failed the nation that rescued it at £1,500 for every taxpayer. It must . be broken up with new management and tough net lending targets for the . good bank so small business can grow again.' | New criminal offence to tackle 'shocking and widespread malpractice'
No British bankers jailed since financial crash began in 2007 . |
104,058 | 124172e5d4fd5570bdce2a6e2da7feb8ef1f03d1 | By . James Nye . Jurors convicted an Iowa man Thursday of killing his pregnant wife after his third time on trial, rejecting his claims that an unknown intruder shot her while he was in the shower. The jury found 23-year-old Seth Techel guilty of first-degree murder and nonconsensual termination of a human pregnancy. The former volunteer firefighter who had once hoped for a long career in law enforcement now faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. Justice: Lisa Techel was killed by by her husband Seth Techel, 23, in May 2012 while she was sleeping in the mobile home they shared in Agency, near Ottumwa. She was five-months pregnant . Prosecutors argued that Techel killed 23-year-old Lisa Techel - who was five months pregnant - on May 26, 2012, so that he could be with a co-worker with whom he had been exchanging sexual text messages for months and for whom he had promised to leave his wife. They said Techel shot his wife in their trailer in Agency, a tiny town in rural southeastern Iowa. Lisa Techel, a county jail employee and reserve sheriff's deputy, was 17 weeks pregnant with their first child. Techel displayed no apparent emotion at the verdict, though his parents and grandfather hung their heads in the first row of the courtroom. Three trials: Seth Techel sits at a bond hearing in Albia, Iowa in April 2013. Techel, 23, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Lisa on Thursday . Lisa Techel's father, sheriff's deputy Todd Caldwell, wiped away tears after all 12 jurors said they agreed with the guilty verdicts. Techel is scheduled to be sentenced September 15. The texts . between Techel and Rachel McFarland, who worked together at a job . training center in Ottumwa, 'read like a countdown to Lisa Techel's . death,' Prosecutor Andrew Prosser had told jurors. He . said the messages in which Techel promised to leave his wife to be with . McFarland the day before the slaying gave him a powerful motive to kill . his high school sweetheart. Techel . had told police that he was in the shower that May morning when he . heard a gunshot, came out and saw his wife wounded in their bed. He is heard on the audio of 911 calls sobbing as he says, 'my wife's been shot' and requests an ambulance. His . lawyers had argued that was the emotion of a man who witnessed his wife . dying at the hands of an unknown intruder. Prosecutors suggested they . were fake tears. Jurors at two previous trials last year in Ottumwa and Mount Pleasant had been unable to reach a verdict. The . third trial was moved to the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport, . where relatives of the defendant and victim often packed the courtroom . during the nine-day proceeding. Jurors this time deliberated about four . hours over two days. Affairs: Jason Tinnes testifies during the first-degree murder trial of Seth Techel on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 in Davenport, Iowa. Tinnes admitted that he had an affair with murder victim Lisa Techel, but that he wasn't responsible for her May 2012 death . Seth Techel claims that he was in the shower when he heard a gunshot and ran down the hall to find his wife dead in their bed. His defense argues that his wife was most likely killed by a mentally ill neighbor who has since died. Techel has downplayed the significance of the text messages to the other woman, saying their relationship wasn't serious. Two trials last year ended with juries deadlocked and judges declaring mistrials. The first was held in Ottumwa, and the second was in Mount Pleasant. The third trial has been moved to Davenport, where the slaying has received little publicity. Techel and his one-time high school sweetheart were both beginning careers in law enforcement under the guidance of Todd Caldwell, Lisa's father and a veteran sheriff's deputy in Wapello County. In the dock: Seth Techel sits in a in Davenport, Iowa courtroom on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 during his trial for first-degree murder . Denied: Judge Daniel Wilson denies defense motions to dismiss the charges or declare a mistrial at the first-degree murder trial of Seth Techel, on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 in Davenport, Iowa . Techel had started working as a county jailer; his wife was a reserve deputy who had interned with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Caldwell had previously investigated the neighbor, Brian Tate, and warned deputies to use caution around him, given his mental illness. But he has said he is convinced that Seth Techel, whom he once considered a son, is guilty in his daughter's death. Having multiple trials in a murder case isn't that unusual, but it usually gives the prosecution an advantage, said Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. Prosecutors can better prepare to counter the anticipated defense, while multiple trials "can wear down the defense's resources and emotional energy," she said. 'While there is no guarantee of a conviction, 'third time is a charm' often applies in these cases,' she said. | Seth Techel, 23, convicted of killing wife Lisa Techel, 23, in May 2012 .
Techel was five-months pregnant at the time of her death .
Prosecutors say Seth Techel shot his wife while she was sleeping in the mobile home they shared in Agency, Iowa .
Seth Techel claims that he was in the shower when he heard a gunshot and ran down the hall to find his wife dead in their bed .
Prosecutors claim he wanted her dead because he was pursuing an affair with a co-worker . |
152,074 | 5089c985cab96f25d06db3eead9fa94b8fd5562a | By . Louise Boyle . Last updated at 10:51 PM on 1st March 2012 . President Obama left a pleasantly warm Washington this morning for a near blizzard in New Hampshire to drum up voter support as the presidential election loomed on the horizon. Wrapped in a long overcoat, the President smiled and shook hands in the snow on the runway in Manchester as the temperature hovered around 25F. Obama had set off from the capital where it was a bright and sunny day with the temperatures climbing to 66F. His convoy then moved off slowly in the slippery conditions to Nashua Community College where he toured the school's automotive lab before making a speech. Weathering the storm: President Obama arrives in snowy New Hampshire on Air Force One today . Obama has demanded that Congress . eliminate oil and gas company subsidies that he called an outrageous . government 'giveaway', an idea the White House believes resonates at a time of high gasoline prices. Obama said: 'Let's put every single member of . Congress on record: you can stand with oil companies or you can stand up . for the American people.' The President also said claims from the Republican camps . that his policies were hiking gas prices won't pass 'a political . bull-detector' test. His remarks came as retail gasoline prices . rose today to a national average of $3.74 per gallon. Warm reception: President Obama greets crowds who braved the snowstorm to shake his hand in Manchester, New Hampshire . Obama has repeatedly called for an end to $4 billion in annual tax breaks and subsidies for oil and gas companies. He told the college crowd: 'It's outrageous. It's inexcusable. I'm asking Congress - eliminate this oil industry giveaway right away.' Determined: Obama didn't let a little snowfall put him off the campaign trail in New Hampshire . It was Obama's latest and most direct appeal to Congress to act on the tax breaks, a move that was certain to get stiff Republican opposition. On the presidential campaign trail, GOP front-runner Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have decried Obama's energy policies. Anticipating the President's speech, Romney argued in Fargo, North Dakota, that the president has tried to slow oil, gas and coal production through his Environmental Protection Agency and changes in policies governing federal lands. Romney said: 'He's going to talk about how he's responsible for the increasing production of oil in this country, oil and gas in this country. 'Is he responsible for the increase? No, I didn't think so.' Gingrich, campaigning in Woodstock, Georgia, called on Obama to fire Energy Secretary Steven Chu, approve a Canada-Texas pipeline and open more of the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska to oil drilling. Gingrich said: 'He ran in 2008 on the slogan, ''Yes we can''. He's running this year on the slogan ''Why we couldn't''.' New Hampshire is a small but strategically important general election battleground for the Democratic President. Though Obama easily carried New Hampshire in 2008, the President and his staff have paid particular political attention to the state in recent months. Chilled out: Obama shakes hands with a small boy who had wrapped up against the cold to meet the President . The trip marks the President's second . visit to the state in about three months. Vice President Joe Biden has . been a frequent visitor to New Hampshire, and First Lady Michelle held a . conference call with campaign volunteers in the state yesterday. Though New Hampshire offers only four electoral votes in the November election, Democrats have been watching the state warily following its sharp shift to the right in the 2010 mid-term elections. Further fueling concerns for Democrats are GOP front-runner Mitt Romney's personal ties to New Hampshire. Romney served as governor of neighboring Massachusetts, owns a vacation home in New Hampshire and scored an overwhelming victory in the state's Republican primary in January. Treading carefully: Obama and secret service agents make their way to the motorcade to drive to Nashua Community College where he made a speech . However, a poll conducted in New . Hampshire early last month showed Obama beating Romney by 10 percentage . points in a hypothetical match-up. Dante Scala, a political scientist at . the University of New Hampshire, said that with the state's economy on . solid footing compared with national trends and the President boosting . his presence in the state, some New Hampshire Democrats were starting to . feel more confident about their prospects in November. He said: 'There probably was concern . among Democrats that maybe New Hampshire is not part of the president's . re-election plan. Now things have kind of reverted back to form in a . hurry.' Following his remarks in New Hampshire, Obama travelled to New York for four campaign fundraisers. On the campaign trail: Obama's next stop after a snow-covered New Hampshire was New York City to attend four political fundraisers . | President told college crowd Republican claims about his energy policy won't pass a 'political bull-detector test'
Traveled on to New York to attend four fundraisers . |
246,478 | cafe7e934cd25d7db577ce0387467136aa5d4a31 | A murder trial had to be suspended because a member of the jury 'became ill' when gory images of the victim were shown as evidence. Roxanne Buck, 45, has been charged with the murder of her housemate, Michelle Johnson, 21, and tampering with evidence. The Burger King worker is accused of repeatedly stabbing and cutting Miss Johnson, 21, in her basement room, and then trying to clear away evidence. Roxanne Buck (pictured), has been charged with the murder of her housemate and tampering with evidence . The body of Michelle Johnson, (pictured), was found on March 15, an autopsy showed she died from sharp-force neck trauma . Miss Johnson's body was found on March 15, a few days after her mother, Dianna, who lived in the upstairs part of the Stow home, Ohio, with her, had last heard from her. On the opening day of testimony on Tuesday, police officer Jason Bailey said he found blood spatter in the basement of the defendant, near the foot of her bed. Outside, through a short pathway from an attached garage, the police officer said he found Miss Johnson partly covered by an old tire and blankets in an open storage shed behind the duplex. At the trial yesterday, Summit County Medical Examiner Lisa Kohler said Miss Johnson died from gaping wounds to the neck caused by a sharp instrument. Minutes into her testimony, a juror in the front row became ill as a series of gory autopsy photos were being shown and asked to be excused. Common Pleas Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands allowed the juror to leave the courtroom. After a half-hour recess, the woman returned and the trial resumed. Roxanne Buck, 45, a Burger King worker, is accused of repeatedly stabbing and cutting Miss Johnson, 21, in her basement room, and then trying to clear away evidence . Diane Johnson told the jury she had her last contact with her daughter a day earlier — through a Facebook posting about a hearty breakfast she had made. 'She was my best friend. She was my baby,' she said. Miss Johnson also testified that Buck was behind on their 50-50 rent agreement. Then, she said, she found out Buck twice used drugs at the duplex. 'I told her that if I ever caught her doing it again, I'd have to kick her out, because Michelle and I didn't tolerate drugs,' she told the jury. Defence attorney Scott Rilley said later that he asked for a mistrial in the judge's chambers, arguing that the autopsy photos had unduly prejudiced the jury. His motion was denied. In his opening statement, Rilley said police had 'no direct evidence' that Buck committed murder. 'Did she do morally questionable things? Yes,' Rilley said, referring to the charge that Buck in some way altered the crime scene. 'But did she kill Michelle Johnson? She did not.' Defence attorney Scott Rilley (pictured) said police had 'no direct evidence' that Buck had committed murder . Rilley said that Stow police conducted a 'minimal investigation' and quickly focused on Buck as the chief suspect. He told the jury, however, that a Stow police officer was involved in a relationship with Michelle Johnson at the time of her death and had parked his cruiser outside the duplex for two hours on the morning of March 13, some 26 to 28 hours before Johnson disappeared. Rilley said the department's Internal Affairs division interviewed the officer twice about the relationship. Soon after he was set to be questioned a third time — about a timeline for his actions — he resigned from the department, on April 8. Buck's trial is expected to last into next week. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Roxanne Buck charged with murder of her housemate, Michelle Johnson .
Buck is accused of repeatedly stabbing and cutting the 21-year-old .
At trial, a member of the jury became ill when autopsy photos were shown .
The juror had to leave court and the trial was suspended for half an hour . |
12,533 | 238c0c7950f86f0bc99368db527bdee96171b8f6 | By . Lucy Crossley . A nursery school owner who left a three-year-old girl strapped inside a car for more than five hours - after ‘completely forgetting’ about her - has been struck off the childminder’s register. Carol Cort, 67, was giving the little girl a lift to the Barn Nursery School, in the Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water, as a favour for her mother. When she arrived at the nursery early on February 18 last year, she automatically picked up her handbag, locked the car and went to work - leaving the toddler, referred to only as as 'E', strapped into her car seat. Carol Cort, 67, was giving the little girl a lift to the Barn Nursery School, located on this business park in Bourton-on-the-Water, as a favour for her mother . Mrs Cort, who had worked in child care for 46 years, went back to her car at 3pm and drove to an after-school club to pick up other children before realising what she had done. By that time E had been trapped in the car for more than five hours, without food, water or toilet facilities. The Care Standards Tribunal heard Mrs Cort 'found the child sitting exactly as she had been when her mother strapped her in'. Judge Meleri Tudur said: 'Initially, she didn’t realise what had happened, assuming the child had been placed in the wrong vehicle by a member of staff. 'Only when the child told her that she had been forgotten did she realise that she had been there all day.' E had been away from the nursery the previous week, suffering from chicken pox, so her absence went unnoticed. Her mother had phoned the nursery at the end of the day to ask after her - but thought a member of staff was ‘joking’ when he said he hadn’t seen her. Mrs Cort offered the little girl, who has been named only as 'E' a free place at the Barn - but her mother withdrew her child from the nursery (posed by models) Mrs Cort, who lives in Beckford, drove straight to E’s parents’ home in a ‘very distressed’ state and immediately confessed all. The . mother said tearful Mrs Cort was in shock and told her: 'I’ve done . something awful. I’ve ruined the nursery and let everybody down. 'I’ve ruined it for the children.' A . 'very distressed' Mrs Cort then offered E a free place at the nursery. But the mother later withdrew her daughter from the Barn and reported . the matter to the local authority. The nursery owner, who was on the verge . of retirement and handing over the business to her daughter, was . immediately suspended by Ofsted. 'Only when the child told her that she had been forgotten did she realise that she had been there all day' Judge Meleri Tudur . Her lawyers told Judge Tudur she was under severe strain due to concerns over her mother’s care in a nursing home and presented psychiatric evidence that she was depressed at the time. They pointed out that, since the incident, Mrs Cort’s daughter had put in place a rigorous regime of checking vehicles in the nursery’s car park to ensure that no children had been left inside. What happened was a 'one-off and inadvertant absent-minded mistake', described as 'an aberration' by her legal team. However, Judge Tudur said the incident was so grave that Mrs Cort’s registration as a childminder had to be cancelled. It was only by 'good luck and chance' that E had not come to serious harm. Although she had made an immediate confession to E’s mother after driving her home, Mrs Cort had not told even her own family about the incident - and more importantly had not reported the incident to Ofsted herself. Mrs Cort had been given a number of glowing references by other parents with children at the nursery 'expressing their satisfaction' with her work and praising her contribution to the community. But Judge Tudur said the nursery 'was not expecting E to attend' and expressed 'serious concerns' about the ad hoc arrangement for giving E a lift to the Barn and the absence of her name from the register that day. She addeed: 'A professional offering child care for up to 100 children at any one time should be able to say with certainty which children will be attending on any particular day. 'The sequence of events leading to E being left in the vehicle simply highlighted the risks presented from lax conduct around children’s attendance which placed children at unnecessary risk of harm or neglect.' Despite Mrs Cort’s long and unblemished history as a child carer, Judge Tudur concluded: 'The incident and the surrounding issues identified are sufficient to merit the cancellation of Mrs Cort’s registration.' | Carol Cort, 67, was giving the girl a lift to Barn Nursery School as a favour .
She locked the car and went to work, but left toddler inside .
Mrs Cort only realised when she returned to the car at 3pm .
By that time little girl had been trapped in the car for more than five hours .
Mother thought staff member was 'joking' when she rang nursery to check on her daughter and was told she was not there .
Mrs Cort was under stress relating to her mother's care home, tribunal told .
Judge rules Mrs Cort's childminding registration had to be revoked . |
43,737 | 7b5d0e6dec6c8688a2bdbc31c0de564db1b5ea74 | Karl Bestford will serve a minimum of 22 years in prison . A former slaughterman has been sentenced to life imprisonment after murdering his landlord and mutilating the body because he was asked about rent arrears. Karl Bestford, 35, stabbed to death Simon Meech at his rented flat in Bensham, Gateshead. He denied the charge but a jury at Newcastle Crown Court took two hours to deliver a guilty verdict yesterday. The court heard how Bestford had argued with his wife on July 28 about his seven months of rent arrears and debts of £11,000 after two county court judgements. Bestford had been due a visit from Mr Meech the next day to collect rent but the arrangement was changed . to 9.30pm that night. Bestford stabbed Mr Meech ten times in his living room with a kitchen knife and mutilated his body before fleeing the scene in his landlord’s car. He travelled towards Carlisle, where his wife was staying, but pulled over, rang 999 and told police: 'I’ve slaughtered him, I don’t know what to do.' He later rang police again and claimed Mr Meech had pulled a knife on him during . a row. He said he had grabbed it off him and stabbed him. He told police: 'I just saw red and I stabbed and stabbed and stabbed him.' When police got to the scene, Mr . Meech’s head was partially detached and his feet and calves had been . wrapped in a bin liner while his legs were tied together with parcel . tape. PC Sarah Curry was . among the officers who arrived at the flat. She said there was blood all over the flat, although it appeared attempts had been made to clean it up. She told the court: 'I saw a . man lying on his back on the kitchen floor. 'His lower legs from the knees down, including his feet, were covered in black bin bags which were wrapped round.' Pathologist Dr Mark Egan told Newcastle Crown Court: 'Most of the wounds to the neck occurred after the heart had stopped beating. 'There . was a clot in the blood vessels of the neck which raised the . possibility at least one of the wounds was inflicted in life. 'It would have been apparent to the person whether he was alive or dead.' Police found Mr Meech with gruesome fatal injuries when they responded to Bestford's 999 call . He added Mr Meech had suffered stab wounds to his torso and face and other knife injuries to his arm, leg and palm. The court heard Mr Meech, from Whickham, Gateshead, was a district manager for Blockbuster who had built up a portfolio of eight properties which he rented out. He had a young son to his long-term partner and was described in . court as a 'model landlord' by tenants in the other properties he rented . out. Bestford, who was working for a . distribution company at the time, was renting one of those properties on . Rayleigh Grove for £395 a month. Mr Meech had allowed debt-ridden Bestford to get away without paying his rent for seven months and was owed £2,765. Following the guilty verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Young, who led the murder inquiry, said: 'This was a savage attack on a respectable member of the community who was simply going about his business. 'A dedicated team of detectives carried out a detailed investigation and this conviction means a dangerous and violent man will be off the streets for a considerable time. 'Our thoughts remain with Mr Meech’s family and friends who have shown great dignity throughout the investigation and I would like to thank them for their assistance.' Karl Bestford stabbed and mutilated his landlord Simon Meech after a discussion about his £2,765 rent arrears . Mr Meech’s family issued a statement after the trial, paying tribute to him, which said: 'Simon was an incredible man, so deeply loved by all his family and friends. 'Our loss of him in July 2012 completely devastated our lives and left us utterly heartbroken. 'We would like to thank everyone who has, and continues to support us through this horrendous time, as well as Northumbria Police who have shown incredible professionalism and compassion towards the case and our family. 'We have been left with such a painful emptiness in our lives that anyone who knew Simon would know the extent of. 'Simon’s children have been robbed of the most wonderful father - to us this is far and above the most painful and tragic part of our loss.' Sentencing Bestford to 22 years' imprisonment Mr Justice Coulson said: 'I reject completely that there was any threat of any kind from Mr Meech. 'You attempted to cut off one of his limbs. Worst of all you attempted to cut off his head. As someone who had worked in an abattoir, you must have known precisely what you were doing. 'His head was only attached to his body by the skin and the muscle at the back of his neck. Killing Mr Meech was senseless.' The judge listed a number of aggravating factors. Addressing the defendant he added: 'These included an element of planning, the use of a weapon, the fact a weapon was a large kitchen knife from your own kitchen, the suffering of Mr Meech when you stabbed him numerous times and the attempts to cover up what you had done. 'Stabbing him twice to the face and once to the back was in my view only explicable by an intention to kill your victim.' 'You will serve 22 years in prison before you are even considered for release.' | Ex slaughterman Karl Bestford, 35, murdered 'model landlord' Simon Meech .
Bestford stabbed victim ten times and tried to sever his head after being asked about £2,765 rent arrears .
He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum sentence of 22 years . |
25,611 | 4885eb4954f95028de3e253b0876a2090aee1cd5 | Lined up beside a mangled piece of aircraft wreckage, four cuddly toys sit where they have sat for three straight months - a chilling reminder of what happened here 88 days ago today. The decomposed remains of a number of victims still lie at the crash site of MH17 in east Ukraine after it was blasted out of the sky by pro-Russian separatists in July. And, as these grim pictures show, next to nothing has been done to clean up the area in a region still rocked by war. Chilling: Lined up beside a mangled piece of aircraft wreckage, four cuddly toys sit where they have sat for three months - a chilling reminder of what happened here on that tragic day . Bodies: The decomposed remains of a number of victims - possibly even the teddies' owners - still lie at the crash site of MH17 in east Ukraine - 88 days since it was blasted out of the sky by pro-Russian separatists . Of 298 passengers who perished aboard the Malaysian Airlines flight on July 17 this year, 26 are still there, unidentified and left to rot in the grass. Many of their belongings - the personal effects looters could not sell - are still strewn across the field - including books, toothpaste tubes, playing cards, a plastic watch and a stick of antiperspirant. Most of the rest, like the bodies still here, are too badly burned to be identified. But finally today, four Dutch experts arrived to help recover the belongings of victims despite fighting between government troops and separatist rebels nearby. The experts said they were on hand to advise a local Emergencies Ministry team combing the wreckage in the fields where the plane was brought down on July 17, killing all 298 passengers and crew, a Reuters correspondent on the scene said. Mess: And, as these grim pictures show, next to nothing has been done to clean up the area in a region still rocked by war . Finally: But finally today, four Dutch experts arrived to help recover belongings of victims despite fighting between government troops and separatist rebels nearby . Of 298 passengers who perished aboard the Malaysian Airlines flight on July 17 this year, 26 are still there, unidentified and left to rot in the grass . Two-thirds of the victims were Dutch nationals and the Dutch Safety Board is in charge of the investigation into how the Boeing 777 was downed. A short but intense exchange of artillery fire played out near the grassy fields where the team collected the items. Black smoke rose in the distance less than five km (three miles) away from the site, despite a ceasefire agreed on September 5 between Ukrainian troops and the pro-Russian separatists they are fighting. On hand: The experts said they were on hand to advise a local Emergencies Ministry team combing the wreckage in the fields where the plane was brought down on July 17, killing all 298 passengers and crew . Decrease in fighting: Although ceasefire violations have been sporadic around strategically important locations in east Ukraine they have led to a decrease in fighting . Wreckage: An Emergencies Ministry member loads items recovered at the site where the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine . Although ceasefire violations have been sporadic around strategically important locations in east Ukraine they have led to a decrease in fighting. Emergency Ministry officials loaded the items on a small cargo truck meant to take them from the fields near the village of Hrabove back to the victims' families. Armed pro-Russian rebels stood around the site while workers from the European rights and security watchdog OSCE monitored the recovery process. On guard: Armed pro-Russian rebels stood around the site while workers from the European rights and security watchdog OSCE monitored the recovery process . Furious: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday he was furious that Dutch investigators had been unable to finish work in the area because of fighting between the separatists and government forces . Trucked away: Emergency Ministry officials loaded the items on a small cargo truck meant to take them from the fields near the village of Hrabove back to the victims' families . Shot down: The aircraft, which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, is widely believed to have been hit by a surface-to-air missile fired from territory held by the separatists . At odds: Kiev blames the incident on the rebels and accuses Moscow of arming them. The rebels and Moscow deny the accusations . The Dutch forensics teams in the Netherlands have identified 272 victims of the crash but there are still believed to be remains in the area. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday he was furious that Dutch investigators had been unable to finish work in the area because of fighting between the separatists and government forces. Separatists of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic fighting to split east Ukraine from Kiev on Monday said 36 civilians, including one child, were killed in shelling of the territory under their control last week. More than 3,500 people have been killed in the conflict. The aircraft, which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, is widely believed to have been hit by a surface-to-air missile fired from territory held by the separatists. Kiev blames the incident on the rebels and accuses Moscow of arming them. The rebels and Moscow deny the accusations. | MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17 - 88 days ago today .
Of the 298 victims of the tragic shoot-down, the bodies of 26 are still there .
And finally today, four Dutch experts arrived to begin collecting belongings .
They found books, toys, toothbrushes and deodorant - things looters left . |
56,656 | a088b539af4f268b5a13009965991fa5bc7845be | By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 10:46 EST, 3 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:51 EST, 3 September 2013 . A pair of newlyweds say they have proved how easy it is to get married on a budget – by celebrating their nuptials for £1. Georgina Porteous and Sid Innes organised their perfect day for family and friends, complete with rings, flowers, a cake and even a photographer to capture the occasion. They also hosted a reception with a picnic, drinks, jazz music and dancing at a romantic setting in the Scottish Highlands, all on their unbelievably low budget. Georgina and Sid Innes at their Inverness-shire home where they were married, wearing the clothes that they wore on their wedding day . But incredibly, apart from the £70 they had to pay by law for their marriage fees, their only expenditure was a pound on Georgina’s vintage wedding gown. The newlyweds were toasting their good fortune today after spending only a tiny fraction of the average £20,000 cost of a wedding in the UK. Georgina, 36, said: 'I don’t see the point in these massive weddings. It takes away from what marriage is truly about. The only expense the couple could not avoid was the statutory £70 for the fees required to marry, but everything else was donated or sourced for free . The couple exchanged wedding rings hand-crafted by Georgina using antlers she found in their garden . 'There is nothing to gain from spending a huge amount of money. The day is supposed to be about marrying the person you love and for us all that mattered was that we were becoming husband and wife. We didn’t want or need a big, fancy affair.' Georgina, an artist, met singer-songwriter Sid, 39, at an art fair in Glasgow in 2009 and immediately said ‘yes’ when he proposed in Berlin last year. The couple, who live near Inverness, started planning their big day but as they are both dedicated to recycling and self-sufficiency, they vowed to keep their nuptials as simple as possible. The only expense they could not avoid was the statutory £70 for the fees required to marry, but everything else was donated or sourced for free. Georgina said: 'From day one of the engagement we knew we wanted a small and cheap wedding, it was a natural thing for us because we are so invested in recycling and self-sustainability. We were really excited to plan it all. Georgina's mother Susanne, a church reader, conducted the ceremony in front of 70 guests in a run-down barn at their home . The £1 was spent on the wedding dress, a 1960s hand-made floor-length ivory wedding gown with embroidered sleeves, which Georgina purchased on the website freecycle . 'We have always been a bit alternative and arty so I enjoyed doing something a little different from everyone else’s weddings.' Wedding dress: £1, from freecycle.com . Groom's suit: M&S, years old . Rings: Hand-crafted from antlers found in garden . Service: Vicar performed it for free in return for whip-round in aid of local church . Photographer: Donated services in return for bride working for him as film editor . Cake: Earl Grey-infused sponge cakes made by bride's aunt . Food: Guests contributed a dish each . Music: Bride's father played jazz saxophone . Venue: Barn behind their cottage . Reception: A picnic on the grass outside . The wedding took place last night in a barn behind the couple’s idyllic cottage, which was decorated with solar lanterns, locally grown flowers and hay bales donated from farmers. Georgina looked stunning in a 1960s hand-made floor-length ivory wedding gown with embroidered sleeves. She found the dress the website freecycle, an online community where people can swap unwanted items, and it cost her a pound - their only expenditure on the day itself. Sid opted for a stylish tweed suit he had bought years ago from Marks and Spencer. Georgina’s mother Susanne, a church reader, conducted the ceremony in front of 70 guests. The couple exchanged wedding rings hand-crafted by Georgina using antlers she found in their garden. They were officially pronounced man and . wife by local reverend Peter Donald, who had offered his services for . free so the guests had a whip-round to make donations to the church. Georgina's aunt had baked a three-tier chocolate orange wedding cake infused with Lady Grey tea, with the couple's initials intertwined on top for decoration . An official wedding photographer was on hand to capture the occasion after Georgina, also a freelance film editor, offered to work for him in return. Each guest had been asked to bring food and drink, so they tucked into home-made quiches, sausage rolls, boiled potatoes, fresh bread and salad. The couple proved a wedding day to remember does not need to cost a fortune, spending a tiny fraction of the the average UK wedding . Georgina’s aunt had baked a three-tier chocolate orange wedding cake infused with Lady Grey tea, with the couple’s initials intertwined on top for decoration. After the wedding picnic, everyone partied the night away, as Georgina’s talented father, Harry, played some 1940s jazz on his saxophone. Georgina added: 'We had so much fun and it was exciting to see what dish everyone had brought. 'We all sat around after the ceremony and had a little picnic, it was great and all the food was gone by the end so we didn’t waste any of it. 'There was quite a relaxed atmosphere and everyone was chatting to one another, and then when it got later everyone was enjoying the music and joining in with all the dances. 'We had a ball. The day went beautifully. It was really family-focused and emotional. Lots of people said it was the best wedding they have ever been to.' But despite spending so little on their wedding, the couple intend to be more extravagant on their honeymoon as they will be spending a month in Berlin. Georgina said: 'Although we spent a small amount, we do plan to spend a little more on our honeymoon. 'We are going back to Berlin, where we got engaged. We love it and we have friends living there, so we will still be able to save some money.' | Georgina Porteous and Sid Innes spent just a pound on their wedding .
Both dedicated to recycling and self-sufficiency .
Spent the pound on a second hand vintage dress for Georgina .
Made the rings and much of the decorations themselves .
Asked friends and family to bring food and contribute talents .
Average UK wedding now costs £20,000 . |
12,218 | 22a36a36c53832a35a9ce6b47af1a23283b6111c | The House stenographer who had to be dragged out of the chamber last October after a religious rant at the end of the government shutdown debate has released a video statement in which she says that she didn’t ‘lose her mind’ or ‘have a breakdown’. Dianne Reidy, who has since been fired, said the spirit of the Lord had spoken through her, telling her in advance that she was going to speak somewhere in the House chamber during the big vote. The YouTube video released on Saturday is the 48-year-old’s first public statement since the bizarre incident brought an end to the televised vote to reopen the government after a shutdown and raise the debt ceiling. Scroll down for video . Dianne Reidy, who has since been fired, said the spirit of the Lord had spoken through her, telling her in advance that she was going to speak somewhere in the House chamber during the big vote . Outburst: Dianne Reidy is forcibly removed from the House chamber after her about God and the Freemasons . The 38-minute YouTube video features Reidy, together with her husband Dan, sitting on a couch with a single page of notes. Dan speaks for the first couple of minutes, citing several Bible verses. He said the video is to ‘explain what took place in Dianne’s life and our lives last fall.’ Dianne Reidy then speaks about her recollections of the incident. ‘I remember getting up to the podium and after saying, “God will not be mocked.” I don’t have a memory of anything else that was said that evening until I was escorted off the floor,’ she said. ‘I knew that God was going to speak through me, and I knew it was going to be during the vote, raising the debt ceiling level and ending the government shutdown.’ The YouTube clip features Diane Reidy, together with her husband Dan, who cited several Bible versions during the video . Messenger: Dianne Reidy said she was prompted to speak by the Holy Spirit . Her husband said he was fully supportive of his wife’s actions and that ‘Dianne and I are both Bible-believing Christians.’ ‘We . believe it was Dianne that was being carried along by the spirit of God . in speaking to the representatives that evening,’ he said. Reidy . was taken to George Washington University Hospital where a resident . diagnosed the incident as anxiety and a religious experience. However, . her doctor the next day said she suffered from psychosis. During the vote on legislation to end the debt deadlock, Reidy began shouting about God, Freemasons and a 'House divided'. 'He will not be mocked. He will not be mocked- don't touch me- He will not be mocked,' she had called out. 'The greatest deception here is this is not one nation under God. It never was. Had it been it would not have been. It would not have been. 'The Constitution would not have been written by Freemasons. They go against God. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve two masters. Praise be to God. Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to Jesus.' Video: Watch Dianne's testimony . Proud: Dan Reidy, pictured with is wife Dianne, and daughters, blamed the long working hours on the outburst . On her Facebook page, Mrs Reidy is a fan of several Christian-oriented groups, including the evangelical In Touch Ministries, led by TV preacher Charles Stanley. She does not drink, do drugs or have any medication issues, and was released from the hospital. 'I’m glad that I fulfilled God’s mission for me, absolutely. It lifted a tremendous burden. It was a very hard burden to carry as you can imagine,' she said in an interview with The New York Post. Her husband spoke for the majority of the interview, saying that the late nights that she worked during the shutdown drove her to the brink. 'God was preparing her for this vote . last night, because this was kind of the culmination of everything,' Mr Reidy told The Post. 'This . was the big one. Everybody’s there. And Dianne didn’t know what she was . sharing, she didn’t know when — but she just sensed in her spirit.' Mrs Reidy has worked as a stenographer for two decades and the past eight of those years were for the House Clerk- a job she reportedly enjoys because she appreciates the archaic parliamentary order to the ways that laws are passed and debates are organized. Mr Reidy told The Daily Beast that his wife took her job so seriously that she refused to call in sick even when she was suffering from morning sickness while pregnant with the couple's twin daughters. 'This whole mess has just kind of sickened her to the whole process,' he said of her disgust with what had been going on during the federal shutdown. 'The alliances between people who aren’t really allies. The finger-pointing on the dais, [then] the arms around each other… Where are the people being served in this whole deal? 'She was just like, "Gosh, this is not what it’s about."' Attention: Those in earshot of Mrs Reidy could be seen looking at her during the outburst . The couple are open about their devout . religious beliefs. 'Reading a Bible is not foreign to us, but getting . up in the middle of the night definitely is. It’s just not a part of our . life,' Mr Reidy told the Daily Beast. 'What . she was finding out was that God was impressing on her heart that He . had a message He wanted her to share with the House of Representatives.' CSPAN was recording the scene and had . the screen blocked with the breakdown of the vote that had just happened . to approve the debt ceiling increase and temporary budget agreement. Though it was not a clear shot, it was possible to see Mrs Reidy approach the microphone and begin gesticulating. A GOP aide told CNN: 'She’s a well-known person, she’s a perfectly nice person, a good colleague, somebody who’s respectable and dependable, and this is very surprising to everybody who works with her. I don't know, she just snapped.' | Dianne Reidy started yelling about God's message and the Constitution shortly after the debt ceiling vote in the House of Representatives last Oct .
Mother of two has since been fired .
She and her husband have released rambling YouTube video in which she says that the spirit of the lord had spoken to her . |
245,428 | c9a66f874f84e7d06cc0115c0db269aec371c7d4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:31 EST, 20 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:26 EST, 21 March 2013 . Alexandra Traycoff has been a heart patient at Indiana’s Riley Hospital for Children and its outpatient center since she was just a few months old and says it’s through the generosity of others that she’s alive today. So when the 24-year-old saw an Indianapolis news story about Katelyn Newell, the 8-year-old Terre Haute girl waiting for a heart transplant, she says she could relate to her struggle. But she also noticed that Katelyn, like her, was a big Justin Bieber fan as well. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Bieber surprise: Alexandra Traycoff, 24, poses for a photo with 8-year-old Katelynn Newell on Tuesday after surprising her in her hospital room with two tickets to see Justin Bieber . So Ms Traycoff, who had an extra set of tickets to the young singer’s July 10 concert at Banker's Life Fieldhouse, decided to give them to Katelyn, who has been in Riley's Heart Center for more than 10 weeks, in an emotional surprise. On late Tuesday morning, Ms Traycoff, her mom, Lori, and dad, Sergei, made a surprise visit to Katelyn in her hospital room to present her with the two tickets hidden inside a plastic Justin Bieber bag. Just about everyone else knew about the 'surprise,' including the WRTV 6 news crew doing a follow-up story. Ms Traycoff had contacted TV reporter Tanya Spencer soon after she saw the story about Katelyn. That paved the way for Tuesday. As the big moment approached, several Riley staff waited in the hall, eagerly awaiting Katelyn's reaction, and Katelyn's mom, Robin, had her iPhone ready to take video and pictures. Strangers; Katelyn didn't know Alexandria Traycoff before Tuesday morning when the 24-year-old came into her hospital room with the purple Justin Bieber bag, seen . Overwhelming: Alexandria smiles after Katelynn discovered the two tickets hidden inside a Justin Bieber gift bag, before becoming overwhelmed and hiding, keeping both tickets in hand . Once news crews and Ms Traycoff and her parents arrived in Katelyn's room, she presented Katelyn with the gift bag. Katelyn, who sat in a red Riley wagon — her back to the crowd — found a Bieber book and Bieber tattoos — but for a short period, the big gift was missing in action. Finally, she dug it out from beneath piles of tissue paper. 'Do you know what those are?' Katelyn’s mother Robin Newell asked her. 'Tickets,' said Katelyn. 'To?' her mom nudged. 'A concert,' Katelyn said. 'Who are you going to go see?' At that point, the 8-year-old became just a little overwhelmed by all the excitement. Thankful: Katelyn's mother Robin Newell, right, was overcome with emotion from so many people, total strangers, that have reached out to help her daughter in the smallest ways in their time of trouble . 'This is your surprise, Katelyn. You get to go see Justin, in concert,' her mother said. The crowd burst into applause. Katelyn had known for a while about a surprise — but she never imagined tickets to his concert. Ms Traycoff told the Tribune-Star that initially, her family had planned to sell the extra tickets after mistakenly buying two more than needed, but when she saw the story about Katelyn, she knew, 'That's where I wanted to give them.' Ms Traycoff, who was born with a congenital heart defect, feels a strong connection to Katelyn. 'That's the link to this story that makes it very, very sweet,' said Lori Traycoff, Alexandra's mom. Her daughter has had three surgeries at Riley Hospital and now goes to the Riley outpatient center. Lori Traycoff said the tickets are 'hope for the future — something for Katelyn to look forward to' as she awaits a heart transplant. But Ms Traycoff has other plans up her sleeve. Much in common: Katelynn playfully hides behind a Justin Bieber cardboard inside her hospital room beside Alexandra Traycoff, left, with both able to relate to not only a love of Justin Bieber but needing a heart transplant . She's working through social media and other means to try and arrange a meeting between Bieber and Katelyn. She's emailed Ellen DeGeneres, who is friends with Bieber, and she's also tweeting Bieber (but hasn't heard back). Before the Traycoffs left, Ms Traycoff spent time talking to Katelyn and she hopes to come back and visit. Lori Traycoff shared with Katelyn and Robin what had happened earlier in the day. The family had planned to bring a balloon bouquet, but then learned they could not take latex balloons into the hospital because of concerns about possible problems with allergies. So, they released the balloons into the sky. 'I made a wish,' Lori Traycoff said, 'that you get your phone call' — and a new heart. The Traycoffs will return, and Lori promised to stay in touch with Robin. 'Moms need support, too,' Lori Traycoff said. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: . | Katelyn Newell, 8, has been at Riley's Heart Center waiting a heart transplant for more than 10 weeks .
When former heart transplant patient Alexandra Traycoff, 24, heard about Katelyn's struggle she surprised .
her with two tickets to Justin Bieber's upcoming concert . |
184,227 | 7aa1693d6075d060881ba92477e1645296776d49 | Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made four changes to the starting line-up that lost its RBS Six Nations opener against Ireland for Saturday's game against England at Twickenham. Zebre captain Marco Bortolami has recovered from a muscular injury that saw him miss the 26-3 defeat in Rome and will start at prop to earn his 111th cap for Italy. Club team-mate Mauro Bergamasco, also absent against the Irish, will earn his 101st cap this weekend when he starts as flanker, replacing the injured Alessandro Zanni. Zebre skipper Marco Bortolami returns from injury to take on England in what will be his 111th cap for Italy . Mauro Bergamasco (right) earn his 101st cap as he returns to replace injured Alessandro Zanni at flanker . 'We have had to re-think the group in light of the injuries to (Michele) Campagnaro and Zanni,' Brunel told the Italian press. 'But we are counting on the experience of Bortolami and Bergamasco. 'We have worked hard to maintain the defensive quality that we showed against Ireland and are trying to improve our possession. 'England is a different cup of tea and for us, this remains a great challenge.' With Benetton Treviso centre Campagnaro out injured, Brunel has shifted Andrea Masi to midfield while Luke McLean moves to full-back. Zebre's Giovambattista Venditti is promoted from the bench to replace McLean on the left wing. Sale's Italian-Australian utility back Luke McLean moves from the wing to full back for the Azzurri . McLean's move gives Giovanbattista Venditti (left in action against Ireland) a chance to start on the wing . Sale Sharks prop Alberto De Marchi, benched last weekend, will replace Matias Aguero, who makes the squad. Zebre centre Giulio Bisegni is included as a replacement and could make his Italy debut. Fiji-born flanker Samuela Vunisa, who made his Azzurri bow in November, may make his first Six Nations appearance after being named in the squad. Italy have lost all of their 20 previous games against England. L McLean (Sale Sharks); L Sarto (Zebre), L Morisi (Benetton Treviso), A Masi (London Wasps), G Venditti (Zebre); K Haimona (Zebre), E Gori (Benetton Treviso); A De Marchi (Sale Sharks), L Ghiraldini (Leicester Tigers), M Castrogiovanni (Toulon), G Biagi (Zebre), M Bortolami (Zebre), F Minto (Benetton Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Zebre), S Parisse (Stade Francais). Replacements: A Manici (Zebre), M Aguero (Zebre), D Chistolini (Zebre), J Furno (Newcastle Falcons), S Vunisa (Zebre), G Palazzani (Zebre), T Allan (Perpignan), G Bisegni (Zebre). | Marco Bortolami has recovered from injury to win his 111th Italy cap .
Mauro Bergamasco comes in for the injured Alessandro Zanni .
Luke McLean moves to full back and Andrea Masi into midfield .
Italy have lost all of their 20 previous games against England . |
212,070 | 9ea37042a373bbb31f9c842636b5151adb3a4b23 | By . Michael Powell . and Nick Craven . Dreadful loss: Schoolboy Zane Gbangbola, who died during the devastating floods in February . The parents of a seven-year-old boy said to have died due to a faulty pump used at their home during the winter floods, claim he was really killed by deadly cyanide gas leaking from a landfill site. New evidence has emerged that toxic hydrogen cyanide may have leached from a lake at the back of the home where schoolboy Zane Gbangbola tragically died during the heaviest flooding to hit Britain in 248 years. His grief-stricken parents now fear there has been a cover-up, as police continue to insist Zane died from carbon monoxide poisoning from a petrol-driven pump at their riverside home, even though the Gbangbolas insist they did not use it. Meanwhile, Public Health England officials and environmental experts have uncovered evidence of hydrogen cyanide at the riverside property in Chertsey, Surrey, which still remains sealed off six months after the tragedy. Scientists have told The Mail on Sunday that the deadly gas – used in the Nazi death camps – could have come from the former landfill site that stands just 20 yards from the back of the family’s home, as the rising water table could have pushed cyanide gas up through the landfill soil, generating hydrogen cyanide. As floodwater clogged the basement, gas bubbles could have risen up into the house with tragic consequences. The family were rushed to hospital in the early hours of February 8, after a call from Zane’s mother Nicole Lawler, 37, who had found both Zane and his father Kye, 48, unconscious. Zane was pronounced dead on arrival, while medical tests confirmed there were traces of hydrogen cyanide in his parents’ blood. Kye, a company director, has been left paralysed from the waist down and still attends almost daily hospital appointments. A consultant neurophysiologist has confirmed his medical condition is caused by exposure to hydrogen cyanide. Firefighters evacuated the area after their personal alarms were triggered by the presence of the gas. A total of 17 people were rushed to hospital and checked for signs of poisoning, but the only casualties were Zane and his parents. Later the same day, teams from Public Health England (PHE) and the Environment Agency descended, scouring the flood-hit area in biological suits. PHE has confirmed hydrogen cyanide was present. The couple have been advised not to return home – even to collect belongings or precious photos of their only child. Yet authorities are now accused of refusing to investigate the landfill site. Meanwhile, Zane’s parents are still waiting for a date to be set for their son’s inquest – despite new rules that mean inquests should be completed within six months of a death, unless there are good reasons for a delay. More than 10,000 people have signed a petition demanding ‘a national debate’ on the risk of toxic gas leaching from landfills during floods, as Zane’s parents claim they face a ‘wall of silence’ from the authorities. Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Kye said: ‘It’s been six months since Zane’s death and people are still at risk. It’s obvious there are powers that don’t want this to come out.’ A million tonnes of hydrogen cyanide are still produced globally each year, and it is used in many industrial processes from paper-making to electroplating metal. Regulations around its disposal are tight, but that has not always been the case. Scroll down for video . Rising waters: Father Kye clears the floodwater from outside the family home in Chertsey prior to Zane's death . An initial post-mortem examination on Zane was inconclusive, but his parents say the pathologist was not told to test Zane’s blood for the presence of hydrogen cyanide – which disappears from the body within 48 hours. According to Surrey Police, further tests have found the cause of death to be ‘carbon monoxide poisoning’. Yet Kye and Nicole insist there was no possible source of carbon monoxide in their all-electric house. Kye said: ‘How can they say our son died from a substance that was not in our house, yet not look at the substance we now know was and has left me maimed?’ Questions: Nicole and Kye, who is now paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair . Surrey Police released a public statement on Zane’s cause of death less than 24 hours after 800 local residents attended a heated public meeting on the floods, during which suspicions were raised about whether hydrogen cyanide was responsible. ‘The area was landfill from the 1940s until the 1970s,’ said Kye. ‘Nicole and I now cannot live in our own home because of the gas activity that’s been found there. We can’t even go to get our belongings. It is heartbreaking that we are now six months down the line and still have not got to the truth.’ But Surrey County Council insists the former gravel pit site was filled in with building rubble rather than industrial waste before being converted into a lake and field, although some residents claim the area was known as ‘the dump’ for decades. A joint statement from Surrey Fire and Rescue and Surrey County Council said: ‘Abbeyfield is not a landfill site in the usual sense, it is a former quarry restored as a landscaped lake. ‘The landfill referred to is rubble used in constructing its banks.’ But Kye said that Public Health England (PHE) wrote to him in May, warning him that as traces of the toxic gas had been found in the house, they should not return home. PHE would not comment other than to say: ‘We have not identified any evidence suggesting there is a public health risk, or hazard to neighbouring properties.’ Last night experts called for a full investigation into the tragedy. ‘Questions need to be answered,’ said Nick Walton, a leading environmental hydrogeochemist with 25 years’ expertise. ‘Almost anything can come up from a landfill site going back to the 1940s. The problem with older sites is we don’t really know what’s gone in there.’ David Rudland, chair of Environmental Protection UK’s land quality committee, said: ‘There are landfill sites that have taken large amounts of industrial waste, including cyanide, in the past, and it’s a possibility that dangerous material could be mobilised if the landfill site wasn’t particularly water-tight.’ How it happened: The tragic events that led up to Zane's death... and how his parents found 'the truth' Neighbour Ian Berry, 44, a finance broker, told The Mail on Sunday that he was told he may have 15 minutes to live when firefighters knocked on his door at 5am on the night Zane died. He was among the 17 neighbours taken to hospital as a precaution by emergency service. He recalled: ‘We were woken up at an ungodly hour. Two firemen came and said, “Zane has passed away and Kye and Nicole are in hospital.” I was told by both the fire brigade and the police that it was hydrogen cyanide. The fireman said death happens quite quickly, and that if it was in our blood we had got 15 minutes. ‘I don’t see how they can say carbon monoxide killed Zane. The only thing that could have caused carbon monoxide poisoning is the petrol-driven pump and I know they didn’t use it because I would have heard it.’ A spokesman for the Environment Agency said it would not comment while police inquiries were continuing, referring all questions to Surrey Police. A police spokesman said: ‘There’s no evidence of any wider risk to members of the public.’ Asked if there was any indication of hydrogen cyanide either at the property or in Zane’s blood, the police spokesman replied: ‘I can’t comment on any of the medical testing as that was done externally and by independent experts. 'We go by whatever information is put to us and the result is that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning. We can’t comment on [whether the pump had been used or not] as that’s part of the investigation.’ The ex-landfill site is owned by gravel company Brett Aggregates. Last night, a statement from the firm said: ‘While to date we have no reason to believe there is any link between this site and the awful tragedy that has befallen the Gbangbola family, we have made it clear that we will give complete cooperation to any authorities wishing to investigate the background to this incident.’ Meanwhile, Kye and Nicole continue to fight for answers. Kye said: ‘Zane spent his short life helping others, now Zane needs some help. We cannot replace Zane. But can try to protect others. If we can find answers for Zane, we can protect others.’ | Zane Gbangbola died during heaviest floods in UK for 248 years in February .
Allegedly killed by faulty pump at riverside home in Chertsey, Surrey .
New evidence suggests carbon monoxide seeped from petrol-driven pump .
Substance has left his father Kye paralysed from the waist down .
Grief-stricken parents fear cover-up as they 'had not used the pump'
Scientists say 'gas used in Nazi camps could come from nearby landfill site' |
273,814 | eeb1de16ac29b982fcd7cd0553ee14042b005d60 | By . Emily Crane . A bright purple, alien like jellyfish has washed up on a Queensland beach and scientists believe it could be an undiscovered species. The glowing purple jellyfish was found by lifeguards on Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday morning. The extraordinary colour of the marine creature has baffled marine experts, who are now trying to determine what species it is. Lifeguards located a bright purple jellyfish at Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday . 'It's straight out of science fiction,' marine biologist Dr Lisa Gershwin said. 'It's an electric, vibrant, wow purple.' She said the tentacles - or oral arms - were about a metre long and were covered in microscopic mouths. Dr Gershwin, who works at the CSIRO marine and atmospheric research centre, said it was probably a new species because of the vivid colour. 'The colour just screams “Don't mess with me”,' Dr Gershwin said. 'It's not just a little purple – this sucker is seriously purple.' Experts believe the jellyfish could be a new species because of the vivid colour . Dr Gershwin believes the jellyfish could be a thysanostoma, but said the species was normally brown or beige. 'It begs the question, if it's such a vibrant, different colour, what other features does it have?' she said. 'When we get it under the microscope I think we'll start noticing all kinds of things.' It's rare to find thysanostoma in Australian waters and even rarer to spot one off Queensland's southeast coast as they prefer the warmer tropical waters. | Lifeguards find bright, vivid purple jellyfish on Coolum Beach .
Jellyfish expert says it could be new species due to bright colour .
Aquarium on the Sunshine Coast is now assessing the creature . |
76,475 | d8e6698774a3b146a9a4ca38f0b25ea10e351ff5 | (CNN) -- The husband of an American woman, who has been missing for six weeks in Japan, said Thursday that she had threatened to kill herself the night she disappeared after the two argued. Vince Abad, an airman at a major U.S. Air Force facility in Japan, said he and his wife, Kelli, had fought over the phone on the night of October 26 after he had gone to see their pastor, who had helped resolve disputes between them in the past. When he returned home, his wife was gone and their two children were in bed. "We'd had arguments before -- it didn't feel too out of place," Abad, 30, said. He said he assumed she had gone to stay with a friend. But when Kelli Abad, 27, didn't come back by the following morning, he became concerned and raised the alarm. Two days later, the wife's car, a Toyota SUV, was found at Cape Zanpa on the island of Okinawa, about 10 miles from the base, with her cell phone and purse inside. Also inside the car was a note, Abad said, that read, "Love my kids, love my hubby and parents. Bye." Cape Zanpa is known locally as a place for committing suicide, Abad said. The Japanese police, the fire department and coast guard have searched caves and cliffs in the area but have found no trace of her, the police have said. The U.S. military has been helping with the search. Family members have also attempted their own searches in the area, he said. No witnesses have come forward, despite a poster campaign in English and Japanese saying she is missing. The family is "always hoping for the best -- that she's out there," Abad said. But they are also aware of the possibility that his wife "might have decided to leave us on her own terms." "Right now, she's a ghost," he said. The couple's two young children -- a 1-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl -- are learning to deal with their mother's absence, Abad said. In the first few weeks after Kelli Abad's disappearance, he found his daughter crying one night. When he asked her what was wrong, he said, she replied, "We don't have a mommy." | Kelli Abad disappeared the night that she and her husband argued, he says .
She has been missing for six weeks .
Her car is found near cliffs on the island of Okinawa with a note inside .
Her family is holding out hope but is aware of the possibility she's gone . |
193,639 | 86ad6633605ce891dc425511dc8d9c330edc2b94 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 3:19 PM on 21st August 2011 . Two men were shot and wounded and punches thrown as violence broke out at a pre-season NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders last night. A 24-year-old man has life-threatening injuries after he was shot up to four times in the stomach in the parking lot of Candlestick Park in San Francisco for wearing a T-shirt with a derogatory comment about the 49ers. Another man was hospitalised with superficial face injuries after he was shot in a separate incident outside the game. The 20-year-old is expected to survive. Scroll down for video . Violence: Fans watch as a fight between supporters breaks out in the stands of the NFL preseason game in San Francisco . The shootings occurred shortly after the 49ers' 17-3 victory, police said. Inside the game, punches were thrown as a fist fight broke out in the stands. In another incident, a man was left unconscious with life threatening injuries after a fight broke out in a washroom. Officers said that the 24-year-old who was shot in the parking lot drove his truck to a gate and stumbled to security. Police took a man in a Raiders jersey off a party bus before it left the stadium and are calling him a suspect. Fight: A police officer holds up a bloodied shirt as they investigate the scene of a shooting just outside Candlestick Park . Match: The shootings occurred shortly after the 49ers' 17-3 victory, police said . The two shootings were believed to be . connected, but it is not known if the fights inside the stadium had . anything to do with them. 'We are treating it as separate shootings, but we believe they are related,' said a police spokesman who said all the suspects and victims attended the game. The 49ers issued a statement acknowledging the shootings and the investigation, but offering no further details. The violence was not the first involving a San Francisco sports team's game this year. In March, San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was severely beaten by two men in Los Angeles Dodgers gear outside Dodger Stadium after the teams' season opener. He remains in San Francisco hospital with in serious condition with brain injuries. Two suspects have been charged in the case. Warning: Video contains explicit language . | Two men are in hospital with life-threatening injuries after San Francisco 49ers and Oakland raiders game .
Police said 24-year-old man who was shot up to four times in the stomach had been wearing a T-shirt with a derogatory comment about the 49ers . |
90,063 | ffc02f5c6ea0a1fe0a695a042fe81cee82279a56 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There are no immediate plans to commit more U.S. troops to the ongoing war in Afghanistan, President Obama said Wednesday. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, left, and President Obama meet in Washington on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters alongside Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Obama said he would consult with U.S. allies before determining a strategy in Afghanistan after last month's elections there. "I'm going to take a very deliberate process in making those decisions," Obama said. "There is no immediate decision pending on resources, because one of the things that I'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make a determination about resources." The United States has about 62,000 U.S. troops in the country, and NATO allies -- including Canada -- have another 35,000. The Pentagon is planning to add 6,000 troops by the end of the year. There have been indications that Obama soon could be asked to commit even more American troops. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, however, has signaled he would like to gauge the impact of the 6,000-troop increase before considering whether to send more. Support in the United States for the war in Afghanistan has dipped to an all-time low. Just 39 percent of Americans favor the war, while 58 percent oppose it, according to a national CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Tuesday. Recent polling suggests that the increasing violence and slow pace of progress are also taking a toll on support for the war in Canada. Obama thanked Harper for his country's commitment to Afghanistan, where more than 2,800 Canadian troops and dozens of civilians are stationed. "They have fought; they have had staying power; they have absorbed losses that we all grieve for," he said. Watch Obama and Harper meet » . Most of the Canadian forces are based in the southern Kandahar province, home to some of the worst violence and instability. At least 130 Canadian troops have been killed in the war. Last year, after a national debate, the Canadian government extended the mission -- which was to end this February -- until the end of 2011. Harper said Wednesday that "Canada is not leaving Afghanistan" but is "transitioning from a predominately military mission to a mission that will be a civilian humanitarian mission after 2011." The two leaders also discussed economic issues, issuing a joint statement after their meeting saying in part that "open trade and investment are essential for competitiveness and sustainable growth in North America and globally." Obama acknowledged that the "Buy American" clause in the economic stimulus package has been a "source of irritation" between Canada and the United States and is something Harper has repeatedly brought to his attention. The clause is a provision in the $787 billion stimulus package enacted in February that states only American goods can be used in stimulus projects. But it stipulates that the measure would not override existing U.S. trade treaties such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. Harper said Canada's concerns about the clause are "important irritants ... but relatively small" when compared with the overall U.S.-Canadian trade relationship. | U.S. already planning to send 6,000 more troops to Afghanistan this year .
No immediate plans for deployment beyond that, Obama says .
Remarks follow meeting with PM of Canada, which has 2,800 troops in Afghanistan .
Polling shows support for Afghanistan war dropping in both U.S. and Canada . |
242,186 | c574eeb09ca4808b79fc6794447ec6c9e0d7e1b4 | A former Olympic judo coach has been thrown out of the sport after a disciplinary panel found that he sexually abused children in his care. Yet the agency responsible for preventing sex offenders and paedophiles from having contact with young people has cleared him to work with children again. Alan Roberts, who trained Olympic double medallist Kate Howey, was banned from coaching for life and stripped of honorary awards. Alan Roberts, retired, was found to have 'manipulated his position, influence and experience for the purpose of his own sexual gratification' But the decision by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to let him still work with children has shocked his victims and angered senior figures in the sport. Roberts, who is retired, played a central role in British judo for more than 40 years. But he is in disgrace after a British Judo Association (BJA) adjudication panel chaired by a leading barrister, Matthew Ryder QC, heard evidence from five alleged victims during a week-long hearing last year. The tribunal’s unpublished report fou that Roberts carried out a series of assaults on young judo enthusiasts between the early 1970s and December 2003. Two of them were under 16. Roberts, 68, from Sheerness, Kent, denies any wrongdoing, but the 52-page report says: ‘The complaints against Mr Roberts are serious. He manipulated his position, influence and experience for the purposes of his own sexual gratification. 'He did so by taking advantage of the vulnerability of his students.’ Champion: Double gold medalist Kate Howey was trained by Roberts, who is now retired, but says she was 'totally unaware of the allegations' and was 'shocked' Mark Costiff, of Crawley, Sussex, said Roberts assaulted him after persuading him to visit his home for coaching. Mr Costiff, now 40, was 16 at the time. He agreed to be identified by The Mail on Sunday and said: ‘I didn’t report it at the time because he suppressed me and I was embarrassed. He made me feel that if anything wrong had happened, it was my fault. ‘It was horrendous. But he was very clever at covering it up. I was assured by the BJA that he would never be allowed to coach children again. I’m shocked by the decision not to bar him – it’s scary to think he could get involved with young people again.’ Roberts was suspended as a senior coach in 2009 after five judo players made complaints. Kent Police carried out two investigations but the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. The tribunal report reveals that Roberts was once charged with indecent assault. He was found not guilty at Medway Magistrates Court in Kent in 1999. He told the MoS this week: ‘I categorically deny all of the allegations.’ He added that all his legal costs had been paid following his acquittal by Medway magistrates. A senior source within the sport said: ‘As far as the BJA is concerned, Roberts remains a danger to children. He will never be allowed to coach judo in this country again.’ DBS operations director Janet Gauld declined to comment. Miss Howey said: ‘I was totally unaware of the allegations against Alan Roberts. I was shocked when they emerged.’ | Disgraced Alan Roberts, 68, was banned from coaching for life .
Tribunal found that he had carried out a series of assaults on young pupils between the 1970s and 2003 .
But victims have been left horrified by the decision that he is still fit to work with children . |
97,525 | 098423790f76744e7384a14f48cf8645b03d03ba | (CNN) -- British police were told in March this year that missing girl Madeleine McCann may have been kidnapped by a pedophile ring which followed her three days before her abduction, according to reports. Madeleine McCann went missing in May 2007 after being left at a holiday apartment in the Algarve region. Britain's Daily Telegraph and The Sun newspapers both reported Thursday that an email released this week as part of the documents compiled by the Portuguese investigators probing Madeleine's disappearance revealed the connection to the ring. Madeleine was 3 when she disappeared May 3, 2007, while she was on holiday with her family at the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz. Her disappearance prompted headlines worldwide. According to the newspapers, the email was sent on March 4 by a London-based Metropolitan Police intelligence officer to Leicestershire police -- Madeleine's home county -- who then forwarded it on to investigators in Portugal more than a month later. In the email, which both newspapers printed a copy of, the officer writes that "intelligence suggests that a pedophile ring in Belgium made an order for a young girl three days before Madeleine McCann was taken. "Somebody connected to this group saw Maddie, took a photograph of her and sent it to Belgium. The purchaser agreed the girl was suitable and Maddie was taken," the officer wrote. The Daily Telegraph reported the Portuguese police then asked Interpol to investigate. However, nothing appears to have come of the lead. Watch how Madeleine McCann may have been abducted to order » . Belgium has already featured in the case, with a reported sighting on the Dutch/Belgian border last August already discounted. The case files, released by the Portuguese investigators this week after they shelved the investigation for lack of evidence last month, have provided a raft of leads for the media to report. On Tuesday, the documents revealed a previously undisclosed sighting of Madeleine in the Netherlands shortly after her disappearance. The possible sighting of Madeleine in May 2007 stemmed from a report by a Dutch shopkeeper, who told authorities she encountered a little girl in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She said the child identified herself as Maddie and said she was taken from her mother while on holiday. "I start to ask where her mommy was," Anna Stam said. "She couldn't tell me that. I wanted to give her a balloon, but she didn't want that. She only wants her mommy, she said. And she said that these people took her from her mommy." At one point, authorities had named the girl's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, as "arguidos," or suspects, along with a British man living in Portugal, Robert Murat. But a spokesman for the Portuguese public prosecutor's office said authorities found no evidence of involvement by any of the three and were no longer considering them "arguidos." After closing the case, police turned their case file -- containing up to 30,000 pages -- over to attorneys and private investigators working for the McCanns. The McCanns have vowed to keep searching for their daughter. . | Portuguese police case file reveal more leads in Madeleine McCann disappearance .
Email from British police suggests Madeleine taken by pedophile ring .
Ring followed three-year-old girl before snatching her, reports claim . |
197,714 | 8be85babd98e9273a730041745f5015c6b6075bd | By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 09:16 EST, 2 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:29 EST, 2 June 2013 . The grieving father of murdered teenager Georgia Williams last night whispered 'fly with the angels' as he lit a Chinese lantern in his daughter's memory. Decorated police detective Steven Williams, 56, and his wife Lynette, 51, were joined by hundreds of friends and well-wishers for the moving memorial event just 100 yards from their family home in Wellington, Shropshire. The memorial came just a few hours after Jamie Reynolds, 22, appeared at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday charged with Georgia's murder after the teenager's body was discovered by a member of the public on Friday afternoon. He was remanded into custody and will appear at Stafford Crown Court on Tuesday. Scroll down for video . Tribute: Georgia's father Steven Williams, pictured helping to light a lantern, whispered: 'Now you fly with the angels my love' as it flew up into the air . Memorial: Steven Williams, pictured left in a brown coat and blue shirt, and Georgia's mother Lynette, pictured in a purple jumper holding flowers, watch the Chinese lanterns soar into the air as a tribute to their daughter . In court: Jamie Reynolds, 22, pictured left, has appeared at Telford Magistrates Court charged with the murder of 17-year-old Georgia Williams, pictured right . The schoolgirl's emotional parents linked arms with Georgia's boyfriend Matthew Bird, 19, and best friend Katy Lafferty, 17, in Bowring Park on Saturday night. More than 250 friends gathered in the park from 5pm - many bringing Chinese lanterns and wearing flowers in their hair as a tribute to the 17-year-old. Tearful friends began letting off the lanterns as Georgia's parents arrived at 7.30pm. The couple were consoled by some of their daughter's closest friends as they watched hundreds of lanterns float above the picturesque park. Georgia's boyfriend Matthew smiled as he helped friends set off the lanterns - watched on by her parents who shared their memories of her. Friends of murdered Georgia Williams set off Chinese lanterns at a park in Telford in memory of the teenager . Devastated: Georgia's father Steve Williams hugs a mourner, pictured left, while her mother Lynette is comforted by a friend, pictured right, at a memorial for their murdered daughter . Touching: Hundreds of friends and family members attended the memorial for the teenager along with Georgia's father Steven Williams and her mother Lynette, pictured . One of Georgia's friends said: 'Everyone was so glad when Mr and Mrs Williams turned up. They've had a horrible week just like the rest of us but they have been so brave. 'In a really touching moment, someone handed Mr William's a lantern and he lit it with a match while whispering: "Now you fly with the angels my love".' 'It was a very quiet, beautiful tribute from father to daughter but he managed to smile as the lantern drifted up into the sky. 'The sun was just going down, it was amazing and everyone felt that Georgia was looking down on us. It was lovely. 'No-one stopped crying all day and it was very sad and emotional at the football club but the lantern release had a different feel about it. Support: Georgia's father Steven Williams sits on the grass at a park in Telford surrounded by friends and family during a memorial for his murdered daughter . Georgia's boyfriend Matthew Bird helps to light a lantern, pictured left, before watching it fly up into the air . Georgia's parents (pictured is her father Stephen) have been left heartbroken at her death . 'Matt had a smile on his face and it was so nice that her parents saw all her friends smiling as we remembered the many good things about Georgia. 'She was an incredible person and she will never be forgotten, no-one will let that happen.' Georgia, . a former head girl at her old school, was last seen by her parents on . Sunday evening when she told them she was going to see friends. The body of a young female was later found on the Nant-y-Garth pass near . Wrexham, north Wales, on Friday afternoon. After the devastating news of her death was . announced early yesterday, her parents were joined by more than 100 mourners who . gathered at the Wellington AFC football ground to pay tribute to the . teenager. Steven and Lynette Williams (left) weep at a tribute to their daughter at Wellington AFC football ground . Mr Williams said: 'Today is a day for Georgia and for us to meet her friends and for us all to celebrate her life' Mr Williams wrote in a book of condolence set up by the club: 'Thank you for being in my life. God bless you.' Afterwards he said: 'I'm holding it together for Georgia. I'd like to thank everybody who's here for coming down and showing their love for Georgia. 'I don't really want to make any comment other than today is a day for Georgia and for us to meet her friends and for us all to celebrate her life.' Hundreds of floral tributes were left on the stand, along with teddies and T-shirts. One message written on a shirt read: 'Georgia Williams, never forgotten' while another said: 'Georgia we love you always'. Steven (right) and Lynette Williams (centre) were joined by more than 100 family, friends and well-wishers who gathered at the ground to pay tribute to the teenager . The parents of Georgia Williams, who died this week, cling to each other as the crowd mourns for the teenager . A van, believed to be carrying Jamie Reynolds, arrives at Telford Magistrates Court, Telford . A spokesman for the football club said: 'Georgia was introduced to the club by her grandfather and aunt who also volunteer for the club on match days. She was a bright, colourful and polite young lady. 'The club is united in grief but also united in our strength, supports, thoughts and prayers for the family of Georgia.' Detectives yesterday appealed for members of the public to help track down several of the teenager's missing items - including her clothing. Specialist officers continued combing Nant-y-Garth pass near Wrexham in North Wales where the teenager's body was discovered by a member of the public on Friday afternoon. Georgia, a former head girl at her old school, was last seen by her parents on Sunday evening . Steven (behind) and Lynette Williams (front) read the condolence messages left for their daughter, a former head girl . Well-wishers arrived to leave flowers on the north stand where Georgia worked on match days . West Mercia Police said they are looking Georgia's leather spotty satchel, makeup bag, Samsung Galaxy Y mobile phone and her black leather jacket which she was wearing when she left her home last Sunday. Detective Superintendent Adrian McGee, who is leading the investigation, said: 'Despite a man appearing in court charged with Georgia's murder, we still have a lot of work to do. 'The support the public and the media have given to our investigation so far has been fantastic, but we need to ask for their help once more as we try to find these items. 'If anyone is aware of their whereabouts or comes across any suspicious items, particularly in the area between Oswestry, Wrexham and Ruthin in north Shropshire and Denbighshire, then please get in touch.' Jamie Reynolds, 22, was arrested on suspicion of murdering Georgia Williams, 17, after she disappeared . Court appearance: Georgia Williams pictured with Jamie Reynolds who was charged with her murder . Police comb the Nant-y-Garth pass near Ruthin, in north Wales, as officers gather evidence into Georgia's death . Detectives are asking for the public's help to trace personal items belonging to the teenager . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Georgia Williams, 17, went missing last Sunday after telling her parents she was going to visit friends .
Her body was found by a member of the public near Wrexham on Friday .
Teenager's devastated parents released Chinese lanterns during memorial .
Jamie Reynolds, 22, was yesterday charged with her murder . |
188,531 | 802a4493934becc3f9b5aaeba14aeae78597ce1b | (CNN) -- Screams of outrage. Crowds marching down streets, blocking intersections and interstates. Fists raised in silence. As the Ferguson grand jury's decision was announced Monday night, protesters around the country -- who had begun to gather hours earlier -- responded in solidarity. In New York, a roving crowd wound its way through the city, surging to more than 1,000 in Times Square before heading toward the Upper West Side, CNN's Miguel Marquez tweeted. Earlier in the evening, about 200 people flocked to Union Square, brandishing signs that read, "Jail killer cops," and a large display, in lights: "Black lives matter." Protesters knocked down barricades and headed toward the West Village before turning north, accompanied by police. Emotions boiled over in Philadelphia, too. 'A thousand Fergusons across America' "Shouts of "f--- the police" at word of no indictment," a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter tweeted. "A man with the mic: 'we don't need to get mad.' Others: 'yes we do!'" In Oakland, California, shop owners posted signs in their windows, "We support Michael Brown," as marchers took to the streets. A crowd filled the intersection at 14th and Broadway, and some demonstrators laid their bodies down in chalk outlines, reports on social media showed. Later they merged onto Interstate 580, shutting down traffic. Similar scenes of a "die-in" were staged in downtown Seattle. "Same story every time, being black is not a crime," protesters shouted, according to a report from CNN affiliate KIRO. In Washington, D.C., a large crowd assembled outside the White House, with some protesters lying down on Pennsylvania Avenue. In Los Angeles, a city still scarred by the riots of 1992, silent protesters staged a similar demonstration at the intersection of La Brea and Wilshire. A group also assembled in front of the Colorado Capitol in Denver calling for nonviolence, according to CNN affliate KMGH. The Chicago Tribune reported that some 200 protesters gathered outside the city's police headquarters, chanting "We are Mike Brown!" and "I am Mike Brown!" They also carried signs, the paper reported, bearing phrases like "Won't stop 'til we get justice," "Killer pigs must pay," and "Stop the racist killer cops." Later they marched through downtown before stopping at the State of Illinois Center, where they chanted into bullhorns. Chicago police scrambled to keep up. Protests around the country appeared to be largely peaceful, compared to the scenes unfolding in Ferguson. There, demonstrators set police vehicles ablaze and officers fired canisters into the crowds. In Atlanta, birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the streets appeared largely quiet. But at Morehouse College, where about 200 students gathered to hear the grand jury's decision, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd. What's next for the Michael Brown family? Some of the students at the historically black men's school looked at one another in disbelief, others started to tear up, and a few stared ahead as their jaws dropped. Police sirens wailed in the distance as the students chanted: "Ferguson's hell is America's hell." Kevin Harvey, a senior dressed in a blue blazer, button-down shirt and penny loafers, walked away from the demonstration with his head down. He said he was angry and bewildered by a storyline that's become all too familiar. "I'm afraid to raise my son in this country," he said. "When I do have a family, I'm afraid to raise him in this country and that's a terrible thought. Because I know that he is not valued." Complete coverage of what's happening in Ferguson . When asked his reaction to the verdict, Harvey tried to sort through his emotions. "Confusion, anger, and generally just being upset," he said. "I'm scared and frustrated." Long before the grand jury decision was shared, announcing that Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown, the nation held its collective breath. As the sun set back East, people rose up -- hours before the decision was announced after 9 p.m. EST. More than 120 vigils and gatherings, both immediate and for Tuesday, were organized in cities large and small. From Toledo, Ohio, and Bangor, Maine, to Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Detroit, details have been shared on the Ferguson National Response Network. Read what Darren Wilson told the grand jury . CNN's Miguel Marquez and Bill Kirkos contributed to this report. | Nation responds to grand jury decision in Ferguson .
Protests, vigils planned in at least 120 cities, large and small .
Emotions boil over as crowds march in New York City, shout in Philadelphia . |
195,170 | 88a548b88aa85ca93c8b028f1e6dbb07f91502cb | By . Corey Charlton . While the universal popularity of selfies is now indisputable, some could be forgiven for thinking the latest photo trend in Japan won't catch on. The latest bizarre craze to come out of Japan is a fascination with dogs' backsides - with owners sharing pictures of their pets' butts in a bid to cheer up each others' lives. The snaps of man's best friend from the rear reportedly started with a bizarre online posting from Twitter user Kazue. She posted a snap of her shiba inu dog Hana-chan, a dog native to Japan, which she claimed melted 'all of my worries away'. The latest photo trend to emerge from Japan is a bizarre fascination with images of dog bums . The trend apparently started when a Twitter user claimed a photo of her pet dog's bum cheered her up . The craze is sweeping the nation, with artwork of dogs' bums now on sale and dog bum beauty contests held . Kazue's snap of her dog's rear end included the message: 'I printed out this shiba butt and stuck it on the wall of my room. All of my worries have since melted away.' The picture was not only shared by other users who seemed to agree it had a calming influence, but it also made its way into mainstream media. One commenter said: 'The sheer majesty of this pup’s back end dwarfs many of the tiny troubles we encounter in our daily lives. 'How is it that something can be both so adorable and so veritably grand?' Other tweets included such messages as: 'What a beautiful butt picture! I feel so refreshed!' and 'standing against this lovely sky, this is a masterpiece'. Others included 'this butt is too cuuute' and 'what a lovely vantage point!' Not content with just one dog butt, others are now sharing snaps of their dogs' backsides. Viewers' comments on the dog bum images include 'I feel so refreshed' and 'what a lovely vantage point'. Fans of the dog butt pictures claim they are relaxing and cheer up those who view them . Four dogs posing in a photo that has become part of the dog butt craze currently taking off in Japan . There have been numerous comments in response by Japanese internet users extolling the aesthetic virtues of dog butts. Most recently the craze has involved dog butt beauty contests as well as framed pictures on sale in art shops. Not to be outdone, Japanese cat lovers claim they have known about the relaxing advantages of cat butt pictures for some time, and there is even a range of best selling cat rear end trophies that are hung on walls. The cat pictures were created by Popolare, an accessory maker who runs her own shop retailing natural gemstones. She found her business in cat rears took off when she started looking at alternative handicraft projects. She made her framed felted bottoms in three designs, each measuring about 12.8cm tall (including the tail) by 7.5cm wide, and all three designs were sold out straight away. It is said looking at the images of dog's backsides gives off a calming influence and brings joy . The craze started when a Twitter user said a picture of her dog's backside melted 'all of my worries away' The trend follows on from the much publicized 'hamster butt' trend which took over Japan earlier this year . The popularity of the new craze even has cat owners claiming of their pets' backsides' calming abilities . | Sharing pictures of dogs' bums is the new craze currently taking over Japan .
Dog bum trend started when Twitter user spoke of photos' calming qualities .
Artwork and dog bum beauty contests are now being held as craze takes off . |
125,075 | 2dad803baf1ca6c07e68ccf3088bd3208948edf4 | A photographer has documented the struggles of California women who give birth while in jail and others who are bringing up their children in prison. Photojournalist Mae Ryan captured the images of women at facilities in Chino and Pomona who were among the estimated four per cent of state and three per cent of federal inmates that are pregnant. Her photos expose the complicated lives of many inmates who are separated from their children after only hours together or others trying to be good mothers while behind bars. Scroll down for video . Photographer Mae Ryan captured images of women at California prisons. Above, Denise Bussell, in prison for having three DUIs in ten years, sits with son Justice in the Community Prisoner Mother Program . Regina Zodiacal was getting ready to give birth when Ms Ryan shot her Pregnant in Prison series in 2013 . Ms Ryan's work explores two centers in California, where 200 mothers gave birth while incarcerated in the state between 2011 and 2012. The pregnant women the photographer met in 2013 are given pre-natal care by a resident gynaecologist before their births. They are then taken to local hospitals for their births, which cost the state between $6,500 to $14,000 per birth, according to Feature Shoot. However, the time after giving birth can be harrowing for the mothers. Women, waiting for photos or news of newborns that they gave to relatives, develop post-partum depression. Others struggle with physical pain of pregnancy while watching their children given to foster care. Christina Bray already had three children when she went into labor while being arrested for embezzling money from a banking client. She said through tears that she held her daughter Lola Mae close to her heart before having to let her go, according to KPCC. Women who deliver while incarcerated are given between 24 and 48 hours with their newborns. Ms Zodiacal, five months pregnant when she was arrested for shoplifting and forgery, was worried that she would not be heard if she went into labor in her cell . Prison inmates are transported to local hospitals by guards in order to give birth, which costs between $6,500 and $14,000 . An estimated four per cent of state prisoners and three per cent of federal inmates are thought to be pregnant . 'There's really no after care here. They just handed me a Kotex pad and said have a good day,' inmate Britney Bass, in prison because of a parole violation, said two weeks after giving birth. She said she was happy to finally be able to sit down without pain after being whisked back to the prison 48 hours after she delivered her baby and handed it over for adoption. Women who deliver while incarcerated are given between 24 and 48 hours with their newborns. The resident gynaecologist at the California Institute for Women, a state prison in Chino, said that many pregnant women come off the street and have not received any treatment before going to prison. Corazon Navarro said that the prison cannot afford to give inmates exceptional quality of care, but said that she tries to do the best she can. But pregnancy in prison often presents issues not thought about by those on the outside. Pregnant inmates meet with a gynaecologist like Corazan Navarro in the lead up to birth, though they say after care is lacking . The Community Prisoner Mother Program in Pomona allows women to live with their children under age six . Unoccupied cribs at the Community Prisoner Mother Program can be used for women to take care of their infants . Inmates getting ready to give births face worries beyond those normal for first-time mothers. Regina Zodiacal, who was five months pregnant when she was arrested for shoplifting and forgery, told Ms Ryan that they worried about going into labor while in their cells and wardens will not hear them, leaving them alone for the ordeal. Advocates for the rights of expectant women in California prisons also won a victory in 2012 when the state legislature passed a law prohibiting women from being shackled during their pregnancies. While many women give their children to relatives to take care of, some prisoners have the opportunity to live with their children in special facilities such as the Community Prisoner Mother Program in Pomona. The 24-bed facility only allows a select group of incarcerated mothers and has no armed guards and no barbed wires. It does, however, have a kindergarten. Inmates with children under six are allowed to live with their kids while developing 'skills necessary to become a functioning, self-sufficient family that positively contributes to society' according to the California Department of Corrections. An estimated 250,000 children are separated from their mothers because of incarceration, according to AETN. The Pomona center is designed to keep mothers and children together while the prisoners learn skills to help them reintegrate into society . Inmates are allowed to take their children to the playground or away from the facility for doctor appointments . Only 46 per cent of mothers in prison reported having a personal visit from their children since being incarcerated. However, inmates at the Mother Program are allowed to take their kids to a playground at the facility or even leave for doctor appointments. The women are required to do chores as they would in prison, but they are also able to read their children bedtime stories. Though children are thought to do better when not separated from their mothers, the environment is not often 'child friendly' and can seem more like a medical clinic than a home, according to a study from Legal Services for Women with Children. The advocacy group has pushed for better food and medical conditions at the facilities. Despite problems, the mothers said they wouldn't want their children anywhere else. Mrs Bray was eventually able to be reunited with Lola Mae after 13 months apart after she was accepted to the Pomona program. 'There is no home without a mother,' she said, adding that prisoners deserve second chances. Luckily for women at the facility, the situation is often temporary. Woman accepted to the program must be sentenced to 36 months or less. The same women accepted to the nursery program are often good candidates for being transferred to community supervision rather than prison. Christina Bray went into labor after being arrested for embezzlement and held baby Lola Mae to her chest . The mother was reunited with her daughter after 13 months after being accepted to the Pomona center's program . | Mae Ryan photographed lives of California inmates and their children .
Women taken away from their newborn children 24 or 48 hours after birth .
Center in Pomona allows women to live with their children under six .
Estimated 250,000 children separated from their incarcerated mothers . |
212,726 | 9f70eb9d6ace2b2e0f5a13d5c4c1b54f1480a085 | By . Steve Nolan . 'Saddened': Shopper Simon Wightman who is angry that Iceland supermarket is selling meat in security boxes to prevent theft . Cheese and meat joints have been locked away in security-sealed boxes by a crime-hit supermarket in a bid to thwart hungry thieves. Crime-hit supermarket chain Iceland has resorted to using the 'lamb saver boxes', normally used to protect more expensive goods such as CDs, games and DVDs, which trigger an alarm if a shoplifter attempts to leave the store with meat products without paying. The security tactic has been employed in hundreds of the chain's stores across the UK. Checkout assistants at the stores have told customers the supermarket chain also plans to fix security tags to its cheese - or lock the dairy goods away from reach. Iceland bosses said they had been forced into the 'defence mechanisms' to stop a growing number of hungry thieves pinching its stock. But customers hit out at the precaution, while food charities interpreted the measure as 'inevitable' with many families struggling to make ends meet. Shopper Simon Wightman said he was 'saddened' to to find the leg-of-lamb contained in security tagged boxes when he was doing a weekly shop. The motorcycle store manager and father-of-three from Herne Bay, Kent, said: 'I just think it is sad that people feel they have to steal from Iceland to survive. 'What is the world coming to? When I saw them I couldn’t believe it. 'Someone trying to swipe something expensive from Marks & Spencer you can almost understand, but pinching meat from Iceland? 'What will they do next, an electric fence around the fish fingers? Scroll down for video . Security conscious: Supermarket chain Iceland has rolled out the security measures across hundreds of stores (file picture) 'When I laughed at the boxes, the woman at the check out even said they were planning to security tag cheese. 'Apparently so many people steal it, they stuff it into their trousers and run out - its ridiculous. 'You can understand them wanting the boxes because even when their security guards catch someone they can’t sell the food if its been stuffed down someone’s pants.' Iceland, which like most food stores already fixes security tags to luxury items, such as expensive spirits, said its new measures were needed to maximise 'availability.' Stop thief: Hungry shoplifters won't be stealing these lamb joints in a hurry, they are encased in a security box . Spokeswoman for the chain Amy Globe, said: 'The lamb saver boxes are used in several hundred Iceland stores and are designed to enhance the availability of the product for customers. 'The boxes are designed to serve as a defence mechanism to reduce theft and thereby ensure there is maximum availability for customers. She confirmed that the chain had been 'trialing' security boxes for bacon and cheese in some of their UK stores. She said: 'The trial was run across some of our UK stores but didn’t prove as effective as the lamb saver boxes. 'Lamb was our most targeted item as it is one of the most costly and popular items in store. 'Therefore we have seen a dramatic reduction in theft since the boxes have been introduced. 'The security boxes weren’t as noticibly effective on lesser items such as bacon and cheese therefore we are unable to confirm they will remain a permanent fixture in stores.' Food charities said they had seen the need for food banks in certain areas of Britain double in the last year. The Trussell Trust, part of the UK food bank network, said they weren’t shocked to see a rise in theft from the Iceland store, claiming some families are 'desperate' for food. Some of the charity’s individual branches have reported more than a 30 per cent increase in people using food banks since the UK was hit by recession in 2009. More than 200,000 people across Britain are now known to be signed-up to food banks to feed their families. Trussell Trust spokeswoman Molly Hodson said: 'Parents will often go days without eating so they can feed their children but when they are faced with not being able to feed their two-year-old of course they turn to desperate measures. 'Food banks are based in towns and cities across the country but we still don’t have enough and that is the worrying thing. 'Families in the UK are struggling - the food banks are here to help and hopefully there for people so they don’t have to resort to stealing.' | Supermarket chain Iceland says that it has been forced into 'defence mechanisms' by growing number of shoplifters .
The security tactic has been employed in hundreds of stores throughout the UK .
Iceland bosses say that the move will 'maximise availability'
'Saddened' Kent shopper Simon Wightman, has hit out at the security measures .
Charity bosses are unsurprised by a rise in food thefts with many families said to be 'desperate' for food . |
76,433 | d8c70e4af3db5de27399bc62e0ca5587829ed734 | The child safety watchdog failed to expose the sexual exploitation of thousands of children and young people in Rotherham because its inspectors never bothered to look for it, senior officials admitted yesterday. Inspectors working for the OFSTED regulator were instructed that they should watch out for sex abuse happening inside the children's homes and foster homes where children in council care were living. But their rules said nothing about looking out for the exploitation of children who were collected from houses, institutions and schools by taxi drivers and assaulted and raped away from their homes by determined gangs of abusers. Not one of the officials and inspectors who missed the country's biggest child abuse scandal has been sacked from OFSTED, former executives of the organisation told MPs. Admission: OFSTED's former chiefs said the child safety watchdog failed to expose the sexual exploitation of thousands of children and young people in Rotherham because its inspectors never looked for it . The guidelines that steered OFSTED's inspectors away from the ruthless exploitation of up to 2,000 children and girls by organised Pakistani gangs in the Yorkshire town were revealed to MPs of the Commons Communities and Local Government Committee by two of its former chiefs. Clive Betts, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said: 'The public thinks OFSTED ticks boxes. It doesn't get in to what is really happening in an authority.' The regulator's former Deputy Chief Inspector John Goldup made the admission and apologised for the watchdog's failures a week after the devastating report on the Rotherham scandal by Government adviser Louise Casey. She found the town's council obscured and suppressed evidence of large-scale sex exploitation, trafficking and rape over a 16-year period, partly because councillors and staff feared being accused of racism. While the gangs were grooming and violently attacking the town's children by the hundred, OFSTED repeatedly rated the councils' social work record as 'adequate' and published a report which said the way it cared for children was improving. Mr Goldup told MPs that the 'framework' within which inspectors examined the council's work was not designed to deal with child sexual exploitation, which he defined as exploitation outside a home. 'The framework focussed on child sex abuse, which mainly happens in children's homes,' he said. 'That framework, I would now look back and and say, was very strongly focussed on effective outcomes on abuse and neglect on children in the home. Why did it not have a focus on child sexual exploitation? I have reflected on that as you can imagine.' The framework was known as Safeguarding Looked After Children, or SLAC for short, Mr Goldup said. One MP commented: 'Slack may be the appropriate word.' Mr Goldup added: 'I think that our understanding of child sexual exploitation - and I'm not just talking about Ofsted but a national understanding - up to that time was that it was an evil that had surfaced in a small number of very specific places and very specific circumstances. Accountable: Not one of the officials and inspectors who missed the country's biggest child abuse scandal has been sacked from OFSTED, former executives of the organisation told MPs . 'We didn't understand the scale and prevalence and scope of child sexual exploitation until 2012. I don't think we understood that it almost certainly affects thousands of children all around the country and it could be happening in any local authority. 'By the end of 2012 we were inspecting for child sexual exploitation in a very different way. We needed to improve. We needed to learn. We didn't get it right at the time we inspected Rotherham.' However Michael Hart, OFSTED director of children in 2007 and 2008, told the MPs that inspectors did know about child sexual exploitation outside the home. 'This wasn't a new concept,' he said. 'Of course it was known about.' He said OFSTED had referred to child sexual exploitation in Rotherham in a report published as early as 2006. Mr Goldup said: 'I don't think inspection is perfect. I don't think inspection can ever be perfect.' He added that he agreed with OFSTED's chief Sir Michael Wilshaw 'that we didn't get it right with child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. He apologised for that and I apologise for that. 'The inspection frameworks at the time didn't have the focus on child sexual exploitation that they would and should have had if we had known and understood then what we know and understand now. 'It is clear from reading back over the inspection reports that we didn't appreciate the scale of the child sexual exploitation issue in Rotherham and we didn't scrutinise sufficiently the effectiveness with which it was being responded to.' Mr Goldup and Mr Hart both told MPs that they had sacked no-one at OFSTED over the failure. They said if inspectors were found to have failed in their job, inspection reports could be rewritten and republished. But the public would not be told about lapses by inspectors. | Former OFSTED executives admitted to failing to expose sexual exploitation .
None of the officials or inspectors responsible have been sacked, MPs heard .
Up to 2,000 children and girls exploited by Pakistani gangs in Yorkshire town . |
94,633 | 059bb630bd3050bc228e6523f4113bf106ef179a | (CNN) -- People of the Internet, make yourself comfortable on the couch. Google would like to psychoanalyze you. OK, not really. But an interactive doodle on Google's search page Friday invited users to take a Rorschach test. Traditionally the test requires a person to look at a series of abstract inkblots and describe what they see. Some mental-health experts believe the answers can reveal personality characteristics and disorders. The doodle celebrates the 129th birthday of Hermann Rorschach, the Swiss psychoanalyst who developed the famous test. Google's page allowed users to click through a series of inkblot images and share their interpretations of them on social media. Some ink blotches were abstract, while others clearly depicted things such as cats (this is the Internet, after all). By mid-morning Friday, feeds on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ were filling with Rorschach answers, or jokes (Rorschach, the spotted-faced character in the Watchmen graphic novel and movie, was a popular one). Here are a few of our favorites. . | Google's search page Friday invites users to examine inkblots and share what they see .
The interactive doodle celebrates the birthday of Swiss psychoanalyst Hermann Rorschach .
People were sharing their interpretations -- and jokes -- across social media .
Psychiatrists have used the Rorschach test to examine personality characteristics . |
15,554 | 2c2fef81904da3ceb73c9aeb55ff5cb7f3ed6fa5 | The former Beautiful South singer Paul Heaton has resigned as a charity patron of Sheffield United over the club's decision to allow convicted rapist Ched Evans to return to training. The singer, who said he made the decision with 'great regret', said the club needed 'to lift its reputation out of the gutter'. He joins TV presenter Charlie Webster, sixties pop star Dave Berry and Sheffield businesswoman Lindsay Graham, who have all resigned as patrons of the club since the decision was made. Scroll down for video . Singer Paul Heaton (left) has joined four other charity patrons of Sheffield United in resigning over the return of convicted rapist Ched Evans (right) to the club . He made the statement today via his Facebook page where he told fans he saluted the bravery of his fellow patrons. He added: 'I firmly believe that Ched Evans has the right to rebuild his career in football but rebuilding a career should not involve walking straight out of prison and into the shirt of the club he so badly let down. 'I believe he needs to move away and move on, and the club itself needs to lift its reputation out of the gutter.' Last week the 25-year-old footballer was offered the chance to train with his former club Sheffield United after he was released from jail last month, having served half his five-year rape sentence. But the decision sparked a backlash from a series of high-profile supporters, including Jessica Ennis-Hill, who said she would ask for her name to removed from the club's ground if he returns full-time. He was expected to start playing football again last Tuesday, but is yet to turn up. Support: The father of Natasha Massey,left, Ched Evans' fiancee, will offer him a job if his football comeback fails, it has emerged . It has since been reported that the club may not offer the Welsh international a new contract because he is considered 'toxic'. However, it emerged today that if his return to football is blocked, he will be offered a day job by his fiancee's millionaire father. Natasha Massey's father is likely to give him a role at his empire, which includes high-end jewellers and a staff rewards business, if his football comeback fails, the Mirror said. A source told the paper that Karl Massey said there would always be a job for Evans at one of his firms. They added: 'He believes 100 per cent in Ched's innocence, otherwise he wouldn't sanction him still dating his daughter or have given them his blessing to marry.' It has been reported that Mr Massey, 50, has paid for a PR campaign which protests Evans' innocence. He is also said to have hired lawyers to present new evidence to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in a bid to overturn his conviction. The statement by Paul Heaton was posted on his Facebook page today where he announced his resignation . Meanwhile Sheffield United have admitted they are 'appalled' by the abuse being aimed at people who have criticised the club's decision to allow convicted rapist Evans back to training. Twitter abuse was aimed at Olympic heptathlon champion and local hero Jessica Ennis-Hill, who said that to allow Evans back into the Blades squad would 'completely contradict' her beliefs of being a role model to young people. She asked for her name to removed from a stand at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane ground if the club takes back Evans. 'I believe being a role model to young people is a huge honour and those in positions of influence in communities should respect the role they play in young people's lives and set a good example,' she said. 'If Evans was to be re-signed by the club, it would completely contradict these beliefs.' Within hours she was taunted with several sick tweets including one saying: 'I hope he (Evans) rapes her.' The League One club have pledged to work with South Yorkshire Police who are investigating the abuse. People who send this kind of abuse on social media or when chanting at grounds should not feel safe to make these personal attacks, the club said. Jessica Ennis-Hill, 27, has received rape threats on Twitter after she said she wanted her name removed from a stand at Sheffield United if Ched Evans is re-signed by the club . Last week the 25-year-old returned to training with his former club Sheffield United after he was released from jail last month, having served half his five-year rape sentence . He was released from prison last month after serving half of the five-year sentence. An appeal against his conviction was rejected by three judges at the Court of Appeal in 2012. His case is due to be looked at by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. After his release, Evans put a video on his website protesting his innocence and vowing to clear his name. South Yorkshire Police said on Friday: 'South Yorkshire Police can confirm they are investigating reports of abusive tweets. Officers are making efforts to contact the individual concerned, but have launched an investigation into the posts.' Ennis-Hill, a United fan, had a stand at Bramall Lane named in her honour after she won gold at the London 2012 Olympics. TV presenter Charlie Webster, left , has resigned from her role as Sheffield United patron, followed by Lindsay Graham, right, after the club decided to allow convicted rapist Ched Evans to train . Backlash: There has been huge support for a campaign to stop Evans returning to his former club, and other believe as he has only served half his five-year sentence a ban should last for at least that period . Campaigners against sexual violence have criticised the club's decision to allow Evans, 25, to train with the team. Wales international Evans was jailed in April 2012 for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room in Rhyl, North Wales. The striker denied raping the woman, saying the sex was consensual, but he was found guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court. | Paul Heaton resigned as patron of Sheffield United over club's decision .
The singer said the club needed 'to lift its reputation out of the gutter'
He is fourth high-profile patron to resign - including Charlie Webster .
Evans, 25, is allowed to start training with his former club Sheffield United .
Released from jail in October having served half five-year rape sentence .
He is engaged to Natasha Massey, whose father has reportedly offered Evans a job at his empire of businesses if footballing comeback fails .
Karl Massey reportedly said 'always be a job for Evans at one of his firms' |
141,288 | 42b269ae807363fc8f34601b85249b63a4d10bfc | By . Christine Challen and Emily Hill . PUBLISHED: . 18:16 EST, 30 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:56 EST, 2 July 2012 . THE estranged father of supermodel Agyness Deyn has spoken for the first time about the rift with his daughter and how he holds out little hope of being part of her life again. Ken Hollins spoke exclusively to The Mail on Sunday following the surprise wedding of Ms Deyn, 29, to American actor Giovanni Ribisi in a Los Angeles registrar office last month. Asked if he attended the wedding, Mr Hollins said: ‘I don’t think anyone went, did they?’ Rift: Ken Hollins holds little hope of ever again seeing his daughter Agyness Deyn (left), who married American actor Giovanni Ribisi (right) in a Los Angeles registrar office last month . He said he was extremely proud of his daughter – but does not expect to meet her again. ‘I’ve . got just about every magazine she’s ever appeared in. The door’s always . open for her, she knows that and I’d do anything for her. It’s just one . of those things,’ he said. Ms . Deyn was formerly known as Laura Hollins, the middle child of three . born to Mr Hollins and Lorraine, a specialist hospital nurse, in . Littleborough, near Rochdale. When . her parents divorced in 1996 after 23 years of marriage, Ms Deyn, her . younger sister and older brother lived with their mother. Mr Hollins, who lives in Bury, disputes claims that he played little part in his daughter’s upbringing after the divorce. He said: ‘Children always gravitate towards their mothers.’ Secret: Details of the wedding emerged when Ms Deyn's sister posted a photograph of the couple online . Ms Deyn is now based in America, but it is unclear how she met 37-year-old Ribisi. The pair were spotted ‘passionately kissing’ in a queue at Los Angeles County Registrar, where they were married on June 15, but had not previously been seen together. Ribisi, who has appeared in Saving Private Ryan and Avatar, is still most famous for his role in the long-running sitcom Friends, in which he played Phoebe’s brother, Frank. Some observers have suggested the surprise wedding might suggest a baby is on the way. Mr Hollins says his daughter will not contact him, even if she does have children. ‘No, I’ll be pushing daisies by then,’ he added. | Ken Hollins did not attend the catwalk star's wedding to American actor Giovanni Ribisi .
'I have every magazine she's appeared in. The door’s always .
open for her,' he says . |
13,215 | 258a16935e3f1ead2654ca14fc0b9d113324b9ad | (CNN) -- Thomas Eric Duncan traveled from Liberia to Texas before testing positive for Ebola. The first Ebola case diagnosed in the U.S. has raised many questions and concerns, which CNN has been responding to on social media using the hashtag #EbolaQandA. You can check out the latest updates on the story at CNN.com/Health. We'll continue to answer them online and on TV, but here are some of your most frequently asked questions: . How long can Ebola live on a surface? In one study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ebola virus lived on a surface in a perfectly controlled environment for up to six days. But the environment at an airport, for example, or a school is not perfectly suited to support viruses. Studies done in Ebola Treatment Units in Africa, CDC spokeswoman Abbigail Tumpey says, show the virus can live on surfaces for a few hours at most. "Ebola is a vicious virus inside the body, but it dies very quickly on surfaces," she said. "It' s not a hardy virus. It's a very wimpy virus." Ebola is easily destroyed outside of the body, experts say. UV light, heat and exposure to oxygen all deactivate the virus over time. CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said that while it's theoretically possible for someone to catch Ebola by touching a surface that an infected patient sneezed on, for example, past outbreaks have shown that direct contact with a patient's bodily fluids is the way the virus is spread. What kills the virus? Health care workers -- and CNN's reporters -- in West Africa rely on bleach. But the CDC says any EPA-approved disinfectant -- Chlorox, Lysol, etc. -- will work on a nonporous surface. A dishwasher or washing machine will also kill it, Tumpey says. Would any bodily fluids this patient flushed contaminate the water system? The virus wouldn't survive long in water, Jean-Paul Gonzalez at Metabiota, a company that tracks global infectious diseases, told NPR. The virus depends heavily, he said, on its host -- either a human or animal -- to stay active. U.S. sanitary sewers and our waste water treatment system will kill the virus, Tumpey agrees. "There's no concern there." Could the virus become airborne? Right now, "common sense and observation tell us that spread of the virus via coughing or sneezing is rare, if it happens at all," the World Health Organization says. It's possible Ebola could eventually be transmitted through the air. Experts say the chances are relatively small that Ebola will make that jump. But every time a new person gets Ebola, the virus gets another chance to develop new capabilities. Ebola is an RNA virus, which means every time it copies itself, it makes one or two mutations. Yet WHO says, "Speculation that Ebola virus disease might mutate into a form that could easily spread among humans through the air is just that: speculation, unsubstantiated by any evidence." Will Duncan receive an experimental drug? Maybe. Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday the Dallas hospital was discussing all treatment options with the patient and his family. There is no approved drug or vaccine for Ebola. The experimental drug given to Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, the first Ebola patients flown to the United States, is called ZMapp. The company that produces ZMapp has said it is out of doses, though it is working to create more. Dr. Rick Sacra, the American doctor treated for Ebola in Nebraska, was given another experimental drug called TKM-Ebola. There are reportedly still doses of this drug available. Only the facts: Ebola experimental drugs . Are the people who were on his flights at risk? No. The Ebola virus spreads only when someone is exhibiting symptoms. This patient arrived in the United States on September 20, according to the CDC, and didn't get sick until several days later. So he wasn't contagious on the flight. He was put in isolation at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on September 28 and will not be released until he is free of the virus. But how can they be sure he wasn't sick earlier? That's a fair question. They can't be 100% sure. But the first sign of Ebola is generally a high fever. And everyone leaving Liberia has their temperature checked before they're allowed to board a plane. Plus, health experts have said that anyone who is sick enough to be contagious probably doesn't feel well enough to travel in the first place. Why didn't the hospital release Duncan's name and photo earlier? The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's Privacy Rule prevents hospitals or medical providers from releasing identifiable patient information without the patient's permission. When do Ebola symptoms start, and what are they? Ebola symptoms typically appear eight to 10 days after infection. But they can start anywhere from two to 21 days after infection. Early symptoms include a high fever, muscle aches and chills -- similar to early symptoms of the flu. The virus then progresses to severe vomiting and diarrhea, with a possible rash and painful cough. Patients near death sometimes bleed from their eyes, mouth or other orifices as they begin to bleed internally. Why aren't U.S. borders being closed to travelers from this region? The easiest way to prevent an Ebola outbreak in the United States is to prevent travelers from the region from flying here in the first place, right? "We cannot make the [Ebola] risk zero until the outbreak is controlled in west Africa," Frieden said Thursday. He says isolating those countries completely through travel restrictions would make it more difficult to assist in controlling the outbreak and would eventually put the United States at greater risk. Think about all the health care workers, volunteers and military personnel who are selflessly going to West Africa to offer assistance. Should they be forced to stay overseas until the outbreak is over? Would as many go if they knew they wouldn't be allowed back? "The international community is really asking us to continue operations," said Gert Sciot, a spokesman for Brussels Airlines. "We are a vital link for logistics and all kinds of material that need to go into (Liberia)." The CDC has warned against any nonessential travel to the region. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have been trained to spot common Ebola symptoms. Temperatures are not checked on arrival, but if a passenger arrives who is exhibiting symptoms, major international airports have the ability to quarantine him or her immediately. Customs agents have also begun distributing a CDC fact sheet on Ebola to travelers at major international airports. How the Ebola virus spreads . I'm traveling to Dallas soon. Should I be worried? Not really. The CDC and local health departments are working to find anyone Duncan came in contact with while he was contagious, and monitor them for symptoms. If any of them become contagious, they will be placed in isolation as well. But just to be safe, follow the basic rules of infection prevention: Avoid people who are sick and wash your hands frequently. Complete coverage on Ebola . | People on the same flights with Ebola patient are not at risk, CDC says .
Ebola symptoms typically appear eight to 10 days after infection .
The Ebola virus can live for up to six days on a surface in a perfect environment .
Bleach is the method used in West Africa to kill it . |
80,860 | e52a4e3672243428e6df2d46bfdda58a19e95bd7 | Channel 4 will screen a controversial documentary tonight in which a paedophile speaks openly about his attraction to four-year-old girls. The broadcaster has been criticised by victim support campaigners for giving airtime to the 39-year-old man, called Eddie, and encouraging him to discuss his urges. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood [NAPAC] said victims would be ‘offended’ by the film and said it should have devoted its airtime and resources to helping people who have been abused as children. Scroll down for video . Candid: Eddie appears on the Channel 4 documentary to speak about his attraction to young girls . Self-confessed paedophile Eddie, 39, (pictured) will admit to being sexually attracted to children as young as four in a Channel 4 documentary, but insists he has never committed a crime . However, other charities including the NSPCC praised the programme for shining a light on the need to treat paedophiles before they abuse children or view under-age pornography. In The Paedophile Next Door, a series of experts argue that men like Eddie – who claims he has never offended and who has no criminal record – should not be treated like ‘evil monsters’. The programme makers suggest paedophiles should be given more support to help them control their urges before they offend. They persuaded Eddie, who did not give his surname, to talk openly about his own experiences despite the risk of reprisals. He said he first realised he was a paedophile in his mid-20s. ‘It is not the only thing I am but it plays a large part in the make-up of who I am as a person,’ he said. ‘I would much prefer not to have these feelings and these attractions but I have them, and that’s difficult. I have an age of attraction that starts, depending on the individual, as low as five, roughly. Four, five, six.’ The show’s makers said police have no record of Eddie having been convicted and he insisted he had never abused a child. He said: ‘A lot of people automatically assume that because I think or feel that way, then I am potentially going to abuse a child … I certainly don’t want to do that kind of thing.’ He suggests it is easier for him not to act on any urges as he is ‘attracted to women of all ages’. Eddie said he decided to show his face on national television because he feels paedophiles should be treated for their urges rather than being demonised. Viewers will also see Eddie meet Ian McFadyen, 49, who was abused by a teacher at Caldicott School, Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire (pictured) as a young boy . ‘People will probably say “Why isn’t this guy locked up. We should kill this guy,’ he said. ‘People are just waiting for you to offend before they help you. If you don’t have that help, if you don’t have the option to come forward and say “Look I’ve got a problem, I need help”, then what are you changing? You’re changing nothing.’ Peter Saunders, NAPAC’s chief executive, said: ‘This documentary shines the light in the wrong areas. Instead of feeling sorry for poor misunderstood paedophiles, we should be looking at the awful experiences of those who have been abused.’ However, Jon Brown, from the NSPCC, said the film was ‘fantastic’ and that paedophilia is a ‘public health problem’ that needs to be addressed by treating potential offenders as well as punishing them after an offence. He said there are around 250,000 paedophiles in the UK, and predicted many will contact helplines after seeing the film. Eddie has gone to Europe to be treated by a support group that helps paedophiles control their urges. The documentary also interviewed Ian McFadyen, who was abused at Caldicott Prep School in the 1960s and 1970s while a contemporary of Nick Clegg. Mr McFadyen said: ‘I’m not here to defend paedophiles but he has not committed a crime.’ The Paedophile Next Door will be broadcast on Channel 4 tonight at 9pm. Watch The Paedophile Hunters on 4OD. | The Paedophile Next Door will show Eddie, 39, out himself on camera .
Tells the programme he has been attracted to young girls since his 20s .
He insists he has never abused children and does not plan to .
Calls for help to stop people attracted to children from becoming criminals .
Programme looks at so-called 'virtuous paedophiles'
It suggests treatment should be given to those who come forward .
Programme also features victim Ian McFadyen who was abused at school .
Says programme may not be popular, but current practices are 'antiquated' |
101,680 | 0f0ed2e51e9b1121472d275be5e3032e7912b234 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:50 EST, 7 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:33 EST, 7 November 2013 . Newly-released footage taken from police body cameras have revealed the dramatic moment officers opened fire on a former NFL player as he was apparently about to stab his girlfriend. The video shows two officers shooting former New York Giants recruit Jermaine Green, 32, six times as he held Katrina Johnson, 37, at knifepoint in a home in Daytona Beach, Florida in September. Both sustained non-fatal gunshot wounds; Green was shot in the hip, abdomen and right arm, while Johnson was hit with a seventh bullet in her right arm, the footage shows. It was released as authorities investigate whether officers Richard Maher and Kevin Connelly were justified in opening fire during the September 25 incident. Scroll down for video: WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Tense: Officers can be seen raising their weapons as they head towards a domestic dispute in Florida . Struggle: In the bedroom they find Jermaine Green pinning his girlfriend Katrina Johnson down on top of him. The former NFL player has her in a choke hold with his left arm and a knife in his right hand . 'I'm proud of what the officers did,' Dayton Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood told the Orlando Sentinel. 'Everybody went home to their families.' Three officers had been called to the home just after 3am after receiving two 911 calls about a fight and domestic dispute between the couple, the Daytona News-Journal reported. Chitwood said the row between Green and Johnson had started a day earlier when Green allegedly hit his girlfriend over the head with a brick, although this was not reported to police. Officers arrived at the home to find concerned relatives running from the home in their pjamas. They tell the pair that they had tried to stop the fight but that Green had gone 'crazy'. The footage shows them kicking the . door down to see Green, who then pulls Johnson into a bedroom. With . their weapons raised, they inch into the room. Danger: He brings down his right hand - carrying the knife - and misses her but the police begin to shoot . Chaos: Green was hit multiple times and Johnson is seen trying to get away after being shot in the arm . Hurt: Green lies beside the bed - he was shot in the hip, the arm and the abdomen but has recovered . There, . they see Green laying on the bed with his girlfriend pulled down on top . of him in a choke hold with his left arm. His right hand is gripping a . large knife held over Johnson's chest. 'Let her go dude, let her go,' one officer yells. 'Let her go man, I'm telling you right now.' They see Green raise his right arm slightly and then come down rapidly - in an apparent attempt to stab his girlfriend. 'He's doing it,' the policeman said to his partner - before seven shots rang out in the room. What follows is chaos as both Green and Johnson are hit in the series of bright flashes. One officer helps Johnson get up, but Green remains slumped on the floor. They were taken to Halifax Health Medical Center, where Green was listed in critical condition and was in the intensive care unit for several days. Fight: Green, left, allegedly attacked his girlfriend, Katrina Johnson (pictured right in an earlier mug shot) a day after he allegedly hit her over the head with a brick. He is being held without bail in jail . Johnson's injury was not serious but she has threatened to sue the Police Department over the shooting, the Daytona News-Journal reported. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating the use of deadly force by the officers. When the investigation is complete, it will be sent to the State Attorney's Office. After the incident, the officers were placed on paid administrative leave for a few days but have been back on duty for nearly a month. Green, who played for Washington State then the Giants, is being held without bail at the Volusia County Branch Jail on charges including kidnapping and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Since 2002, Green has been arrested nine times, including for domestic battery in 2010. | Newly-released footage shows the moment two officers opened fire on Jermaine Green, 32, in Daytona Beach, Florida in September .
Video shows him holding his girlfriend Katrina Johnson, 37, at knifepoint before bringing down the weapon in an apparent attempt to stab her .
Cops open fire, hitting him three times and her once - both recovered .
Video has been released as authorities investigate whether the cops were justified in opening fire .
Green signed with the New York Giants in 2004 but never took the field . |
89,626 | fe7ff3c72f89eb7a85adef0e4e58c6534ca83856 | By . MailOnline Reporter . A trapped elderly woman was saved from deadly flooding in the Phoenix area by a couple of brave sheriff's deputies. The rescue of the woman, who had not been identified, was captured in dramatic footage by ABC 15 in Phoenix. In the video, a man is seen signaling to a a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office chopper surveying the area. He appears to be indicating to them that someone needs help at a nearby van. Two deputies walk over to them van as deadly rushing waters cover them to their waist. It looks like the van will be underwater in minutes. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . A rescue unit from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office first spotted trapped elderly woman as they surveyed the area from their chopper . Two brave sheriff's deputies approach the woman's car, one hanging onto the other so he's not carried away by the flood waters . One of the deputies breaks the front window of the van with what appears to be a metal rod . Once the front door is cracked, the deputy uses the opening to reach the handle of the sliding door. A frightened elderly woman was trapped inside . Slowly, the brave deputies walked the woman over to dry land and helped her back to her home . Once back on dry land, neighbors found the elderly woman a place to sit and rest after her frightening experience . One of the . deputies uses a metal object to break the front window of the woman's . van, while his partner hangs on to him so he isn't carried away by the . water. The deputy then uses the crack in the window to open the sliding door of the woman's window, revealing a frightened elderly lady who was all by trapped inside the car. The rescuer carried the woman away from the waist-deep water, and the two brave deputies walk her away to safety. Neither deputy has been identified. var p = new anv_pl_def(); p.config = {}; p.config.width = 636; p.config.height = 356; p.loadVideoExpressV3('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|1000011|SPS'); . Flooding from heavy monsoon season rains in the Phoenix area forced authorities on Tuesday to close several major roads, including a portion of Interstate 17, while elsewhere dramatic scenes were playing out as motorists were pulled from partially submerged vehicles and a helicopter crew rescued stranded residents from a home surrounded by swift-moving waters. A small trailer park was evacuated in a town about 40 miles north of the metro area, and a north Phoenix high school temporarily relocated 12 classrooms of students because of flooding in portions of the building. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for much of the metro area and north of the city where up to 8 inches of rain fell by midday in some of the mountainous regions along the interstate. Whitewater rescue: Rescuers in Phoenix leaped into action Tuesday afternoon as 8 inches of rain fell in a few short hours, stranding residents in this home surrounded by fast-moving waters . Terrifying: A rescue helicopter swooped in and dropped a rescuer on the roof of the home as news footage showed residents peering fearfully out the window . The storms are expected to affect a large area of the state throughout the day. 'It's like a conveyor belt of showers coming through here,' National Weather Service meteorologist Ken Waters said. 'We're seeing new cells popping up in the Phoenix area and just outside the Phoenix area.' Sporadic storms are expected to continue in the area for the next few days. Dramatic aerial television footage Tuesday showed a river of muddy water rushing down I-17 about 25 miles north of Phoenix as motorists changed lanes to avoid the deluge. In New River, about 30 miles north of Phoenix, a helicopter lowered a rescuer to the roof of a home surrounded by rushing waters in an effort to pull trapped residents to safety. The scene played out on live television Tuesday afternoon as the rescuer tried to reach the residents. Flash flood: The waters from the overrun Skunk Creek flood Interstate 10 in northwestern Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon . Inundated: Flooding from heavy rain in the Phoenix area has forced authorities to close several major roads, including a portion of Interstate 17 about 25 miles north of the city . Monsoon: Josh Groves and his daughter Abagayle , 3, wait to cross the road as flash flood waters overrun Skunk Creek through the Sonoran Desert amid a particularly severe lashing of monsoon season rains . The Arizona Department of Public Safety closed a roughly 15-mile stretch of I-17, redirecting traffic into the southbound lanes back toward Phoenix. Officials said it's unclear when the highway will reopen, and Waters expects several more inches of rain in the area over the next few hours. The Arizona Department of Transportation will have to clear the road of mud and debris when the floodwaters recede to allow authorities to reopen one lane at a time hopefully by the afternoon, DPS spokesman Bart Graves said. 'Earlier we were very concerned that it was moving so fast that it would take over I-17 completely both northbound and southbound,' Graves said. 'But it didn't, so now ADOT is going to have to sweep that water out of there, which is going to be a long, arduous project.' Rocks also washed down a hillside onto I-17 about 60 miles north of Phoenix, causing several vehicle collisions, but no deaths or major injuries have been reported, Graves said. Too fast to handle: The Phoenix area was soaked with some 8 inches of rain in just a few short hours Tuesday . Rare sight: A girl photographs the flash flood waters from the Sonoran Desert overrun Skunk Creek, not a common occurrence in the often parched desert . Thomas Ingersoll and Sydney Cisco watch flash flood waters from the Sonoran Desert on Tuesday. The Arizona Department of Public Safety closed a roughly 15-mile stretch of I-17, redirecting traffic into the southbound lanes back toward Phoenix . Meanwhile, residents of a small trailer park in Black Canyon City along a river about 40 miles north of Phoenix were evacuated late Tuesday morning, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office. There had so far been minimal flooding damage to the park, but authorities wanted to get residents to a safe location because water has damaged roads in the vicinity, sheriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said. Firefighters from Phoenix and the Daisy Mountain Fire District on Phoenix's northern outskirts rescued at least six motorists in separate incidents, Phoenix Fire Capt. Benjamin Santillan said. 'We've got units jumping from one car to the next to the next,' Santillan said, adding that there have been no reports of injuries. Floodwaters also filled Skunk Creek in the New River area north of Phoenix, carrying debris that included plastic plant pots from a nursery, tires, coolers and garbage bins. Several other roads north of Phoenix also have been closed due to flooding. In this image made from a video provided by ABC15 TV, a school bus navigates a flooded road north of Phoenix, Tuesday, where children at least one school were forced to be relocated thanks to encroaching waters . Danger: Firefighters from Phoenix and the Daisy Mountain Fire District on Phoenix's northern outskirts rescued at least six motorists in separate incidents . Floodwaters also filled Skunk Creek in the New River area north of Phoenix, carrying debris that included plastic plant pots from a nursery, tires, coolers and garbage bins . Brave: A tractor trailer drives through flash flood waters that overran Skunk Creek . | The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies are yet to be identified .
They saved an elderly Phoenix woman minutes before her van was taken by the flood .
Motorists were pulled from submerged vehicles Tuesday and a helicopter crew rescued residents from a home surrounded by swift-moving waters .
A trailer park was evacuated in a town about 40 miles north of the metro area, and a Phoenix high school temporarily relocated 12 classrooms .
The monsoon rains were expected to slam a large area of the state throughout the day . |
21,836 | 3e0e083c5d178174d5a3a14525c718f01c9a2bbb | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 07:23 EST, 27 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:05 EST, 27 January 2014 . A one-year-old has been diagnosed with a rare disorder that makes him look permanently unhappy. Warren Armstrong suffers from Moebius syndrome which makes it difficult for him to smile or pull facial expressions. Warren’s mother, Jannine Atkinson, 26, from Salford, said: ‘The first year has been really difficult. It was really hard to recognise when he wanted something. Warren Armstrong (pictured with his mother, Jannine, and his grandmother, Paula) has Moebius syndrome - a rare condition that affects the cranial nerves meaning patient's struggle to move their faces . ‘He finds it really hard to smile - it takes a lot to get one of out of him. He constantly looks grumpy because his chin is back, but we have learnt to be able to recognise when he’s happy or when he’s upset. You can see it in his eyes, a sort of glimmer. He’s really loud and talkative as well.’ Moebius syndrome is a rare neurological condition that is present from birth. It affects the cranial nerves meaning patients are unable to move their faces. Sometimes patients also have skeletal abnormalities affecting their hands and feet. They often also have breathing problems, visual impairments, sleep disorders, weak upper body strength, and dental problems. Moebius syndrome is a rare neurological condition that is present from birth. It affects the cranial nerves meaning patients are unable to move their faces. Sometimes patients also have skeletal abnormalities affecting their hands and feet. They often also have breathing problems, visual impairments, sleep disorders, weak upper bodies, and dental problems. The syndrome is thought to be genetic but usually only occurs once in a family. Source: Moebius Syndrome Foundation . The syndrome is thought to be genetic but usually only occurs once in a family. Warren was also born with deformed hands and had to be fed through a tube in his first few weeks as he unable to latch onto his bottle. Ms Atkinson said she knew something was not right, but it was not until Warren was four months old that doctors were able to diagnose the rare syndrome. It is believed only about 20 children in the UK suffer the same symptoms as Warren, who lives with two of his four siblings, sister Leona, five, and brother Leyton, three. He also has two sisters Annalise, five, and Ellouise, three, who live with his father, Keith Armstrong, 32. Ms Atkinson has been told Warren will require an operation on his hands when he is two, and one on his face when he’s four. Warren was diagnosed when he was just four months old - in his first few weeks he had to be fed through a tube as he could not latch onto a bottle . She now wants to make more people aware of the condition. She said: ‘I’m hoping he can go to mainstream school. However, people when they see him with his “sad look” as we call it, they need to understand it’s not his fault - it’s a disorder. ‘Hopefully, more research can be done into it to find out what causes it.’ | Warren Armstrong, one, has Moebius syndrome - a condition that affects the cranial nerves meaning patients struggle to move their faces .
He also has deformed hands and will need surgery when he is two .
He was diagnosed with the condition when he was just four months old . |
241,765 | c4e7de72fa03523b4c0c4ba4eedfd11c9d2a7891 | A new collapsible coffee cup gives drinkers a chance to grab their caffeine fix on the go - and then store the empty mug in their pocket. Smash Cup is a portable, reusable and eco-friendly coffee cup which can collapse down when empty to fit in handbags, backpacks and even pockets. At full height it stands at five inches (12.7 cm), holding a capacity of 12 ounces (340 ml) of hot or cold beverages, but collapses down to just 1.75 inches (4.4 cm). Scroll down for video . A new collapsible coffee cup gives drinkers a chance to grab their caffeine fix on the go - and then store the empty mug in their pocket. Smash Cup (shown) is a portable, reusable and eco-friendly coffee cup which can collapse down when empty to fit in handbags, backpacks and even pockets . With the average coffee drinker throwing away a total of 500 disposable cups every year, the reusable Smash Cup can apparently help to reduce waste. The collapsible cup is the brainchild of Ben Melinger, 34, who believed there was a need for the standard travel cup to become more convenient. His product combines an iconic design with a resuable body and a leak-proof lid - all of which promises to take up as little room as possible. It takes apparently as much energy as smashing an egg on a table with your hand to close the cup. 'When we first came up with the idea we were amazed there were no similar products on the market,' said Melinger, a management consultant from New York. 'Smash Cup is reminiscent of disposable coffee cups, but upgraded for a more robust and modern aesthetic. 'We strove to create an iconic look that city commuters, busy parents and students alike would be proud to own and display. 'It takes years of effort to develop a product and there was so much self-doubt, and so many little hurdles that popped up during the process. 'But whenever we took a step back and had a look at the Smash Cup with fresh eyes, we always felt we had a winner. 'This kept us pushing ahead - one step at a time.' The collapsible cup is the brainchild of Ben Melinger, 34, who believed there was a need for the standard travel cup to become more convenient. His product combines an iconic design with a resuable body and a leak-proof lid - all of which promises to take up as little room as possible . At full height (right) it stands at five inches (12.7 centimetres), holding a capacity of 12 ounces (340 millilitres) of hot or cold beverages (left). But when empty, the simple looking design can collapse down to measure just one and three quarters of an inch in height . After two years developing the idea, Ben was surprised to see immediate success when he placed Smash Cup on crowdfunding site, Kickstarter. You may currently grab a coffee while filling up your car at a petrol station, but in the future you could be refuelling your vehicle with the aromatic brown liquid too. Scientists claim that a ‘green’ biofuel made from waste coffee grounds could power vehicles on our roads. Around 22 pounds (10 kilograms) of leftover grounds, generated by the average coffee shop, produces around two litres of the biofuel. The scientists believe that if this were scaled up nationally, popular high street coffee shops such as Starbucks, Café Nero and Costa Coffee could soon be rivalling oil giants like Shell, BP and Esso. Researchers at the University of Bath said such waste coffee grounds could be a sustainable fuel source for powering vehicles. He set a goal of raising £6,000 ($10,000) in 30 days, enough to allow him to begin the production process in America. But amazingly he reached his target after just one day - and he is now well above his original goal. 'I am floored by the response,' he said. 'I was actually concerned that the low price of the product would make it a struggle to reach $2,000 [£1,200] on the first day - let alone $10,000 [£6,000] in 30. 'But it all happened on day one! My friends and family have been really supportive and I find it funny when they tell me they're addicted to watching the screen tick up and up. 'But more than any amounts of money, I'm just happy to know that we're going to be able to make Smash Cup a real thing and put it on the market. 'I love to create things and it's a great feeling to know other people appreciate what you've created.' Smash Cup has a water-tight seal, activated by closing the cup with a simple quarter turn. With three parts made from silicone and plastic, Melinger says the cup is easy to clean and it is also dishwasher safe. It comes in five different colours - red, green, blue, pink and orange - with the plastic lid available in white and dark grey. And as a special tribute to its humble beginnings, Ben has also designed a limited edition version for Kickstarter - in the website's signature light green. Smash Cup is currently only available to Kickstarter backers but Ben hopes to work with a UK or European distributor or team up with a coffee chain to reach customers worldwide. | New York-based inventor has unveiled his coffee cup that collapses .
The 'Smash Cup' can be squashed down in size once it has been used .
Ben Melinger's £9 ($15) product recently reached its target on Kickstarter .
The cup is five inches high and can hold 12 ounces of beverages .
Inventor claims it could be a greener solution to throwing away cups . |
202,909 | 92b21ef348dabbb276e0621660b6fcc70cba38ec | (CNN) -- Pakistani civilians were given a brief window on Friday to flee the ongoing fighting between government forces and Taliban militants in the country's north, according to military officials. Pakistani civilians pack a bus leaving Mingora, the capital of the troubled Swat Valley. The Pakistan army is trying to push the Taliban away from regions within the troubled Swat Valley. A curfew was relaxed until 2 p.m. local time Friday in Kabal, Kanju and Mingora -- in the Swat Valley -- and in Malakand Agency, which is a separate district. The government provided an estimated 150 vehicles to evacuate people, as private cars are not allowed to enter Mingora. The Taliban have been concentrating forces there -- digging trenches, laying mines, taking positions on rooftops, according to strategic expert Reva Bhalla of Stratfor, a firm that describes itself as a global intelligence company. "The Taliban are concentrating forces in Mingora -- digging trenches, laying mines, taking positions on rooftops," said Bhalla. "It is not clear if the Pakistani military is trained and even equipped to go into a situation like that," she said, adding that even the United States military "would have to think twice" about such an offensive. She estimates there are 5,000 Taliban fighters in the area. "The question is: Are they going to try to stand and fight, or try to regroup?" she asked. With a government offensive against the Taliban nearly three weeks old, a spokesman for Pakistan's army said the military intends to drive the Taliban out of the contested area. "The whole resolve of the government and the military is to once and for all finish the Taliban from the Valley of Swat," Pakistani military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas told CNN's Reza Sayah. The Pakistani military is trying to push the Taliban away from the heavily forested and mountainous regions of the Swat district toward the south, so the army can encircle the militants, Bhalla added. According to the chief minister of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, some 1.5 million people have been displaced by 10 months of fighting between the military and Taliban militants along its border with Afghanistan. The number of people at the Yar Hussain displaced-persons camp in Swabi district is expected to reach 2 million, Amir Haider Hoti said. The military announced earlier this week the number was 1.3 million. The huge refugee camps that the conflict is creating could be "the perfect recruiting grounds for the Taliban to prey on," Bhalla said. Meanwhile, the United Nations' top official on refugees told CNN Thursday the world must launch a "massive international effort" to care for the refugees, or it will be "absolutely impossible" to provide for them. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in a speech to parliament Thursday, called the refugee crisis a massive and unprecedented predicament. "They are our own people and their children are my children," Gilani said. | Curfew relaxed from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. local time in Swat Valley, Malakand .
Taliban "digging trenches, laying mines" in disputed western city, expert says .
Pakistan wants to push Taliban south so it can encircle militants, expert says .
Some 1.5 million people have been displaced by 10 months of fighting . |
81,067 | e5beed97b51436c576c139458b985d2ca452907b | England and Sri Lanka paid their respects to Phillip Hughes before the start of their second one-day international in Colombo. Alastair Cook's side joined their Sri Lankan counterparts for a two-minute silence in honour of the Australian batsman, who tragically died aged on Thursday. Both sides took to the field at the Premadasa Stadium wearing black armbands and both lined up their bats with caps on top as part of a social media campaign paying tribute to Hughes. England and Sri Lanka players held a two-minute silence before their second one-day international . Alastair Cook's side take to the field wearing black armbands with their bats lined up on the balcony . James Tredwell on the England team balcony where their bats are lined up in tribute to Phillip Hughes . The Sri Lankan team also lined up their bats on their balcony as part of a social media campaign . The scoreboard at the Premadasa Stadium displays a tribute to the Australian batsman, who died aged 25 . Hughes passed away in hospital having been hit in the head by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield game at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday. On Friday, Pakistan and New Zealand held a minute silence before the start of play on day two of the third Test in the United Arab Emirates. New Zealand players also wore the initials 'PH' under the crest on their shirt at Sharjah. Bangladesh's fourth one-day international with Zimbabwe in Dhaka on Friday also saw a minute silence held before the game. | Teams held a minute silence before game at Premadasa Stadium .
Both teams took to the field on Saturday wearing black armbands .
England and Sri Lanka also lined up their bats with caps on top .
Phillip Hughes died aged 25 after being hit on the head by a bouncer .
Australia's first Test with India delayed with funeral set for Wednesday . |
50,674 | 8f5cea9d4b2cb0e240665fd437c471c9430b4cc5 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 06:17 EST, 22 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:22 EST, 22 February 2013 . Andrea Green bled to death after a routine back operation she may not actually have needed . A fit and healthy woman bled to death after having routine surgery for a back pain. Andrea Green, 42, died just 14 hours after the operation at Barnsley District General Hospital. Her death came after staff in the hospital's orthopaedic department warned managers about grave risks to patients 'extreme pressure and stress' in the department. An inquest was halted and Sheffield coroner Chris Dorries asked police to investigate following the emergence of the letter outlining staff concerns. Ms Green had started suffering from back pain in August 2009. The pain was so bad that she was . bedridden for two weeks despite being prescribed with painkillers by her . GP on numerous occasions. She was referred to the orthopaedic clinic at Barnsley Hospital but by . the time her appointment came round, her pain had subsided. The clinic diagnosed her as suffering from a prolapsed (herniated) disc. Unbeknown to Ms Green, this condition quite often resolves itself . over time without the need for further treatment. Despite this, the . hospital listed her for surgery and she was advised that the pain . could return if the operation was not carried out. Because she did not want . the pain to return, she agreed to the procedure, which took place in March 2010. When her sister Janette Allatt visited her in hospital later that evening, she found her very pale and complaining of stomach pain. Nurses discovered she had very low blood pressure and because she was in pain, administered medication to relieve it. At 2am the following morning, Ms Green's father received a telephone call . from the hospital informing them that she was seriously ill. To their horror, by the time her family arrived at the hospital, she had died. Mrs Allatt, 56, said: 'I just remember being in total and absolute shock. I never expected anything like this to happen. We have so many questions about . what happened to Andrea and believe if it wasn’t for the surgery, she . would still be here today.' A report from the post mortem examination listed the cause of death as retroperitoneal haemorrhage (internal bleeding). Staff at Barnsley District General Hospital had warned managers about grave risks to patients due to 'extreme pressure and stress' in the orthopaedic department . The report suggests that the wrong disc . was operated on and that the internal bleed was created during the . operation. Her family later lodged a claim for medical negligence which has now been settled out of court for a six-figure sum. Andrew Harrison, head of medical negligence at Raley's solicitors, which represented the family, said serious internal bleeding after the operation should have been spotted and treated by doctors. He said: 'They could have saved her for up to 30 minutes before she died. They had got all the information if someone cared to look.' The hospital was warned of 'extreme pressure and stress' in the orthopaedic department a letter just weeks before Andrea died in March, 2010. A letter was sent to former chief executive Sharon Taylor and referred to a meeting between her and medical director Dr Jugnu Mahajan in which the orthopaedic team warned of danger to patients. The letter stated 'it was only a matter of time before the situation led to significant patient morbidity and mortality'. The doctor who performed the operation on Andrea is still working at the hospital under supervision. A spokesman for Barnsley District General Hospital said: 'We are extremely sorry for the loss suffered by Andrea's family. We treat the safety of our patients as an utmost priority. 'After Andrea's death we began a full internal investigation and also sought the views of external experts. 'We have fully implemented all of the changes recommended by those investigations. 'The letter and its contents are a matter for consideration at the inquest and it would therefore be inappropriate for us to comment further.' | Andrea Green died hours after the operation at Barnsley District Hospital .
Post-mortem report listed cause of death as internal bleeding .
It later emerged she may not have needed the surgery after all .
Staff had already warned about 'extreme pressure and stress' in department . |
258,050 | d9f877f723e8cf3589536a2cf8d95883b86fbabc | (CNN) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has arrived in his home country from Cuba, where he underwent cancer treatment, the Venezuelan state-run broadcaster VTV reported Saturday. He returned after roughly a week in Cuba, where he received chemotherapy treatment. Chavez underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor last month. He has not said what type of cancer he has. VTV published an image of the president arriving Saturday night. | The Venezuelan president returns after about a week in Cuba .
He underwent chemotherapy treatment for cancer .
Chavez has not said what type of cancer he has . |
162,603 | 5e3c45918ece4977541d6009f4c6b0170326bf09 | Gaza City (CNN) -- Will it, or won't it, hold? That's the question following word late Monday that Israel and Palestinian factions, including Hamas, agreed to a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire proposed by Egypt. Even as they agreed to the cease-fire, set to take effect Tuesday morning, both sides appeared suspicious of one another. "The onus is on Hamas," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said shortly after announcing on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" that Israel had accepted the Egyptian proposal. Under the agreement, the cease-fire will begin at 8 a.m. local time, he said. "We are entering this with our eyes open. ...We have been burnt more than once." The sentiment was similar from Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan, who told CNN as long as Israel honors the agreement, so will the Palestinians. "We hope they can take it and be committed to a cease-fire," he said. While Egypt has not released details of the cease-fire agreement, Regev said it was the same agreement that Israel accepted and Hamas rejected three weeks ago. News of the cease-fire comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Monday to finish the military operation to destroy Hamas' network of tunnels. That operation appeared to be close to an end, with Regev saying Israel will "cease all our ... military activities, all our offensive operations against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip." When asked about the tunnels, he said the issue is solving itself. "It's winding up anyway," Regev said. Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces said there were possibly between one and three tunnels left. Mounting death toll . Both sides have been under fire for a mounting death toll in the conflict, now in its fourth week. More than 1,800 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The United Nations has said of those casualties, civilians account for 70% to 80%. Israeli officials have said 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians in Israel have died. The United States urged both sides to honor the cease-fire agreement. "The United States has been steadfast in our insistence on an end to rocket and tunnel attacks against Israel and an end to the suffering of the people of Gaza," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. On Monday, during a short humanitarian "pause" in the fighting called by Israel, residents in Gaza flooded the streets to pick up supplies and check on their abandoned homes. Al Saha, the largest open-air market in Gaza City, was bustling with vendors. One man hung clothes for sale from the burned-out carcass of a bus hit a few days ago by Israeli fire power. Cars jammed Gaza's main thoroughfare, but the atmosphere appeared relaxed, and children played in the street. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed in Gaza during the cease-fire, including an 8-year-old in a strike on a house in a refugee camp in Gaza City. That strike also injured 30 people, Palestinian health officials said, and happened after Israel had started the cease-fire. Israel said that strike did not violate the cease-fire because it happened just two minutes into it and the operation had already been in progress. Hamas had not agreed to the Israeli-declared cease-fire, and at least 53 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel on Monday, according to the IDF. Daniel Mansour, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative in charge of intelligence-gathering in northern Gaza, was targeted and killed before the cease-fire Monday, the IDF said. He had participated in directing rocket attacks toward Israel, the IDF said. Two attacks in Jerusalem . Police in Jerusalem said they foiled what they described as a terror attack when they shot and killed the driver of an earthmover after it overturned a passenger bus. Police said one pedestrian was also killed and the bus driver was injured. There were no passengers on the bus at the time, police said. The driver of the earthmover was identified as 20-year-old Mohammed Jaabis, a Palestinian from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal alMukaber. Footage broadcast by Israel's Channel 10 showed the earthmover still moving as security forces approached. The video appeared to show shots being fired. The incident happened in the Sheikh Jarrah area of central Jerusalem, near the entrance to a Jewish orthodox neighborhood. Hamas praised the attack and said it was "a natural reaction to the Israeli crimes against civilians" in Gaza. In another incident, a man on a motorbike opened fire at an Israeli soldier near Hebrew University, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Rescue workers said the Israeli was severely wounded. An eyewitness on Israel Channel 10 said he heard a gunshot and saw "a soldier holding his chest. He walked a few steps backwards and collapsed." International condemnation of Israel and Hamas . France is the latest country to condemn the Gaza operation and strikes on U.N.-run shelters in Gaza. "How many deaths will it take to stop what has to be called the carnage in Gaza?" French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius asked in a statement. He said while Israel has a right to total security, "this right does not justify the killing of children and the slaughter of civilians." He also said Hamas carries an overwhelming responsibility in this "macabre gearing which particularly serves extremism." On Sunday, the United States and the United Nations used the strongest language yet in condemning the strike on a U.N.-run shelter in Gaza, with Washington calling the attack "disgraceful." At least nine people at the school, which was being used as a shelter for about 3,000 people, were killed in the shelling. Israel said it is carefully reviewing the attack. The IDF said it targeted three Palestinian Islamic Jihad members riding a motorcycle in the vicinity of the school, but didn't say if the suspected militants were hit. CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Tal Heinrich, Saima Mohsin and Ali Younes contributed to this story . | NEW: The United States calls on both sides to honor the cease-fire agreement .
Cease-fire begins Tuesday at 8 a.m. local time, an Israeli spokesman says .
"We will cease all our activities," an Israeli government spokesman says .
The operation to destroy Hamas' tunnels "is winding up," the spokesman says . |
169,615 | 6781626580244621cb8acccb80c143b3ccb32e72 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 21:12 EST, 17 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:47 EST, 18 April 2013 . All NHS hospital patients should have one doctor taking overall charge of their care to help avoid another Mid Staffordshire fiasco, the man behind the report into the scandal said yesterday. Robert Francis QC told a London conference that major failings which led to the preventable deaths at the trust of up to 1,200 patients from 2004 to 2009 could suggest ‘other Staffords’ in the NHS. But he said if every patient in all hospitals has one doctor in overall charge of them, it would help make sure medical staff take more responsibility for their patients, reported the Daily Telegraph. Concerns: Robert Francis QC told a London conference that major failings which led to the preventable deaths of up to 1,200 patients from 2004 to 2009 could suggest 'other Staffords' in the NHS . He is concerned hospitals are being too slow in raising standards following his report in February - and criticised the NHS for having a culture of waiting ‘for someone else to tell it what to do’. Mr Francis told the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare at ExCel in east London that doctors and nurses must take direct responsibility for patients and should not tolerate poor care. According to the Telegraph, he said: ‘I've been now to a lot of hospitals to visit patients (and) no-one ever seems to know who their doctor is, except in very exceptional cases, or who their nurse is.’ He added: ‘I think it's essential for the feeling of responsibility, that on a day by day basis the patient knows who is the person in overall charge of the case.’ Not again: Mr Francis's report warned that unless major changes were made to the NHS, the neglect and horrific treatment at Mid Staffordshire would be repeated . Mr Francis’s report suggested a culture of fear in the Health Service that was obsessed with targets to the detriment of patients. 'No-one ever seems to know who their doctor is, except in very exceptional cases, or who their nurse is' Robert Francis QC . It warned that unless major changes were made to the NHS, the neglect and horrific treatment at Mid Staffordshire would be repeated. In his formal response to the Francis report, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called the scandal ‘a betrayal of the worst kind’. He said NHS staff would now have a legal ‘duty of candour’ to tell the truth about patient care to patients, families and the Government. | Failings led to preventable deaths of 1,200 patients at Mid Staffordshire .
Robert Francis QC says mistakes could suggest 'other Staffords' in NHS .
He says each patient having one doctor in charge would improve care .
Criticises NHS culture of waiting 'for someone else to tell it what to do' |
26,825 | 4c2637789aa97673395c9cf5a35a88fd9a1a0484 | (CNN) -- A jawbone found on an Aruban beach will undergo forensic testing to determine whether it is human and, if so, whether it belongs to Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, last seen on the island in 2005, authorities said Tuesday. Aruban prosecutor Peter Blanken said a part of the bone was sent to the Netherlands Forensic Institute in The Hague, Netherlands. It will be analyzed to determine whether it belongs to an animal or human, he said. If it is human, authorities will attempt to find out whether it belongs to Holloway. "They are testing for a DNA match," said Blanken. Investigators could know as early as Wednesday whether the bone belongs to an animal or a human, he added. Inge Oevering, a spokeswoman for the forensic institute, said the length of testing will depend on the condition of the material, but it normally takes about a week. The institute's findings will be sent back to the prosecutor's office, which will decide whether to make the results public, she said. Oevering declined to provide a description of the material. Blanken said a part of a jawbone with a tooth was found on Friday by an American tourist near the Phoenix Hotel, a large resort on the western side of Aruba. He took it to the police, Blanken said. Contacted by CNN, the hotel referred questions to local authorities. The Dutch paper De Telegraaf similarly reported Tuesday the jawbone was found near the Phoenix Hotel, a location that has been mentioned by Joran Van der Sloot, who was arrested twice in connection with Holloway's disappearance but has not been charged. He has maintained his innocence in her death. The newspaper said a tourist couple found the bone on the beach and turned it in to the hotel clerk, who alerted authorities, offering a slightly different version of events than Blanken. The prosecutor said the bone was initially examined by a forensic expert in Aruba, who determined the bone was from a young woman. But Blanken cautioned the final determination would be made by the forensic institute in the Netherlands. "I'm happy that it's human. And the initial finding is that it's from a young woman, so maybe we will be able to solve this case. I hope so. But we will wait to see what the findings are," he said. Holloway was 18 when she was last seen in the early hours of May 30, 2005, leaving an Oranjestad, Aruba, nightclub with van der Sloot and two other men. She was visiting the island with about 100 classmates to celebrate their graduation from Mountain Brook High School in suburban Birmingham, Alabama. Van der Sloot, 23, is jailed in Lima, Peru, awaiting trial on a murder charge in the death of Peruvian student Stephany Flores. Her body was found in May in a hotel room registered to van der Sloot. The two were seen entering the room on a surveillance camera. Van der Sloot is also charged with a count of wire fraud and a count of extortion in Alabama for allegedly attempting to extort more than $250,000 from Holloway's family in return for disclosing the location of her body. CNN's Susan Candiotti, Laura Perez Maestro, Brian Walker and CNN Radio's Ninette Sosa contributed to this report. | NEW: An initial test indicates the bone belongs to a young woman, prosecutor says .
Authorities say definitive testing may take about a week .
If the bone is human, DNA testing will be conducted .
The jawbone was found near an Aruban hotel . |
62,585 | b1cb76d8f3a2c27cee89f06b3ac5a0477ae1c3c6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:34 EST, 8 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:34 EST, 8 December 2012 . New curbs on Muslim veils in the Commons were criticised by Respect MP George Galloway last night, writes Simon Walters. Mr Galloway, whose Bradford West constituency has a large ethnic population, said the restrictions could discriminate against Muslim women. The rule for everyone who works at the Palace of Westminster states: ‘You may be required to remove any covering which obscures your face.’ Discriminates: Respect MP George Galloway has attacked new curbs on Muslim veils in the Commons . Mr Galloway said: ‘Everyone understands the need to have proper security. 'But these rules seem a little heavy handed and confusing to me. We live in a multi-faith society and need to be sensitive about that.’ But one MP said it would be better for visitors: ‘It will be much more welcoming for them if they are greeted by someone whose face they can see clearly.’ 'Heavy handed': The rule for everyone who works at the Palace of Westminster states: 'You may be required to remove any covering which obscures your face.' Mr Galloway says people 'need to be sensitive about that' | George Galloway said restrictions could discriminate .
He said they were 'heavy handed'
Everyone who works at the Palace of Westminster are 'required to remove any covering obscuring the face' |
63,199 | b384d524335d5e9f63cff5d32f70adb07ba61f1f | (CNN)For a long time, rats have taken the heat for the waves of plague that killed millions of people across Europe starting in the 14th century. But now suspicion is falling on another rodent with a much cuddlier reputation: the gerbil. A team of scientists from Norway and Switzerland are challenging the widely held view that communities of rats in Europe played host to the fleas carrying the disease for hundreds of years. In an article published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers say they think the plague bacteria could have sprung from populations of the great gerbil and other rodent species in Central Asia. "If we're right, we'll have to rewrite that part of history," Professor Nils Christian Stenseth of the University of Oslo, one of the authors of the study, told the BBC. The scientists investigated Europe's second plague pandemic, which began with the infamous Black Death from 1347 to 1353 and continued on and off for four centuries. They say pinning the blame solely on rats doesn't make sense. Rats weren't found in large areas of northern Europe during the period, and the peaks of the plague outbreaks don't correspond well with the climate conditions that suit rapid spreading of the disease by rat fleas. Instead, by analyzing climate data gleaned from tree rings, they found clues that suggest the plague might have repeatedly been carried back into Europe from outbreaks among rodents in Central Asia. "We show that wherever there were good conditions for gerbils and fleas in Central Asia, some years later the bacteria shows up in harbor cities in Europe and then spreads across the continent," Stenseth told the BBC. The scientists say they think it's possible the plague was reintroduced each time by the trading networks of the era. Caravans of traders and their camels that traveled through infested areas in Central Asia could have picked up the disease and sent it along trade routes reaching into Europe. To determine whether they're right, the researchers plan to analyze ancient plague DNA taken from victims of the pandemic. But if rats are hoping the scientists' theory will get them off the hook entirely, they should think again. The study says they could still have played a part in the spread of plague by ships. And for people suddenly worried about their pet gerbil, there's no cause for alarm. "If you get your gerbil at a pet store ... you have nothing to worry about," Ken Gage, a plague expert for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NPR. | Rats have long been blamed for helping spread the plague in Europe .
But scientists say gerbils in Central Asia could have played a bigger role .
They think the disease may have been repeatedly reintroduced through trade routes . |
265,894 | e46575e155a878aa6c527c6351f3fa894faddc85 | By . Amanda Williams . An investigation has been launched after a social worker took the wrong child out of school for a supervised visit with another boy’s father. Four-year-old Kenzie Joe Jubb was removed from his nursery classroom, and sent with a stranger to ‘see his father’ - along with a two-year-old girl they mistakenly thought was his sister. He was away from his class at Francis Askew Primary School in Hull, East Yorkshire for more than 10 minutes and driven to social services offices before teachers realised the mistake. Four-year-old Kenzie Joe Jubb was removed from his nursery classroom at Francis Askew Primary School in Hull, East Yorkshire, and sent with a stranger to 'see his father' - along with a two-year-old girl they mistakenly thought was his sister . Now, his parents are demanding a full explanation as to why Kenzie, who has no dealings with social services, was taken. His father Alistair Jubb said: 'We are furious. The school CCTV shows him being away for 11 minutes, but 11 minutes is a long time when your son is with someone he doesn’t know. 'How did they get the wrong child? We want to know exactly how this has happened. 'I am absolutely furious with the school. The head has assured me this will never happen again, but I wouldn’t have ever expected it to happen in the first place. 'Somebody has messed up somewhere along the line and we want to know who it was and how it happened.' The school contacted the city council’s Safeguarding Children Board when they realised the error and an investigation is being carried out. Mr Jubb said: 'The school called his mum and she was distraught. When she called me, all sorts went through my head. 'She said Kenzie had been taken out of school and the first thing that went through my head was that it was someone with a fake identification. 'It was horrific. His mum said he was back in school and those feelings of horror turned to anger.' Mr Jubb said Kenzie was taken with a social worker who also had a two-year-old girl - the sister of the child who was meant to be taken from the school. Mr Jubb said: 'I asked Kenzie if he had got in the car and where they took him. 'He said he was put in the car and the social worker told him he would be going to a house where there was a dog and he would be seeing his dad. 'He is only four. He was confused. He was taken by someone who he has never seen before in his life.' Kenzie was driven to social services offices before the mistake was discovered. Kenzie was driven to social services offices before the mistake was discovered. Hull City Council (pictured) and the school and now investigating . It has since been confirmed the social worker was at the school to take one of the other children on an access visit to see their father. Mr Jubb said: 'The head has apologised and said she has spoken to all the teachers involved. 'They have all re-read the policies for this and the school assured me they were going to change those policies. 'This has been a bit of a wake-up for them. 'They are going to change the policy, so they know the children are going out with someone they know. 'We are going to be contacted by people from safeguarding who will explain what has gone on and how things are going to change.' Hull City Council confirmed a joint investigation will take place between themselves and the school. John Readman, director of children’s services, said: 'This incident should not have occurred. 'Both the school and the local authority have apologised personally to the families involved for the distress this must have caused. 'Importantly, the child was at all times supervised by an experienced member of staff. 'All staff that work directly with children are subject to enhanced CRB checks and required to carry identification, as in this case. 'We now need to understand exactly what happened in this instance and ensure that correct procedures are followed at all times . 'The school and the local authority are jointly investigating the incident.' | Four-year-old Kenzie Joe Jubb, who has no dealings with social services, was removed from his nursery classroom .
He was sent with a stranger to ‘see his father’ along with a two-year-old girl they mistakenly thought was his sister .
Kenzie was driven to social services offices before teachers realised the error . |
65,714 | ba915dfe6ccaa8b43fd42fd4ad3ef71744486d6f | Barack Obama's controversial Israel policy was today blamed for a stunning Republican election victory in a Democrat stronghold which is 40% Jewish. In a devastating turnaround, Bob Turner last night became the first Republican to win New York's ninth congressional district since 1920. A special election was held in New York . City for Anthony Weiner's seat after he was forced to quit over Twitter . 'sexting' in June. Experts say the loss was New York giving President Barack Obama a bloody nose. Victory: Republican Bob Turner, centre, with his wife Peggy after winning the poll . Popular: The Crowd cheers Mr Turner as the Republicans celebrated an unexpected victory . Anthony Weiner speaking to the press in June after the scandal broke . Mr Turner, a retired media executive who called the election a repudiation of Mr Obama, won by six points - . 53 per cent to 47 per cent. This is despite Democrats outnumbering . Republicans in the area by three to one, a ratio that should have . assured a win for candidate David Weprin. According to the New York Times, Turner . took advantage of discontent among the Jewish community with Obama’s . policy toward Israel and the Middle East peace process. Mr Obama has been seen as taking a hard line stance towards Israel, opposing settlement building and putting pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during peace talks. In doing so he has faced heavy criticism and accusations from the Jewish community that he is appeasing Arab countries in order to change the regional balance of power. Former Mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat, endorsed Turner in July as a way to 'send a message' to Obama on his policies toward Israel. And Weprin was challenged on his support of a proposed Islamic center and mosque near the World Trade Center site, in lower Manhattan. The victory is a further set back for Mr Obama who is facing dwindling support as he begins his campaign for re-election next year. The president, who has seen his approval ratings plunge to 44 per cent, is trying to shore up confidence in his leadership which has been battered by the economic crisis. Last week, he unveiled a $450billion package of tax cuts and spending plans aimed at creating jobs and encouraging growth. The election result came as a new . poll showed Mr Obama's approval rating has fallen below 50 per cent in . California, a state assumed to be an easy win for him next year. He carried California in the 2008 . election but Field Poll findings show people there disapprove of his . handling of the economy and just 46 per cent now say they support his . performance as president. It . is the first time since Mr Obama took office that his approval rating . has slipped below 50 per cent in the poll and it has fallen down 8 per . cent since June. David Weprin (left) lost to Bob Turner despite Democrats outnumbering Republicans by three to one in the area. The defeat is a huge blow for Barack Obama . Republican Bob Turner 53% . Democrat David Weprin 47% . (With 75% of precincts declared . After winning, Mr Turner said: 'We've . been asked by the people of this district to send a message to . Washington and I hope they hear it loud and clear. We're ready to say . "Mr President, we are on the wrong track."' He . said he had entered politics because he was 'fed up' with overspending . in Washington and has called for deep cuts in the federal budget. Mr . Weprin's attempt to portray his opponent as part of the Tea Party, which . wants smaller government and lower taxes and is unpopular with many . liberal New Yorkers, failed. He . had raised $500,000 for his campaign compared to Mr Turner's $200,000 . and in recent days former president Bill Clinton was among those urging . Democrats to turn out. The . Republicans also won in another special election in Nevada, taking the . Republican majority in the House of Representatives to 242-192. Mr Weiner's wife Huma Abedin, pictured in August (left), is pregnant: The pair have been married for a year . Scandal: The then Congressman Weiner sent explicit pictures of himself on Twitter. Steve Israel, chairman of the . Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, issued a statement playing . down the importance of Turner's victory. 'The . results ... are not reflective of what will happen in November 2012 . when Democratic challengers run against Republican incumbents who voted . to end Medicare and cut Social Security while protecting tax loopholes . for big corporations and the ultra wealthy,' he said . Mr . Weiner, who had been in Congress for seven years, resigned in June . after sending sexually provocative messages to women he contacted . online. He had . initially denied the photograph was of him but later admitted it was and . apologised for 'the embarrassment that I have caused'. The . politician was a Democratic firebrand known for passionate speeches in . support of healthcare reform and other issues dear to liberals. His wife Huma Abedin, an aide to Hillary Clinton, stood by him despite the scandal and is six-months pregnant with a baby boy. Mr Webrin spend time on an 'intense' rehab programme to help treat his 'sexting' addiction after the scandal broke. Barack Obama's support levels have fallen amid fears for the economy . | Winner had repeatedly criticised Obama's policy on Israel .
First Republican to win in district that is 40% Jewish .
Turner declares: 'This is a message for Washington'
New poll shows plunge in Obama's rating in California . |
225,078 | af775238043a6db6a48520cdf59b5cb899000b8a | (CNN) -- A JetBlue plane was diverted to Orlando on Wednesday after an emergency evacuation slide opened in flight, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. No injuries were reported. The slide opened on JetBlue Flight 1266, which was scheduled to fly from Fort Myers, Florida, to Boston, the FAA said. The Embraer E-190 aircraft made a safe landing at the Orlando International Airport around 3:40 p.m. ET. It was not immediately clear what caused the slide to deploy into the aircraft cabin. There were 73 passengers and four crew members on board at the time of the incident, according to JetBlue. The aircraft was taken out of service for inspection. The National Transportation and Safety Board said it was aware of what happened and looking into it. It will decide whether to investigate based on what it learns. CNN's John Branch contributed to this report. | NEW: 77 people were on board at the time of the incident .
The plane makes a safe landing at the Orlando International Airport .
No injuries are reported .
It's not immediately clear what caused the slide to open . |
111,244 | 1b71a93df49e263f7dfa7b90899690817d85f8ed | In the midst of a foul-mouthed tirade in a London cinema, Tyson Fury has struck a side bet with Dereck Chisora as to who will win their world heavyweight title eliminator in Manchester on Saturday week. Whether the bet is for £10,000, £100,000 or winner takes all the purse was unclear amid the four-letter mayhem. What is certain is that British boxing has taken its first steps down from the honourable peak reached with Carl Froch's victory over George Groves in front of 80,000 people at Wembley. VIDEO Scroll down for Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury make £100,000 side bet . Verbal sparring: Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury go head-to-head at a press conference ahead of their fight . Getting nasty: Chisora and Fury were happy to trade insults during their meeting in London . Put it there: Chisora and Fury shake hands on a £10,000 side-bet during the press conference . Close up: Chisora and Fury stare each other down as they shake on their side bet . Fury's descent into the f-word, the c-word, the s-word and every other initial word imaginable was accompanied by a gutter of gross sexual references and insults. In most other sports the Manchester giant of the prize ring would be facing either a ban or a heavy fine for bringing the game into disrepute. Boxing tends to turn a blind eye to what is considered to be promotional activity, as it has done with similar outbursts at previous events during the build-up for this particular encounter. At one, in Manchester, Fury was busy swearing and turning over tables. The stage is set: Fury and Chisora attend a press conference at a west London cinema . Londoner Chisora managed to remain largely restrained in the face of unpleasant mocking of his manhood but was the first to provoke a wager. He shouted: 'I bet you 10 grand I knock you out.' Fury responded: '10 grand is chump money to me. I give the kids that to go to the shops. Make it winner takes all... or at least 100 grand.' Chisora charged forward and said: 'OK, let's shake on it.' Fighting talk: Chisora and Fury exchanged insults during a press conference and made a side bet worth £10,000 to the winner . Foul language: Fury was not to concerned about his words as he traded insults with Chisora . The clasping of hands was as near as Fury came to civilised behaviour but was still an ugly, tugging and shoving affair. British Boxing Board of Control regulations forbid fighters from betting on the sport with bookmakers but side stakes are permitted. Chisora lost his personal wager with David Haye and after being knocked out at West Ham's Upton Park stadium paid the £20,000 to charity. As the profanities continued, Chisora said: 'I must apologise on behalf of my opponent for his language.' Fury gave this angry retort: 'I don't give a f*** how many women and children are in the audience. We're getting near to the fight and I'm in fight mode, kill mode.' That is just a sample of how unsavoury it was. Each promised to knock the other out and be the one to go on to challenge Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO heavyweight title. That could be sometime in the making, although whether the high class Klitschko camp will want to involve themselves in such shenanigans has to be open to question. Promoter Frank Warren, who is also Chisora's manager, has been going to considerable lengths to sell the July 26 spectacle in Manchester at a time when the run-up to this rematch has been overshadowed by the World Cup finals. But he moved to end quickly this last head-to-head meeting in London. Warren said: 'It's not easy getting all of this together with so much interest in the World Cup but we're getting there.' This fracas in a west London cinema was not of his making. Whether or not it boosts ticket sales and television subscriptions, it is not much help for the image of boxing. Fury vs Chisora will be televised live on BoxNation on Saturday July 26 . | Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury involved in foul mouthed press conference ahead of heavyweight showdown .
Domestic rivals meet in Manchester on July 26 .
Chisora and Fury make side bet on outcome of the fight . |
49,954 | 8d414c31833e291a70f2d9fa019def7f8d714c36 | By . Adam Shergold , Emma Reynolds and Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 04:43 EST, 25 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:48 EST, 27 November 2012 . A second man has been arrested in north London on suspicion of raping an 11-year-old girl who was attacked in a park on her way home from school. The man, aged 18, was arrested in Edmonton and is being held in custody at a nearby police station following the two hour assault in nearby Enfield, which left the girl needing surgery. His arrest follows that of a 26-year-old man who was detained yesterday but later released on bail pending further investigation. Scene of the attack: A police car patrols outside Jubilee Park in Enfield, where an 11-year-old girl was subjected to a 'brutal' sexual assault on Friday evening . Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the attack. The girl was raped as she walked home along a busy shortcut after getting off a bus on Friday afternoon. She realised she was being followed and tried to zig-zag across the . road, but the attacker grabbed her and pulled her into Jubilee Park, . where the assault took place. The victim finally got home around 8pm and told her distressed parents what had happened and they took her to hospital. The park lies opposite a row of smart houses in the affluent north London suburb. Police are still appealing for witnesses, with up to 60 officers working on the investigation. Detective Inspector Simon Ellershaw, who is leading the investigation for the Sapphire Command, said: 'It’s a brutal attack on a defenceless 11-year-old girl. It doesn’t need me to say how serious an attack this is. 'This was a horrific and unusual attack of a defenceless school girl making her way home via her usual route, along one of Enfield’s busiest shortcuts, at the beginning of Friday afternoon rush-hour. 'She says the attack happened for some considerable time - possibly in the region of two to three hours. Violence: This section of the park was closed off as police searched for clues following the attack shortly after 4.15pm on Friday . 'I am appealing to motorists, pedestrians and any one who may have been using the park between 16.45hrs-20.00hrs, who may have seen a man following a girl in school uniform, to contact us. 'An extensive search of the park is underway and local officers are conducting house-to-house enquiries, and we have already been receiving helpful information from members of the public. 'Given the significant and unaccounted amount of time between the incident and the victim’s arrival home, we are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have seen her possibly appearing confused or dishevelled following her ordeal. 'All calls will be treated in the utmost confidence.' He said the girl was being supported by her family and they are hoping she will make a full recovery. Local residents spoke of their disbelief that such an attack had happened within yards of commuters walking home. Terrifying assault: The girl finally reached home at 8pm and was taken to hospital for surgery . Lewis Francis, 28, said: ‘I imagine . the poor girl’s family must have thought it would be safe for her to . walk home in the afternoon from the bus stop because lots of people are . about at that time. ‘People I know are not going to let their children walk to school alone now – at least not until he is caught.’ Officers from Scotland Yard’s Sapphire . Unit, which investigates rape and sexual assault in the capital, have . interviewed the victim in hospital. Chief Inspector Taylor Wilson, based at Enfield, said: 'Over the course of the weekend police have been working using every resource available to support the victim, identify the suspect and provide a police response to increase confidence and provide reassurance to residents. 'Although this is an isolated and extremely rare incident, we are treating this with the utmost seriousness. Tracing the attacker: Police have also arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of rape . 'A number of specific reassurance measures have been put in place by Enfield Police. 'With immediate effect, officers have increased patrols at Jubilee Park and other parks within the borough. There will be a high visibility police presence around schools, and we are in close liaison with key partner agencies and to keep our communities, especially parents and pupils, fully informed of any developments. 'The investigation is being run by a specialised unit from Edmonton Police Station. 'They are working hard identify the suspect and offer dedicated support to the victim and her family.' A spokesman for Enfield council said that the park gates were locked at 4.50pm on Friday, meaning the pair may have been locked in the park together. He said: 'While the thoughts of the entire council are with the victim of this horrific crime and her family, it is worth bearing in mind that parks by their very nature are designed to be accessible and it is extremely difficult to prevent access to people determined to break into them. 'We take all crime extremely seriously and our parks police work closely with friends of parks groups and park users to deal with any concerns raised in relation to safety in our parks. 'We will be co-operating fully with the police in an effort to bring the perpetrator of this horrific crime to justice and would urge anyone with information to ring the police.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | The girl, wearing school uniform, was attacked in Jubilee Park, Enfield on Friday evening after getting off the school bus .
The arrest of the man in Edmonton, north London, follows that of a 26-year-old man who was earlier released on police bail .
Any witnesses or anyone with information that could assist police should call the incident room on 020 8345 4326 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. |
276,372 | f2159e7f502ec268adf19f2c1c599ca50c90eb03 | By . Gerard Couzens . A mother stabbed her ten-month-old baby to death in hospital before trying to commit suicide after losing a custody of the child and going on the run. Katharina Katit-Staheli, 40, fled her home in Switzerland with son Dylan, who suffered from hydrocephalus, also known as water on the brain, but had been captured by Police in Spain . Officers had taken her to hospital where it is believed she managed to get hold of a knife which she used to stab the child. Katharina Katit-Staheli, 40, stabbed her son Dylan to death after losing a custody battle and going on the run . The horrific incident happened . just hours after the pair had been tracked down to the town of . Torrevieja near Alicante by officers searching for them with an . international arrest warrant. Spanish police had put out a public appeal for information on their whereabouts just 48 hours earlier after the child's father reported them missing. Guardia Civil officers took him to hospital after discovering them in a shopping centre in Torrevieja around 7pm yesterday/on Wednesday. Dylan was attacked just before midnight at the town hospital. An early report said he had been smothered before the mother - who no longer had legal custody of the child - was stopped as she slashed her throat with the same knife. But a police source today confirmed the child had been stabbed to death - although he said a judicial secrecy order prevented him from giving out more details. It was not immediately clear if the woman was under police guard when the incident occurred or if a police officer was keeping watch on the room mum and son were in. The police source, who asked not to be named, said: 'I can confirm the child we were searching for has been killed in hospital and his mother - who is the sole suspect - subsequently tried to commit suicide. 'The child was stabbed to death. There's obviously going to be an investigation now into what happened because she had only been tracked down and arrested hours earlier following an international appeal.' Police in Zurich had offered a reward of £2080 for information on Katharina and Dylan's whereabouts. They were last seen on December 24 and are believed to have left Switzerland in a black Jeep Gran Cherokee. A court spokesman said: 'A judge is investigating the circumstances surrounding the violent death of a 10-month-old baby discovered in Torrevieja with its mother who was the subject of an international arrest warrant. 'The mother of the child remains in hospital and is under police guard.' | Katharina Katit-Staheli stabbed son Dylan at a hospital near Alicante .
She then reportedly attempted to commit suicide .
It is believed she managed to get hold of the knife in hospital .
She had been on the run with the child since December 24 . |
141,671 | 43352a0d1d6e1df5f49c126f3130d0ab67cba64b | By . Caroline Graham . Peter Sellers's daughter has revealed how a visit to a psychic persuaded her to forgive the comedian after he apologised for excluding her from his will. When the Pink Panther and Goons star died of a heart attack in 1980, aged 54, he left the bulk of his £5.5million fortune to his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick, whom Victoria ‘loathed’ and Sellers was divorcing. Victoria, his only child with his second wife Britt Ekland, was left just £800 – with a further £10,000 for her education. Victoria with her father in Monte Carol in 1968. When the Pink Panther and Goons star died of a heart attack in 1980, aged 54, he left Victoria, his only child just £800 . The actor’s estate, valued at £20million today, ended up going to Frederick’s young daughter, Cassie Unger, the product of a later marriage to Californian heart doctor Barry Unger, after her mother drank herself to death in 1994. It was only after Victoria, 49, visited a psychic last November that she came to terms with her father’s decision. ‘What happened was so profound I couldn’t ignore it,’ she said. ‘The guy didn’t know who I was. I went there with a folder, which I kept closed, which had a picture of me, Dad, my Swedish grandma and a couple of letters from my father written on his favourite Gucci notepaper. Peter Sellers pictured with fourth wife Lynn Frederick in 1978. He left the bulk of his £5.5million fortune to his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick, whom Victoria 'loathed' Peter Sellers married Britt Ekland in February 1964. Victoria, his only child with Britt, was born in January 1965 . A scene from the film 'The Pink Panther' (1963) starring Peter Sellers . ‘The medium said my father wanted to apologise. He said Dad was proud of me for surviving what I’d been through and that none of it had been meant to happen, that he was sorry. ‘People might think I’m nuts but it was what I needed to hear. After all these years it was time to let go of the anger. I sobbed my heart out. ‘I went home and took out photographs of him that I’d kept hidden away for years. I looked up and said, “It’s OK Dad, we’re good.” ’ Victoria rents a room in West Hollywood and works at a restaurant. After a lifelong battle with alcohol and drug addiction, she has been clean for three years. She had two half-siblings, Sarah and Michael, from her father’s first marriage to actress Anne Howe. Sarah shuns the limelight, running a teddy bear shop in London, while Michael died in 2006, aged 52. Victoria . said: ‘They missed out on the legacy, too. Dad’s will didn’t just hurt . me, it hurt the whole family. We never contested it because under . British law you can only contest a will if you are left nothing. We were . left a paltry amount.’ Victoria would like to come to an agreement with Unger, who controls the Sellers fortune, including the rights to his name. She . said: ‘Cassie can keep all Dad’s millions. All I want is the right to . use my father’s name. It belongs to us, his family. And there are home . movies of me and Dad I’ve never seen. I’ve given up on wanting any . money. But I’d love to see those movies.’ Victoria Sellers has come to terms with being virtually ignored in her father's will . | The Goons and Pink Panther star died of a heart attack in July 1980, aged 54 .
He left the bulk of his £5.5million fortune to his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick .
Victoria was left just £800 – with a further £10,000 for her education .
Lynn Frederick was briefly married to David Frost and became an alcoholic . |
60,201 | ab16a4decc3c87215def0038e053f90e37913c80 | (CNN) -- John Brennan says he did not go to the Portland International Airport intending to get naked. But after feeling harassed by airport screeners Tuesday, the 50-year-old Portland, Oregon, man stripped off his clothes in a protest that brought him even more attention from airport authorities, national headlines and a short stint in jail. "I just took off my clothes and said 'See, I don't have any explosives,'" Brennan told CNN on Wednesday. "The individuals at TSA are just doing their job and the whole organization needs to find a balance between safety and privacy . They use fear and intimidation and it's got to stop somewhere." The Transportation Security Administration had a different take on the incident. "TSA partners with the traveling public to screen all passengers safely and efficiently. When a passenger chooses to be purposefully disruptive, we notify law enforcement," the organization said in a statement. Brennan said he lives in Portland and was traveling to San Jose, California, for business. After he went through the metal detector and was patted down, a screener told him he tested positive for explosives, he said. Brennan said he felt "humiliated," and decided to take off all his clothes. He is no stranger to naked protest as he has participated in a nude bike ride in Portland, he said. "I am aware that's a tool I can use for free speech," he said. "I know that as an Oregonian and as a citizen, one of my ways of expressing myself is being naked. It gets people's attention." And it did. Police said some passengers shielded their children's eyes, while others laughed and snapped photos. TSA officials called police. Brennan was handcuffed and walked back to a holding room while officers draped a blanket on him. He was taken to a county jail, and now faces charges of disorderly conduct and indecent exposure. Brennan says it was worth it. "I'm choosing liberty because my privacy and constitutional liberties are worth fighting for," he said. | The man is charged with disorderly conduct and indecent exposure .
"As a citizen one of my ways of expressing myself is being naked," Brennan says .
TSA: When a passenger chooses to be purposefully disruptive, we notify police . |
225,024 | af62370ff3a1bcc00c04d77b90c085c886fbf064 | By . Louise Boyle . Pippa Middleton revealed in her first-ever TV interview that she is extremely close to her sister Kate and spending time with family keeps them 'affixed to the ground'. The 30-year-old told Today that despite her sister's life as a high-profile member of the Royal Family, not much has changed. Pippa said: 'I mean, obviously she has pressures that . she's taken on and things. But we spend a lot of time together. We . still do a lot together as a family. 'And I think that's really the . heart for all of us is having a really close family that we can sort of . be normal with each other, treat each other normally. And that's sort . of kept us all, you know, affixed to the ground.' Scroll down for Pippa's first TV interview . Pippa Middleton pictured on Wednesday during her interview with Today's Matt Lauer. She said her family cope with their new life in the spotlight by spending a lot of time together, which keeps them 'affixed to the ground' Pippa Middleton and her sister Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, pictured in 2012 watching Wimbledon. Pippa told the Today show that she and Kate still have a 'very normal, sisterly relationship' Until now, Pippa, a magazine . columnist and party-planner, has never spoken publicly on her life in the spotlight - or that . bridesmaid's dress which brought her so much attention at the Royal . Wedding in 2011. Miss . Middleton was interviewed by Matt Lauer who had flown to London . to speak with her for a two-part segment to be aired on Monday and . Tuesday on NBC. Lauer asked Pippa if she is still able to call Kate anytime for 'girl talk'. She said: 'Yeah. Yeah, we do we have a very normal, sisterly relationship. We're very close. And, you know, we support each other and get each other's opinions and things.' We do we have a very normal, . sisterly relationship. We're very close. And, you know, we support each . other and get each other's opinions and things. Pippa on Kate . The Today host asked Pippa about her impressions of the U.S. during a . marathon, 3,000-mile cycle across the U.S. with her brother James earlier this month to raise money for charity. 'Through the trip it was just amazing to go through so many different states and just see the diversity of the landscape, the countryside - it's huge,' she replied. 'I love it - It's very friendly, very welcoming. And we felt that the entire way. And the scenery was incredible. And I think that what lifted our spirits when it really hurt, sort of grinding on the bike, was to see everything around us. From the mountains, the desert-- through the flat plains of Kansas.' Pippa Middleton is allegedly being . offered a correspondent's job with NBC following her first ever TV . interview, it was revealed on Thursday. Sources told the New York Post . that NBC had been after an interview with Pippa for a while and is set . to offer her a correspondent's role, appearing in special reports. 'The . heart for all of us is having a really close family that we can sort of . be normal with each other, treat each other normally. And that's sort . of kept us all, you know, affixed to the ground.' Pippa on how the Middletons are surviving fame . It is not thought that Prince William's sister-in-law would report on the Royal Family as the subject is deemed off-limits. In . 2012, it was reported that NBC would offer Pippa, a freelance writer . and party planner, $600,000 to be a royal correspondent but this was . denied by the network. A source told the Post: 'Pippa could do reports based on her party planning book or her charity work.' Miss Middleton was dropped by her American publisher Viking Press earlier this year after her . party-planning book Celebrate sold just 18,000 copies. It . was announced in May that Pippa had been dropped as a columnist for The . Daily Telegraph after just six months. She still writes for Vanity Fair . and is associated with the supermarket Waitrose. Clarence House refused to comment on the rumors today as Miss Middleton is not a member of the Royal Family. MailOnline was today told the claims were not true, while a spokesman told the Post that the rumor was '100 per cent not true'. Pippa joked with Lauer as they drank tea during the exclusive TV interview which is due to be aired on Monday and Tuesday next week . Pippa Middleton, pictured with her brother James and sitting behind Downton Abbey actress Michelle Dockery, watching tennis today at Centre Court, Wimbledon . She had appeared briefly on camera for the Today show with Lauer on Wednesday as the pair had just finished taping the full interview. Lauer joked that he had to catch an . overnight flight to London for his hour-long chat with Pippa, to which . she responded: 'I hate to say it but I was actually in America last . week.' Pippa, who looked immaculate with pared down make-up and a . glossy blow-dry, giggled at Lauer's feigned protests, adding: 'Sorry.' The pair chatted over a cup of tea at an outdoor table in a sunny London garden. Miss . Middleton, looking tanned in a low-cut white shirt with jeans and . tasteful gold jewellery, said very little during the minute-long clip . except to add: 'I was on my bike.' Pippa and James Middleton along with four other men had . set off from California last week on the Race Across America with the . aim of crossing 12 states to raise money for charity. Pippa Middleton leaves Centre Court at Wimbledon on Thursday after watching from the Royal Box as Rafael Nadal beat Lukas Rosol . Pippa Middleton pictured at the start of her 3,000-mile charity bike race in Oceanside, California on June 14 along with her brother James. She described the U.S. as 'huge' and 'very welcoming' They . cycled through California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, . Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. After finishing, Pippa, 30, who is dating stockbroker Nico Jackson, described the experience as 'brilliant'. Asked . if she had suffered saddle sores, she laughed and said: 'It wasn't too . bad. I think it was because I chose a particularly comfy saddle.' Challenges . don't stop there for the Celebrate author - she is soon to be on her . way to Istanbul to take on the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Race, a 6.5km . historical swim that crosses from Europe to Asia. Kate Middleton waves to the crowds on her wedding day to Prince William in 2011 as her sister Pippa holds her train wearing that much-discussed bridesmaid dress . | Pippa said her family was very close and normal with each other, keeping them 'affixed to the ground'
The 30-year-old magazine columnist has never spoken publicly on her life as the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge .
She said that she and Kate 'support each other and get each other's opinions and things'
The party planner recently completed a 3,000-mile charity bike ride across the U.S. - she described the country as 'huge' and 'very welcoming'
Pippa told Today's Matt Lauer: 'The scenery was incredible... From the mountains, the .
desert - through the flat plains of Kansas'
Sources said NBC is set to offer freelance writer Pippa a 'special correspondent's role' |
92,333 | 02c100034586904fed472d864e5bc51467851cb3 | By . James Gordon . It was the time of her life he wanted to capture forever and when Justin Sylvester's wife became pregnant for the second time, he wanted to savour the moment with a photo shoot. However, his wife refused to pose before the camera, so the 31-year-old Austin insurance consultant decide to organize a photo shoot for himself. It wasn't just any point-and-shoot affair. Instead, Mr Sylvester struck the familiar poses of those taken by countless pregnant woman - and presumably the kind he would have liked his wife to mimic. Striking a pose: Justin Sylvester, an Austin insurance consultant, and his wife are expecting their second child. He wanted his wife to commemorate the big event with photos, but she said no . Manternity: Sylvester decided he, and his beer belly, would stand in for some maternity photos . Of course, Mr Sylvester's belly isn't from pregnancy or any health condition of any kind, but beer. With the help of Austin photographer Kerri Lohmeier, Mr Sylvester and his 'manternity' photos are now famous after going viral on the Internet. Lohmeier has been shooting traditional maternity photos for about four years but had never done a man-ternity shoot before. While her typical photo shoots are serious, she and Mr Sylvester couldn’t keep a straight face for this one. Cravings? With the help of Austin photographer Kerri Lohmeier, Sylvester and his beer belly are now famous, as the photos went viral on the Internet . Seeing double: So many husbands have taken a pose where they are seen to be kissing their partners pregnant stomach, but hear Justin Sylvester doubles up! Sylvester is featured in a wide range of poses, trying to emulate what a photo shoot might have looked with his pregnant wife. Posing in just Superman underwear the man is seen eating ice cream and gazing lovingly at his round belly. The hilarious pictures show him proudly pushing out his belly while striking popular expectant mother poses. 'I call my Facebook feed 'Babybook,' because it's filled with nothing but people having babies and maternity pics,' he told People. Pushing it out: Justin said that pushing his stomach out for half an hour in the way that he did, actually began to hurt after a while . Familiar? Sylvester is featured in a wide range of poses, trying to emulate what a photo shoot might have looked with his pregnant wife . 'I asked my wife, Meghan, if she wanted to take maternity pictures,she is nine months pregnant and due any day now. She didn't take them for our first child, and said she didn't want to now. When I sat back down I said, 'Screw it, I'll hire my own photographer and do it myself.' 'It was too hysterical,' says photographer Kerri Lohmeier of Harley K Photography. Getting the photos just right meant Sylvester had to stick out his belly for about a half-hour. 'It hurts your stomach to stick it out for that long,' he told Austin360. Sweet tooth: Mr Sylvester eats straight from a tub as his pregnancy causes massive cravings! How he really is: See, he doesn't have a beer belly at all! 'After the shoot, my stomach and lower back hurt — for 30 minutes I realized what it might be like to be pregnant.' In one photo, Ms Lohmeier even managed to manipulate the picture to show Sylvester kissing his own belly bump - just as so many loving husbands have done to their wives. Sylvester says his wife was in tears, laughing so hard when she received her gift. And while all the attention was a surprise, he says his friends and family weren’t necessarily shocked by the photos. 'They all know me and my sense of humor,' he says. | Justin Sylvester, 31, wanted a maternity photo-shoot for his wife but she refused .
The insurance consultant is seen in a variety of pregnant-like poses thanks to his beer belly . |
237,641 | bf93a76a40de86266cfe21f85eff0b614900f75d | (CNN) -- Police arrested a woman Friday who they said accepted stolen beer from a delivery truck driven by the man who killed eight people and then himself in Connecticut this week. East Windsor, Connecticut, police arrested Christy Quail, 33, and charged her with sixth-degree larceny after getting a videotape showing her accepting beer from a truck driven by Omar Thornton, according to dispatcher Sharon Bourke. Thornton went on a shooting rampage Tuesday after his employer, Hartford Distributors, said it had asked him to resign for stealing and selling alcoholic beverages. Thornton is not clearly shown in the videotape, which police are not releasing to the news media, Bourke said. Thornton's girlfriend told CNN he was being racially harassed at work, but Hartford Distributors' president said Thursday that there were no grievances filed with the company or with Thornton's union. The company said it hired a private investigator to follow and videotape Thornton for several weeks after it was suspected he was stealing from his truck, according to CNN Hartford affiliate WFSB. Quail was processed at the East Windsor Police Department on Friday and released on bond, Bourke said. Her court date is set for August 17. CNN's Meg Miller contributed to this report. | Police say they have a videotape of the woman accepting stolen beer .
The Connecticut shooter is not clearly visible in tape .
Omar Thornton's employer said it asked him to resign for stealing and selling its beverages . |
207,803 | 990c1f49cc711ff1b963d4d869b5ebec6d936c70 | (CNN) -- Jonathan Winters, the wildly inventive actor and comedian who appeared in such films as "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and "The Loved One" and played Robin Williams' son on the TV show "Mork & Mindy," has died. He was 87. Winters died Thursday evening of natural causes at his home in Montecito, California, according to business associate Joe Petro III. Winters was known for his comic irreverence, switching characters the way other people flick on light switches. His routines were full of non sequiturs and surreal jokes. Williams, in particular, often credited him as a great influence. "First he was my idol, then he was my mentor and amazing friend," tweeted Williams. "I'll miss him huge. He was my Comedy Buddha. Long live the Buddha." Winters, who was widely admired by comedians in general, was awarded the Mark Twain Prize -- which goes to outstanding humorists -- in 1999. "Genius" was a common touchstone as comedians reacted to Winters' death. "R.I.P Jonathan Winters," tweeted comedian and filmmaker Albert Brooks. "Beyond funny, he invented a new category of comedic genius." "Had a great run. Actual genius," tweeted Kevin Pollak. "A genius and the greatest improvisational comedian of all time," tweeted Richard Lewis. Gottfried: Jonathan Winters was mad brilliant . Though he never had a breakout starring role, over the years his appearances on TV shows made him a beloved figure in the entertainment world. He was a favorite guest on "The Tonight Show" -- particularly in the early '60s when Jack Paar hosted it -- and turned up on the game show "The Hollywood Squares," Dean Martin's celebrity roasts and countless variety shows. He told the Archive of American Television about the creation of his character Maude Frickert, the sarcastic old lady, who came from a relative he had. "I decided, having seen a lot of older people, that many of them are shelved -- put in retirement homes to rot," he said. "I decided to (be) a hip old lady" -- one who had a wicked sense of humor, the kind of person who was married 12 times and cracked a whip in a ward of cardiac patients. Other characters included Elwood P. Suggins, B.B. Bindlestiff and Lance Loveguard. He had a regular role on the final season of "Mork & Mindy," putting him together with Williams, who played the space visitor Mork from Ork. Winters played Mearth, Mork's son, who -- having hatched from a giant egg -- was the size of an adult but had the mind of a child. The attempted pairing of Williams and Winters was expected to create comic fireworks, but the show's already falling ratings didn't pick up, and "Mork & Mindy" was canceled in 1982. Winters showed his range with the occasional dramatic role. In an episode of "The Twilight Zone," he played a shark-like pool player. In the 1994 film "The Shadow" -- with Alec Baldwin as the hero with the ability to cloud men's minds -- he played Baldwin's police chief uncle. He was also a prolific recording artist, producing more than a dozen comedy records, including 1960's "The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters." Winters was born November 11, 1925, in Dayton, Ohio. He developed his talent for characters and voices from a young age. After serving in World War II, he married his wife, Eileen, in 1948 and hoped to become an artist. That career went nowhere, but his wife encouraged him to enter a talent contest. His win there earned him a position as a disc jockey on a local radio station, making up some of his interviewees. Eventually he left for New York, becoming a nightclub comic and earning spots on "The Tonight Show." In 1961, Winters suffered a nervous breakdown. He spent eight months in a mental institution and was diagnosed as bipolar. "It was one of the toughest times in my life," he told the Archive of American Television. But when he got out -- on April Fools' Day, 1962 -- he almost immediately got a call from director Stanley Kramer, offering him a role in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." Kramer was one of the most highly regarded directors in Hollywood, known for "The Defiant Ones" and "Judgment at Nuremberg." He was reluctant about taking the role until his wife pushed him. "You'd better take it, because you'll never work again if you don't take it," he recalled her saying. In the 1963 film, filled with comedy all-stars, Winters stood out as a truck driver who destroys a gas station. He was, many agreed, one of a kind. "The first time I saw Jonathan Winters perform, I thought I might as well quit the business," tweeted Dick Van Dyke after hearing of Winters' death. "Because, I could never be as brilliant." His wife, Eileen, died in 2009. He is survived by two children and five grandchildren. People we lost in 2013: The lives they lived . | Jonathan Winters, hailed as "genius" of comedy, has died at 87, associate says .
Wildly inventive, Winters influenced generations of comedians .
Robin Williams: "He was my Comedy Buddha"
Winters appeared in several movies, many TV shows . |
27,497 | 4deed49ef7e0bdcb538f2002e0e2d7612def718c | Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize Thursday by talking about war and the limits of non-violence. But he also praised the peacemakers of the past, and said the world can and should still strive for peace. "Let us reach for the world that ought to be," he told the 1,000-member audience at Oslo City Hall. "Clear-eyed, we can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace." The Nobel committee's choice of Obama as this year's laureate sparked controversy, in part because he is a president waging two wars abroad. Obama said force is sometimes necessary, but said that is simply "a recognition of history, the imperfections of man, and the limits of reason." Read a transcript of Obama's acceptance speech . "Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: The United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms," he said. "The service of our men and women in uniform has promoted peace and prosperity from Germany to Korea, and enabled democracy to take hold in places like the Balkans." Waging war is not a way of imposing the will of the United States on the world, he said, but a way of seeking a better future for its people. "The instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace," he said. Preserving the peace in Oslo Thursday came with a price -- $60 million worth of security preparations. Norwegian police said they had more than 2,000 officers on the streets, along with snipers, canine patrols, and helicopters in the air, in the biggest security operation they have ever mounted for a single person. Force can be justified on humanitarian grounds, Obama said, because inaction can tear at the world's conscience and lead to more costly intervention later. But peace can be justified too, he said, and he outlined three ways to build a just and lasting peace in the world. First, Obama suggested the world find a better way to deal with nations like Iran and North Korea that break or ignore rules and laws. "If we want a lasting peace, then the words of the international community must mean something," he said. "Those regimes that break the rules must be held accountable. Sanctions must exact a real price." What did you think of Obama's speech? There should be consequences for countries that "game the system," Obama said -- and that may sometimes mean engagement. But peace, Obama said, "is not merely the absence of visible conflict." He said the world needs to seek a just peace based on inherent human rights. Obama praised pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar, Zimbabweans who voted despite election violence, and pro-democracy protesters in Iran. "It is telling that the leaders of these governments fear the aspirations of their own people more than the power of any nation," Obama said. Obama also defended engagement with such repressive regimes, mentioning President Nixon's trip to China in the 1970s, Pope John Paul II's trip to Poland, and President Reagan's efforts on arms control and talks with the Soviet Union. "There is no simple formula here," he said. "But we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement, pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time." His third point was that peace should be based not only on rights, but also on economic security and opportunity. "True peace is not just freedom from fear, but freedom from want," he said. Development rarely happens without security, and security does not exist in places where people don't have enough food, water, or medicine, he said, adding that it also doesn't exist if people can't aspire to decent education or employment. "The absence of hope can rot a society from within," he said. Another controversial aspect to Obama's selection was the question of what he had done to deserve the prize. He had been in office for only days when he was nominated, and the prize recognizes his work toward peace for most of 2008, largely when he was still a presidential candidate. Some of the protesters outside the awards venue questioned whether Obama should have received the Nobel Prize in the first place, with one sign reading, "Obama: You won it. Now earn it!" Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who joined Obama at a news conference earlier in the day, said the prize was deserved because Obama has provided leadership on key issues facing the world like disarmament, nuclear nonproliferation, and fighting global warming. "I cannot think about anyone else who has done more for peace during the last year than Barack Obama," Stoltenberg said. "It is a well-deserved peace prize and hopefully it is really in the best spirit of Alfred Nobel, because it can contribute in itself to strengthening the efforts of the president to work for peace." Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Nobel prize committee, also said Obama deserved the award. Echoing the title of one of the president's books, Jagland said, "Obama has the audacity of hope and the tenacity to make these hopes come true." Obama, who earlier in the day said he had "no doubt" that others were more deserving of the award, acknowledged those questions early in his acceptance speech. "I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage," he said. "My accomplishments are slight." He said he accepted the prize with "great humility." | NEW: Protesters demonstrate outside venue; Norway spent $60 million on security .
"Instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace," Obama says .
President Obama receives peace prize during ceremony in Oslo, Norway .
Obama acknowledges others may have been more deserving . |
199,858 | 8eb965d134778ed6806d947d1ace3cacf1668260 | Long before the ink had dried on the Senate deal to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling, the writing was already on the wall for the Republican Party: The last three weeks have hurt them. They have borne the brunt of the blame for shutting down the government, and polls show that a large majority of Americans disapprove of the way the Congressional GOP has handled the fight over funding the government and raising the debt ceiling. Shutdown Poll: No winners but GOP bigger loser than Dems . Polls: Time to throw my guy out of Congress? And now, non-partisan political handicappers say the likelihood of Democrats winning the House and maintaining control in the Senate in 2014 has increased. "Republicans have ratcheted up their risk," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of The Rothenberg Political Report. "There is now a plausible case for the midterms being a plus for the Democrats, where I would never said that six months ago." Rothenberg said the GOP is being perceived as "a chaotic, disorganized, confused party" and it is likely that their fundraising numbers will likely begin to slow in the coming months. "Big dollar donors, who are more pragmatic business types, are now worried about where the party is going," he said. "For Democrats, this helps them for 2014 in recruitment, in fundraising and in overall morale." Conservatives and Obamacare . The deal, which the Senate and the House agreed to late on Wednesday, raises the debt ceiling until early next year and reopens the government that has been shut since October 1. The shutdown began because conservative Republicans - emboldened by Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah -- pushed Republican leaders to tie funding the government with significant changes to Obamacare and Democrats refused. Throughout the 16-day shutdown, House Speaker John Boehner and his leadership colleagues listened to their caucus and demanded that President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats come to the negotiating table to make concessions on the presidents sweeping healthcare law. But when Democrats didn't budge -- only agreeing in the end to increase fraud protection on the healthcare program -- Republican leadership was forced to agree to a scaled back deal. In defeat, Boehner may live to fight another day . On top of drawing the ire of a majority of the American people, the back and forth highlighted a noticeable rift in the Republican party: between more pragmatic Republicans and their emboldened tea party colleagues. Poll: Tea Party's favorable numbers take a hit . Texas newspaper longs for Cruz's predecessor . As news of the deal broke, unhappy tea party groups, who saw the deal as a capitulation by the establishment Republicans in Washington, began to bang their primary challenger drum, promising to run against Republicans that didn't back tying Obamacare to the shutdown and debt ceiling. "Congress will feel the repercussions of refusing to negotiate at all and for refusing to live under the same law the forced on the American people," Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots said, who told CNN to expect tea party groups to fervently challenger other Republicans in 2014. "I expect tea party groups will be very active next year," Martin said. And Martin may be right. Just a quick look at Republicans running for reelection in the Senate shows tea party groups are already mobilizing to take on other Republicans. Challenges to incumbents . Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has been a leading critic of Obama's policies on a number of fronts, but in heavily conservative South Carolina, a Republican incumbent can't take anything for granted. Graham faces a crowded primary field against state Sen. Lee Bright, businessman Richard Cash, and PR executive and Citadel graduate Nancy Mace. At this early stage of the race, Graham has the clear advantage in terms of money and organization. But that could change if conservative tea party activists begin to coalesce behind a single "anyone-but-Graham" candidate. The story is similar for Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who is now seeking his third term in 2014. He faces a primary challenge from state Rep. Joe Carr and 2012 Senate candidate Brenda Lenard. Alexander is not a favorite among conservative tea party activists. In August, a coalition of 20 Tennessee tea party and conservative groups sent the Senator an open letter asking him to retire. And the highest profile GOP senate primary of 2014 pits three-term incumbent Mike Enzi of Wyoming against Liz Cheney, the eldest daughter of former Vice President and Wyoming favorite son Dick Cheney. The national party is backing Enzi, while Cheney has the backing of conservative activists. Many in the tea party see these races -- along with races in the House -- as an opportunity. "The Republicans have had five years to try and make some progress in remedying the financial ills that plague our nation's future, and have made little to no progress," the Tea Party Express said in a written statement. "The silver lining in all this is that the 2014 elections are just around the corner and 'We The People' have our chance to tell our leaders exactly how we feel about the 'compromise' reached today." As tea party groups threaten Republican-on-Republican challenges, more moderate Republicans have publicly said that would be a bad idea. "The way to achieve more conservative governance in 2015 is not spending $$ to defeat Republicans in 2014," Tim Miller, the executive director of the America Rising PAC, a Republican research firm, tweeted hours after the Senate deal was reached. Miller told CNN he still sees the political map in 2014 as favorable for Republicans, especially if they focus on beating Democrats on Obamacare and the debt. "We need to take back the Senate and build on our House majority next November," Miller said. "No progress can be made if that objective isn't met." Miller continued: "So I believe GOP and conservative groups interested in advancing a conservative agenda to focus their energy" on defeating vulnerable Democrats in traditionally conservative states and districts. Democrats unified . Rothenberg said these divisions in the Republican Party -- between those seeking primary challenges and those seeking to target Democrats -- need to be worked out before the GOP can comfortably say they will keep control of the House. "At some point, the tea party are going to really want to accomplish stuff," Rothenberg said. "And in order to accomplish stuff, they are going to have to change their views about compromise and negotiations. If to them, victory is taking over an emasculated, weak, unsuccessful Republican Party, if that is what they think victory is, then maybe they can have victory." All of this news, has been music to many Democrats ears, many of whom believe the last three weeks -- and the Republicans fledgling poll numbers around the shutdown -- have made it less likely the those vulnerable Democrats will lose in 2014. Before the shutdown, Jim Manley, a longtime Senate Democratic aide, said the vulnerability of Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Kay Hagan of North Carolina made Democrats losing control of the Senate a possibility. Now, he is far more bullish on his party's chances in both the Senate and House. "I think that for the first time, in light of what has happened, I think for the first time we can honestly take a look at it and question whether it is possible" to keep control of the Senate and win the House, Manley said. "The Republican Party brand is broken and I am not sure if it can be fixed." The key for Democrats, Manley pointed out, was their unity during the government shutdown. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi repeatedly delivered the majority of her caucus against House Republicans piecemeal plans to fund the government, while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did the same in the Senate. "That shows me," Manley said, "that we are not scared of the tea party types like Democrats had been in elections past." Opinion: Five reasons America is still in trouble after shutdown . Opinion: Washington (George) got it right . Frum: Tea party exit would be GOP blessing . | Republicans take brunt of blame for government shutdown, debt fight .
Some handicappers say Democrats have improved their chances in midterms .
Tea party groups expected to be very active next year .
Democrats showed strong unity during Congressional standoff . |
80,335 | e3bf94e6c913873b855df4f87caee0358d532e2b | The son of singer Marvin Gaye is recovering at home after a successful kidney transplant and he has an appearance late last year on Entertainment Tonight to thank for finding a donor. Marvin Gaye III appeared on ET in November after he filed a lawsuit against the writers of Robin Thicke's smash hit, Blurred Lines. In the suit, filed in October, Gaye claimed that Blurred Lines was an illegal rip-off of his father's 1977 funk/disco classic Got to Give It Up. Scroll down for video . Marvin Gaye III appeared on Entertainment Tonight in November after he filed a lawsuit against the writers of Robin Thicke's smash hit, Blurred Lines . When Gaye appeared on ET to discuss the lawsuit, his lawyer David Rudich also put out an appeal out for a new kidney for his client. At that point Gaye had been receiving dialysis for renal failure for three years as a result of hypertension and diabetes. A previous public appeal to find a donor hadn’t met with any success, but his appearance on ET changed all that. Rick Greene of Cincinnati came forward after being moved by Gaye's plea for help. In the lawsuit, filed in October, Gaye III claimed that Blurred Lines was an illegal rip-off of his father's 1977 funk/disco classic Got to Give It Up . A spokeswoman for Gaye said he underwent surgery at UCLA Medical Center last week. ET is currently preparing a follow-up segment to air in the coming weeks. The lawsuit - which remains unresolved - also involved Thicke's co-writers Pharrell Williams and rapper T.I. (real name Clifford Harris Jr.). Strangely, Gaye filed the claim to counter a suit filed last August by Thicke, T.I. and Pharrell in which they asked a judge to declare that the song did not infringe on Gaye's copy written work. The original suit followed internet rumblings that the song bore a striking resemblance to Got to Give It Up. Getting . in first: Co-writers Pharrell, Robin and T.I. lodged a preemptive suit last August asking a judge to rule that they had not copied their hit . Attorney Owen Sloane explained why the plaintiffs filed first, saying, 'They wanted to do a preemptive move. There was a dispute and they could've waited to be sued, but it looks worse if they're on the defending side.' According to Gaye, he may not have even pursued legal action had he not been sued first. 'It didn't even get to that point,' he said. 'They felt the need to jump the gun, so here we are.' He said his lawsuit had one main objective, 'I want to see my father get credit for his work,' he said. Video: Marvin Gaye's son talks Blurred Lines lawsuit and appeals for a new kidney . | Marvin Gaye III is recovering at home after a successful kidney transplant .
Donor Rick Greene of Cincinnati came forward after being moved by Gaye's plea for help on Entertainment Tonight in November .
Gaye was appearing on the show to talk about his lawsuit against Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines .
He claims the song is an illegal rip-off of his father's 1977 funk/disco classic Got to Give It Up .
Gaye had been receiving dialysis for renal failure for more than three years as a result of hypertension and diabetes . |
222,876 | ac8457721eae9bc03d679422899c92ef914bedbd | Anti-Chinese protests in Vietnam have turned violent with demonstrators setting on fire a number of factories in a southern Vietnamese industrial park. Properties in the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) I & II in Binh Duong were targeted Tuesday by thousands of protesters demonstrating over China's deployment of an oil rig into waters that both countries claim as sovereign territory. Reports suggest the demonstrators targeted factories owned by Chinese firms, although CNN received a report that the arson was indiscriminate, with Korean-, Taiwanese- and Japanese-owned properties also torched by the angry mob. Speaking to CNN, the CEO of a foreign-owned factory, who asked not to be named, relayed information from his employees that "600" protestors entered the company's factory building in the park and caused minor damage but did not set it alight. He said that neither local police nor the government were responding to the violence, reportedly claiming that there was nothing they can do to control the situation. A Taiwan-based employee of Asama Bicycles, whose factory was damaged in the riot, told CNN that "all personnel have been evacuated from the factory and we can only learn the situation after the protesters leave the area." The Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement Wednesday, saying that the government had been informed that "a number of foreign companies have been broken into and set on fire." "Singapore views this issue very seriously given our close economic cooperation with Vietnam," the statement read, requesting that "the Vietnamese government to act immediately to restore law and order in the two (parks) before the security situation worsens and investor confidence is undermined." Vietnamese protesters target Chinese embassy . 'China's inherent territory' The destruction of property comes after a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson called on the Vietnamese government to protect Chinese interests in the country. "The Xisha (Paracel) Islands are China's inherent territory," MoFA spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a briefing Monday. "The Chinese company's normal operations fall within China's sovereignty. China ... has required the Vietnamese side to take all necessary measures to protect the safety and lawful rights of Chinese citizens and institutions in Vietnam." The escalating protests come after hundreds of protestors took to the streets in Vietnam over the weekend as the territorial dispute exacerbated relations between the neighboring communist states. Vietnamese officials say Chinese military and civilian ships have been harassing their vessels near the Paracel Islands -- which are controlled by Beijing but claimed by Hanoi -- since the previous Sunday, even accusing the Chinese of repeatedly ramming into them and shooting water cannon. A rally, which drew around a thousand protesters in Hanoi Sunday, focused local ire on the Chinese embassy, while smaller protests in Danang and Ho Chi Minh City echoed the anti-Chinese sentiment emanating from the political capital. While public protests are rare in Vietnam, where the one-party system is wary of public gatherings, there have been several anti-Chinese protests in recent years. That this weekend's actions went ahead unobstructed by police is seen as a sign that the government tacitly approves of the protests. 'Provocative' decision . The U.S. Department of State released a statement last week, calling China's decision to send the oil rig, accompanied by a flotilla of government vessels, "provocative," and an act that "raises tensions." "This unilateral action appears to be part of a broader pattern of Chinese behavior to advance its claims over disputed territory in a manner that undermines peace and stability in the region," the statement said. The language was echoed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a telephone call this week between the diplomat and his Chinese counterpart. It also raised concerns about the conduct of the Chinese vessels in the area, calling some actions by Chinese ships "dangerous." Exclusion zone . Relations between China and Vietnam soured on Friday, when a Chinese platform began drilling for oil near the Paracel Islands. The oil rig, Haiyang Shiyou 981, is owned by state gas and oil company CNOOC. The Maritime Safety Administration of China (MSAC) declared a three-mile exclusion zone around the rig, while military vessels have been deployed to patrol the area. "At present, the number of escorting ships of China has reached 60, including military ships," Tran Duy Hai, Vice Chair of Vietnam's National Boundary Commission, said in a statement Wednesday. "These vessels have intentionally hit and collided with Vietnamese law enforcement ships, including those of the Maritime Police and Fisheries Control, causing damage in human and property." (sic) China maintains that its current drilling activities are legitimate and blames the Vietnamese for provoking the conflict. "The drilling activities of this rig are within China's territorial waters. The harassment by the Vietnamese side is in violation of China's sovereign rights," said Hua Chunying, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She did not confirm the boat collisions. According to CNOOC, a third of China's oil and gas resources are under the South China Sea, most of which it claims as its own, refuting rival claims from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. | Factories in industrial park burned down by anti-Chinese protesters .
China has called on Vietnam to protect Chinese interests in the country .
Vietnamese have been protesting against perceived territorial incursions by China .
Vietnam says Chinese ships have made violent attacks on Vietnamese vessels . |
132,072 | 36ce51a7ff3f306a006312e473e77558281e165a | (CNN) -- Robert Levy, father of the Capitol Hill intern found slain nine years ago in Washington's Rock Creek Park, revealed to The Washington Post recently something he had never shared before but that all parents understand. When he dropped off Chandra, 24, at the Metro a week before she was reported missing, "Something inside of me knew it was going to be the last time I ever saw her. I just wish I had done something." He didn't tell anyone, including his wife, about his misgiving. Not during the investigation of U.S. Rep. Gary Condit, who was having an affair with Chandra. Not when a day laborer from El Salvador was arrested for Chandra's murder. Only now, nine years later, can Robert Levy admit the guilt he still feels. Surely, he knows that he's being irrational. Chandra was living and working in the nation's capital, not a war zone. What was he going to do? Tell her to get back in the car? Do not be embarrassed, Mr. Levy. We all have these feelings about our children. And we rarely act on them. According to Bureau of Justice statistics, violent crimes against Americans 12 and older are at their lowest level in more than three decades. As young people move through their 20s, their victimization rate, already low, declines further. We in the media fail to remind people enough of these things. We sometimes forget such statistics, however, because new and old forms of media feed us a 24-hour-a-day diet of menace and mayhem -- the constancy of which previous generations of parents didn't experience. As Alfred Blumstein, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and criminal justice expert, says, "We're inundated with information about crimes. The more bizarre and horrendous, the more saliency they get." The steady drumbeat of crime pumps up our anxiety that something bad may happen to our child that we could have or should have prevented. Maybe it surfaces the first time we leave our infant with a baby sitter. Or when we give our elementary school-age daughter permission to start walking home from school by herself and she doesn't call us at work the minute she gets there. It's not just criminals we fear. We agree reluctantly to let our 17-year-old son, a newly licensed driver, drive his friends home from soccer practice. It's 8 p.m., he's not home yet and we start to fret. Or we put our college student on an airplane and for a split second think, "What if that thunderstorm they're predicting takes the plane down?" When my grown son went scuba diving for the first time on the Great Barrier Reef, I woke up in the middle of the night worrying that his oxygen tank might fail. Had I talked enough with him about precautions he should take? Did the tour guide know how to reach my husband and I right away should something happen? I told myself, "He's 25, for God's sake." That helped, but not much. We question ourselves less frequently as our children get older, but not a lot less. Why? Daniel Keating, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, suspects there's more to it than media coverage. Parents are more deeply involved in their older children's private lives than previous generations were, he says. College is no longer the "declaration of independence" it used to be, for child or parent, but rather a continuation of credit card charges, daily phone calls and regular texts. We continue to prop up our children long after they actually need us to. It's not surprising, then, that when something bad happens, we assume we could have done something to prevent it. The ability to stay connected round-the-clock may be the clincher. Remember when we were in college and our parents had to phone the front desk of our dorms in the hopes of reaching us? They knew there was a good chance we wouldn't get the message until the next day, if at all. Logistics made it silly, if not useless, for them to worry immediately. With texting and Twitter, Keating says, "We have the technical ability of constant surveillance. This keeps our children constantly in our minds." We need not cut connections, although fewer peeks on Facebook might not be a bad idea. And, says Keating, we need not -- indeed we should not -- repress our fears. Instead, he advises parents to identify the specific event they're afraid of and counter with the evidence that it's really unlikely. "If possible, let it fly away as rapidly as it flew in," he says. The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Laura Sessions Stepp. | Laura Stepp: Robert Levy, Chandra's dad, feared he wouldn't see her again .
He didn't tell anyone, Stepp says, but now acknowledges the guilt he feels .
All parents share fears about losing a child they love, Stepp writes, but don't act .
She says media drumbeat of crime, parents' deeper involvement exacerbate fears . |
128,289 | 31c86a0d5d2fee0511370fd169f362a78a208721 | By . Eleanor Harding . PUBLISHED: . 13:31 EST, 10 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:33 EST, 11 December 2012 . He is the pioneer history often forgets. But Ham was one of the first heroes of the space race – boldly going where no chimp had ever gone before. This rare image, revealed for the first time, was taken of Ham in his capsule during his 17-minute voyage into space. Ham, the first chimp to go into space - paving the way for humans to do the same. this rare pictures of him in his capsule is set to go on sale next week . Ham was the first chimp to make the mission and was only three years old at the time. Ham was originally from Cameroon in Africa and had been a popular attraction at a zoo in Florida before he was recruited by the United States Air Force. His name was taken from the initials of the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center in New Mexico, where he was housed. He later went to live at the National Zoo in Washington for 17 years and died at North Carolina Zoo at the age of 25. He was the first chimp to make the mission – paving the way later for humans to do the same. Ham was only three years old at the time, and made the journey wearing nothing but a nappy and a pressurised suit. Scientists kept track of his progress using an automatic camera which took photographs of his face at regular intervals. Experts at Bloomsbury Auctions, who are selling off the £100 image on December 12, said his serene expression demonstrated Ham's bravery during his mission. Sarah Wheeler, head of photographs, said: ‘He was the first chimp in space. He must have been pretty bewildered but I think he also looks very proud in the photo we have. ‘What’s nice is that Ham survived the trip – unlike some of his contemporaries. 'He lived for many more years and was the star attraction of every zoo he lived in. ‘This photo is a piece of history – and a very important part of history.’ Ham as he arrived back on the recovery ship after his historic mission to make him the first chimp in space . Ham was originally from Cameroon in Africa and had been a popular attraction at a zoo in Florida before he was recruited by the United States Air Force. His name was taken from the initials of the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center in New Mexico, where he was housed. Ham was one of the first animals to survive being launched into space – a Russian predessessor, a dog named Laika, had not been quite so lucky when she orbited the earth in 1957. On January 31, 1961, Ham was launched on Mission MR-2 — but almost immediately there was a hitch and levels began to drop. For six minutes of the flight, Ham was weightless before the capsule splashed down in the Atlantic. But when rescuers reached it, they found him alive and gratefully accepted an apple and half an orange. William Anders Earthrise, taken from Apollo 8 on 24th December 1968, which is expected to make £3,000-5,000 . He later went to live at the National Zoo in Washington for 17 years and died at North Carolina Zoo at the age of 25. The photo of Ham is just one of the lots at Bloomsbury's Astronomy Books and Space Photographs sale, which includes artefacts throughout space history. Also on sale is a £60,000 compendium of illustrated manuscript astronomical texts compiled in Italy, probably in Verona or Bologna around 1470. There are also works by Galileo and photographs taken by Neil Armstrong of Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon. | Image reveals a calm and serene Ham, who was sent into orbit to test the waters for a human .
Iconic picture set to be auctioned next week . |
28,686 | 517064c7afabd6c973f81455bf2c4eec5630a294 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:19 EST, 10 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:38 EST, 11 March 2013 . Critic: Michael Turner QC claims 'screw-ups' over interpreters in UK courts is now 'endemic' A judge and a top barrister have condemned the use of interpreters based in a Polish call centre after trial against a Vietnamese drug king was halted. Judge Richard Bray accused the firm of being 'hopelessly incompetent' when he was unable to sentence the man because no interpreter arrived at Northampton Crown Court. Some of the language experts supplied by Capita Translating and Interpreting from a base in Krakow, cannot even speak fluent English, claim lawyers. Interpreters are used by the Ministry of Justice to help run court cases and deportations involving foreign criminals, but trials are collapsing and case delayed because of problems with the system. Capita staff book them under under a deal that is 'wrecking justice', claims QC Michael Turner. He told the Sunday Express: 'This is merely one example of where the government pretends it's saving money, but in reality it is not. 'It is wrecking the system and screw-ups are now endemic. It is a con on the taxpayer and a con on the victims of crime. ''Interpreters do not turn up or when they do turn up they do not speak the right language or they do not speak English.' He claimed top translators will not work for Capita because of its low pay. In 2011, a five-year contract worth £90 . million was awarded to Applied Language Solutions where it was alleged a . dog was put on the company's register and a cat was invited to an . interview because it was 'an expert' in 'cat language.' ALS was taken over by Capita later that year and uses the Krakow centre to find interpreters for UK courts. A Capita spokesman said its interpreters were properly qualified and vetted. Justice: Trials are collapsing and delayed because of problems with interpreters . | 'It is wrecking the system and screw-ups are now endemic' says QC . |
78,058 | dd45ea9800140d73cc11be1f0f0d9c481b70a442 | By . Scarlett Russell . Classical singer Camilla Kerslake, the girlfriend of England rugby captain Chris Robshaw, is to star in a sexed-up opera and says it's about time the art form was modernised. The 26-year-old, who lives in London with boyfriend Chris, has already forged a career as a singer after being spotted by Take That star Gary Barlow in 2009. Since then she has released an album and sung the national anthem in front of her boyfriend and the crowds ahead of kick-off during last autumn's rugby internationals at Twickenham. Shaking things up: Classical singer Camilla Kerslake, pictured, is to star in a controversial new opera . Now Miss Kerslake is to take on her most controversial role to date after taking a starring role in a controversial new opera which includes plenty of sex, spirituality and plastic surgery. The work is the creation of composer Toni Castells and is due to be performed at this year’s Tête à Tête Festival. ‘It is not a traditional opera. It is a bit more about life and everything - and there are some potentially controversial songs,’ she explains. 'In the modern day things like sex, plastic surgery and spirituality need to be addressed. The classic opera is full of murder and adultery but what we are trying to say is more about modern issues. 'It’s to bring those issues out in the open. There’s a song called "Fake Boobs" which basically says it’s substance over the superficial. 'It is targeting people who are image obsessed who are so perfect on the outside but not so beautiful on the inside.' Rugby ace: Camilla's boyfriend is England rugby captain, Chris Robshaw, who is currently in New Zealand . Risk-taker: 'The classic opera is full of murder and adultery but what we are trying to say is more about modern issues.,' says Camilla, 26, pictured here . The opera, which is called Life from Light and was inspired by a BBC documentary exploring the origins of life on Earth, also boasts some toe-tapping tunes, according to Miss Kerslake. 'I loved the music,' she adds. 'It’s a real mish-mash of genres - you can just enjoy it for what it really is. 'It is basically an expression of human condition and is much more accessible to the average person on the street. This is a really exciting way to make opera more mainstream.' Miss Kerslake will make her Life from Light debut when she performs two songs from the opera at a charity gala in New Zealand on Saturday. Happy couple: During tomorrow's rugby match in Auckland, Camilla will be cheering her man on . Held in support of the Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition, the charity is one that's close to Miss Kerslake's heart, after it helped her mother, Deborah, 51, after she was diagnosed with the disease in 2011. Her appearance at the gala won't prevent her from cheering on her boyfriend Chris Robshaw the next morning however. 'I will be singing at a club at a charity do then dashing to Auckland for the England game before singing at another event the next day,' says Camilla. 'I’m off the plane then to the venue for my charity gig then I’m off the stage and straight onto the bus for the game. I will definitely be cheering on England.' | Camilla Kerslake, 26, from London, was spotted by Take That star in 2009 .
Has sung at matches of boyfriend, England rugby captain, Chris Robshaw .
Will star in controversial opera Life from Light later this year . |
99,297 | 0be2e7818b9e2ba456f6d2e76e59496207e6c848 | Louis van Gaal insists the way forward for Manchester United is to ditch the 4-4-2 formation. If that is the case then it would seem unlikely United will ever win the English league title under their Dutch manager. Why? Just take the Premier League years for a start. Van Gaal, pictured at Loftus Road, has said he twitches his 'ass' on the bench when his play 4-4-2 . Manchester United have often struggled to create while playing Van Gaal's favoured 3-5-2 formation . Fans were heard chanting '4-4-2' during United's 2-0 win against QPR at Loftus Road last weekend . Since its inception in 1992 every title winner - Manchester United, Blackburn, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City - have played with four at the back. Mostly their formations have been 4-4-2, with variations on that theme. In recent seasons there has been a move to 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 and twists to those basic shapes often in the guise of an anchor midfielder. But the bedrock has been the same: four at the back. And, prior to that, no team that won the old First Division did so playing with three at the back on a regular basis. There were occasions in the Eighties and Nineties when Liverpool –Lawrenson. Hansen, Gillespie - and Arsenal – Bould, O’Leary, Adams (and later Keown) did play 3-5-2 on their way to titles, although in the case of the Gunners under George Graham it was more like 5-3-2. This five at the back line-up was at times akin to the famous catenaccio tactic favoured in Italy for decades until AC Milan swept all before them with 4-4-2. Defenders David O'Leary, Steve Bould and Tony Adams were often deployed in a 3-5-2 formation with Arsenal . There were also occasions when Liverpool trialled the formation with Lawrensen, Hansen and Gillespie . W-M formation: When three at the back was the rule . But essentially you would have to go back to the 1950s to see when three at back was the rule rather than the exception in England as the old ‘W-M’ formation evolved into what became the accepted shape of a team numbered one to 11 (pictured right). 1 Goalkeeper, 2 Right back, 3 Left back, 4 Right half, 5 Centre half, 6 Left half, 7 Right winger, 8 Inside right, 9 Centre forward, 10 Inside left, 11 Left winger. This was 2-3-2-3 or 3-2-2-3 depending how deep the centre half sat. It was under Ron Greenwood at West Ham at the start of the Sixties that 4-4-2 was really born in England when he withdrew his No 6 (a certain Bobby Moore) to play alongside the centre half in the role of attacking centre back rather than defensive midfielder. Four at the back then became de rigueur. Most teams played 4-2-4, which is 4-4-2 with attacking wingers. But after ditching his during England’s 1966 World Cup win, Alf Ramsey and his ‘wingless wonders’ defined for some time the English way. Van Gaal has said this system makes his ‘ass twitch' because it unbalances his Manchester United team, even though they have won more games this season playing that way than in any other shape. The 4-4-2 was really born in England when Rob Greenwood withdrew Bobby Moore to a deeper position . Although Van Gaal never played a senior match for Ajax he was brought up in the Sixties and Seventies at the club which became famed for creating Total Football. It was essentially a fluid 3-4-3 which came to the fore with Holland at the 1974 World Cup finals. The great irony is that the man who would have created Van Gaal’s mistrust in the English way was, well, English. The guru of Total Football - according to the kingpin of Ajax and Holland at the time, Johann Cruyff - was Victor Frederick Buckingham who was born in London in 1915. Buckingham played as a wing half for Tottenham between the wars. In 1959 he quit as West Bromwich Albion manager to take over at Ajax for two seasons. He returned for another spell in 1964 setting down the Total Football template. Alf Ramsey's 'wingless wonders' at the 1966 World Cup defined the English way for some time . Johan Cruyff (left, of Ajax) and Louis van Gaal (right, of Sparta Rotterdam) grew up playing 'Total Football' While Cruyff dismisses Van Gaal as a control freak he eulogises about Buckingham, who at the start of the Seventies was manager of Barcelona (yes, really), the club where Cruyff would star as a player then a coach, laying down the foundations of the mighty team we have seen in recent years. But Barca even in this ‘modern era’ (as if men like Buckingham were not ‘modern’ in their day ) play four at the back, although their shape like great rivals Real Madrid is a 4-3-3. In short it’s the surest way of defending across the width of the pitch. If you have attacking full backs in that system then you have to have one or perhaps two midfielders who are prepared to hold. That’s also known as flexibility. Of course it is naive to label and pigeon-hole formations. At any given time of a game you will see one shape morphing into another. But even the best teams need a starting shape. Holland's formation in the 1974 World Cup was a fluid 3-4-3, with Cruyff the star man up front . Holland are an exception, as since then nearly every great side have succeeded with four at the back . Essentially the great Brazil team of 1970 was 4-4-2. But with so many great players and great movement the front six was more a carousel than a system. There is another irony here: at international tournaments since 1966 England have performed better when ditching 4-4-2. In 1990 under Bobby Robson and then France 98 under Glenn Hoddle England played with 3-5-2 sweeper system, more like Germany of those days, and did well. Although Terry Venables’s ‘christmas tree’ system at Euro 96 had a back four it was a long way from rigid straight lines of 4-4-2 that can limit a team and even promote the long ball as it did in Graham Taylor’s England. But, as wise managers will say, the bottom line is identifying what shape suits your players best. Generally the better players a manager has, the better his team will be. Brazil's side from 1970 are one of the best in history and played 4-4-2 - though the front six moved freely . That is not the case if the players are shoehorned into a game plan that doesn’t suit them individually or collectively. For a while at Swindon and then Chelsea, Hoddle saw some success with 3-5-2. Harry Redknapp has used the system with various teams from time to time. Howard Wilkinson did so at Notts County and then Sheffield Wednesday. But they are exceptions and not the rule. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United enjoyed season after season of success using 4-4-2, often with a twist, which usually saw the second striker operate as a No 10. The rest of Fergie’s tactics were pretty straightforward: a back four, two central midfielders working in tandem (one ‘sticks’ if the other ‘twists’), two attacking wide men, an ‘inside forward’ and a centre forward. Glenn Hoddle was a believer in 3-5-2 and had some success with England but this seems to be an exception . Yet 4-4-2 gives Van Gaal a twitchy ass? The Dutchman says it affects the balance of the team. Perhaps that’s because he has got the balance of his squad wrong. Either 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 just doesn’t seem to get the best of the talent he has at his disposal. As Gary Neville says it slows the team down too much. The only time Fergie said he had a ‘twitchy ass’ - aka ‘squeaky bum time’ - was during the run-in for the title. It’s a position clipboard-toting Van Gaal won’t in this season. Whether he likes it or not, history proves that four at the back is the key to success in the Premier League. Sir Alex Ferguson stuck to 4-4-2, and reaped the rewards over 26 years at Old Trafford . Manchester United always had a dangerous front two, while midfielders covered several roles . The system got the best out of stars such as Paul Scholes (left), Roy Keane (centre) and Ryan Giggs (right) | Louis van Gaal said he had a 'twitchy ass' watching his side play 4-4-2 .
But Manchester United have been a huge success playing the formation .
Every successful Premier League side have played four at the back .
Not to mention Brazil in 1970, and the modern Barcelona stars .
Van Gaal may have got his beliefs from the guru of Total Football . |
118,370 | 24d5cc13d32faacfcc2fc30090c6d252244d5d39 | It’s great fun to fly off on holiday every now and then, but as any health professional will tell you, an airplane cabin is not a healthy environment. Any time in the sky, from a couple of hours to a whole day or more when crossing multiple time zones is, for the human body, a real challenge. Aside from the cabin pressure, dry air, and sitting squashed in one place while a small child uses the back of your seat as a punch bag, there are a host of unpleasant things that happen to your body while you’re travelling. Scroll down for video . Jet lag isn't the only thing flyers have to worry about when travelling at 30,000ft... There are a host of unpleasant things that happen to your body while you’re travelling, not least a cold head . Frequent flyers can be susceptible to a host of health problems, from cardiovascular disease and cancer, to vision and hearing problems, even mental disorders and cognitive decline. On that cheery note, MailOnline Travel has compiled a list of health horrors to watch out for next time you’re thousands of feet up in the sky… . Sickness . The increased risk of catching a cold is more than 100 times higher on a plane according to the Journal of Environmental Health Research. A recent study showed that when you sneeze on a plane - unless you catch it in the crook of your arm - airborne particles can travel up to 50 feet, dispersing in all directions around the cabin due to plane airflow. More serious disease risks include catching food-borne illnesses on the flight such as E Coli or Salmonella – although these could be caught anywhere. Excuse me a moment... Being sick on board is just one of many rather unpleasant things that can happen. And it's not so good if you're the one being sick either . Deep Vein Thrombosis . There’s a reason those funny looking flight socks are popular. A very well-known risk during air travel is developing leg clots or DVT, which kills thousands of people every year. Long periods of immobility increase the risk as sitting and leg room are cramped. Dehydration and low cabin pressure are also contributors, according to the American Heart Association. Be active. The only thing that gets that blood from the lower body back up to the heart is muscle contraction, so move around and flex those leg muscles regularly. Tastebuds also take a battering while in the sky, which is why food doesn't taste as good mid-air . Breathing difficulties . The pressure in an airplane cabin at cruising altitude may make you feel like you are high in the mountains. There's less oxygen available which puts an added load on a system trying to get the required amount of oxygen into the bloodstream. And while our usual home environment has a humidity level of about 35 per cent, on a plane it’s below 25 per cent, which may also disturb breathing. Hearing problems . During any flight that’s more than four hours, depending on where you are sitting, you are at the threshold for exposing yourself to hearing loss - and the more you fly, the greater the risk. The occupational safety limit set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is 88 decibels for four hours and 85 decibels for eight hours, while noise on a plane usually ranges between 95 and 105 decibels, and engine noise during take-off is usually upward of 115 decibels. Why did I sit so far back? Passengers who tend to sit near the engines for long periods of time are more at risk of developing long term hearing problems . Passengers stuck in the noisier part at the back of the plane are at an even greater risk for hearing loss than flight attendants who have the freedom to move around. On the upside, noise-reducing headphones can cut noise by up to 40 decibels. Reduction in taste . A 2010 study by Lufthansa revealed that passengers’ ability to taste salty and sweet can drop by as much as 30 percent in-flight. This is because plane air dries out the mucous membranes in your mouth. The solution? Stay hydrated, and stick to sour, bitter, and spicy foods, tastes that are much less affected. Jet lag . Medically referred to as 'desynchronosis' and classified as a circadian rhythm sleep disorder, jet lag is part and parcel of long haul flights. After all, the human body wasn't designed to leave Washington DC on a Wednesday night and arrive in the UK seven hours later. Short-term problems from jet lag include fatigue, loss of concentration, irritability and loss of appetite. More worryingly, a study published in The Lancet in 2007 found that consistent disruption of body rhythms could lead to cognitive decline, psychotic and mood disorders and possibly heart disease and cancer. Make sure you brush your teeth during a flight to avoid the dreaded bad breath . Radiation . On most international flights, you are exposed to a not entirely insignificant dose of radiation from cosmic rays, which are energetic particles from space. The longer the flight and the higher and closer you fly to the North Pole, the greater the dose. On a round trip flight from Washington, DC, to Beijing, for example, you can easily exceed the dose you would get from a chest X-ray. Scientists say for the average tourist the levels are too low to worry about, but frequent flyers might want to find out more about what levels they are exposed to. In the words of one UK scientist ‘cosmic radiation should not be ignored.’ Constipation . All that sitting causes your metabolic rate and digestion to slow, and causes gas, bloating, and constipation. Suggestions to avoid it include cutting down on your calorie intake and twist from side to side in your seat to help everything keep moving, while the best way to combat dehydration is simple: Drink a lot of water, and avoid alcohol and caffeine. Wandering around the plane can help combat conditions such as DVT . But don't even think of drinking water unless it's bottled - Environmental Protection Agency research once revealed that 15 percent of the water on planes contained fecal matter. Some people advise not using water from the bathroom tap even to wash your hands after going to the loo. But if you do, make sure you use plenty of soap. Best of all, use antibacterial wipes. But worst of all… . Bad Breath . Many of your body’s systems slow down when flying, including saliva production, which allows bacteria to flourish. Food particles left in the mouth produce a sulphur compound and cause bad breath, and over-doing it with sugary drinks, fast food, and sweets also encourages halitosis. Just as you would at home, eat healthily, drink water and brush your teeth. | MailOnline Travel reveals how flying can affect your health .
From sickness at 30,000ft and Breathing difficulties to DVT ...
Frequent flyers can also suffer from bad breath and constipation . |
277,289 | f341c4dcd211b74d1fb9fb5e7caad9917f0a7f5a | Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Horrifying glimpses of the brutality underpinning the rule of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi emerged Sunday with news of a warehouse full of charred corpses and a nanny to Gadhafi's grandchildren tortured. Meanwhile, rebel forces who have driven Gadhafi and his family into hiding advanced toward his hometown. And CNN has found Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, the man convicted of blowing up a Pan Am jet in 1988, comatose on what his family says is his deathbed. On the eastern side of Tripoli, troops commanded by Gadhafi's son Khamis killed an estimated 150 captive civilians, as they retreated last week, hurling grenades and spraying bullets into the building full of men they had promised to release, a survivor said. The massacre took place Monday, the survivor, Muneer Masoud Own, told CNN. Rebels advancing on Tripoli discovered the bodies charred beyond recognition in a warehouse next to the military base. In addition, a nearby resident told CNN that at least 22 bodies were found in a ditch near the base, but it was not clear whether those remains were connected to the killings at the warehouse. The base is on the main road from Tripoli to the city's airport, which the rebels secured Friday. Own, 33, said he and his 30-year-old brother were held there for 18 days after being arrested by Gadhafi's forces. He said there were about 70 prisoners held in the warehouse, some of them for up to six months. They ranged in age from a 70-year-old man to a 17-year-old boy. Monday, with rebel forces pushing into the capital, their guards told them they would be released by sunset, Own said. Instead, he said, just before sunset, the guards opened fire on the men inside, some of whom managed to escape. He has not found his brother. Gadhafi, who ruled Libya for four decades, and his family are now fugitives, hunted by the rebel forces that toppled his government after a six-month revolt backed by Western airpower. Rebel fighters picked through his family's seaside villas on Sunday, finding high-end stereo equipment, hot tubs and wines valued at hundreds of dollars a bottle, despite an official ban on alcohol. And they found the horribly scarred Shwygar Mullah, the Ethiopian maid who cared for the children of Gadhafi son Hannibal. Mullah told CNN that Hannibal Gadhafi's wife Aline twice expressed her displeasure with her work by scalding her with boiling water -- then refused to get her medical attention, leaving her scalp and face covered in a mosaic of scars and raw wounds. Read more about the nanny's experience . Her offense: Failing to beat a daughter who refused to stop crying. "She took me to a bathroom. She tied my hands behind my back and tied my feet," said Mullah, who worked for the Gadhafis for about a year. "She taped my mouth, and she started pouring the boiling water on my head like this," she said. Another of the Gadhafi household staff, a man from Bangladesh who did not want to be identified, corroborated Mullah's story and said he also was regularly beaten and slashed with knives. And in an upscale neighborhood of the capital, convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi lay in a coma, CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson discovered. His family says al-Megrahi is in his last days of a battle with cancer, dimming hopes that he would shed more light on the 1988 attack that killed 270 people. Read more about al-Megrahi's condition . Robertson found al-Megrahi under the care of his family in his palatial Tripoli villa Sunday, surviving on oxygen and an intravenous drip. His son, Khaled al-Megrahi, said they took him from a hospital as the rebels advanced on the capital and have been treating him at home. "There is no doctor. There is nobody to ask. We don't have any phone line to call anybody," Khaled al-Megrahi said. Al-Megrahi was freed from a prison in Scotland in 2009 after serving eight years of a life sentence for blowing up the Pan Am jet, killing all 259 on board and 11 in the town of Lockerbie below. Doctors who had been treating him for prostate cancer gave him just three months to live, and he was released on compassionate grounds. He received a hero's welcome in Tripoli, enraging many in the United States and Britain. And with the recent overthrow of longtime Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi, politicians on both sides of the Atlantic have called for al-Megrahi to be sent back to prison. But the National Transitional Council, the rebel movement that toppled Gadhafi, announced Sunday that it won't allow the dying al-Megrahi to be extradited. "We will not give any Libyan citizen to the West," NTC Justice Minister Mohammed al-Alagi said. The rebels extended their control over the country on Sunday. Spokesman Shamsuddin Ben Ali said NTC forces have taken over the western Libyan city of Ben Jawad, about 100 miles east of Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte. And a senior rebel military official said about 14,000 rebel fighters were ready to "liberate" Sirte but have given Gadhafi forces there until Monday to disarm and let the rebels enter the city peacefully. "All the Libyan people are aware of the fact that the people in Sirte are Libyan," NTC military spokesman Ahmed Bani said. Separately, CNN saw rebels in control of key towns along the road from Tripoli west to Tunisia, giving their commanders hope they can start bringing in supplies to ease a growing crisis in the capital. Alamin Belhaj, a member of the NTC leadership, told CNN that its priorities are now the liberation of Tripoli, security, water and fuel services. One of Gadhafi's sons, businessman Saadi Gadhafi, made another offer to negotiate with the rebels on Sunday and sounded prepared to cut loose his father and another son once assumed to be his heir. "If (the rebels) agree to cooperate to save the country together (without my father and Saif), then it will be easy and fast. I promise!" Saadi Gadhafi wrote to Robertson, referring to Moammar and Saif al-Islam Gadhafi. Saadi Gadhafi said the NTC cannot "build a new country without having us in the table." He predicted the rebels would break into two camps, "Islamists and others," allowing the Gadhafi regime "to choose who we will support so we will come back any way." CNN's Arwa Damon, Kareem Khadder and Dan Rivers contributed to this report. | NEW: Witness says 150 prisoners were killed by retreating Gadhafi troops .
NEW: Lockerbie bomber found comatose and dying, his family says .
NEW: A badly scarred nanny says she was tortured by Gadhafi's daughter-in-law .
Rebels have given Gadhafi forces in Sirte until Monday to disarm, rebel official says . |
146,158 | 49002eb7a5f82853e35d3bfee0ee4a0b903604b7 | (CNN) -- Dear 17-year-old self considering staying home on prom night because you don't have a date, . Oh, you poor, stressed-out, self-hating misfit girl, just suck it up and go. It won't be the night of your life, as all those '80s movies and special TV episodes would lead you to believe. The boy you've had a crush on since junior high won't suddenly declare his hidden love for you as he twirls you across the dance floor (as it turns out, he'd rather ask someone in a tux to dance). There won't have been a secret addendum to the ballot electing you prom queen. No one is packing pig's blood. Your "virtue" will remain thoroughly intact. You'll eat a perfectly adequate chicken cordon bleu in the company of your coupled-up and cuter friends (one of whose "virtue" will undergo a status change after a six-pack of peach wine coolers). You'll dance badly and happily to "Funky Cold Medina" while listening to your girlfriends whine about how their dates are ignoring them in favor of the lively card tournament at the corner table. You'll drink terrible schnapps in someone's cousin's hot tub afterward and comfort your tipsy pals as teenage romantic drama unfolds around you. You'll also learn something pretty fundamental about yourself that night: You don't need anyone's permission to experience life or like yourself. I wish you could see what I see, some 23 years later -- that what seems right now like a shameful, public declaration of your unlovability is actually one of the things you'll use as a source of strength time and time again. When you move to a sharp-edged city where you barely know a soul, board a plane for a solo trip to an unfamiliar country, or walk alone into a glittering party full of bold-faced and beautiful people, you'll sometimes think about that early vote of confidence you took in yourself, square your shoulders and stride in like you belong. You do. The damaging messages of proms . I know you haven't been made to feel that way -- that the boy who you'd gone to the previous dance with quite publicly said no this time. That you haven't been kissed since eighth grade. That your parents were not thrilled by the notion of shelling out cash for a dress when your date was technically a school-owned Nikon camera. You've gone through the indignity of knowing that the faculty advisers had to convene a special meeting to discuss your case and allow you to purchase a single ticket, as they had only ever been sold in pairs. Yes, they decided you could technically attend in your capacity as yearbook photographer (the pictures will be a huge hit on Facebook -- it's a future thing -- the year you all turn 40) but not all teachers had been in favor of that decision -- and made sure you knew they felt that way. And do you really want to embarrass yourself this way? Buy your own corsage, fix your terribly permed, purple-tinted hair, take a deep breath, walk in and make some memories, kid, before it all flickers away. High school prom, 50 years later . Just a few short months from now, everything, all of it, will change -- for the better. The college you chose contains your people -- warm, bold, weirdos bursting with life and art and big dreams, and they'll like you an awful lot. If they'd gone to the prom at all, it was in a tattered dress and combat boots or a duct-tape tailcoat (the man you'll marry attended his with green hair and played in the band) and they'll heartily encourage you to take your fussy little prom frock and turn it into a sculpture. The lack of kissing (and that pesky virtue) will be tended to in fairly short order in the company of a ridiculously beautiful boy who loves you for all your awkward angles and the fact that you don't wait to be asked to dance. And when you look back at all the pictures snapped with that yearbook camera, you'll be awfully glad you handed it off to a few friends as their prom dates spun you around on the dance floor. You're in a few of those pictures. You look dorky, you look delighted, you look so very alive. Follow Kat Kinsman on Twitter and CNN Living on Facebook . Did you go to the prom alone, with a date or with friends? If you had it to do all over again, who would you go with -- or would you just skip it? Please share in the comments below. | Back in the 1990s, CNN's Kat Kinsman was an awkward teen with no date to the prom .
Kinsman thought about not attending but decided to take a chance and go anyway .
School faculty tried to discourage her but she forged ahead and attended solo .
The decision was a boost to her confidence and helped her navigate other social situations . |
127,860 | 3149dbffe522c32b0f945dc8cbbac614b9ec06b8 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 10:50 EST, 17 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 22:44 EST, 17 February 2014 . Ten university students have died and more than 100 injured after the roof of a building collapsed in a South Korean city during a welcoming ceremony for first year students, officials said. Emergency staff worked through the night to pull people from the rubble and rush the injured on stretchers to waiting ambulances, as snow, sleet and icy roads hampered rescue operations. The collapse happened last night as about 560 students from Busan University of Foreign Studies had gathered for a two-day freshman orientation at the Manua Ocean Resort in the southeastern city of Gyeongju when a crack appeared in the auditorium ceiling before the collapse. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Eight university students have died and about 10 others were feared trapped after the roof of a building collapsed . A woman trapped in the rubble of a collapsed resort building waits to be rescued in Gyeongju, South Korea . About 450 of the students had just finished dinner and were gathering for recreational activities when the roof collapsed, the official said. Some managed to escape after noticing a crack in the roof but others couldn't leave in time. South . Korean media reported that heavy snowfall was believed to have resulted . in the collapse, but the cause has not been officially announced. Many of the students managed to get out of the building by themselves, the official said. Jung Yoon-han, director of the disaster management department at the Ministry of Security and Public Administration, confirmed ten people died, two were seriously injured and 103 lightly injured. Gyeongju is a historic city that served as the capital of one of the Korean Peninsula's ancient kingdoms. It is a popular tourist destination. Located at an altitude of about 1,640ft, the resort is at the foot of Dongdae Mountain, according to the resort's website. Weather officials said the area has received heavy snow over the last week. About 1,000 students from Busan University of Foreign Studies were at an orientation event for first-year students in the south-eastern city of Gyeongju when the incident happened . South Korean media reported that the heavy snowfall was believed to have resulted in the collapse, but the cause was still being investigated . Emergency staff worked to pry students from beneath twisted metal and rushed the injured on stretchers to waiting ambulances . | Ten students pronounced dead after building collapsed in Gyeongju .
About 560 students were at orientation event when incident happened .
Around 450 of them were in building when roof caved in, officials said . |
249,218 | ce7f8968d0607a838fa2a59e03b5bfdfdabc6e80 | (CNN) -- So is this the "new normal"? That's the question I keep hearing as people try to comprehend the tragedy at the Boston Marathon and its chaotic aftermath. The answer is yes -- in more ways than you might think. I don't mean that we're supposed to get used to explosions, school shootings and other threats arising seemingly randomly and without warning. But we should accept that the old ways of understanding and responding to conflicts and threats no longer apply. In an always-on, post-narrative age, 24-hour cable and Internet news and Twitter feeds offer a steady stream of opportunities for panic and misinformation. We have a suspect; no, we don't; yes, we do. The school is on lockdown; no, it's not. False alarms are still alarms, after all. It's like we are all living in newsrooms, or as 911 operators or air-traffic controllers, for all the emergency interruptions and bulletins we navigate practically every hour. Then consider the equally unnerving limbo we endure once there's nothing new to report. The stakes are too high to return to regular programming, so we just sit there, poised on high alert along with the police and journalists. This time, it was flashing blue lights and the search for a suspect. Before that, it was the live feed of Deepwater Horizon in the corner of the screen for weeks, belching oil into the sea. Whether interruptive or chronic, the anxiety keeps pouring in. We live in a state of "present shock." That was the week from hell . And even if network anchors still had the authority they once did, they would not be able construct a satisfying story around the onslaught of neverending news. When the journalists cheered as the police caught the marathon bombings suspect in the boat, it seemed that they were mostly relieved at reaching a definitive conclusion to a neverending news cycle. One news anchor actually declared "justice won" as she was at last permitted to cut to commercial. It rang false, because there's no genuine finality anymore. The story just doesn't end. Nor does the anxiety. For it's not so much a matter of responding to a particular crisis, threat or tragedy but of coping with the persistent flow of urgency itself. Some of the unease we feel with the Boston bombings comes from the nagging sense that we have no way of gauging where we are in the arc of violence. Is this the beginning of a new series of attacks, a rare event like the Oklahoma City bombing or part of some greater conspiracy yet to be revealed? Of course, none of the usual narratives apply, for we no longer live in a world with beginnings, middles and ends. That quaint structure went out with the Industrial Age and the moon shot. We no longer design career paths; we no longer invest in the future. We occupy; we freelance; we trade derivatives. Everything happens in the now. Even terror. While there are certainly groups such as al Qaeda with political goals and a modicum of organization, for every plotted attack with strategic goals, there are many more that arise haphazardly, randomly -- by either sympathizers, copycats or mentally ill nihilists with no political justification whatsoever. Boston's week of terror . We're no longer fighting enemies in the normal sense. We cannot begin a war on terrorism and then declare victory when we're done. We can't stick a flag in it and call it won. No, the challenges of a post-Industrial society are less like conquests with clear endpoints than they are steady-state concerns. Oil is spilling. The climate is changing. Terrorists are plotting. Crises are never quite solved for the future so much as managed in the present. But accepting the essentially plotless and ongoing nature of crisis needn't compromise our ability to respond appropriately and effectively. In fact, by freeing ourselves from the obsolete narratives we used to rely on, we can begin to recognize the patterns in the apparent chaos. We may not get answers to rally around or satisfyingly dramatic finales, but neither will we need to invent compelling, false stories to motivate ourselves into action. In a world where crises are constant and perpetual, we might as well begin to develop more sustainable approaches to solving them in real time, rather than once and for all. Life goes on. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Douglas Rushkoff. | Douglas Rushkoff: New normal is constant info stream; we don't really know how to respond .
He says terror attack coverage kept us in state of unending anxiety with little understanding .
He says new era of 24/7 crises offers steady-state concerns rather than ones with endpoint .
Rushkoff: We might as well develop sustainable approaches to solving crises in real time . |
185,278 | 7bfcfdcd7b1ca04d2f3c823618db0351044f8a83 | By . Jennifer Smith . PUBLISHED: . 05:33 EST, 24 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:34 EST, 24 August 2013 . To the naked eye, it would seem wine only comes in three colours. But astonishing new photographs have shown its true colours, after a scientist placed drops of the alcoholic drink under a microscope. The magnified images show the rainbow coloured sugars found in various types of wine as well as the interesting shapes and patterns which are formed by its particles. Zesty Zinfandel: Multicoloured crystals make up the wine which Dr Greenberg has photographed using polarised filters . Merlot up close: rainbow coloured cubes of liquid float around in the wine's make up . The sugar in the wine is seen in vibrant, multicoloured particles after being placed under a high-powered microscope . Among the tipples to be put under the microscope by Hawaii scientist, Dr Gary Greenberg, were Merlot, Beaujolais and Zinfandel. Dr Greenberg uses the images to explore the true beauty of everyday items. 'The truly extraordinary nature of ordinary objects is revealed when seen through the lens of a microscope. 'Everyday objects take on a new reality when magnified hundreds or thousands of times, illuminating the hidden secrets of nature, and this is what I like to reveal with my work,' he said. Dr Greenberg uses polarised . filters on a camera to capture the wine's multicoloured glow after placing drops of the liquid under a high powered microscope. Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary: Among other photographs is this image of sugar water looked at under the same high powered microscope and photographed by Dr Greenberg . The feather-like look of Beaujolais under the microscope: The fascinating images show the intricate appearance of drops of wine . More than meets the eye: Most would be forgiven for thinking wine only comes in three shades . 'There is an amazing micro world wrapped up inside the ordinary world that we experience through our senses,' he added. At 33 Dr Greenberg left Los Angeles where he worked as a photographer and filmaker to complete a PhD in biomedical research at University College London. In the 1990s he invented and developed high definition, three dimensional light microscopes which have helped develop his artistic side. Dr Greenberg has devoted his career to exploring the hidden beauty of nature, photographing ordinary subjects at close range to expose their true appearance. As well as wine, he has snapped various items of fruit and veg up close, and also completed a collection of pictures of flowers. Among his best known work is his collection of pictures of grains of sand, for which he photographed moon sand returned from NASA'S Apollo 11 mission. Dr Greenberg has also photographed a variety of parts of the body, including a human retina and a sequence of bone formation. He describes his work as 'micro photography' which 'combines his passion for art and science by creating dramatic landscapes of hidden worlds.' | Scientist places drops of wine under microscope to reveal its true colours .
Stunning photographs reveal multicoloured Merlot, Beaujolais and Zinfandel .
The former photographer's work finds beauty in everyday items . |
88 | 0046a356cc90e393be41135da101f83da40ee6a3 | Marine experts today warned people not to enter the water after . two killer whales were spotted 100 yards off the English coast. The 'enormous super . predators' were described as unpredictable and could attack surfers and bathers . mistaking them for prey. A mother and calf were spotted off the coast of . Padstow, Cornwall - just 15 miles from the surfing mecca of Newquay - and experts . warned the giant whale may inadvertently harm a human or attack while protecting its . young. A mother and calf were spotted off the coast of Padstow in Cornwall and experts warned the giant whale may inadvertently harm a human or attack while protecting its young (library image of an Orca in Scotland) Peter Richardson, of the Marine Conservation Society, said: 'Obviously we wouldn't recommend getting into the water with a killer . whale. 'They . are enormous super predators and are therefore unpredictable. 'There . is a pod of killer whales in Scotland and they could be travelling around the . country. 'Not a lot is known about the movements of killer whales . but the probability is they are here for food. 'There . are plenty of seals along the south coast especially around Padstow and . Newquay.' Several people have reportedly seen the . whales, a rare sight in the area, over the last ten days. Ocean scientist Dom Clarke, 25, saw what he believes was a mother and calf near Trevose Head, five miles from Padstow (pictured) while walking along the cliff . Ocean scientist Dom Clarke, 25, saw what . he believes was the mother and calf near Trevose Head, five miles from Padstow . while walking along the cliff. He said he saw them heading south towards . Newquay. Mr Clarke told how he came across a man with binoculars . who asked him what species of whale he thought they were. 'I thought "wow, that is pretty unusual to . see", so I grabbed the binoculars,' he said. 'At the time they were heading south along . the coast about 100 metres off the headland. It was pretty special.' He added that a bird watcher had said he . spotted the whales near Trevose the following day. Fisherman Zyg Gregorek, who has travelled the world hunting . fearsome sea predators, said: 'All sea predators present a danger. Killer whales (Orcinus orca), also known . as orcas, can grow up to 32ft in length and weigh up to 9 tonnes. The . distinctive triangular dorsal fin can grow up to 6ft high. They are mainly found around Iceland, . Norway and northern Scotland, but occasionally some are seen as far south as . the Atlantic coasts of Spain and Portugal and east into the Mediterranean. 'If a . swimmer or a surfer got too close to a killer whale, it only takes one swish of . the tail and you've had it. 'A killer whale might be curious around . humans and therefore might attack, whether by accident or design. Also, because of over-fishing, their diets have been affected. 'If they are starving, they can be unpredictable and there is a possibility . they may go for a human. Tom Hardy, of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: 'I remember . there were reports of a killer whale attacking a basking shark in Cornwall . years ago. 'But attacks on humans are extremely rare. You would be . very unlucky to get attacked by one.' According to the SeaWatch Foundation, killer . whale sightings are rare in the waters off the coast of South West England, . with most sightings between March and September. The whales were seen just 15 miles from the surfing mecca of Newquay . In September last year, a holidaymaker at . the Bedruthan Steps Hotel at Mawgan Porth, around eight miles south of Trevose, . spotted a pod of four killer whales while eating breakfast in the cliff-top . hotel. Mr Clarke, who runs a rockpool exploration . and education company, Explore the Shore, suggested that the whales could have . been feeding locally. 'At the moment there must be a lot of fish . inshore. And that day there was also a really huge shoal of porpoises about a . kilometre off the headland,' he said. Angie Gall, marine conservation officer . with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said the whales may have merely . passed through the area en route to more northerly waters around Scotland. 'There is only evidence of one "kill" made . by killer whales in Cornish waters and that was a basking shark," she said. Basking sharks are known to congregate in . huge numbers off the Cornish coast in the summer and are a familiar sight for . tourists in the area. | Sightings at Padstow, just 15 miles from surfing mecca of Newquay . |
279,406 | f5f5137529624cee3fa82dde2bacfffa38db644e | By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 05:50 EST, 17 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:14 EST, 17 October 2013 . It was named one of the top 10 parties in the world by Forbes and boasts a glittering list of past participants, among them Ksénia Gorbachev, Barbara Berlusconi and the Ecclestone sisters. But this year's glamorous Bal des Débutantes in Paris will witness a deb of more humble origins take centre stage. Lauren Marbe, 17, is the daughter of an Essex taxi driver and was invited to take part after organisers were impressed by her incredibly high score in a Mensa test. Ball: Clever teenager Lauren Marbe, 17, has been invited to the Ball des Debutantes in Paris next month . Impressed: Lauren was invited to the ball after organisers were impressed by reports of her intelligence . The Essex teenager has an IQ of 161, making her cleverer than Einstein and Bill Gates, and putting her miles ahead of the average of 100. She still is a long way off the Guinness Book Of Records holder of the highest IQ - held by American magazine columnist and playwright Marylin vos Savant, who has a score of 228. But then, at 67 years of age, Mrs vos Savant was never in a position to take Lauren's place at this year's deb ball. Now the teen, who admits to a penchant for fake tan and TOWIE, will join Lady Amelia Windsor, the granddaughter of the Duke of Kent, and John F. Kennedy's great-niece Kyra at the ball, which will take place at the end of November. 'We tell a story about each young lady and this girl certainly has a story to tell,' organiser Ophelie Renouard told the Telegraph. 'I read an article about her, found her interesting and asked her to come and she said yes. She is very excited.' The Bal des Débutantes has been a Paris institution since 1992 and brings together girls from some of the world's most glittering society families. Glitttering: Former participants include Theodora Warre, Sofia Barclay and Princess Augusta von Preussen . Wealthy: Former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev's granddaughter, Anastasia, has also taken part . Although it usually takes place at the magnificent Hotel du Crillon, this year's event will take place at the equally spectacular Automobile Club de France on the Place de la Concorde. Debutantes are limited to just 25 per . year and each is accompanied by a 'chevalier' [knight], on whose arm . they will make their debut. In . Lauren's case, her chevalier will be a 20-year-old Frenchman named . Théodore Rousseau, who, says the teen, 'doesn't know what an Essex girl . is'. Despite her chevalier's patchy knowledge of English women, Lauren, although concerned about her lack of French language skills, says she has 'never been so excited about something' while her mother Susan revealed that her daughter was 'amazed' when the call from Ophelie came. 'When the call came from Ophelie, Lauren had a look and was amazed,' the proud parent revealed. With a glamorous night in the company of Théodore and the 24 other debs to look forward to, it seems there's plenty of excitement yet to come for Britain's brainiest teen. IQ 180 - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu . IQ 160 - Bill Gates and Albert Einstein . IQ 154 - Carole Vorderman . IQ 140 - Geena Davis, Madonna and Shakira . IQ 137 - Bill Clinton (Hilary's is higher at 140) IQ 73 - David Hasselhoff . IQ 78 - Boxer Muhammed Ali . IQ 86 - Andy Warhol . IQ 94 - Tom Cruise . IQ 98 - George H W Bush . | Lauren Marbe, 17, has an IQ of 161 - a point higher than Einstein .
Organisers of the Bal des Débutantes were so impressed, they invited her .
Marbe is the daughter of a taxi driver and a deputy headmistress .
Previous debs have included Ksénia Gorbachev and the Ecclestone sisters .
Debs appearing this year include Lady Amelia Windsor and Kyra Kennedy . |
29,807 | 54cfe05a28151b405d1403e774751f5b5631ae01 | By . Ray Massey . UPDATED: . 04:40 EST, 24 June 2011 . Outgoing Network Rail boss Iain Coucher received a £1.6million 'golden goodbye' when he quit the troubled firm, it emerged yesterday. Details of his lavish payoff were revealed in the company's annual report, fuelling fresh outrage over public-sector fat cats. Mr Coucher, 49, quit the rail-infrastructure firm last October after three years as chief executive, citing 'personal reasons'. £1million payoff: Former Network Rail CEO Iain Coucher, pictured in 2008 . He received a compensation package of £1,075,000, salary of £359,000, pension of £214,000 and benefits of £9,000, according to Network Rail's annual report. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said the package typified the profligacy allowed to flourish at the expense of the public purse under the last Labour government. 'This payoff will stick in the gullet of every farepayer and taxpayer who think they pay too much to use our railway,' added Mr Hammond. The package was also condemned by Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), who said Mr Coucher had been 'rewarded for failure' on a grand scale. Rail passengers were paying the highest fares in Europe, on the most overcrowded network, while Mr Coucher had 'transformed' himself into a multi-millionaire. 'Passengers will be furious that he has walked away with over £1million of taxpayers' money after years of failure,' said Mr Doherty. Plush: Iain Coucher's Aston Martin outside his home in the Midlands . James Bond style: Mr Coucher enjoyed a luxury lifestyle with an Aston Martin funded by a car allowance . Last year Network Rail received £3.7billion in subsidies from the taxpayer as part of a £30billion total for the years from 2009-14. Mr Coucher had previously been deputy chief executive of Network Rail, but his three years in charge were dogged by allegations of excessive pay and questions over his ‘arrogant’ management style. During eight years at the company, he received more than £7million in pay and bonuses. He enjoyed a luxury lifestyle with an Aston Martin funded by a car allowance. He also received a £20,000 housing allowance for a flat overlooking Regent's Park in London, and, in addition to a house in the Midlands, owned a £1million Highlands estate, which he named 'Iainland'. An unrepentant Mr Coucher defended his record last night, insisting that while he understood the 'strong sentiments' surrounding executive remuneration, he was proud of his role in the 'transformation of Britain’s railways'. He had not been required to work his full notice period and 'this triggered a payment in line with my contract'. But Mr Hammond said: 'Most people will feel it doesn’t sit well given the difficult times most families are facing. 'I will be seeking assurances that this is the last chapter in the sorry saga of the old Network Rail as set up by Gordon Brown.' The railways should 'clamp down on unsustainable practices dependent on public subsidy'. While Network Rail has insisted it will not pay annual bonuses to executives this year, four current directors received more than £280,000 in 'long-term incentive' rewards between them in the last financial year. Individual payments ranged from £61,725 to £90,723. Rare agreement: Philip Hammond, the . Transport Secretary, left, and Gerry Doherty, general secretary of rail . union the TSSA, right, slammed the payoff . | Iain Coucher paid £7m in eight years with Network Rail .
Comes after firm pledged to scrap bonuses this year .
Payoff condemned by Government and unions . |
36,519 | 67841531242c3ff601b872a6db530e90711f8c0d | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 09:58 EST, 29 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:47 EST, 30 May 2013 . A chemical usually associated with how happy we feel could also play a pivotal role in our sexual preferences, researchers have discovered. A Chinese team found that blocking serotonin, known as the brain's 'happy chemical' caused female mice to switch their sexual preferences. It is the first time that sexual preference has been reversed in animals without sex hormones. Researchers found that when they blocked the serotonin receptors in female mice, their sexual preferences switched and they tried to mount other females . Serotonin, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine, is a neurotransmitter - a chemical substance that transmits nerve impulses across the space between nerve cells or neurons. It plays an important part in the regulation of learning, mood, sleep and helps control blood vessels. It has also been linked to anxiety, migraine, vomiting and appetite. Yi Rao of Peking University in . Beijing, China, and his colleagues genetically engineered female mice so . that they could no longer make or respond to serotonin. 'Female mouse mutants lacking either . central serotonergic neurons or serotonin prefer female over male . genital odors when given a choice, and displayed increased female–female . mounting when presented either with a choice of a male and a female . target or only with a female target,' the team wrote in their paper, . which is published in the journal PNAS. Although the research was carried out in mice, serotonin works in the same way in human brains . 'Our results indicate that serotonin controls sexual preference,' they say. 'It's possible that the well-known . effect of early sex hormone levels on partner preference and the . serotonin mechanism described here are completely independent . mechanisms,' Simon LeVay of Stanford University told New Scientist. 'In other words, serotonin systems . may be part of the cascade of signals that translate sex hormone levels . during development into sexual partner preference in adulthood.' | Chinese researchers found blocking serotonin in female mice caused them to prefer sniffing and mounting females .
Researchers believe the chemical could be part of 'chemical chain' that determines our sexual preference . |
274,021 | eeeeb1aa51ff5df61ae4b3eaf520c37f924cfc94 | Philadelphia (CNN) -- After a campaign season marked mainly by Democrats fleeing his shadow, President Barack Obama embarked upon the final push of what he calls his last campaign Sunday, hoping to mobilize voters in the few pockets of the country where he remains somewhat popular. Obama headlined afternoon campaign rallies for Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, capping off a cycle that saw him rally for only one Senate candidate and a handful of governors. His diminished presence in 2014 amounted mostly to headlining high-dollar fundraisers in wealthy neighborhoods, mostly on the coasts, where he sought to motivate donors amid bleak prospects for his party in Tuesday's midterm elections. In tight races across the country, Democrats have distanced themselves from his policies, declaring themselves independent from the White House as Republicans worked overtime to lump them into the same unpopular mold. The President himself has fueled that effort at times, saying during an economic address in October that his "policies are on the ballot" and telling Al Sharpton during a radio interview that vulnerable Democrats are "all folks that vote with me." Obama, whose presidential campaign drew massive crowds of young people and African-Americans in 2008 and 2012, has been working to propel those voters to the polls. Democrats have little chance of keeping control of the Senate unless traditional Democratic voting blocs turn out in force. That was Obama's goal Sunday in Philadelphia, where he revved up a majority black crowd at a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf. "We've got some work to do. Because two days from now, you get to choose your future," he said, reminding the 5,500 attendees that the historic battle for the right to vote must be honored by casting ballots in midterm elections. Obama reiterated that theme in Connecticut earlier Sunday at a rally for Gov. Dannel Malloy. "Your vote matters," he told the 1,900 supporters who came to see him speak in Bridgeport. "Don't let people tell you it doesn't." The crowd in Connecticut was largely enthusiastic about hearing from the President, but his speech was interrupted multiple times by protesters for immigration reform who carried signs with messages such as "DREAMers demand bold, broad, inclusive relief." Each time protesters interrupted Obama, they were shouted down by the crowd. On at least one occasion, members of the crowd ripped the signs away from a group of protesters, who were ultimately escorted out by security. The campaign effort over the weekend amounted to Obama's biggest push for Democrats this cycle. His reduced role is the outcome of record low approval ratings and policies unpopular in many parts of the country. The restricted campaign role isn't necessarily where Obama wanted to be during the final congressional contests of his presidency, though past second-term presidents have similarly dragged down their party's candidates. "I'm not on the ballot this time, and this is the last election cycle in which I'm involved as President," he said in Maine on Thursday. "It makes you a little wistful, because I do like campaigning. It's fun." He was originally scheduled to campaign in Connecticut last month, but canceled shortly beforehand for meetings on his administration's Ebola response. The president's rescheduled appearance comes at a potentially critical point for Malloy. The one-term governor is polling neck-and-neck in his re-election battle against Republican nominee Tom Foley, a former U.S. ambassador to Ireland who lost to Malloy by only 6,400 votes in 2010. A Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday had the two men at 43% each among likely voters. A third candidate, Joseph Visconti, is polling third with 7% in the same survey, with 6% undecided. Despite these poll numbers, Connecticut Democratic Party spokesman Ian Sams said Sunday he believes a heavy emphasis on voter turnout will bring Malloy a win on Tuesday. "I think with President Obama coming here today, we're going to see a lot of interest from base Democratic voters," Sims told CNN. "If they come out to vote, turn out in full force, Gov. Malloy's confident he's going to win this campaign." Connecticut is a reliably blue state, but not totally averse to GOP governors -- Malloy himself succeeded two Republicans when he took office. In Pennsylvania, Wolf has led the GOP incumbent Tom Corbett for most of the race, and while polls have narrowed recently, he still maintains an edge. | NEW: President Obama heckled by immigration protesters in Connecticut .
Obama is scheduled to campaign Sunday in Connecticut and Pennsylvania .
He'll rally for two gubernatorial candidates, which is where he's focused his fall campaigning .
His campaign stops have been limited this cycle amid low approval ratings . |
261,736 | defabcbf943cfab54b169970acc999b9734515f5 | Lilongwe, Malawi (CNN) -- Twelve people have died in national protests that erupted in Malawi, government officials said as demonstrations continued for a second day Thursday. Nine people died in Mzuzu, in the northern part of Malawi, on Wednesday, Ministry of Health spokesman Henry Chimbali said. Another died in Karonga district, also in the northern region. It was not immediately clear how the 10 died, but officials were investigating, Chimbali said. Sources at Mzuzu Central Hospital who requested anonymity said the victims had been shot. Two other people were fatally shot in Blantyre in the southern part of the nation, police spokesman Superintendent Davie Chingwalu said. Amnesty International called for an immediate investigation into the Mzuzu deaths, asserting that security forces were responsible. "At least 44 other people, including six children, are being treated for gunshot wounds at Mzuzu Central Hospital," the human rights organization said in a statement. The protests began Wednesday as people demanded immediate action from the government on Malawi's economy and government issues. The East African nation is facing persistent fuel shortages, foreign exchange reserve shortages and frequent power blackouts, among other problems. In addition, anti-government demonstrators have accused President Bingu wa Mutharika of dragging the nation back into the dictatorship era, citing the passage of bills they say impinge on citizen rights as well as the expulsion in April of British envoy Fergus Cochrane-Dyet. The expulsion has cost Malawi dearly, as Britain has suspended direct budget support for the nation. According to the BBC, Cochrane-Dyet was told to leave Malawi in April after he was quoted in a leaked diplomatic cable as saying Mutharika was "becoming ever more autocratic and intolerant of criticism." Mutharika spoke Thursday as the protests continued. "As a leader, I am ready to have a roundtable discussion with you," he said in an address. "I call upon everyone to stop vandalizing people's property and beating up others. Get yourselves organized and notify us so that we can chart the way forward." In a statement, organizations that had planned the protests also appealed for calm, noting that the demonstrations were meant for Wednesday and that continued protests Thursday were illegal. The country's army was assisting in quelling the protests Thursday, leading to relative calm. More than 200 people arrested in the Malawian capital of Lilongwe face charges ranging from arson to property damage. Police were seen harassing and beating civil society leaders, opposition political leaders and journalists, leading to injuries. "When the police use firearms, they must minimize injury and respect human life," Erwin van der Borght, Amnesty International's director for Africa, said in the organization's statement. "It is high time that President Mutharika's government addresses the wider human rights and political concerns that gave rise to this situation." The United States condemned Wednesday's use of force by Malawian authorities to prevent peaceful demonstrations and a ban on private radio stations reporting on the demonstrations. In a statement, U.S. State Department Acting Deputy Spokeswoman Heide Bronke Fulton said U.S. officials were also "disturbed by reports of violence targeting individuals based on their political or social affiliations. The government's attempt to prohibit its citizens from marching, and the Communications Regulatory Authority's ban on independent media coverage undermine democracy and the rule of law that Malawians cherish." She urged restraint from both sides. "We call on the people and the Government of Malawi to remain committed to the principles of democracy and to express disagreements through peaceful means," she said. | NEW: United States urges restraint from both sides .
The protests began Wednesday and continued Thursday .
Malawians are demanding government action on issues including fuel shortages .
The president tells protesters he is ready for talks, but urges a halt to violence . |
277,975 | f41d54cb7608a8234fb8f96b6caf496075639556 | By . Julian Robinson . Egypt is planning to build a new Suez canal alongside the existing 145-year-old waterway in a multi-billion pound bid to boost its economy. The 45-mile corridor will expand what is the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia and is part of several 'mega projects' designed to breathe new life into the nation. Warplanes flew overhead in a ceremony broadcast on state television from the canal city of Ismailia as Egypt's president Abdel-Fatteh el-Sisi officially launched the military-led scheme, set to cost £2.4bn. Scroll down for video . Egypt is planning to dig a new waterway alongside the existing Suez Canal in a move they believe will pump billions of pounds in to the economy . Egypt is the gatekeeper of the Suez Canal, one of the world's busiest water corridors and the strategic link between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean . He said that digging of the new canal will allow ships to travel in both directions for just under half of the canal's 101-mile length. And although the initial time frame for completion was five years, el-Sisi estimated it could be finished in just 12 months. Egypt is the gatekeeper of the Suez Canal, one of the world's busiest water corridors and the strategic link between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The current Suez Canal brings in around $5billion of revenues per year, a vital source of hard currency for Egypt which has suffered a slump in tourism and foreign investment since its 2011 uprising. The first canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas via the Nile River was dug in 1874 B.C. during the reign of the Egyptian pharaoh Senausret III. It was abandoned and reopened several times over the subsequent 2,500 years. Pharonic inscriptions showed that Egyptians used the canals to move warships, send pilgrimages to the Holy Land and transport grain and stones used in ancient monuments. Napoleon sought to build a modern canal in order to undermine Britain's control of trading routes to Asia, but he abandoned the project after engineers wrongly determined that a difference in water levels would cause the Mediterranean to be inundated. Damaged ships are pictured in Egypt's Port Said, north of the historic waterway, during the Suez Crisis of 1956 . French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps and Egyptian viceroy Said Pasha developed the current Suez Canal in the mid-19th century. French and Egyptian private interests controlled the company entrusted with building and running the canal, though Britain later acquired Egypt's share. Completion of the 101 mile waterway took 10 years of intense and generally poorly-paid work by Egyptians who were drafted at the rate of 20,000 every 10 months from 'the peasantry.' The canal, which was opened for navigation on November 17, 1869, cut weeks if not months off journeys between Europe and Asia that otherwise necessitated a trip around Africa. Numerous heads of state visited Egypt for weeks of celebrations. In 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the canal, leading to a failed invasion by Britain, which controlled the channel, as well as France and Israel. The waterway was closed briefly until 1957 and the again for eight years following the 1967 war with Israel. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced on Tuesday that Egypt would build a new channel as part of a larger project to expand port and shipping facilities around the canal in an effort to establish Egypt as a major trade hub. But sources in the Suez Canal Authority have reportedly said the new canal will boost annual revenues to $13.5billion by 2023. To attract more ships and generate more income, the country has had plans to develop 29,000 square miles around the canal for years. 'This giant project will be the creation of a new Suez Canal parallel to the current channel of a total length of 72 kilometres (44.74 miles),' Mohab Mamish, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, told a conference in Ismailia. A couple watch the vast U.S. aircraft carrier USS Bataan pass through the Suez Canal in 2007 on its way to Bahrain. The new 45-mile section will allow ships to pass for just under half of the 101-mile canal . A new Suez Canal running alongside the existing one could be completed within five years - though Egypt's president believes it could be finished in just 12 months . Mamish spoke at a conference in which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to announce a winning consortium to develop the project, which includes building an international industrial and logistics hub in the Suez Canal area. He said the project would involve 21 miles of 'dry digging' and 22 miles would be 'expansion and deepening', indicating the current Suez Canal, which is 163 km (101 miles) long, could also be widened as part of the project. | The new 45-mile section would run alongside the existing Suez Canal .
Project could be complete in five years at a cost of more than £2.4billion .
101-mile-long Suez is the fastest shipping link between Europe and Asia .
New waterway will allow ships to travel in both directions for half that length .
Egyptian authorities believe it will boost annual revenues to $13.5billion . |
58,166 | a4e96665f168e512247cc92a9fcfe7063ada19f3 | From her outrageously tiny waist to her unfeasibly long legs, the world's most famous doll has long been the target of criticism from feminists and other women's groups who say it promotes an unhealthy idea of body image in girls. And now it appears that their claims have been proven. Scaled up to human size, Barbie dolls would have unrealistic measurements of 36-18-33, compared with the typical 19-year-old girl's 32-31-33. The average woman, meanwhile, has 38 inch back, a 34 inch waist and hips that measure 40 inches around. Scaled up to human size, Barbie dolls would have unrealistic measurements of 36-18-33, compared with the typical 19-year-old girl's 32-31-33 . Interestingly, although originally based on 1950s pin-ups such as Betty Grable, Barbie is far thinner and more unrealistic, with Grable herself reported to have had measurements of 36-24-35. Thanks to her ultra-slender measurements, it has been estimated that, if she were to exist as a human, Barbie would weigh about 110lbs - or 7 stone, 8lbs - and would have a BMI of 16.24. This would fit the weight criteria for anorexia. By comparison, the average fashion model has a waist measuring 24 inches, 34-inch hips and a 34-inch bust. To illustrate the point, illustrator Nickolay Lamm created computer generated images of a scaled up Barbie and compared them with a model that reflected the proportions of an average 19-year-old woman. Thanks to her ultra-slender measurements, it has been estimated that, if she were to exist as a human, Barbie would weigh about 110lbs - or 7 stone . 'If a woman existed with Barbie proportions, what would she look like compared to a normal woman with average body proportions?' asked Lamm on his blog at MyVoucherCodes.co.uk. Along with Barbie's ridiculously nipped in waist, the computer model revealed that a real Barbie would have a neck too thin to hold up her head - just 9 inches, compared with the teenager's 15. What's more, while the average 19-year-old is a modest 5ft 4" tall, Barbie would have a supermodel stature and would be a relatively lofty 5ft 8". Along with Barbie's ridiculously nipped in waist, the computer model revealed that a real Barbie would have a neck too thin to hold up her head - just 9 inches, compared with the teenager's 15 . Certainly realistic proportions were not at the top of maker Mattel's agenda when the doll first made an appearance in the 1950s . 'Some people say that Barbie is just a toy and that we shouldn't pay so much attention to her body proportions,' Lamm told the Huffington Post. 'However, if skinny models in advertisements get so much scrutiny, I feel Barbie, a doll which million of girls play with, should be open to critique as well. 'Yes, Barbie is just a toy. At the same time, it’s a toy which young girls play with and want to be like. 'If we assume that Barbie is 19 years old, shouldn’t girls have access to toys which resemble realistic proportions?' Certainly realistic proportions were not at the top of maker Mattel's agenda when the doll first made an appearance in the 1950s. A particularly troubling example from 1965 was Slumber Party Barbie who came with a set of pink bathroom scales, permanently set to a rather scrawny 110lbs (50kg), and a diet book containing a single instruction on how to lose weight that read: 'DON'T EAT!' if skinny models in advertisements get so much scrutiny, I feel Barbie, a doll which million of girls play with, should be open to critique as well, says Lamm . To illustrate the point, illustrator Nickolay Lamm created computer generated images of a scaled up Barbie and compared them with a model that reflected the proportions of an average 19-year-old woman . More recently, artist Jason Freeny created a model of the doll that revealed how her unnatural proportions would result in painful deformities, including squashed and misshaped organs because of her unlikely shape. Lamm, meanwhile, has also created images of Barbie without her customary layers of make-up, which he says look better than the original. 'I decided to see what Barbie (and other dolls) really looked like without makeup. [The original picture] got me thinking: is this what Barbie would really look like without make-up? 'Ken is a pretty good looking doll. So, surely Barbie without make-up can't be too different. Sure enough, Barbie still looks pretty, even au naturel.' 'The real Barbie without make-up brings up a new point: if Barbie can look good without makeup, why doesn't Mattel make dolls with a more natural look?' Lamm has also created images of Barbie without her customary layers of make-up, which he says look better than the original . 'If we assume that Barbie is 19 years old, shouldn’t girls have access to toys which resemble realistic proportions?' asks Lamm . | A real life Barbie would have an 18" waist, a 36" bust and 33" hips .
By comparison, most catwalk models have 24" waists and 34" hips .
The average 19-year-old has a 31" waist, 33" hips and a 32" bust . |
125,445 | 2e2f9497a21fba6a7ec0678e4ffe04bce18cef85 | (PEOPLE.com) -- Just over a week after being hospitalized for "mild kidney failure," Nick Cannon stepped out for the first time with wife Mariah Carey -- and praised her for being his "hero" during the ordeal. "When times are hard, you guys don't see her at 3 o'clock in the morning, getting up in the middle of the night, fixing me soup when my kidneys ain't acting right. Mariah Carey does that," Cannon, 31, said onstage before presenting his wife with the Entertainer Award at the 2012 BET Honors taping, held Saturday in Washington, D.C. The show will air February 13 at 9 p.m. Holding 8-month-old son Moroccan -- dressed in a matching mini tux -- Cannon gushed over Carey and at times appeared emotional as he reflected on the woman he calls "my angel." "It is truly, truly a blessing to be here tonight, and I am humbled and in awe of everyone's presence, but mostly my hero right there," he said as Carey, 42, looked on from the front row. "What most people don't get the opportunity to experience is the true woman; the virtuous person who is my angel." A teary-eyed Carey soon returned the adoration, thanking God for having her husband and baby by her side. "To my incredible husband who [has been] out of the hospital two days -- look at him all strong and healthy and big and too buff for the tux -- it's incredible," she beamed. On the mend, Cannon even did an impromptu performance: beatboxing for his son. "This is what makes Roc the most happy," said Carey, dressed in a form-fitting black and nude-colored gown. "And Miss Monroe Cannon's backstage, darling. We were both sewn into our dresses, so she couldn't make it out." "She's a diva like her mama," quipped Cannon. See the full article at PEOPLE.com. © 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | "It is truly, truly a blessing to be here tonight," Nick Cannon said at an event .
Cannon gushed over Mariah Carey as he reflected on the woman he calls "my angel"
On the mend, Cannon even did an impromptu performance: beatboxing for his son . |
242,765 | c636255bf8d2884e6d69340e52acc891561be471 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:56 EST, 13 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 00:56 EST, 13 July 2012 . A mother-of-two who disappeared on a vacation with her ex-boyfriend had told family and friends that she was 'hesitant' about taking the trip with her former partner because he had been violent in the past. Lynn Jackenheimer, 33, from Ashland, Ohio, . was last seen around ten days ago on Hatteras Island in North Carolina with her two children and former boyfriend Nathan Summerfield. They are no longer a couple but have a three-year-old son together. Police have named Summerfield, who has since fled, as a 'person of interest' in their search for the missing woman. Search: Lynn Jackenheimer, left, went on vacation with her two children and ex-boyfriend Nate Summerfield, right. But he returned without her and told a relative he had strangled her before fleeing . Alex Taylor, a friend of Miss Jackenheimer, told Fox: 'I do know at one point she told Nate she was thinking about not going. 'If I really thought she was in danger, we wouldn’t have let her go.' Summerfield, 27, returned to Ohio last Sunday to drop off Miss Jackenheimer's 13-year-old daughter and the young boy to their grandparents' homes before fleeing in his car. His brother Jake immediately called 911 to report 'a possible murder'. 'My brother was in North Carolina with . his ex-girlfriend and he came back and said he strangled her. He dropped . his kid off and left,' Jake Summerfield told a dispatcher. Loved: The two children were left with relatives and are crying for their mother, their grandfather said . He added that he did not know where his brother was going when he sped away in his grey 2009 Honda Civic. Police were hunting Summerfield using his cell phone signal and when his ATM card was used. Police had searched the homes of Miss Jackenheimer and Summerfield for clues. Teams were also scouring the beaches in North Carolina but as one officer pointed out:'Some of these beaches are perfect spots to dump something you don't want somebody to find.' Miss Jackenheimer had been staying in . a vacation rental home on the island with Summerfield and her children, . but authorities have found no clues as to her whereabouts at the home. 'We found nothing to date that they sent us to look for,' Dare County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Steve Hoggard. The children remain with relatives in . Ohio. Both had been questioned by police but could offer little clues . about what had happened to their mother. Missing: Jackenheimer, who has a three-year-old son with Summerfield and a 13-year-old daughter, has not been seen or heard from in a week . Person of interest: Summerfield, left, posted a picture on Facebook of him with the children on vacation . Lynn's stepfather, Raymond Johnson, told WOIO that Miss Jackenheimer's 13-year-old daughter, who has special needs, was left at his home in Dorchester, Ohio. 'She was all by herself when we found her,' Johnson said. 'He left her in the house took the little boy to his parents' house. 'They mainly cry for their mom, that's what they are doing. We are hoping for the best that's all.' Friends and relatives of the missing woman held a candlelight vigil on Monday at Goodfellows Pizzeria and Sports Pub in Ashland, where she works as a bartender. | Police named Nathan Summerfield as a 'person of interest' in the case .
He was being tracked by cell phone and ATM use .
Search teams scouring North Carolina beaches where couple stayed . |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.